Cincinnati Magazine - December 2023 Edition by Cincinnati Magazine

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

Most Wished-for

Skincare Gifts (From Left)

Brooke Stinnette, CNP “I would love to be gifted hydrating treatments such as Skinvive and an oxygen facial to prepare my skin for the cold, dry winter that is to come!” Dr. Alexandra Bowles “If I could give someone a skin gift, it would be the gift of bright and smooth skin! Combining a good skin care regimen of sunscreen, vitamin C, and retinol with regular Botox treatments can do just that.” Taylor Wojniak, CNP “I would love to be gifted injectable treatments like Botox and ﬁller to get ready for the upcoming holiday season. These treatments have little downtime and help create a more balanced and refreshed look.” Jessica Watkins, PA-C “I would love to be gifted a microneedling session with Botox and ﬁller! I can do it all in one day and is the perfect cure for winter blues!”

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

Mona Dermatology’s provider team shares what skincare treatments and products they’re adding to their wish lists for this upcoming holiday season.

Megan Niese, PA-C “Skinvive would be my perfect gift around the holidays. It’s a new microdroplet injectable that increases hydration to improve smoothness, providing a lasting glow. Winter break is also a great time to do a laser treatment such as Halo, so you can allow for some downtime.” Dr. Mona S. Foad “I would love to be gifted a tightening treatment, like Sofwave, to slow down my aging and a facial treatment to give me that immediate glow for the holiday season, such as Diamond Glow.” Anna Luning, CNP “A gift I would love this holiday season would be a Skinvive treatment to keep my skin hydrated and glowing all winter long, especially for the holidays! And don’t forget about skin care stocking stuffers like HA5 or a favorite moisturizer to give an added boost.”

monadermatology.com D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1

Custom looks, with cozy feels.

Bring your vision of a perfect cozy space to life. Curate your own custom look, or shop our expansive .#*2-**( !*- 3 '0.$1 '. !-*( /# ) /$*)ҍ. /*+ - ) .ҁ $.$/ watsons.com/custom to learn more and schedule a free consultation with one of our design specialists.

Ask About the Watson's Low Price Guarantee Find a lower price in the USA? We'll match it!

Explore our current sale at

watsons.com

ѾѸѷѷ

| ҂

ѹѾѹѸ ҁ

| ҂

ѻѸѷѻѹ | ѿѼҀҁѺѾѸҁҀҀѹҀ ѻѼѹѻѸ | ѼѸѺҁѺѹѽҁѸѸѷѷ

F E AT U R E S D E C E M B E R 2 02 3

BOUND FOR GLORY GLASS ARTIST ALLISON FONDA SPINS A PLATTER IN THE FURNACE AT NEUSOLE GLASSWORKS IN FOREST PARK.

BEST OF THE CITY 2023 We’ve got it all, from A (afternoon tea) to Z (Ziegler Park amenity), in our annual salute to the cream of the crop in Cincinnati.

CLONE WARS P. 54

BUILDING SUPPORT FOR THE CAC P. 58

BY M I C H E L E DAY

BY STEVEN ROSEN

Launching a hyper-realistic digital avatar puts Cincinnati writer/ podcaster Helen Todd squarely in the debate about human creativity and artiﬁcial intelligence.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMY KRAMER

New Contemporary Arts Center Executive Director Christina Vassallo arrives to inject life and energy into the iconic Zaha Hadid–designed museum in time for the building’s 20th anniversary.

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

D E PA R T M E N T S D E C E M B E R 2 02 3

ON OUR SITE

100

FOOD NEWS

12 / LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FRONTLINES

16 / SPEAK EASY

Novelist Jessica Strawser returns to a difficult subject

16 / SPORTS

Landmark Productions’ Tim Perrino takes a bow

15 / DISPATCH

The Crosstown Shootout times two

18 / ESCAPE

DINE

98 / DINING OUT Al-Posto, Hyde Park

100 / TAKEOUT HERO Golden State, Terrace Park

Dreaming of a Lake Erie summer

100 / TABLESIDE WITH…

20 / HOMEGROWN

Kayla Hunley, Hunley Bee Pastry

Center yourself at Diamyn’s Crystal Bar

22 / ON THE MARKET A Hyde Park French Colonial

24 / DR. KNOW Your QC questions answered

COLUMNS

102 / HIGH SPIRITS Creeping and crawling at Covalt Station

BY J AY G I L B E R T

128 / CINCY OBSCURA Everybody’s Treehouse, Mt. Airy Forest

Decoding our civic DNA, from history to politics to personalities.

104 / TAKE 5 Sharing some of the best tapas in town

109 / DINING GUIDE Greater Cincinnati restaurants: A selective list

26 / LIVING IN CIN Flying pigs ruffled a few feathers back in the day

CITY NEWS

ON THE COVER

HOME + LIFE

Tracking what’s new in local real estate, artisans, and storefronts.

illustration by MATTHEW DAYLER AND ANDREW TREMBLAY OF CHROMA PROJECTS

BY REBEKAH BOSTICK

128

SPORTS

Cincinnati Magazine

6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

@Cincinnatimagazine

@cincinnatimagazine

Insight and analysis on the Bengals and FC Cincinnati.

IM AG E S BY ( TO P) C ATHERINE VIOX / (B OT TO M) L A N C E A D K I N S

12 / CONTRIBUTORS

An extra serving of our outstanding dining coverage.

Luxe LIFT

Look your absolute best at any age!

IN T E R N AT ION A L LY R E N O WN ED, IN DIV IDU A L LY FOCU SED

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

CINCINNATI MAGAZINE TOP DOCTOR 2011–2023

drdonath.com 513-891-LIFT (5438) 7763 Montgomery Road (One block west of Nordstrom)

*Results may vary

JOIN US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

12.23 PROMOTION

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONS

PAGE 65 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Photograph by Mariana Ianovska/stock.adobe.com

2023

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 6 5

Faces Meet the people behind some of the Queen City’s most notable and successful businesses and organizations.

COMING NEXT MONTH

Top Doctors Proﬁles

Physicians selected for our Top Doctors list offer more information about their expertise and specialties.

Healthwatch: Memory Care Experts from local memory care facilities explain the beneﬁts of this type of care, and how to know when a loved one might need it.

8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

Personalizing the right care for you, here in Cincinnati Whether it’s tackling a serious health issue or improving your overall well-being, our doctors and health care professionals in the Cincinnati area are committed to improving your overall health with personalized health care solutions. Because whether in our office, or virtually from the comfort of your own home, we believe your health care should always revolve around you. Visit mercy.com/primarycare to find a location and connect with a provider today.

PRIMARY CARE FOR THE UNIVERSE OF YOU

17106CINPRI

D E C E M B E R 2 02 3

MadTree’s Legendary Lager

-JOEOFS $FOUFS PG )01& 6OEFSTUBOET .FOUBM )FBMUI Are you or someone you care about struggling with £ ¾¬Å¤ ¾ËÅ , Åú¬ËéÝ, ÝÖ Ù ä or Ëéä Ë£ ËÅäÙË¾? Lindner Center of HOPE understands how the symptoms of mental illness can make you feel. We can help no matter your age or struggle. Our transformative continuum of care is designed to meet you where you are and promote long-lasting healing.

West Side Brewing’s Hefeweizen

Staff members pick their favorite local beer.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Fox DESIGN DIRECTOR Brittany Dexter

PUBLISHER Ivy Bayer

DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL OPERATIONS

SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS

Amanda Boyd Walters SENIOR EDITOR Canvus Canvus Kentucky Kentucky Mule Mule

Fretboard’s Reba

Maggie Wint Goecke, Joe Hoffecker, Julie Poyer SENIOR MANAGER, SPONSORSHIP SALES

Aiesha D. Little

Chris Ohmer

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

SENIOR OUTSIDE ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE

Lauren Fisher SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Kane Mitten

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

Cecilia Rose

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jim DeBrosse,

EVENT COORDINATOR

Kathleen Doane, Jay Gilbert, Lisa Murtha, Laurie Pike, Kevin Schultz, John Stowell, Linda Vaccariello, Jenny Wohlfarth, J. Kevin Wolfe

Savannah Walling

EDITORIAL INTERN Rebekah Bostick DIGITAL INTERN Braden White

SENIOR ART DIRECTORS Jen Kawanari,

Emi Villavicencio ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORS Carlie Burton,

Jessica Dunham

Narrow Path Brewery’s Salted Caramel Amber Ale

BUSINESS

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Missy Beiting BUSINESS COORDINATOR Erica Birkle

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Geralyn Wilson CIRCULATION MANAGER Riley Meyers

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Sophie Kallis CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Lance Adkins, Wes Battoclette, Aaron M. Conway, Chris Danger, Andrew Doench, Devyn Glista, HATSUE, Chris von Holle, Danielle Johnson, Jeremy Kramer, Ryan Kurtz, Lars Leetaru, Marlene Rounds, Dola Sun, Catherine Viox PRODUCTION DIRECTOR & IT SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR

Vu Luong

PUBLISHED BY CINCINNATI MEDIA, LLC CEO Stefan Wanczyk PRESIDENT John Balardo

EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING OFFICES

1818 Race St., Suite 301 Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-4300 E-MAIL cmletters@cincinnatimagazine.com WEB cincinnatimagazine.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS

1-866-660-6247 E-MAIL

Cincinnati_Service@hourmediagroup.com

2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards

ʨʤʦʠʨʦʩʠʻ˂˃ʸ VISIT

ʿ˜ˡ˗ˡ˘˥ʶ˘ˡ˧˘˥ˢ˙ʻˢˣ˘ʡˢ˥˚

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

Little Miami Brewing’s Pterodactyl

CIRCULATION

BEST MAGAZINE IN OHIO

CALL

Northern Row’s Brewer

Laura Bowling

L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I TO R D E C E M B E R 2 02 3

CONTRIBUTORS

MICHELE DAY

ALL BRIGHT CINCINNATIANS DO ENJOY FINDING GOOD HUMOR IN JOKES KNOWING laughter means nirvana overall. Pretty quickly, really shallow tattletales undermine vitality while x-raying your zeal. It’s true: Serious-minded people are always trying to bring the rest of us down. We must defend our right to enjoy ourselves, especially at the holiday season. That’s why we decided to arrange our annual Best of the City in an A to Z format (page 36). It’s fun and different and makes us smile. We hope it brightens your day as well. We also hope the section helps you discover a new favorite apple orchard, birria, clothing store for goths, drag show, and espresso martini, all the way to the best Xavier gear, yuca fries, and Ziegler Park amenity. You get the idea. And we’ll have fun, fun, fun ’til Daddy takes the dictionary away! I’m also excited about how this issue highlights four creative Cincinnati women you should get to know better: novelist Jessica Strawser (page 15), shop owner Diamyn Rembert (page 22), artificial intelligence pioneer Helen Todd (page 54), and the Contemporary Arts Center’s new executive director, Christina Vassallo (page 58). Each is a storyteller in her own way, using art, craft, or a bit of science to pose questions about modern life that might change how we view the world around us—if we’re open to having our preconceived notions challenged. The right question often can be more impactful than the answers. Elsewhere in the issue you’ll find out about a great new Italian restaurant in Hyde Park Square, not far from an exquisite French Colonial house on the market for a cool $1.45 million, which is slightly more than what you’ll pay for courtside seats at the annual UC–Xavier Crosstown Shootout. You’ll be able to tell your friends about the new spot serving wood-grilled octopus tacos, the executive pastry chef at a new oyster house, and the hazy, crazy days of 1988 when flying pigs were first introduced to Cincinnati and everyone hated them…until they didn’t. My advice now is the same I would have offered in ’88: Don’t take the city or yourself (or the alphabet) too seriously. Happy holidays!

J O H N F OX

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

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

ILLUSTR ATIO N BY L A R S LEE TA RU

When Michele Day ﬁrst found out that Helen Todd was planning to clone herself (“Clone Wars,” page 54), she was intrigued—and also a little terriﬁed. The contributing writer was already knee-deep in research about the impact of AI on journalism and higher education. “I think it’s fascinating that we keep replaying our response to new technologies with the same mix of super hype and super anxiety,” Day says.

SARAH McCOSHAM As a full-time writer and mom of four kids, contributing writer Sarah McCosham is always on the lookout for new experiences. “Despite living in Ohio for more than 35 years, I’m constantly surprised by the tricks up our state’s sleeves,” she says. That includes Cappel’s, McCosham’s go-to spot for DIY Halloween costumes in Best of the City (page 36).

MATTHEW DAYLER This year’s Best of the City cover artist, Matthew Dayler, runs the print media program at the Art Academy of Cincinnati. So when it came to deciding the direction for the cover, the choice was clear. “The design is inspired by the traditions of print, speciﬁcally screen-printing and letterpress,” he says.

THEIR HEIR TE TEACHING ACHIN NG IS S TO TOMORROW’S MORROW W’S HEALING HEAL NG Because medicine is a rapidly and ever-changing ﬁeld, a physician’s education doesn’t end at medical school graduation. It requires an unshakable commitment to lifelong learning—a commitment that is established early, by the UC College of Medicine core educators who provide essential, foundational science instruction to medical students. These award-winning faculty, with demonstrated expertise in all aspects of medical education, ensure that the next generation of doctors are not only well prepared on day one, but on every day after. Indispensable medicine, right here in Cincinnati.

med.uc.edu/indispensable

PHYSICIANS College of Medicine

Left to right: Aaron Marshall, PhD; Heather Christensen, PhD; Bruce Gifﬁn, PhD; DJ Lowrie, PhD; Andrew Thompson, PhD, Department of Medical Education

EXPERIENTIAL LIVING CITY CLUB APARTMENTS NOW LEASING

SKY PARK, ROOFTOP POOL & HOT TUB

Sky park Indoor Pool & Hot tub

Sky Club

penthouses

private club

ELEVEN FITNESS CLUB

Shires’ ROOFTOP RESTAURANT / BAR

City WithiN A City

salon & MED spa

24/7 Valet PARKING & Dry cleaner / tailor

sky bridge

SHIRES’ cafe ENTERTAINMENT Venue

ANNEX

4th st

vine st

urban market / FROSTED PAW Pet Store

Pet Friendly

Sky Park & Rooftop pool

UNION CENTRAL

sky club

lobby. lounge. library.

24/7 concierge

ELEVEN FITNESS CLUB

dramatic panoramic skyline views

SHIRES’ ROOFTOP RESAURANT / BAR

CCA Coworking

INDOOR OUTDOOR THEATERS

TOP 10 Reasons To Live Here Live for You

OUR WALK SCORE

OUR TRANSIT SCORE

A WALKERS PARADISE

EXCELLENT TRANSIT

RESORT CLASS AMENITIES: 2 Sky-Parks w/ Panoramic Skyline Views, 2 Pools w/ Spas - Rooftop Outdoor & Indoor, 2 Outdoor Kitchens, Fire Pits, 2 Sky Clubs w/ Gourmet Kitchens, Indoor Outdoor Theaters, PH Clubroom, 2 Lobby Libraries CCA COWORKING: Large & Medium Conference Rooms, 2 Business Centers, Communal Tables & Hi-Speed WiFi, Wired Technology Certiﬁed, 1GB Fiber CCA WELLNESS: Professional Health Club; Strength, Yoga, Cardio, Group & Personal Training, Sauna, Wellness Room, Fitwel Wellness Certiﬁed PENTHOUSES: 30 Floor Plans, Condo Quality, Duplexes, Triplexes, Wrap Around Terraces, 10-15’ Ceilings, Walnut Doors & Trim, Fire Places, European Style Ceruse Wood Cabinetry w/ Built-in Appliances, Designer Custom Closets, Powder Rooms, Freestanding Soaking Tubs w/ 5’ Showers, Vessel Sinks, 1GB Fiber APARTMENTS: 29 Floor Plans, Three Finishes, Duplexes, Lofts, Dens, Offices, Terraces, Balconies, 10-15’ Ceilings, Wood Plank Flooring, European Style Cabinetry, Pantries, Granite Counters, Multi Function Islands, Sexy Bathrooms, 36” Tubs/ 5’ Showers, 10” Rain Shower Heads, Custom Closets, Washer Dryers CCA FURNISHED SUITES: Short Term Furnished Apartments

The Club PET FRIENDLY: Bark Park, Dog Run, Pet Store, Dog Menus SOCIAL PROGRAMMING & CLUB REWARDS: Weekly Events; Social, Food, Sports, Wine & Beer, Fitness, Wellness, Beauty, Education, Travel, Art, Social Responsibility, Charities, Pets, Finance. Exclusive Rewards Program with Our Local Partners

I Care 24/7 CONCIERGE & TIME SAVING SERVICES : Guest Registration, Restaurant & Entertainment Reservations, Service Orders, Package & Grocery Deliveries, Dry Cleaning, Package & Mail Room GREEN, WELLNESS CERTIFIED & CLEAN RATED. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Charitable & Community Partnerships

513.318.4269

C I T YC L U B A PA R T M E N T S . C O M

24 HOUR SERVICE GUARANTEE - OWNER MANAGED COMMUNITY

WHITE CHRISTMAS ON STAGE P. 16

LAKE ERIE DREAMS P. 18

ROCKING THE CRYSTALS P. 20

A UNIQUE HOME IN HYDE PARK P. 22

TAKING CARE WITH READERS A Cincinnati Nature Center hike inspired Jessica Strawser’s new novel. M A C K E N Z I E M A N L E Y

HERE ARE SHORT AND LONG AN-

swers for the inspiration behind Jessica Strawser’s sixth novel, The Last Caretaker, out this month from Lake Union Publishing. The former? A solitary hike at Cincinnati Nature Center on a chilly winter day. As she walked, Strawser caught glimpses of the caretaker’s home between the trees and wondered what it would be like to live there. The thought led her to the idea of a plot point that would become the basis for her story. “By the time I was done with that hike, I was running back to my laptop,” she says. “It wasn’t a fully formed idea, but a pretty good premise.” While initial inspiration was taken from the Cincinnati Nature Center, Strawser says that the book’s setting of Grove Reserve, from its geography to the staff, is entirely imagined. The Last Caretaker follows recent divorcee Katie, whose college best friend, Bess, offers her a caretaker position at the Grove in Cincinnati. But when Katie arrives, the caretaker’s residence is in disarray, as if her predecessor left in a rush. Soon after, she ﬁnds herself in the middle of an underground network shepherding domestic violence victims to safety. CONTINUED ON P. 16 PHOTOGRAPH BY GRANT MOXLEY

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1 5

DISPATCH

SPORTS

OUR RIVETING RIVALRY

Even casual Cincinnati sports fans circle the UC–Xavier basketball matchup on their calendars. The men’s and women’s teams battle on the same weekend: men at Cintas Center Dec. 9 (XU has won four in a row) and women at Fifth Third Arena Dec. 10. gobearcats.com, goxavier.com 1 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPEAK EASY

HE’S DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS Tim Perrino might be retiring from the organization he founded, Cincinnati Landmark Productions, but the local theater legend has one more gift for the community this holiday season: a new stage production of the beloved 1954 movie White Christmas, running November 30–December 23 at Covedale Center for the Performing Arts. When did your love for White Christmas the movie begin? I ﬁrst saw it as a child, and it left a lasting impression. We mounted a stage version of White Christmas 12 years ago at Covedale, and it became one of the most popular shows we’d ever done. What’s changed over the years in your perception of this iconic story? While the play retains the movie’s essence, we’ve made some smart adaptations so it’s more suitable for the stage. When we ﬁrst produced it, I was enamored with the nostalgia of post-World War II America and the timeless appeal of Irving Berlin’s music. But I’ve come to appreciate the play’s nuances more deeply. The theme of hope and change, as articulated by the character General Waverly, has taken on a more

profound signiﬁcance for me. Looking at the world today, with ongoing conﬂicts and challenges, that message hits home even harder. You recently announced your retirement as executive director of Cincinnati Landmark Productions. Why now? Running a theater company is a demanding job that often feels like an “eight days a week” commitment. It was time to make room in my life for other things. I want to spend more time with my grandsons, work on a book about the Showboat Majestic, and even get back to playing golf. But I’m not retiring from directing. Rodger Pille, who’s been with us for years, is now executive director. Your professional journey seems deeply intertwined with Cincinnati’s artistic growth. I’m proud to say that Cincinnati Landmark Productions—through the Covedale Center, Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, and Madcap Education Center—has helped turn the west side into a vibrant cultural hub. —AIDA RAMUSOVIC READ A LONGER INTERVIEW WITH TIM AT CINCIN NATIMAGAZINE.COM

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

SPE A K E A S Y PH OTO CO U R TE S Y CIN CIN N ATI L A N D M A RK PR O D U C TI O N S / B O O K IM AG E CO U R TE S Y J E SSI C A S TR AW SER / SP O R T S ILLU S TR ATI O N BY EMI VILL AVICENCIO

Strawser’s long answer goes the protagonist’s shoes. This new story blends the subgenres, back to her 2018 novel, Not That with Strawser describing it as a 50/50 I Could Tell, which also touched on split. Katie presents as an everywoman themes of domestic violence. “I wrote trying her best, while an ensemble cast it to honor a friend I’d lost to domestic allows Strawser to dream up the people— violence,” says Strawser. “And I wrote it because there weren’t many stories from both expected and unexpected—who the perspective of a bystander. Usually, if might get involved in a whisper network, you encounter domestic violence in a TV from a baker to an OB/GYN. show, movie, or novel, it’s from the perStrawser says her last two novels were spective of a victim or perpetrator. But in research-intensive, so she felt it was time real life most of us will encounto return to a more personal story ter it through a friend, family as well as switch genres. When member, or someone we love.” she decided to write about doIn the years since the book’s mestic violence, she knew she release, Strawser says she’s had wanted the story to be empowcountless powerful conversaering. Despite the heavy topic, tions with women—everyone she also didn’t want The Last from readers to librarians to book Caretaker to take itself too sericlub members—sharing their ously.“I would much rather write Care to Attend? own experiences with domestic Jessica Strawser will an entertaining story that gives violence and abuse. That same sign her new novel you something to think about sense of solidarity found its way December 2 at Cincy and maybe even sneaks up on you Book Bus Depot. into The Last Caretaker. “If you than, This is a book about an issue,” jessicastrawser. had asked me in 2018 if I was goshe says. “I think I’m going to com/events ing to write another novel that reach a lot more people that way.” had to do with domestic violence, I would Along with being a novelist, Strawhave said, No,” she says.“Really, it was the ser is an editor-at-large and columnist at Writer’s Digest and regularly speaks at process of, five years later, realizing that I still had something to say about the topic.” book clubs and conferences; being emThe Last Caretaker is the first time braced by book clubs has been an “unexpected and delightful” aspect of her caStrawser has returned to a topic in her novels. She notes that her first three (Alreer. “You really do leave feeling like old most Missed You, Not That I Could Tell, friends,” she says. “It’s just amazing to be and Forget You Know Me) fall into the doin a room full of people who have read mestic suspense genre. Her last two (A your book and talk about your characters Million Reasons Why and The Next Thing as if they’re real people and sometimes You Know) are book club fiction centered argue about what the character should on moral dilemmas that put readers in have done.”

Clearly Indigenous Native Visions Visions Reimagined Reimagined in Native in Glass Glass DECEMBER 15, 2023–APRIL 7, 2024 DECEMBER 15, 2023–APRIL 7, 2024 Ticketed. Free for members. Ticketed. Free for members.

Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass was originated by The Museum in Glass was originated by The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, New of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe, New Mexico. The traveling exhibition was curated Mexico. The traveling exhibition was curated by Dr. Letitia Chambers and is toured by by Dr. Letitia Chambers and is toured by International Arts & Artists. International Arts & Artists.

Presenting Sponsor: Presenting Sponsor:

Raven Steals the Sun, 2019, Preston Singletary (Tlingit, b.Raven 1963),Steals blown, sand-carved Courtesy of the artist, the Sun, 2019, glass, Preston Singletary (Tlingit, ©b.Preston Photography byCourtesy Russell Johnson 1963), Singletary, blown, sand-carved glass, of the artist, © Preston Singletary, Photography by Russell Johnson

WHERE TO EAT

DREAMING OF A LAKE ERIE SUMMER TAKE YOUR NEXT BEACH VACATION IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. — A L E X A N D R A F R O S T Most Cincinnatians have done the beach. In fact, we’ve done a few beaches, and probably have our go-to spots along the Carolinas, or in Florida, or other eight-to-12-hour drivable trips that all our family and friends tagging along will love. But when it comes to choosing a beach destination, we might be looking in the wrong direction. This year, my family of seven peeked north and found an unforgettable long weekend trip that might just replace our annual trip to Myrtle Beach. WHERE TO STAY

We loaded up the camper and our ﬁve kids under 8 and

headed to Erie, Pennsylvania, to Presque Isle State Park. I left with this massive number of humans and their gear, but with no expectations for what Erie might hold. I’d never been there and didn’t even realize how beautiful the lake would be compared to our local murky-water hangouts. I was pleasantly surprised. The cross-Ohio drive was a bit grueling, but there was a convenient and surprisingly delicious stop at Sheetz. The wide variety of made-toorder food the gas station giant is known for made it a great lunch spot. Pleasing a big family with wildly differing tastes is often impossible,

Luckily, the storm passed quickly, and we hunkered down with takeout from Flagship City Food Hall. This is far from your typical food hall— again, all kids were satisﬁed thanks to the wide range of food from ramen to pizza to Dominican food my husband declared “heavenly” and a variety of desserts. For dinner, head to Sara’s Restaurant. We did have to contend with some seriously determined bees who wanted our breaded ﬁsh dinners and burgers, but we couldn’t blame them. The outdoor atmosphere makes the restaurant a destination in itself. If you opt to stay at the nearby campground, your campers can easily head over to Sara’s for an ice cream to beat the heat.

NORTH COUNTRY: 1: Sunset at Presque Isle State Park. 2: Grab soft-serve at Sara’s Restaurant. 3: Biking along the lakeshore at Presque Isle. 2

kid-friendly entertainment, a second boat comes up alongside yours, with a pirate who “attacks” the main boat with water guns. The kids still talk about it long after it’s over. We also headed to Presque Isle State Park, which features at least 11 beaches with calm and shallow waters, as well as restaurants, concessions, and real stretches of sand—not like the “beaches” we might ﬁnd around Cincy’s lakes. The water was as see-through as we’d been promised, and our stroller full of things was no problem with a long, accessible runway that led from the parking lot to the water. Our kids didn’t want to leave once they discovered the Beach 11 Nature Playspace, a playground made from things like boulders, stumps, and fallen trees, on the way out. That was about all our kids could handle on this vis-

it. But next time we hope to explore Waldameer Amusement Park & Water World, Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Asbury Woods Nature Center, and Play Port Arcade and Family Fun Center. Looks like it will be a while before we head back to Myrtle Beach with all of these yet-to-beexplored opportunities to the north. Presque Isle State Park visitpa.com/region/pennsyl vanias-great-lakes-region/ presque-isle-state-park Flagship City Food Hall ﬂagshipcitydistrict.com/ foodhall Scallywags Pirate Adventures scallywagspirateadventures. com

WHAT TO DO

After the weather returned to sunny and beautiful next to the lake, our next stop was Scallywags Pirate Adventures. This is no basic pirate boat outing. It is a full-on theater performance, complete with a double-decker ship and a snack bar (they offer boozy tours without kids too). Just as you think the boat ride is just going to be a scenic view of the lake with some

PIT STOP

IF YOU WANT A LAYOVER ON YOUR WAY TO ERIE, YOU CAN MAKE A

AMONG THE TREETOPS

stop overnight at the Mohican Treehouses in Glenmont, Ohio, between Mt. Vernon and Wooster, outside Loudonville. Stay in a real treehouse hovering above the ground, or rent a farmhouse refurbished to accommodate lots of guests, and make use of the nearby land for exploring, campﬁres, and outdoor activities. Makes for a much more interesting break in the trip than a basic hotel. themohicans.net

Rent a treehouse or farmhouse for the ultimate outdoor escape. — A . F . 1 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

PH OTO G R A PHS (LEF T A ND B OT TO M) CO UR T E S Y PRE S Q UE ISLE S TAT E PA RK / ( TO P) BY SH A NN O N / S TO C K . A D O B E .CO M / (SIDE TRIP) BY CHRIS MCLELLAND @ MOHICAN MEDIA

but Sheetz made it happen. After arriving at Presque Isle Passage campground, we were greeted with a black sky and an impending tornado warning. Not a great start for a family in a camper, on what was supposed to be a beautiful beach vacation. But the campground itself featured a pool, a cute gift shop, and a variety of stationary rentable campers to give camping a go if you don’t have your own.

ESCAPE

IS IN THE AIR.

AND IT’S JUST A SHORT

leigh ride AWAY.

Feel the magic at the award-winning Christkindlmarkt, at festive performances at the Center for the Performing Arts, and in the brightly lit town squares. Experience more magic at Conner Prairie’s A Merry Prairie Holiday, on thrilling winter adventures at Koteewi Run, and on the Nickel Plate’s Reindeer Express. In Hamilton County, Indiana, holiday magic is everywhere.

JUST NORTH OF INDY. SCAN FOR MORE INFO.

Plan your holiday getaway today at VisitHamiltonCounty.com/Holiday.

HOMEGROWN

CRYSTAL CLEAR

DIAMYN’S CRYSTAL BAR IS A SPACE FOR HEALING AND ABUNDANCE. — J A C L Y N Y O U H A N A G A R V E R

CHECKLIST FOR OPENING YOUR OWN CRYSTAL

shop: 1. Love nature. Trees, dirt, and, yes, rocks. Loving rocks is important. 2. Be a curious person. Wonder things like “How can I reconnect with myself? And how do I do this thing, life?” 3. Meditate and visualize the future when life isn’t currently how you want it to look. Bonus: Be named, literally, Diamyn. The checklist is borrowed from Diamyn Rembert, the owner and founder of Diamyn’s Crystal Bar, part of Pause Cincy in Corryville. “When I graduated from college, nobody told me how hard it was to be an adult, and I felt hoodwinked,” she says. “I was just like, Why did this happen? It was so challenging.” Rembert studied journalism and knew she did not want to graduate without having a job lined up. She found a position as an instructional design associate—even though she knew nothing about instruc2 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

tional design. She learned the job from scratch over five years, during which time she was promoted and began the company’s diversity and inclusion special interest group. Rembert loved the work so much, she started her master’s degree in educational leadership, which she almost finished. But when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, she had to reprioritize her time. It was a time of transition—and of high stress. So she turned to crystals, which are used as energy conductors in everything from cell phones to televisions. They work similarly with people, Rembert says, helping us tap into ourselves and our energies. In addition to crystals, Diamyn’s Crystal Bar carries jewelry and crystal-adjacent ROCK ON 1: Diamyn Rembert at her products like sage, crystal bar. palo santo, and Florida 2: Seven Chakra Candles and other wares from water. Rembert is also Pause. 3: Inside Corryville’s Pause a spiritual empowcollective. erment coach and a crystal healer, and she hosts sessions at the shop that focus on mental and physical wellness. For those interested in crystals but unsure of where to start, Rembert calls amethyst a good beginner stone. It also happens to be the first stone she worked with. “Every morning before I even got out of bed, I would grab my crystal and hold it to my heart,” she says. “It’s essentially saying a prayer, setting an intention [about] how I wanted to feel that day, what I wanted to experience.”

DIAMYN’S CRYSTAL BAR, 2908 SHORT VINE ST., CORRYVILLE, DIAMYNSCRYSTALBAR.COM PHOTOGRAPHS BY LANCE ADKINS

ON THE MARKET

ADDRESS: 1075 EDWARDS RD., HYDE PARK LISTING PRICE: $1.45 MILLION

CASTLE ON THE HILL MAYBE IT’S THE TREE-LINED STREET. MAYBE IT’S THE WAY THE

turquoise shutters perfectly match the front door, popping against the brightness of the white-washed brick. Maybe it’s the literal white picket fence encircling the back half of the property. But something about this Hyde Park home just screams They don’t make ’em like this anymore. As much as an American Dream this home may be, technically, it isn’t American at all. The house, located at the quieter end of Edwards Road, is a French colonial through and through with its steep, hipped roof and iron Juliet balcony. Built in 1939, it occupies prime real estate on a desirable street. But this home is unlike the Tudors and contemporary builds that line the road. It’s classic from the inside out—so much so that it’s considered one of the neighborhood’s landmark properties. Inside, a spiral staircase occupies the eye2 2 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

grabbing turret. In the sun-filled living room, muted yellow paneling surrounds one of two wood-burning fireplaces—and you don’t have to travel far to find the other. On the other side of the wall, you’ll find a four-season room, perfect for those chilly nights when you’re not sure whether to entertain inside or out. The kitchen strikes a perfect balance between cottage-cute and modern luxury with its warm, paneled ceiling and charming open shelving. Scandinavian sensibilities abound in the all-wood countertops and simple, white cabinetry, but the space is still warm and welcoming. The four-bedroom, four-bathroom home is thoroughly modern, offering every contemporary convenience within its 3,000 square feet. Outside, surrounded by that white picket fence, you’ll find a fully landscaped yard and sunbathed entertainment space. It’s an extra-urban paradise simply waiting for you to turn the key.

PH OTO G R A PHS BY K AT H Y K ELLE Y

A HYDE PARK FRENCH COLONIAL EVOKES WHITE PICKET FENCES AND COTTAGE-SENSIBLE DESIGN. —LAUREN FISHER

www.cincyrealtoralliance.com

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

Son David Kadetz took over the biz in the 1980s and licensed the Izzy’s name for franchising. Oy, that got him started. David became loud and cranky himself when the suburban locations failed to uphold his quality standards for Izzy’s famous corned beef, monstrous potato pancakes, and avalanches of pickles. Lawyers got involved. David went public with a loud and cranky sign in the window, and even TV commercials, declaring that only the downtown Izzy’s locations deserved his father’s name. It all eventually got fixed and made nice after some warm chicken soup (and some cold lawyer’s fees). The Izzy’s name, locations, and standards are all now back together with the original clan. Here, have a pickle, it couldn’t hurt.

Q+ A

I’ve lived near O’Bryonville for a long time. There’s a restaurant here along the main drag that is always closing and reopening as something else. Restaurants come and go everywhere, but this one is always, always going. I think it’s happened 10 times since the 1980s. Is the place cursed? —GRAND CLOSING DEAR CLOSING:

I’m a lifelong fan of Izzy’s Deli. I remember Izzy and Rose and enjoyed their arguing at the old location. But I’ve always wondered about a later time when the downtown Izzy’s had a sign in the window disavowing all their suburban locations. Why did they reject their own restaurants? —LEFT A BAD TASTE

DEAR TASTE:

As Izzy Kadetz himself might have said: Oy, don’t get me started. Cincinnati’s famous downtown deli had a nationwide reputation for providing delicious meals served by a loud, cranky staff. And none were louder and crankier than Izzy and Rose themselves. It was all part of the charm—shmear served with shtick.

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

The Doctor insists upon accuracy, so please: Said restaurant has been reborn only eight times. Whether or not this building is cursed requires spiritual skills beyond the Doctor’s certiﬁcation, but let us now close our eyes and hold hands. The red brick building at Madison Road and O’Bryon Street once stood all alone in the 1840s, the farmhouse from which Edward and Mary O’Bryon lorded over their large manor. Suddenly, they lost the farmhouse and the farm to a gambling debt. A good start for curses and hauntings, we thinketh. By the 20th century the building was just a commoner in a neighborhood echoing the family name. After decades as apartments and various small stores, in 1980 it saw a major renovation and opened as Laura O’Bryon’s, its ﬁrst life as a full-house resILLUSTR ATIO N S BY L A R S LEE TA RU

taurant. Thus began a parade of subsequent eateries: Ribbobbie’s Grill, The Brickyard, The Brick House Tavern, Balboa’s, Enoteca Emilia, Eighth & English, Pampas, and the current Ché. Cursed? Maybe .. . but restaurants are a tough business. O’Bryonville’s worst curse has been its eternal spelling battle: O’Bryanville, O’Brienville, O’Briansville, etc. How’d you like to be the person having to change all those “Welcome to...” signs?

Tis the Season for Broadway

At the Columbia-Tusculum intersection where The Precinct restaurant has its entrance, the curb at the corner sticks way, way out. I realize it’s meant for safety as patrons use the crosswalk, but don’t cars constantly bump over it when they turn there? I sure do. Am I the only one? Is that really safer? —BUMP APPÉTIT DEAR BUMP:

Welcome to the Doctor’s ﬁrst allrestaurant column. We partially sympathize with your suffering, although one would think you might start making proper turns after your ﬁrst few bad experiences. The Doctor contacted The Precinct (considerately, during a non-busy hour) and inquired about the concrete growth at the corner, which was added around 2015. He spoke to the greeter standing at the entrance. She said that every day, all day, cars making a right turn from Columbia Parkway onto Delta Avenue thump across that bulging curb. Constantly. Suddenly she burst out laughing, because it happened even as we spoke. She was not aware of anyone ever complaining to the restaurant about the curb. One does wonder, then, what kind of person decides that the best course of action would be to lodge a complaint about the offending curb to a magazine columnist. Perhaps it’s someone who never adjusts their turning after several jarring bumps. Bon appétit!

BroadwayInCincinnati.com • CincinnatiArts.org

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

LIVING IN CIN BY JAY GILBERT

Time in a Bottle Box

ONE TIME CAPSULE WAS OPENED IN 1988, AND A FUN REPLACEMENT PLANNED. THEN THINGS GOT WEIRD. It’s the night of December 28, 1988. If this large copper box is empty, the people on live TV will be embarrassed as hell. If this box instead contains priceless mementos that have disintegrated after 100 years, the people who buried them in 1888 will be embarrassed as hell, possibly in Hell. The crowd holds its breath as the time capsule, excavated from the cornerstone at Cincinnati City Hall and delivered here to the convention center by armored truck, is pried open. Long drum roll… Yes! Everything inside is in great shape! The event hosts—Mayor Charlie Luken, baseball legend Johnny Bench, and not-yet-legend Jerry Springer—can ﬁnally exhale and begin their rummaging. The audience here and watching on TV leans forward in anticipation. Everyone has wondered for months what the time capsule might contain. Well, not quite everyone. One person at the ceremony knows exactly what’s in there but told no one. Local historian Dan Ransohoff found an 1888 edition of The Cincinnati Times-Star that listed everything inside. He quietly gathered available duplicates of the historical documents and brought them to the ceremony just

in case this televised unboxing might reveal a blob of mush. But no; those 19th century engineers had done an admirable job. The business cards are still crisp and sturdy, including my favorite item from the entire box: Milo G. Dodds wrote on the back of his card, “Sorry I can’t be present when this is opened.” As of 1903 (I checked), Milo was deﬁnitely not available.

2 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

THIS NIGHT WAS THE GRAND FINALE OF Cincinnati’s bicentennial celebration, 200 years to the day of its official founding. There’s a video of the whole shindig at tinyurl.com/ynsjx4cn. What a relentless 18-month barrage of smushed-together events it had been! Fast forward to today, though, and we can see that the event with the biggest impact—the one that’s now embedded itself into the heart of Cincinnati to a depth that will probably outlast us all—was something nobody saw coming. It wasn’t even a real event. An ordinary press conference was held to present plans for Sawyer Point Park, a riverfront construction project to mark the bicentennial. Halfway through the presentation, the architect unrolled his drawings for the park’s entrance. It’s a small pedestrian bridge, he explained, with four tall smokestacks at the corners, each smokestack topped with a brasswinged pig. Wait, what? Did he say pig? Are those things pigs? With wings? Reader, let us pause for a moment and acknowledge that the flying pig has become the most iconic and beloved symbol of Cincinnati in our lifetime. But in the ﬁrst days after that press conference, those pigs and their architect inspired nothing but thoughts of tar and feathers. Public reaction was brutal. One citizen snorted, “I have raised hogs, I have castrated hogs, and I have slaughtered hogs, but I do not go around with a ﬂying-pig brooch on my lapel!” Even Mayor Luken remarked, “I think we risk a lot of embarrassment.” We all know how it turned out. City planners stood their ground, the pigs were installed, and today they stand proudly among such eternal Cincinnati icons as Fountain Square, Music Hall, three-way chili, and clogged sinuses. In 2088, somebody will open the replacement time cap- • CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 COLLAGE BY CARLIE BURTON

Great Design. Quality. Value. Serving the Greater Cincinnati area since 1985. Stop in and visit our beautiful showroom!

Visit us online at bovafurniture.com CINCINNATI 12130 Royal Point Drive (Across from Kings Auto Mall) Cincinnati, OH 45249 T: 513.247.9100

HOURS: Mon-Fri: 10am - 6pm Saturday: 10am - 5pm Sunday: Closed

Take a virtual tour of the store.

EMBRACE THE SEASON OF GIVING. GIVE $50 OR MORE TO CHARITY AND SAVE HUNDREDS.*

Stressless® Mayfair shown in Paloma Sand/Oak

What Makes Stressless® ";-ঞm] Comfortably Yours?

12130 Royal Point Drive bm1bmm-ঞķ ƓƔƑƓƖ (Across from Kings Auto Mall) (513) 247-9100 0o -= umb| u;ĺ1ol

o ;uŤ @;uv ;m_-m1;7 lo|oub ;7 = m1ঞom-Ѵb| =ou Ѵঞl-|; ;-v; -m7 1ol=ou|

GIVE $50 OR MORE TO CHARITY AND SAVE HUNDREDS.* • $200 off any Stressless® Mike and Max Recliner • $200 off any Stressless® Recliner and Ottoman, Classic Power™ Recliner or Office Chair • $200 off each Stressless® Sofa Seat • $400 off all Stressless® Mayfair Recliners and Ottomans (in Paloma leather)*

Or, save $50 on each stressless® laurel or mint chair (dining or home oL1;ő _;m o r u1_-v; a minimum of four.* Ő om-ঞom u;t bu;7ő

Stressless® - u;Ѵ ol; ==b1; "|u;vvѴ;vvţ lbѴ "|;;Ѵ ul shown in Paloma Espresso

o Ɛƕŋ -m ƐƔ

Stressless® Max shown in Paloma Chocolate

"|u;vvѴ;vvţ - =-bu Ѵ-vvb1 -v; shown in Paloma Light Grey/Walnut

Stressless® omv Ѵ Ѵ-vvb1 o ;uŤ v_o m bm -ঞ1h u;-lņ -h

*Exclusions apply. See store for details.

-Ѵ-m1; 7-r|ŤŊv v|;l

Ѵ vŤŊv v|;l

Ѵb7;ŤŊv v|;l

b ;v o - vo[ķ ];m|Ѵ; uo1hbm] loঞom -v o u vbমm] -m]Ѵ; -7f v|v |o o u ; ;u lo ;l;m|

1123 S. Ft. Thomas Avenue Fort Thomas, KY 41075 (859) 441-BEST (2378) ;v| umb| u; -ѴѴ;u ĺ1ol

OUR

best HOLIDAY WISHES!

just minutes from downtown Cincinnati

Carolynn and Craig Reis, owners

CUSTOM DESIGN SERVICES AVAILABLE

859.441.2378 • BestFurnitureGaller y.com • 1123 S. Ft. Thomas Ave. • For t Thomas, KY MONDAY 10AM-8PM | TUESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY 10AM-6PM | WEDNESDAY by appointment only | SATURDAY 10AM-5PM SUNDAY closed to be with family Some items shown in ad are for example only and may not be available for purchase

The deﬁnitive guide to living well in Greater Cincinnati The city’s most respected and award-winning magazine, highlighting the region’s most interesting people, cultural issues, food, arts, fashion, and history.

@CINCINNATIMAGAZINE

CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SUBSCRIBE TODAY

LIVING IN CIN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 26

sule that was installed for Cincinnati’s tricentennial, and you can bet that some version of a ﬂying pig will be inside. Or can you? For almost a year, in fact, there was no pig in the new time capsule. Was it because Cincinnati hadn’t yet fallen in love with ﬂying pigs when the new box

and its contents quickly came pouring in. Among the proposals were various concepts of ﬂying pigs, some of them derisive. (Seriously, those ﬁrst anti-pig weeks were intense.) An early idea was to display the new time capsule at that big bicentennial ceremony on December 28, 1988,

WAS THE CITY HALL REPLACEMENT TIME CAPSULE FOR 2088 EVER INSTALLED? YES IT WAS, BUT THE HOOPS I HAD TO JUMP THROUGH TO VERIFY IT ARE WAY ABOVE MY PAY GRADE. was installed? Or maybe people objected to something so lighthearted in such a digniﬁed historical vault? No, the problem was that the new time capsule wasn’t installed at all. Not that they didn’t try like hell to do it. After the original City Hall box was removed, suggestions for a new time capsule

pre-loaded and ready to send to City Hall immediately. That didn’t happen. January came, and the capsule committee said to expect a burial in February. Again, nothing. In mid-March they presented the capsule itself, a “thermoplastic composite that is stronger than steel” developed by Cincinnati Milacron.

They also described some of the suggestions they’d received for what might go inside: a can of Hudepohl “Hu-Dey” beer (the Bengals had just played in the Super Bowl); the secret recipe for Skyline Chili (as if Skyline would hand that over); the names of 100 babies born in 1988 (a few of those geezers will still be around!); and a love poem to Hit King Pete Rose (his big gambling scandal broke three days later). The committee avoided predicting yet another target date for the capsule’s installation (fool me once, etc.), but they did mention that the finalized list of contents would be announced in May. It wasn’t. Nor in June. The committee finally displayed everything in July. Our great-great grandchildren in 2088, they said, will open the capsule and find things like a welcome note from Neil Armstrong, a bar of Ivory Soap, a Bengals Super Bowl program booklet, and a lapel pin of a flying pig. Yes! The pigs made it in! And by the way, the capsule is now scheduled for installation in September 1989. Did it hap-

3ODQQHG 3DUHQWKRRG 6RXWKZHVW 2KLR SURYLGHV UHSURGXFWLYH FDUH DQG HGXFDWLRQ VHUYLFHV WKURXJKRXW FRXQWLHV LQ VRXWKZHVW 2KLR DQG QRUWKHUQ .HQWXFN\ 2XU VHUYLFHV LQFOXGH • pregnancy testing • STIs testing Ř JHQGHU DIƓUPLQJ KRUPRQH WKHUDS\ Ř ELUWK FRQWURO VHUYLFHV Ř HPHUJHQF\ FRQWUDFHSWLYHV Ř FRPSUHKHQVLYH DQG IDFWV EDVHG VH[XDO DQG UHODWLRQVKLS HGXFDWLRQ

3 2 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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

pen? I kept trying to ﬁnd out. While working on this mystery, I encountered another one, and here’s where things entered the Twilight Zone. There was another official bicentennial time capsule. Everything about it was almost identical to the City Hall one, but this box was to be buried inside the Cincinnati Museum Center at the newly-rehabbed Union Terminal. There was a contest for students from area schools to create homemade representations of 1988 Cincinnati life, and the winning entries would go in the capsule. But just like the City Hall project, the Museum Center time capsule seemed to evaporate as well. TO REVIEW: BOTH TIME CAPSULES HAD the same timeline, same clamoring for what would go inside, same future date to reopen, and even the same splashy setup at the same place (downtown convention center) on the same bicentennial party night on December 28, 1988. And then the

same nothing. Tell you what. Let’s celebrate a slamdunk, definitely-buried bicentennial time capsule. Partridge Meats, a now-consolidated local meatpacker, filled a 55-gallon drum with bicentennial stuff and buried it on the University of Cincinnati campus, following what I must now assume is a requirement for these things: an announcement that the burial would happen in May followed by an announcement that it would happen in late summer, with the thing finally hitting the dirt in October. But this one happened; I have pictures. Was the City Hall replacement time capsule ever installed? Yes it was, but the hoops I had to jump through to verify it are way above my pay grade. I finally connected with someone who swears he was there at City Hall in late 1989 and saw it installed with his own eyes. No media was invited because the planners decided it was no longer newsworthy after such a delay.

Might that also be the punch line for the other time capsule? Here I must thank those dedicated people at the Cincinnati Museum Center’s History Library and Archives who trudged through their bicentennial catacombs and eventually pulled out Storage Box No. 151. In it they found the winning entries that students from area schools had created, thinking their hard work would be ceremoniously unveiled in a time capsule in 2088. Sorry, kids, but now you’re plenty old enough to know how unreliable adults can be. Now you’re them. If Cincinnati City Hall is still standing in 2088, the tricentennial box will be dug out and opened. I wish now that I’d had the power to decide what was to go inside. I also wish I could live long enough to watch people open it up so I could see their faces. Just one thing would hop out of the box: a singing frog with a top hat and cane. OK, for Cincinnati it would be a singing pig with wings.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 3 3

Elevate Your Senses PRIME RIB TUESDAYS

ENJOY TABLE SIDE CUT PRIME RIB WITH ALL THE TRADITIONAL ACCOMPANIMENTS.

cincinnati

MUST BE 21 OR OLDER TO GAMBLE. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-589-9966.

Hidden Cellar WIN E NIG HT INDULGE IN 50% OFF COUNCIL OAK’S HIDDEN CELLAR WINES EVERY THURSDAY!

cincinnati

MUST BE 21 OR OLDER TO GAMBLE. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-589-9966.

B T C TY E S

of the

by LAUREN FISHER, JOHN FOX, M. LEIGH HOOD, AIESHA D. LITTLE, SARAH McCOSHAM, KANE MITTEN, AND AMANDA BOYD WALTERS

Do you know your ABCs? This year’s Best of the City reveals an entire alphabet full of Queen City treasures. Celebrate all 26 letters along with us.

2023

PAGE 36

KICK UP YOUR HEELS Hellraiser black ankle boots from Gothippie

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

A A ASHTRAY SHOT » Malört at Binski’s Bar

Kiel Erdelac’s Camp Washington corner bar pays homage to his Chicago roots with the Chicago Handshake: a shot of Jeppson’s Malört and an Old Style. The Malört, a sort of Swedish bitters, ﬂavored with wormwood, appears before you in a small (clean!) ashtray; the Old Style comes in a can. Fair warning: Malört tastes a bit like very aromatic and alcoholic bug spray, but Binski’s itself is worth seeking out. It’s a new bar with an old soul. 2872 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington, @binskisbar on Instagram

APPLE ORCHARD » Irons Fruit Farm Apple picking is just the beginning. This family-owned farm sells its own apple butter, apple cider, jams, jellies, and more from its converted horse barn. While the apples remain Irons’s claim to fame, the farm’s autumn pumpkin patch and free hayride have cemented its place as a true family attraction. 1640 Stubbs Mills Rd., Lebanon, (513) 932-2853, ironsfruitfarm.com AFTERNOON TEA » Mrs. Teapots Tea Room Fancy a cup of tea? While Greater Cincinnati might be an entire ocean away from Great Britain, there’s a delightful tea room in Bellevue that offers tony tea drinkers a taste of the British Isles. Mrs. Teapots Tea Room is an enchanting brunch spot that’s simultaneously buttoned-up British and warm-andwelcoming Bluegrass. Book a private party or come for high tea; it’s always teatime at Mrs. Teapots. Between its location in Bellevue’s delightful historic district and the quirky pink interior, this tea house is the perfect place for a British-inspired soiree. Pinkies up! 339 Fairﬁeld Ave., Bellevue, (859) 491-2731

ALTERNATIVE CONEY » Dixie Chili’s Alligator At a chili parlor, a plain hot dog is for toddlers. A chili cheese sandwich is a mess. But the alligator—a dill spear, wiener, mayo, mustard, and cheese—is a true alternative. It’s odd, yes, but there’s something satisfying about the sneaky snap of brine beneath all that cheese and beside the mustard’s tang. Yes, you can add chili, but why would you? Covington, Erlanger, and Newport, dixiechili.com

BONSAI » Reminiscent Herb Farm, Nursery, and Landscaping

BOWLING ALLEY FOOD » Madison

Reminiscent understands the difference between buying and maintaining bonsai. Not only are their ready-to-buy plants beautiful, but they send new owners home with regional-speciﬁc care guides and provide essential trimming, repotting, and even tree-sitting services. Think full-service pet grooming and boarding—but for your miniature tree. 1344 Boone Aire Rd., Florence, (859) 5258729, reminiscentnursery.com/bonsai

Inside this classic bowling alley on Madison Road, there’s a secret diner serving up breakfast and lunch specials that are, well, special. From Marcella’s Mud Beans to the half-pound Big Burger with your choice of cheese and toppings ($2 off on Wednesdays and Thursdays), the food is classic and satisfying. Like picking up a spare on a 7–10 split. 4761 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 271-1270, madisondiner.com

BAKERY » El Camino

BIRRIA » Olla Taqueria The birria at Olla will have you slapping the table and howling like a cartoon wolf as your lips tingle from all of the chiles, herbs, and spices. It’s just that good. As it turns out, the stew—typically made from goat, beef, or lamb, and marinated in an adobo sauce before it’s cooked in a broth—isn’t only served in crispy tortillas here. You can also get it in breakfast burrito and ramen form. Olla just needs to add a birria dessert and customers are fully covered. 302 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Covington, (859) 261-6552

Baking Company

Owned by Ryan Morgan of Sixteen Bricks and pastry chef extraordinaire Megan Ketover, El Camino’s organic, fresh-milled bread and scrumptious baked goods (such as fruit tarts, blueberry lavender croissants, and Kouignamann) have gained quite a following since opening in College Hill last summer. Morgan mills the ﬂour by hand, and we’re convinced that’s what makes the bakery shine. Don’t forget to catch the pizza on the weekends! 5915 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, (513) 9960199, elcaminobakingcompany.com

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

Diner, inside Madison Bowl

P H O T O G R A P H B Y J E R E M Y K R A M E R / I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y N A T A LY A B A L N O V A

CORNBREAD » Nolia Kitchen Jeff Harris’s entire menu is a focused hit list of reimagined New Orleans classics, both unexpected and satisfying. So you might wonder why we celebrate the humble cornbread. First, it’s made in individual castiron skillets. As any proper hillbilly will tell you, that’s the perfect vessel. Second, the cornbread itself is neither too cakey nor too crumbly, neatly skirting any which-type-isbetter argument. Finally, there’s the butter. Spiked with Steen’s Pure Cane Syrup, a Louisiana staple, its sweetness carries a note of something more, a caramelized earthiness that lingers with every bite and signals that this is the start of a very, very good meal. 1405 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 3843597, noliakitchen.com CRYPTID » Loveland

Frogman

First spotted in 1955, the Frogmen stand apart from most other cryptids with their ﬂair for the dramatic. There are frogs, and then there are three-foot tall amphibians with magic wands. But like all the best mysteries, they keep their secrets and don’t pose for passing photographers (often). The Little Miami River, Loveland

C C 40

CLOTHING STORE, GOTH » Gothippie There’s no outfit that wouldn’t be improved by a pair of sky-high, buckled platform boots. But it’s kind of hard to find anything quite so dramatic at your everyday shoe store. Enter Gothippie, a Northside boutique that’s jam-packed with, yes, all things goth, but also alt-glam outfits that might be more suited for a rave in 2010 or a night out in Harajuku. 4731 Hamilton Ave., Northside, gothippiefashionboutique.com

P H OTO G R A P H S BY J E R E M Y K R A M E R / M O D E L ( TO P ) CO U R T E SY H E Y M A N TA L E N T

CANNED COCKTAIL » Lime and Black Cherry Sway, from the seasonal pack First it was cider, then it was seltzer, and ﬁnally canned cocktails entered the chat. Of the locally made versions available, we fell hard for the Lime and Black Cherry Sway we discovered in the Seasonal Sips variety pack. The MadTree-produced vodka soda line is full of fresh ﬂavor combos, but this blend of citrus and stone fruit adds a bit of zing and a touch of sweetness to the extra-bubbly soda. madtree.com

DJ » DJ Boywife When your DJ name gets smeared on bathroom stalls across the city, you know you’re making a name for yourself. This eccentric DJ can most often be found at Alice, where he’s Head of House Events, but you can catch him on the ones and twos anywhere from the classic Northside haunts to a Cincinnati Cyclones game. @djboywife on Instagram DOG MEETUP » Corgipalooza After moving from California to Ohio with her husband in 2020, Nikki Tran Duff wanted to ﬁnd a meetup group for her Corgi, Calypso. That led to her founding Cincy Corgis and, in turn, Corgipalooza. The fall event, which attracted at least 250 of those ﬂuffy butt furballs this year, included a Halloween parade, a costume contest, food trucks, games, prizes, and more. @cincycorgis on Instagram

D&D ACCESSORY » Hobby Trench Thanks to online platforms like Discord, you can play Dungeons & Dragons with friends without even leaving your computer. But where’s the fun in that? Take your classic tabletop play to the next level and enlist the help of Brigham Gorzealion (Gorz, for short), who can paint miniatures, magnetize weapons, and create custom tables that bring your kingdoms and campaigns to life. 5420 North Bend Rd., Ste. 202, Monfort Heights, (313) 978-5175, hobbytrench.com

DRAG SHOW » Alice Alice is currently one of, if not the, most popular dance spots in the city, thanks to its fancy cocktails and spectacular music (see DJ, left). And by the time you’re reading this, Alice will have expanded its already-great drag shows with some of the most notable drag performers in the city. 1432 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 480-8118, aliceotr. com

E E

ENGLISH MUFFIN » Blue Oven

Bakery

Blue Oven’s breads are all delightful additions to your table, but do not sleep on their secret weapon: the English muffin. These are not crumbly, dry grocery-store pucks. These are generous, ﬂuffy rounds, so full of butter that it drips off in the toaster. Even simply toasted with a schmear of jam they are a revelation. As a base for a benedict or a bun substitute, these muffins have no equal. 125 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, blueoven bakery.com ESPRESSO MARTINI » Longfellow Longfellow is the best place to get any cocktail, and their espresso martini—made with, among other ingredients, bénédictine and house-made coffee bitters—is no different. With skilled bartenders and a captivating, dimly lit space, Longfellow feels like a place where everyone is whispering secrets to each other. If you want to be in the know, this is your ﬁrst stop. 1233 Clay St., Over-theRhine, (513) 307-4379, longfellowbar.com EGG SANDWICH » Cackleberry This weekends-only pop-up transforms the humble egg into something so magical and delicious, it puts the McMuffin to shame. Most of Cackleberry’s breakfast sammies are made with tamagoyaki-style eggs, a type of Japanese rolled omelette that’s silky smooth and buttery soft, practically melting into the warm brioche buns. Keep it classic with the Smalls, which features sharp cheddar, caramelized onion aioli, and sriracha ketchup, or try the Lola, made with crispy Spam, chives, and sriracha mayo. Check Instagram for locations—or keep your eyes peeled for Cackleberry’s tricked-out 1968 trailer. eatcackleberry.com

FISH MARKET » Sen by Kiki Hideki Harada, the man behind College Hill spot Kiki, gets in on the retail seafood game at Findlay Market. He and his staff focus on “sustainably and responsibly caught” salmon, tuna, scallops, giant prawns, octopus, rainbow trout, and tilapia as well as freshlymade bowls of poke and ceviche. There’s usually a half-dozen different varieties of fresh oysters on ice, and you’re welcome to step up to the service bar and down them right there. 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 813-3284, @sen_by_kiki on Instagram FRENCH PASTRY » Mon Petit Choux’s cream puff Made with pâte à choux (the classic French pastry dough), these pastries are filled with light, airy whipping cream that comes in several flavors. Go with a classic like vanilla or chocolate or kick it up a notch with peach ginger or raspberry. Whatever you choose, it’ll be magnifique. 3704 Cheviot Ave., Ste. 2, Cheviot, (513) 631-8333, mon-petitchoux.com

FLAG SHOP »

Flaggs U.S.A. If ever a flag was flown, the good folks at Flaggs can find it. The shop provides all the poles and hardware customers need, but more importantly, they also offer full installation and servicing. The team is well-versed on flag etiquette, and they happily share that knowledge to develop perfect displays. 3075 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 533-0330, flaggs usaohio.com

FARM » Rich Life Farm and Fungi The secret weapon of many chefs in the Queen City area, you can consume this New Richmond farm’s incredible variety of gourmet mushrooms at anywhere from Mita’s to Mid-City to St. Francis Apizza. If you want to procure some for personal use, catch them at Findlay Market every other Saturday. richlifefarm.com

FABULOUS FREEBIES Access some of the best entertainment in the city— theater, movies, music, and outdoor activities— without spending a dime. CSO’S BRADY BLOCK PARTIES In the summer, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra partners with community organizations to bring live music to your neighborhood block. cincinnatisym phony.org

SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK Catch some of the bard’s greatest works as Cincinnati Shakespeare Company makes its yearly trek across local parks. cincyshakes.com

LOVELAND BIKE TRAIL Miles of ﬂat pavement connect Loveland with Milford, Newtown, and Lebanon on a path loaded with amenities and attractions. lovelandbiketrail. com

FREE CINEMA AT WASHINGTON PARK Pack a lawn chair and a picnic and settle in for free family-friendly movies, shown on Washington Park’s main stage in the summer. washingtonpark. org

I L LU S T R AT I O N BY A N I S S A P U L C H E O N / I C O N BY E M I V I L L AV I C E N C I O

G GROCERY » Marina’s

International Deli

This unassuming strip mall storefront offers a taste of home for anyone from Eastern Europe. The sign now says “Slavic, Central Asian, and European Food Store,” since the owners (one of whom is from Ukraine) deleted all “Russia” references after the nation invaded its neighbors in 2022. Candy, crackers, canned goods, drinks, and pasta from Germany, Poland, Serbia, Estonia, Georgia, Ukraine, and other countries line the shelves, and there’s a selection of fresh sausages, salami, ﬁsh, and bread. 11426 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Twp., (513) 469-6100 PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEREMY KRAMER

H H HISTORIC SITE » Harriet

Beecher Stowe House

GLASS BLOWING » Glass Blowing and Flameworking Classes at Neusole Glassworks Neusole sculpts artists. The ever-changing lineup of glassblowing and ﬂameworking classes spins ideas into little treasures anyone can take pride in crafting. One of the most accessible and unique hands-on art nonproﬁts in the city, Neusole is in the business of transformation. Every project is a one-of-a-kind experience. 11925 Kemper Springs Dr., Forest Park, (513) 751-3292, neusoleglassworks.com

GYRO » Sebastian’s When Alex Vassiliou sold Sebastian’s to fellow restauranteur Adel Samaan last summer, we were nervous. But you just don’t mess with recipes that are 47 years in the making, so the classic gyro (made with thinly sliced ground meat, herbs and spices, and wrapped in pita bread with tomatoes and onions) is pretty much the same as it’s always been: nóstimos. 5209 Glenway Ave., West Price Hill, (513) 4712100, sebastiansgyros.com GREEN SMOOTHIE » Rooted Juicery Rooted Juicery has cracked the smoothie code with the Mean Green, a sippably sweet smoothie that packs a superfood punch without tasting of wet grass. Mango, pineapple, and apple juice make it approachable, while kale and spinach deliver the greens, and spirulina, chlorophyll—yes, the substance that makes plants green—and ginger provide powerful beneﬁts. The kick of cayenne pepper is the icing on the cake. 3010 Madison Rd., (513) 351-2900, rootedjuicery.com

The house of the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin and her equally extraordinary family, the Harriet Beecher Stowe House has lived many lives. The museum honors them all, particularly the building’s history as the Edgemont Inn, a safe haven for Black motorists recognized in the Green Book in the 1930s and ’40s. 2950 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, (513) 751-0651, stowehousecincy.org

HOT CHOCOLATE » Maverick Chocolate Co. Tradition can be comforting, and there’s nothing so perfectly old-fashioned as a cup of hot chocolate from Maverick. Ethicallysourced and made in small batches to ensure quality, the beans are the stars of the show. Each cup of drinking chocolate is dark, rich, and perfectly sweet, a treat in any season. Multiple locations, maverickchoco late.com HAT SHOP » Batsakes Gus Miller, who immigrated from Greece 72 years ago to work in his uncles’ hat shop, likes things a certain way. He still makes hats by hand for (sometimes famous) clients downtown, but he recently accepted a slight modernization: Batsakes moved a block and a half down Sixth Street. He cleared out of the crumbling Terrace Plaza Hotel building, ﬁnally slated for renovation. A tip of the cap to progress! 197 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 721-9345

HAUNTED HOUSE » Dent Schoolhouse This spine-tingling spooky haunt follows the story of Charlie McFree, the janitor-turned-murderer whose child victims are said to roam the schoolhouse halls during Halloween season. The 35-minute walkthrough is consistently selected as one of the best haunted houses in America by media outlets such as Fangoria and USA Today, but for the fright-averse, the schoolhouse also operates a less-scary “monster midway,” featuring photo-ops, food and drinks, four escape rooms, and a gift shop. 5963 Harrison Ave., Dent, dentschoolhouse.com HOMEGOODS STORE » High Street This high-flying studio designs some of Cincinnati’s finest high-end interiors. But if you’re not ready to redesign an entire space, you can find some of High Street’s favorite decor pieces at its 17,000-squarefoot Over-the-Rhine store, spread across two floors and spanning nearly every conceivable taste and design inclination. Two-tier marble stands for the coffee table? They’ve got ’em. Gold-rimmed glasses? Easy. Needlepoint pillows featuring unforgettable phrases from The White Lotus? They sell out quick, but if you get there in time…you’ve got it. 1401 Reading Rd., Pendleton, (513) 723-1901, shophighst.com HOUSEPLANTS » Fern We have COVID to thank for an explosion in houseplant collecting, but we probably have Fern to thank for helping us keep those plants alive (and for further fueling our obsession). The converted gas station is the O.G. of aesthetically pleasing plant stores, less like a run-ofthe-mill garden center and more like a furniture showroom, where pothos and monstera mingle among stacks of pastel planters and home decor. College Hill and Walnut Hills, fern-shop.com

INFANT YOGA » Shine Having a baby can be a harrowing and humbling experience. The sleepless nights, colicky crying, and 24/7 needs of a tiny human would be enough to wear anyone down, but add in postpartum recovery and emotions, and this time can be incredibly isolating and stressful. Take a much-needed breath and “time out” with a yoga class! Hyde Park’s Shine Yoga has long been a leader in this niche class, offering Mommy & Me Yoga that not only encourages gentle stretching and strength exercises for mom and babe, but also fosters mommy-baby bonding and connects postpartum mamas with new friends. 3330 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, shineyoga.com/class-ﬁnder-page

ISLAND VIBES » Somerset This esoteric bar was built using antiques and accents from Africa, Asia, and Europe to create an otherworldly feeling in the heart of the city. Plants, exotic cars, and various set pieces come together to form a space that feels like nothing else—you might see your neighbors enjoying an ube margarita or a Thai basil + gin, but you deﬁnitely won’t feel like you’re in Cincinnati. 139 E. McMicken, Over-the-Rhine, (513) 270-5982, somersetotr.com

JIGGLY DESSERTS » Calliope

Sweets

Amanda Bowman’s gelatinous creations—which she began making in 2020 in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic—are wobbly reminders of cooking’s past, throwbacks to Jell-O Jigglers and cookbooks of the 1950s and ’60s. These days, Bowman’s using the molds she’s collected from yard sales, antique malls, and the like to make retro-looking custom-order cakes for special occasions (like weddings and birthday parties), but she still has that gelatin touch. @enjoycall iope on Instagram

JUKEBOX » The Comet Come for the tunes, stay for the vibe. This rough-andtumble Northside spot has one of the last remaining non-TouchTunes jukeboxes around, and it features an eclectic mix of artists, from The Clash to Daft Punk to Etta James. Once you’ve fed the juke, enjoy one of the signature burritos and consider hanging around for the nightly live shows. 4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, (513) 541-8900, cometbar.com

JERK CHICKEN »

Flavors of the Isle With the number of options in the area, it might be a surprise to put the newest Jamaican place on this list. But the variety on the menu—from the bursting-with-ﬂavor Smoked Jerk Chicken Salad to the delectable Brown Stew meal—along with the incredible sides (fried plantains, anyone?) puts this Findlay Market vendor over the top. 1807 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-4753, ﬂav orsoftheisle.com

JACKFRUIT DISH » Street Tacos at

Agave & Rye

There are a number of tasty vegetarian options at Agave & Rye, including Green Goddess (Brussels sprouts) and Bang Bang (crispy cauliflower) tacos, and the jackfruit street tacos approximate the taste and texture of carnitas. A plate of three grilled tacos are served on your choice of flour or corn tortillas, and jackfruit is shredded into porklike chunks with a savory barbecue flavor and served with mushrooms, onion, vegan cheese, and house-made consommé dipping sauce. Multiple locations, agaveandrye.com

K K KITCHEN GADGETS » Artichoke In 2016, Karen and Brad Hughes launched cookware and kitchen store Artichoke just north of Findlay Market. Two years ago, longtime employee Hannah (Luken) Bender and her husband Tom took over. The Benders opened an annex two doors up from the main store to stock even more dishes, glasses, serving dishes and tools, barware, table linens, and locally crafted items, and they offer demonstration cooking classes and private classes in their on-site test kitchen. 1824 & 1830 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 263-1002, artichokeotr.com

KIMCHI SPECIAL » Café Mochiko’s

kimchi and egg croissant

This Korean fermented spicy cabbage can be used as a condiment or mixed in as an ingredient to punch up the taste of nearly any dish—including eggs, apparently. At Café Mochiko, it gets the breakfast treatment with the restaurant’s kimchi and egg croissant. The flaky bread is filled with kimchi and cheese, and baked with an egg, for an unexpected savory flavor that warrants multiple bites. 1524 Madison Rd., East Walnut Hills, (513) 559-1000, cafemochiko.com

LIBRARY PROGRAM »

LUAU » St. Bernard German Luau What better way to work off your third mett with sauerkraut than joining in with hula dancers on a hot summer afternoon in St. Bernard? You don’t ﬁnd many neighborhood festivals where both lederhosen and grass skirts are appropriate dress, but the village has resurrected its quirky German Luau thanks to encouragement (emotional and liquid) from Wiedemann’s Brewery. For one weekend every August, you can enjoy food vendors, a dog costume contest, Luau Bräu beer, and live surf and polka bands. Mahalo! facebook.com/GermanLuau

LEATHER GOODS » Baqette Quinn Mcilhargey-Nicholson’s leather goods have been spotted time and time again on the shoulders of Cincinnati’s most-followed inﬂuencers—and for good reason. The budding designer upcycles scraps of leather into some of the Queen City’s most popular handbags, wallets, straps, and cardholders. Because of Baqette’s unique process, colors are only available in limited quantities, meaning you need to act fast if you want to get your hands on one. baqette.com LARPING » Galladorn There’s nothing like getting out in nature and smacking friends with a foam sword. This Live Action Role-Playing (LARP, natch) organization has been going strong since 2009 and offers both Dagorhir and Belegarth play styles. Weekly practices keep the door open for newcomers, spring through fall. Costumes are optional, but adventure is mandatory. galladorn.com

P H O T O G R A P H B Y J E R E M Y K R A M E R / I C O N B Y E M I V I L L A V I C E N C I O / I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y N A T A LY A B A L N O V A

Northern Kentucky Accountability Group The Kenton County Public Library supports anyone in career transition, whether voluntary or through layoffs, with job search classes, weekly speakers, networking, job leads, and access to staff and volunteer coaches. It’s all free for anyone with a library card, not just from Kenton County but any library system in Northern Kentucky and Southwestern Ohio. You can also sign up for a weekly newsletter and ﬁnd previous speaker presentations in a digital archive. kentonlibrary.org/nkyag LETTUCE » 80 Acres Farms If you get bag salads from the grocery store, you know that the selection is somewhat disappointing. This summer, Hamilton-based 80 Acres Farms put an end to that with the release of its salad kits in local Kroger stores. Other brands don’t hold a candle to these pesticide-free greens, clean ingredients, and olive oil–based dressings from organic salad dressing maker Mother Raw. Our favorite? Feelin’ Gouda, a sweet and savory mix of red and green lettuce, poppy vinaigrette, gouda, diced apples, dried cherries, and salted pecans. 80acresfarms.com

M M M ILKSHAKES » Tickle Pickle Tickle Pickle’s milkshakes continue to bring all the dairy lovers to the yard with creatively named homages to musicians and bands. Try the Oreo Speedwagon for a shake with a generous amount of Oreo cookie pieces mixed in or go with the Goobie Brother, a peanut butter and Oreo concoction. If you don’t want chocolate, the Flan Halen (strawberry) will hit the spot. And remember, you can de-cow any of these with versions made from housemade coconut milk ice cream. 4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside, (513) 954-4003, ordertickle.com MEADERY » Fabled Brew

Works

Opened in June, this Erlanger brewery’s taproom would be at home along a market street in a fantasy novel. We tried a variety of mead maker Brad Ryles’s wares, but fell hard for the Salvatore session mead. Named for a ruthless Sicilian mobster, the orange, peach, and marshmallow mead is sweet and hazy, but not overpowering. Explore some of the other treasures on the tap list: pumpkin coffee porter, peanut butter cup imperial dessert stout, or one of the fruited sours (a trio named for the Sanderson Sisters was on the board when we visited). 331 Kenton Lands Rd., Suite 300, Erlanger, (859) 727-2337, fabledbrewworks. beer MAPLE SYRUP » Cincinnati

Nature Center

This seasonally-available maple syrup is literally a taste of home. The sap comes from sugar maples in Rowe Woods, then it’s transformed into syrup by the Center. Take a walk in the forest, watch the collection process, attend one of the Center’s special events, and enjoy a truly local treat. 4949 Tealtown Rd., Milford, (513) 831-1711, cincynature.org

MAKEUP » Launch Party In 2019, makeup artist and beauty guru Brit Cochran debuted Launch Party, a one-stop shop for indie makeup brands with an exclusive Cincinnati storefront. Cochran meticulously curates her beauty ﬁnds, opting for products with sustainable ingredients, sourced from companies that put people over proﬁt. Stop in to browse the collection of makeup, skincare, fragrances, and much, much more—or book a private session with Cochran to hone your look and unlock your inner beauty. 114 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine, shoplaunchparty.com

MEN’S CLOTHING » Hellmann

Clothiers

In a world of fast fashion, cheap materials, and same-day shipping, there’s something to be said about the endurance of a place like Hellman Clothiers. Chuck Hellmann believes in the value of bespoke tailoring, well-ﬁtting suits, and a crisp pocket square to top it all off. That’s probably why so many of Cincinnati’s old-school power players still stock their wardrobes with his menswear, and why the next generation has taken notice. Multiple locations, hellmanclothiers.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMY KRAMER

N NEW OLD FAVORITE » French

Lunch Tray

When Jean-Robert’s Table closed its doors permanently in 2020, we thought we’d never see the French Lunch Tray again. But the much-loved meal made its way onto the French Crust Bistro & Café’s menu this summer, delighting longtime foodies and sparking good-old-days restaurant nostalgia. Served on a cafeteria tray, the four-course meal of the bistro’s favorites changes every week and is only available at the bar for the low-for-fine-dining price of $18. While the beloved chef/restauranteur is gone, his influence lives on. 1801 Elm St., Over-theRhine, (513) 455-3720, frenchcrustcafe.com NOTEBOOKS » Paper Wings Write down your intimate thoughts in the most stylish way possible with notebooks and journals from Paper Wings. Owners Carolyn and Mike Deininger opened the stationery store (and local art gallery) after customer requests for fine paper goods at their other store, Mica 12/v, fulfilling an untapped need. Snag the Open Sea Design Co. Rose & Sage notebook, featuring a lilac foil cover decorated with herbs and flowers, or a Moglea journal with its hand-painted cover. Whatever you choose, you’ll find something that’s write for you. 1207 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-3500, shop paperwings.com

OPEN MIC NIGHT » MOTR MOTR has always been one of the best places to hear music in the city. But its Tuesday open mic doesn’t just have live music—stand-up comedians, poets, freestyle rappers, and more take the stage. Come by and get some of their above-average bar food (we like the loaded tots.) We can’t promise everything you hear will be good, but we can promise you’ll never be bored. 1345 Main St., Over-theRhine, (513) 381-6687, motrpub.com

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES There are tons of options for hiking, biking, walking, running, climbing, and swimming in the great outdoors. Why not try something oﬀ the beaten path? SUMMIT SISTERS This four-month backpacking course takes women into nature together to learn outdoor skills and get comfortable with hiking and camping gear. Registration for the next class ends January 31. summittrektravel. com/backpackingschool CYCLEBOAT You know the rowdy pedal-wagons full of partiers who pedal their way aimlessly while laughing and

singing? Try that on the Ohio River in a 14-passenger Cycleboat, offering two-hour cruises (with a bathroom break halfway) starting Memorial Day weekend. cincycycleboat.com LAWN BOWLING AND GEOCACHING Great Parks of Hamilton County is the spot for people obsessed with making up their own sports. Try lawn bowling (a cross between bocce ball and curling) or disc

I L LU S T R AT I O N BY A N I S S A P U L C H E O N

golf (golf with Frisbees) or geocaching (scavenger hunts with GPS) in various parks. greatparks.org/ recreation CLAY SHOOTING Sycamore Sporting Clays is a membersonly shooting club for simulated bird hunting, but new members are welcome. Indoor and outdoor pavilions with a catering kitchen are available for event rentals and group outings.

6254 Lower Lewis Rd., Loveland, (513) 646-9655, sycamo resportingclays. club LEAVE NO CHILD INSIDE COLLABORATIVE Forty different area nonproﬁts support this effort to get children out in nature to play, learn, and socialize and provide tools to promote healthy babies, better social-emotional well-being, and increased physical activity. lncigc.org

QUILTER’S GETAWAY » The Retreat Quilters looking for a group getaway spot have a haven in Loveland. There’s enough space for 10 sewing stations, and the adorable cottage is right on the bike trail if you need to take a break from paper piecing. Should you get in a pinch with your pattern, The Quilter’s Studio of Loveland (owned by the same folks) is just half a mile away. Start your sewing machines! 210 Harrison Ave., Loveland, (513) 667-7546, theretreatlove land.com

PIEROGIS » Wodka Bar Owner Sarah Dworak started selling her pierogis at Madison’s in Findlay Market, then from a window off 12th Street. Now, they ﬁll the menu at Wodka Bar, from traditional to “four-way style,” which features Cincinnati chili with cheese, sour cream, and onions. Pierogis aren’t the end of the story, though. Check out more Polish and Ukrainian dishes and a diverse selection of vodkas you’ve never heard of to create an unforgettable experience. 1200 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-3739, wodkabarotr.com

PARTY STORE » Cappel’s Whether you’re the type who puts up Halloween decor at the stroke of midnight Aug. 1, throws a neighborhood luau each summer, or signed up to be Room Parent for your kiddo and find yourself in need of 25 Santa hats for a class party, you’ll find all your party needs and notions at Cappel’s. A Cincinnati institution for more than 75 years, this family-owned small business is known for its fantastic costume offerings and party supplies—and, most importantly, a level of customer service you simply won’t find at major chains or online powerhouses. Multiple locations, cappelsinc.com

PAINTBALL VENUE » Paintball

Country

This 40-acre course—located on the Niederman Family Farm, up near Monroe—sports a wooded field and five speedball fields, with each plenty well-lit. (That means you can get your paintball on whether day and night, year-round, rain or shine.) First time paintballer? No paintball gear? No problem. Plenty of rental gear is available to give the sport a spin. 5110 Lesourdsville West Chester Rd., Liberty Twp., (513) 779-3228, paintball countryohio.com PANCAKES » Sugar n’ Spice With varieties like lemon ricotta and pumpkin spice hitting menus en masse, the pancake game has risen to new heights. But you can’t beat a classic. Sugar n’ Spice Diner has been slinging its signature “wispy-thin” pancakes since opening its doors in 1941. Buttery soft and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, these flapjacks, made with a decadesold secret recipe, hold their own next to even the fanciest, fluffiest flavor combos. Multiple locations, eatsugarnspice.com

R R

POP-UP WE’D LIKE TO MAKE PERMANENT »

Dunch

Like its name (a portmanteau of “dinner” and “lunch”), Dunch is a mealtime mashup. Chad Esmeier and Michael Villareal (who recently became the head chef at Gabriela Filipina Kantina) created a fusion menu with Italian and Filipino inﬂuences that make for big, bold taste. @dunchprovisions on Instagram

QUEER BURLESQUE TROUPE » Smoke and Queers Burlesque A performance art nonproﬁt with ambitious goals and diverse performers, Smoke and Queers deﬁes traditional restrictive beauty standards. The queer-led team keeps things exciting with a rotating cast and the occasional arm-wrestling tournament. Pop-up shows bring local artists into the spotlight, there are constant thrills, and it’s always a celebration. smokeandqueersburlesque. com

ROOFTOP BAR » AC Upper Deck It’s hard to beat the view at the AC Upper Deck. Pretty much every downtown and Northern Kentucky landmark you can think of is at eye level when you ascend the elevator near the Marriott at The Banks. For a memorable day with friends or a romantic getaway, it’s hard to top the sights up here. 135 Joe Nuxhall Way, downtown, (513) 7449900, acupper deck.com

ROOT BEER » The Root Beer Stand The sweet taste of root beer never fails to conjure up feelings of long summer days and backyard barbecues, and there’s no better way to honor that nostalgia than with the locally made version at The Root Beer Stand. Water from the restaurant’s 280-foot-deep well gives the carbonated drink its distinct taste, which means you can’t get anything like it anywhere else. Trust us, you’ll want it by the gallon. And luckily, the waitstaff can accommodate your request. Open March through Labor Day. 11566 Reading Rd., Sharonville, (513) 769-4349, therootbeerstand.com

I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y N A T A LY A B A L O V A / I C O N B Y E M I V I L L A V I C E N C I O

RESCUE » SPCA Cincinnati As an open-admission shelter, SPCA Cincinnati—which celebrated its 150th anniversary in September—takes in thousands of abandoned, abused, sick, and injured animals each year. None are turned away, which makes it nearly impossible to keep track of exactly how many animals the organization has saved over the years, but so many lives have turned out for the better thanks to its efforts (human lives included). 11900 Conrey Rd., Sharonville, (513) 541-6100, spcacincin nati.org

SPECIALIZED SERVICES

S S

You need to get stuﬀ done. Or ﬁxed. Or carted away. The folks behind these providers can help. SPICE MARKET » Colonel

Known for his Findlay Market stall and outpost at Jungle Jim’s in Eastgate (now closed), the late Colonel De Stewart quickly became the area’s best-known purveyor of herbs, spices, rubs, and ﬂavorings. His family continues the legacy at an expanded Findlay Market location and at Newport on the Levee, and they’ve added online ordering as well. BuildYour-Own Shaker Sets allow you to choose among 70-plus spice blends, from Baby Carter’s Butt Rub to Montreal Steak Seasoning to Parmageddon; any four jars are $30. colonelde.com

P H OTO G R A P H BY D E V Y N G L I S TA / I L LU S T R AT I O N BY A N I S S A P U L C H E O N

CAMERA VITAMINS Get your 35mm and 120 ﬁlm (black and white or color) developed the old school way. Located inside of Galaxie Skate Shop, 121 W. 10th St., Newport, cameravit amins.com LAUNDRY REIMAGINED This professional

laundry pickup and delivery service will leave your clothes washed and folded with no hassle. (513) 202-6655, laundryreimagined. com CENTER SHOE REPAIR & ALTERATIONS Worn-out zipper on your favorite jeans? This master mender can replace it.

1727 Monmouth St., Newport, (859) 916-3251 JUNK KING Have that junk in your basement or your recycling hauled away in a jiffy. (513) 206-8945, junk-king.com

LUX MOBILE DETAILING Get your vehicle a refreshing scrub inside and outside at the location of your choice. (513)450-4685, luxmobiledetail ing.net

TUBING » Whitewater Canoe Rental Any river is lazy when you’re tubing. Floating down the Whitewater River is a dreamy escape (that the right group of friends can turn into a comedy). The calm, shallow river welcomes adults in need of peace and kids in need of fun, and Whitewater Canoe Rental strikes the perfect balance. 1154 Main St., Brookville, IN, (765) 647-5434, whitewater canoerental.com TRIPLE DECKER » J&J Restaurant Everything classic about the west side is rolled into one small diner near the busy intersection of Glenway Avenue and Werk Road: cozy booths, regulars who know each other and wave to the kitchen staff, homemade chili, lots of “Hi hun,” and good food at reasonable prices. The double deckers are so large you almost need a fork to eat them, and they’ll gladly make you a triple decker even though it isn’t on the menu. It might just feed a family of four for a week. 6159 Glenway Ave., Green Twp., (513) 6612260

TAILGATE SPOT »

The Blind Pig This neighborhood bar is just a hop, skip and a jump from both Great American Ball Park and Paycor Stadium. Tasty food, relatively inexpensive drinks, a great outdoor patio, and fun weekly events to spice things up should make this your go-to spot any time you’re in a sporty mood. 24 W. Third St., downtown, (513) 381-3114, blind pigcincy.com

TYPEWRITERS » Urban Legend

Typewriters and WordPlay

TERRIFIC TOURS See sides of the city you’ve never encountered with these guided explorations. CIVIC GARDEN CENTER For more than 80 years this nonproﬁt has been teaching Cincinnatians how to sustainably grow food and take care of the environment. Tour the grounds and other local gardens from Mt. Healthy to Madisonville. 2715 Reading Rd., Walnut Hills, civic gardencenter.org AMERICAN LEGACY TOURS Tours range from supposedly-haunted underground

lagering tunnels in the Brewery District to cemetery tours in Mt. Healthy to stories of gangsters, crime, and Bobby Mackey in Newport and Covington. 1332 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (859) 951-8560, americanlegacy tours.com STRATUS HELICOPTERS Ever dreamed of seeing the city from up high? Stratus Helicopters takes you across the skyline to check out everywhere from

the Cincinnati Observatory to Kings Island. 4765 Airport Rd., East End, (513) 5334354, stratusheli copters.com BB RIVERBOATS For a water view of the Cincinnati skyline, BB Riverboats is still the king. There’s plenty of brunch, lunch, and dinner voyages, in addition to special holiday tours, moonlight cruises, and private events (like weddings) available. 101 Riverboat Row,

Newport, (800) 2618586, bbriverboats. com BREWING HERITAGE TRAIL The brewing heritage trail takes you up, down, and all around the city, from the Jackson Brewery to several of Christian Moerlein’s classic brewing tunnels under the city streets. Most tickets include beer, too, so you can sip while you learn. 1939 Race St., Overthe-Rhine, (513) 604-9812, brewing heritagetrail.org

Based in Northside, the WordPlay nonproﬁt brings reading, writing, and storytelling workshops to local classrooms and hosts after-school enrichment clubs. One of its fund-raising tools is Urban Legend Typewriters, which sells restored vintage typewriters and cleans and repairs non-working typewriters; all proceeds beneﬁt WordPlay. There’s also a fun blog, The Typewriter Revolution, celebrating the joys of old typewriters and the love of words they generate. wordplaycincy.org/ buy-a-typewriter

TOY STORE » King Arthur’s Court King Arthur’s Court has been facilitating fun and games to Cincinnati families for more than 40 years, outlasting big-box toy titans and certain birthday-castle touting toy shops with finesse. At the heart of it all is a refreshingly simple ethos: “Where play is king”—and indeed, this royal-themed shop in Oakley is a colorful, toy-filled wonderland of floor models and sample sets that encourage play and help parents see what their kiddo really wants for Christmas. 3040 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 531-4600, kingarthurstoys.com TRAMPOLINE PLACE » Rockin’ Jump Kids have what feels like infinite energy, and the best course of action for parents is to channel it into something productive and, ideally, fun. Trampoline parks offer a marvelous outlet for rambunctious kids, letting them jump, play, and literally bounce off the walls. Cincinnati has several top-tier trampoline parks, but Rockin’ Jump stands out. Yes, the Rockin’ Jump on Colerain Avenue is one of several locations across the country, but it’s (ahem) leaps and bounds above the competition. Because in addition to several spacious arenas for trampoline-fueled fun, Rockin’ Jump’s ninja course and sports courts all but guarantee kids will stay happily busy and be wonderfully worn out after this high-flying outing. 8350 Colerain Ave., Groesbeck, (513) 373-4260, rockinjump.com/cincinnati

I L LU S T R AT I O N BY A N I S S A P U L C H E O N / I C O N S BY E M I V I L L AV I C E N C I O

U U

UNDERWEAR » Knickers At Knickers, a Hyde Park Square mainstay, owner Jenalyn Schneider brings her industry experience to the masses, curating an impressive selection of lingerie brands and providing a personalized experience for every shopper. This is no drab department store. 2726 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 533-9592, knickersofhydepark.com

UPSCALE DINING SPOT » Baru This izakaya—a type of Japanese bar that serves drinks and snacks—focuses on fun cocktails and creative dishes. Snag a saketini (Grey Goose, Sho Chiku Bai sake, Silver tequila) or a wasabi margarita, and pair it with the Tuna, Tuna, Tuna sushi roll of ahi tuna, spicy tuna, and escolar or the Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna (tuna, seared rice, and sesame seeds), and people watch until your heart’s content. 595 Race St., downtown, (513) 246-0150, barusushi.com

U-PICK BLUEBERRIES » Alpine Berry Farm You’re going to have to make the trek out to Indiana (Batesville, to be speciﬁc) to ﬁnd the best blueberries, but trust us: It’s worth it. Family-run Alpine Berry Farm, which has been in operation since the ’90s, is exclusively devoted to blueberries. Pick them yourself in the summer or grab a pint from the 120-year-old barn. Pro tip: Don’t forget to ask for Kathy’s blueberry cheese pie recipe. 26185 Pocket Rd., Batesville, IN, (812) 934-6677, alpineberryfarm.weebly.com

VINYL » Torn Light Not only does this Clifton spot have an absolutely killer selection of vinyl far and away beyond that of your regular, pristine record store, it also has a collection of hardto-ﬁnd books, rare international movies on VHS and Blu-ray, and a fantastic merch line. 356 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, (513) 873-6995, torn lightrecords.com

V VOLUNTEER SPOT » Matthew 25:

Ministries

The Blue Ash-based nonprofit collects product and financial donations, creates disaster relief and humanitarian aid packages, and ships them across the country or overseas. Recent efforts included aid to Maui fire victims, flooding in the Northeastern U.S., and Indiana and Mississippi tornadoes. Volunteers help sort, count, and package donated goods so they’re ready for shipment at a moment’s notice. m25m.org/help VINTAGE BOURBON » Revival

Vintage Bottle Shop

So you can’t get your hands on a bottle of the hot new bourbon? Maybe you should try a hot old bourbon instead. Revival Vintage Bottle Shop stocks its shelves with the bottles that got pushed to the back of grandpa’s liquor cabinet and forgotten, giving the dusty gems new life. Even better, there’s a tasting bar where you can sample, say, a 1987 Kentucky Tavern, and sip right into the past. 5 E. Eighth St., Covington, (859) 479-2676, revivalky.com VEGETARIAN FOOD » Essen

Kitchen

When it comes to dining out, vegetarians and vegans tend to get the short end of the stick. Next time, stop by Essen Kitchen, a carryoutonly spot near Findlay Market that serves up craveable plant-based dishes, three meals a day. Load up on veggies with a Buddha Bowl or indulge a little with creamy, plant-based mac-and-cheese and a set of vegan cheese coneys, complete with Cincinnati-style vegan chili. 1 Findlay St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 802-5013, essenkitchen.com

VINEGAR » The MadHouse

Vinegar Co.

Once upon a time, two men decided the world needed a better kind of vinegar. If there’s a dish the ﬂagship dark malt, light malt, and rosé vinegars can’t improve, a small batch brew like peppermint, coffee, spicebush, or “bogbeast” might change how people think of vinegar altogether. 2872 Lawrenceburg Rd., North Bend, (513) 967-1106, goodvinegar.com

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMY KRAMER

WINE TASTING » Skeleton Root At first glance, Skeleton Root doesn’t look much like a winery. But don’t be fooled by its industrial exterior: All of the wines are produced on-site at this Findlay Market-adjacent location, where you’ll find plenty of intimate indoor and outdoor spaces for gathering. Order by the glass, take a bottle to go, or try a sampling of a few varieties with a wine tasting flight. 38 W. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 918-3015, skeletonroot.com WEDDING TRANSPORTATION » A Savannah Nite Having a black limousine drop your wedding party off at the reception is cool and everything. But what if you and your squad pulled up in a neon pink Hummer limo? Or a classy vintage Buick? A Savannah Nite has those transportation options and more, from buses that hold 50-plus passengers to charming red trolleys and sporty Cadillacs. 9331 Seward Rd., Fairfield, (513) 858-2677, asavannahnite.com

X WEST SIDE BEST SIDE There’s much more than these ﬁve gems to explore out west of I-75, but if you’re looking to ease into a diﬀerent side of town, you can’t go wrong starting here. FABLE CAFE Brandie Potzick and Austin Kolaczko have created a “third place” for coffee, pastries, and connection in the Westwood Town Hall District. 3117 Harrison Ave., Westwood, fable cafecincy.com NAILS BY MOMO A Nailpro nail show competition champ specializes in custom designs

with long-lasting results. Michael’s Salon, 3435 Glenmore Ave., Western Hills, (513) 879-1109, nailsbymomo.com WILD MIKE’S For nearly 30 years, Wild Mike’s has ruled the roost when it comes to wings. There’s more on the menu, but we’re too in love with the housemade sauces and

that best-in-class blue cheese to try anything else. Multiple locations, wildmikeswings. com IVORY HOUSE If the iconic Maury’s Tiny Cove represents west side steakhouse history, Ivory House is its future. Wagyu strip, a smashburger happy hour, and a serious wine program show that IH is here for

the long haul. 2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood, (513) 389-0175, ivory housecincy.com WHITE OAK MARATHON While you can ﬁll up your tank here, it’s the craft brews (20 on tap!) that make this a destination instead of a mere pit stop. 6050 Cheviot Rd., White Oak, (513) 245-2717

I L L U S T R A T I O N S B Y ( T H I S P A G E ) A N I S S A P U L C H E O N / ( O P P O S I T E P A G E ) N A T A LY A B A L N O V A

XAVIER GEAR » Homage With Homage’s quirky, vintagestyle graphic tees and sweats (and even clothes for your baby!) you’ll look like you’ve been a fan for years instead of a noob who shopped the campus bookstore. 1232 Vine St., Overthe-Rhine, homage.com

YARN WINDER » Fiber Artist Supply Company Turning hanks of yarn into easy to use cakes or balls requires more than just patience. You need the right tools. Enter Timothy Hale of Fiber Artist Supply Company. Though he carries everything from drop spindles to table looms, the Diva Power Winder is the star of this show. Hale also offers a hand-crank version and has teased his Instagram followers with prototypes for a mini winder that could debut in 2024. ﬁberartistsupply.com

YARD GAMES » Smale

Riverfront Park

Only at Smale Riverfront Park can you engage in a larger-than-life checkers match while enjoying million-dollar views of the mighty Ohio. Located right on the river in downtown Cincinnati, Smale has become a presence in the Queen City’s iconic riverfront since opening a decade ago and it’s darn near impossible to imagine life without it. The playgrounds are all a blast, and the Adventure Playground boasts an Insta-perfect photo op of the Roebling Suspension Bridge that’s iconic. When you're done playing checkers, mosey over to Smale’s massive, playable piano and reenact that scene from Big. You know the one. 166 W. Mehring Way, downtown, cincinnati-oh.gov/cincyparks

YUCA FRIES » Chacabanas Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and packed with flavor, yuca fries might just give the American (fine, French) variety a run for their money. Chacabanas, the authentic Cuban restaurant near Findlay Market, is best known for its Cubano sandwiches, but it also excels at popular Latin sides like yuca fries, which it serves with a garlicky mojo aioli dipping sauce. 1809 Elm St., Over-theRhine, (513) 717-2172, chaca banascincy.com

Z Z

ZIEGLER PARK AMENITY » Chalk drawings on the new mural Kids and families ﬁnd a lot to like about Ziegler Park—a large pool with lifeguards, playground with swings, new restaurants, and conversion of Woodward Street to a pedestrian plaza—but there’s a fun new twist. When the Black Art Speaks artist collective unveiled eight new murals in and around the park in September, the plaza image left a few spots unﬁnished; kids are encouraged to use sidewalk chalk to join in the art-making and maybe become the next BLINK muralist.

ZODIAC STORE » Enchanted Moments A staple of Milford’s Main Street since 2004, Enchanted Moments is far more than your run-of-the-mill gift shop. It’s a store for all things spiritual and metaphysical, full of crystals, oils, and meditation aids, watched over by the shop cats, Sophie and Inanna. But perhaps more importantly, Enchanted Moments is a gathering place for likeminded people in search of enlightenment and community. 128 Main St., Milford, (513) 831-5508, enchantedmomentsshop.com I L L U S T R A T I O N B Y N A T A LYA B A L N O V A / P H O T O G R A P H B Y J U S T I N S C H A F E R

PHOTOGRAPH BY JUSTIN SCHAFER

Clone Wars Launching a hyper-realistic digital avatar puts Cincinnati writer/podcaster Helen Todd squarely in the debate about human creativity and artificial intelligence.

BY MICHELE DAY ILLUSTRATION BY GLENN HARVEY PAGE 55

LEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELE

DD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • H

elen Todd posted some provocat ive headlines on her social media channels this summer: “Not Deepfaked!” “I Cloned Myself!” “Meet my Digital Twin!” They read like the plot of a science fiction mov ie, signaling a world where fantasy blurs w ith reality and awe mixes with anxiety. laborate with AI instead of fearing it. And she grapples with the big “why” questions: Why would someone want or need a digital clone, beyond the novelty angle? And why should we embrace the new technology?

In other words, the host of a Cincinnatibased podcast about creativity and artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) perfectly encapsulated the rhetoric swirling around the latest development in her career. Did you hear? Helen Todd has a clone. On Instagram, Todd the human heralded the moment with a call for revelry: “Drumroll…meet my custom synthetic avatar: Helen 2.ODD” followed by a celebratory face emoji wearing a party hat and blowing a horn. “Yes, you read that right. I’ve digitally

cloned myself, so now there are two of me: the human Helen and my custom synthetic avatar Helen 2.ODD.” Host of the Creativity Squared digital platform, Todd ﬁnds the idea of self-duplication intriguing. So, a few days after the Instagram fanfare for Helen 2.ODD— pronounced “two point odd”—I meet up with her at her Finneytown home office to discuss the genesis and implications of her machine-generated twin and her writing and speaking on how creatives can col-

BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE, Todd takes me on a tour of her home on Winton Road. She’s repurposed the 1910 building, once used as offices for doctors and insurance agents. The previous owner’s renovations carefully preserved original features such as the hardwood ﬂoors and exposed beams, and Todd has decorated the walls with an eclectic array of paintings, prints, and art photos. She points out a series of canvas pieces representing the four seasons that were crafted by her mother using a modern take on 12th century marbling techniques. Todd grew up in eastern Tennessee without a television and doesn’t have one in this house. But the equipment needed for video and audio production—microphones, ring lights, electric cables—is everywhere. “This is where the magic happens,” Todd says as she gestures toward the green screen hanging on the dining room wall. She hasn’t taken it down since recording the video for the introduction of Helen 2.ODD earlier. It’s been a little hectic, she says. We eventually settle in front of Todd’s office computer to trace the timeline of her

PAGE 56 P H OTO G R A P H S C O U R T E SY C R E AT I V I T Y S Q U A R E D

LEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD

HELENHELEN 2.ODD TODD • HELEN 2.ODD • HELEN TODD • HELEN 2.ODD

synthetic avatar’s inception. Her face lights up as she scrolls through her social media channels, the place where she chronicles important life events. She points to a June Instagram photo of herself standing in front of a green screen in a production studio.“There will be two of me soon,” the post promises. The photo was taken at the Burlington, Vermont, studios of Render, a company that specializes in hyper-realistic avatar development. Engineers used 30 minutes of video and 12 minutes of audio Todd recorded that day to train artificial intelligence applications to clone her appearance and voice. A few weeks later, her RenderMe program was delivered, providing the means to convert words into videos of herself without ever turning on a camera. Helen Todd had been cloned. She describes the feeling of embracing a disruptive technology in its infancy as both exhilarating and familiar. At age 26, she launched a social media marketing agency, Sociality Squared, in New York City. It was 2010, “before social media was even an industry,” she says. Unveiling a digital clone in 2023 has reignited the thrill. But it’s also caused her to reflect on the unexpected directions new technology can take. “I loved social media at the time,” she says. “I still do, for better or worse, given what it’s become.” She pauses, searching for the right words. “I have a feeling going into AI that hopefully we’ve learned something from the social media experience.” Human Todd is an optimist. Her career pivoted from social media marketer to artificial intelligence explorer in October 2022. A friend who works at OpenAI, which developed ChatGPT, showed her a demo of the program. She fed the AI app a rough scene from a miniseries project she’d been mulling for a couple of years, and it instantly produced a detailed script, complete with dialogue and director’s notes. “That moment captured my imagination,” Todd recalls. OpenAI released Chat GPT to the public about a month later, and suddenly everyone was imagining the possibilities of generative artificial intelligence. And worrying about a future where machines could perform the roles of humans, eliminating jobs and threatening creativity. Todd, influenced by her mother’s artis-

THE REAL ME LOCAL WRITER/PODCASTER HELEN TODD WAS RECORDED AND FILMED (TOP) OVER THE SUMMER IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A DIGITAL AVATAR. CAN YOU TELL WHICH OF THE IMAGES ABOVE IS HUMAN HELEN AND WHICH IS HELEN 2.ODD? TODD IS USING HER AVATAR EXPERIENCE TO BRING ATTENTION (OPPOSITE PAGE) TO HOW AI CAN IMPACT HUMAN CREATIVITY IN POSITIVE WAYS.

tic background, was particularly intrigued by the impact of AI tools. She quickly decided to jump into the fray by creating a podcast exploring the intersection of art and artiﬁcial intelligence. From there, things moved quickly. She bought the domain for Creativity Squared (creativity squared.com) on Valentine’s Day 2023. It wasn’t cheap, but Todd considered the ﬁnancial investment an indication of her commitment. “I thought, OK, I’m doing it,” she says. Within a month, she developed a website landing page, a trailer, a YouTube channel and an e-mail newsletter. The podcast launched on April 20, and she’s put out weekly episodes ever since. A friend connected her to Jon Tota, CEO and founder of Render, as a potential guest for the show. Todd had only a general awareness of cartoonish gaming avatars before meeting Tota, but she quickly saw the PAGE 57

potential of custom synthetic digital clones and formed a partnership with the CEO. Render would become a podcast sponsor, and Todd would get a clone. MAKING THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE cloning process took several months, though Todd began teasing her avatar’s arrival on her podcast almost immediately. She also frequently broached the subject in personal encounters with friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers. News of the pending hyper-realistic avatar drew a broad spectrum of responses—from “That’s so cool!” and “I want one” to looks of horror and disbelief. She remembers one conversation with a couple at a gallery exhibition featuring AI art. She told them about her soon-to-be clone, and they stared at her, mouths agape. “They were like, That’s terrifying!” she says. C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 8 8

PHOTOGRAPH BY RYAN KURTZ

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL WORCHAL

Building Support for the CAC NEW CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CHRISTINA VASSALLO ARRIVES TO INJECT LIFE AND ENERGY INTO THE ICONIC ZAHA HADID–DESIGNED MUSEUM IN TIME FOR THE BUILDING’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY. BY STEVEN ROSEN

When I first interviewed the Contemporary Arts Center’s new executive director, Christina Vassallo, she’d been in town for just a few weeks, having started on March 20. “I sit here less than a month into the job,” she cautioned at the time as I set up the tape recorder in the lobby of the museum’s iconic Zaha Hadid–designed downtown building. 59

¼SHE COULD HAVE AVOIDED ANSWERING QUEStions about future plans and current challenges, citing her newness to the city and to the spectacular building that’s celebrating its 20th anniversary as one of Cincinnati’s architectural gems. Before coming here, she’d been executive director at Philadelphia’s Fabric Workshop and Museum since 2020 and, before that, was executive and artistic director at the Cleveland alternative arts venue SPACES. But, to her credit, Vassallo knew the CAC needed someone to immediately address a number of concerns. The non-collecting museum had been operating on a reduced budget, prompted by lost revenue during the worst of the COVID pandemic years. In 2022, then–Interim Director Marcus Margerum (currently chief business officer and deputy director) had told me the CAC’s annual operating budget slipped from a pre-pandemic high of $4.4 million to around $3.8 million, resulting in staff furloughs and salary reductions. Further, it had been almost two years since the organization’s previous leader, Raphaela Platow, moved to Louisville for her new job as director of the Speed Art Museum. The CAC’s senior curator, Amara Antilla, moved to Portland, Oregon, and was working remotely. Even the place where Vassallo and I met in April— the café space in the building’s lobby—signiﬁed a problem: Independent restaurateurs had struggled there, including the sophisticated and well-regarded Fausto, which closed at the end of

ready working on those issues and more and was willing to give her preliminary assessments. For instance, she said, a locally based curator was a top priority. She was also willing to offer a new topic for discussion: the benefits of the CAC and other arts and cultural institutions receiving funding from the city of Cincinnati or, possibly, some kind of Hamilton County tax levy. “I personally think the CAC can be in the foreground of those kind of conversations,” Vassallo said in April. “All of us help make the city more livable and exciting. Why would employees of a global corporation like those we have situated here want to come? Because there’s a lot going on here. The arts help make the city more livable and exciting.. So I think it would be a really interesting discussion to have with our elected officials.” After bringing it up, Vassallo cautioned that the topic was “one thing I care about, but it’s not why I’m here. It’s not why I was selected to run the CAC.” Redefining and advocating for the arts’ role in the larger community—and doing so in a positive, approachable manner—is something she’s been adept at her entire professional career. ¼CHRISTINA VASSALLO IS 43, LIVES DOWNTOWN, and is private about her personal life. Otherwise, she’s happy to share her story: growing up in New York City and northern New Jersey, getting her graduate degree in nonprofit visual arts management at New York University, and starting her career in the Big Apple. She projects a joyful casualness in person and via Zoom, smiling and laughing in her interviews and expressing herself with knowledgeable positivity about not just CAC’s future but the importance of art in enriching lives. Additionally, she has an indirectly inspirational physical presence with her arch-shaped curly dark hair, reminiscent of photos of Narges Mohammadi, the imprisoned Iranian advocate for

“Why would employees of a global corporation like those we have situated here want to come to Cincinnati? Because there’s a lot going on. The arts can be and have been a boon to the local economy.” 2022. The CAC needs the revenue, as well as the lobby traffic, such a busy space can contribute. But Vassallo wasn’t deﬂecting. She was al-

CHRISTINA VASSALLO PHOTOGRAPHED AT THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER ON NOVEMBER 1, 2023

P H OTO G R A P H BY D E V Y N G L I S TA

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

human rights and women’s rights who recently received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts. Among other restrictions, women are required to wear headscarves in public in Iran. Hair equates to freedom for many. Vassallo likes to think outside the box creatively to engage the community. As executive director of New York City’s Flux Factory in 2013, she co-curated and moderated Flux Death Match, a series of debates on topics of interest to artists as well as to the general public, such as how to confront the concentration of wealth and power within the nonproﬁt world. One of her presentations at SPACES in Cleveland was 2018’s A Color Removed, in which the gallery collected donated objects containing the color orange and then staged an exhibition. It was a pointed response to the killing of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, shot by police who thought his toy gun was real because its orange safety tip had been removed. “The question we posed to Cleveland was, What happens if we remove that symbol of safety,” says Vassallo in a Zoom interview in early October. “Would we all be safer, or would none of us be safe, or would we still experience safety at different levels? That was a really exciting project. I often think of exhibitions as a thought exercise: What kind of possibilities get revealed when we work with artists in new ways?” Vassallo had a strong impact on the people she met in Cincinnati even before she formally began her job. Or, for that matter, before she even had it. You might say that in those early interactions people were hearing her “love language.” “The ﬁrst thing everybody notices about her right off the bat is her en¼ CONTINUED ON PAGE 92 ergy,” says

INSPIRE. SUPPORT. ACT.

2023 CHALLENGE

WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FROM

Find a cause you love and show your support during Cincinnati Magazine’s 10-day fundraising challenge, Cincinnati Gives: November 27–December 7

visit cincinnatigives.org to donate to cincinnati nonprofits in need

WHERE BUSINESS AND CASUAL MEET SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE ULTIMATE EVENT

More than 33,000 square feet and over five unique spaces, including two outdoor patios, with direct access to the casino floor. Hard Rock can cater to any event, including cocktail parties, plated dinners for groups of 1,000, breakout sessions, conventions, and more!

SCAN FOR INFORMATION AND THE BREAKOUT BROCHURE cincinnati For Enquiries or Banquet Booking Call 513-250-3258 or email banquetsales@hrccincinnati.com MUST BE 21 OR OLDER TO GAMBLE. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-589-9966.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Photograph by Mariana Ianovska/stock.adobe.com

2023

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 6 5

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

6 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE FACE of

ORTHOPAEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

When it comes to expert orthopaedic care and sports medicine, Cincinnati turns to Beacon Orthopaedics. &X YMJ KTWJRTXY FZYMTWNY^ NS YMJ ą JQI 'JFHTSèX HTRRNYRJSY YT J]HJQQJSHJ XMNSJX FX YMJ YWZJ +FHJ TK 4W thopaedics in Cincinnati. 4ZW YJFR TK XUJHNFQN_JI ITHYTWX XZWLJTSX FSI XUTWYX RJINHNSJ J]UJWYX FWJ F YJXYFRJSY YT 'JFHTSè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èX FGTZY 4WYMTUFJINHX FSI 8UTWYX 2JIN cine, turn to Beacon. 500 E BUSINESS WAY, CINCINNATI, OH 45241, (513) 354-3700, WWW.BEACONORTHO.COM

Photograph by Ryan Back

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 6 7

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

6 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE FACE of

FINE FURNITURE AND DESIGN Best Furniture Gallery

Located just minutes from downtown Cincinnati in historic Fort Thomas, Kentucky, sits one of the region’s best-kept secrets in home furnishings and interior design. Tracing its roots back to 1941, Best Furniture Gallery is celebrating 82 years of serving clients north and south of the river. Offering quality American-crafted furnishings and a shopping experience that will leave you wondering why you’ve yet to discover this gem, Best Furniture Gallery is dedicated to creating beautiful spaces that keep generations of families returning time and again. When Carolynn and Craig Reis purchased the business in 2002, they immediately set out to build the business and grow its offerings. Today, their XVZFWJ KTTY LFQQJW^ XMT\HFXJX XTRJ TK YMJ ą SJXY MTRJ KZWSNXMNSLX FSI FHHJXXTWNJX F[FNQFGQJ and their dedicated team works hard to ensure nothing less than the best possible experience from the moment you walk through the doors. 1123 S. FT. THOMAS AVE., FT. THOMAS, KY 41075, (859) 441-2378, HTTPS://BESTFURNITUREGALLERY.COM

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 6 9

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

7 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE FACE of

RUNNING

Fleet Feet Cincinnati Annie Horn, Girls on the Run Executive Director | Alyson Poling, American Heart Association Executive Director | Frank and Stacey DeJulius, Fleet Feet Owners | Iris Simpson Bush, Flying Pig Marathon Executive Director | Meredith Koterba, Fleet Feet VP of Business Development Fleet Feet is the leader in Cincinnati’s vibrant running community. While known for personalized KTTY\JFW ą YYNSL YMJ^ FQXT HTFHM YMTZXFSIX TK \FQPJWX FSI WZSSJWX J[JW^ ^JFW YMWTZLM YMJNW YWFNSNSL UWTLWFRX FSI QTHFQ WFHJ XUTSXTWXMNU +QJJY +JJY NX YMJ 4Ką HNFQ 9WFNSNSL 5WTLWFR TK YMJ +Q^NSL 5NL 2FWFYMTS FSI -JFWY 2NSN 9MJ^ FQXT ą Y SJFWQ^ ,NWQX TS YMJ 7ZS UFWYNHNUFSYX KTW XMTJX J[JW^ ^JFW NS UWJUFWFYNTS KTW YMJNW Y\NHJ FSSZFQ ,497 0 9MWTZLM YMJNW HMJWNXMJI UFWYSJWXMNUX \NYM YMJXJ QJFINSL QTHFQ HMFWNY^ GFXJI STSUWTą Y WFHJ TWLFSN_FYNTSX +QJJY +JJY MFX ITSFYJI T[JW NS FQTSJ and will continue to build on their contributions every year. 9525 KENWOOD RD., STE. 42, CINCINNATI, OH 45242, (513) 793-8383, WWW.FLEETFEETCINCY.COM

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 7 1

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of

COSMETIC AND MEDICAL DERMATOLOGY Mona Dermatology Mona S. Foad, MD MHS FAAD

)W 2TSF +TFI MFX GJJS NS UWN[FYJ UWFHYNHJ NS (NSHNSSFYN FX F GTFWI HJWYNą JI IJWRFYTQTLNXY XNSHJ -JW [NXNTS KTW \MFY MJFYM HFWJ XMTZQI GJ HFRJ YT QNKJ YMWTZLM MJW 0JS\TTI GFXJI UWFHYNHJ 2TSF )JWRFYTQTL^ \MJWJ XMJ FSI MJW YJFR HFWJ KTW UFYNJSYX YMWTZLM HTXRJYNH RJINHFQ FSI XZWLNHFQ IJWRFYTQTL^ )W 2TSFèX NRUFHY MFX LWT\S J]UTSJSYNFQQ^ T[JW YMJ QFXY ^JFWX FSI FQQT\JI MJW YT FHMNJ[J XJ[JWFQ FHHTQFIJX NSHQZINSL Cincinnati Magazine 9TU )THYTW KTW YMJ UFXY ^JFWX FSI SFYNTSFQ YWFNSJW KTW &QQJWLFS YMJ RFPJW TK 'TYT] FSI /Z[JIJWR 2TSF )JWRFYTQTL^ MFX FQXT GJJS SFRJI F YTU UWFHYNHJ FRTSL FQQ UQFXYNH XZWLJTSX HTXRJYNH IJWRFYTQTLNXYX FSI RJIXUFX SFYNTSFQQ^ NS YMJ ê&QQJWLFS 9TU ë )W 2TSF LWJ\ ZU MJWJ NS (NSHNSSFYN FSI MFX RFIJ NY MJW RNXXNTS YT MJQU YMJ HTRRZSNY^ FHMNJ[J MJFQYM^ GJFZYNKZQ XPNS FSI YT YWJFY YMJR FX XMJ \TZQI \FSY MJW QT[JI TSJX YT GJ YWJFYJI 7730 MONTGOMERY RD., CINCINNATI, OH 45236, (513) 984-4800, WWW.MONADERMATOLOGY.COM

7 2 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 7 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

7 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE FACE of

EMPOWERING STUDENTS Springer School and Center

Springer empowers students who learn differently with the region’s most respected educational UWTLWFR KTW QJFWSJWX \NYM &)-) I^XQJ]NF FSI TYMJW XUJHNą H QJFWSNSL INXFGNQNYNJX 9MJ SJ\ 8UWNSLJW Diagnostic Center empowers families with answers through comprehensive psychoeducational J[FQZFYNTSX G^ F YJFR TK UX^HMTQTLNXYX XUJJHM QFSLZFLJ UFYMTQTLNXYX FSI THHZUFYNTSFQ YMJWFUNXYX At their independent Lower School and Middle School, serving grades 1 through 8, Springer empowers HMNQIWJS YMWTZLM NSIN[NIZFQN_JI QJFWSNSL UQFSX FSI FS NSYJSYNTSFQ KTHZX TS YMJNW XYWJSLYMX &IINYNTSFQQ^ F SJ\Q^ FSSTZSHJI -NLM 8HMTTQ \NQQ JRUT\JW XYZIJSYX YT GZNQI ZUTS YMTXJ XYWJSLYMX FSI XYWFYJLNJX YT LWT\ NSYT QJFIJWX FSI XJQK FI[THFYJX 'J^TSI YMJ HQFXXWTTR YMJ 8UWNSLJW 1JFWSNSL (JSYJW empowers students through tutoring and summer programs as well as caregivers and teachers through UWTKJXXNTSFQ IJ[JQTURJSY \TWPXMTUX YT FXXNXY YMJNW XYWZLLQNSL QJFWSJWX &Y 8UWNSLJW XYZIJSYX \MT QJFWS INKKJWJSYQ^ ą SI F XZUUTWYN[J NSHQZXN[J JS[NWTSRJSY \MJWJ YMJ^ HFS YMWN[J 8ZHHJXX XYFWYX MJWJ ;NXNY \\\ 8UWNSLJW 1) TWL YT QJFWS RTWJ 2121 MADISON RD., CINCINNATI, OH 45208, (513) 871-6080, WWW.SPRINGER-LD.ORG

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 7 5

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

7 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE FACE of

ALL GIRLS CATHOLIC EDUCATION Ursuline Academy

Founded in 1896 by the Ursulines of Brown County, Ursuline Academy stands as the enduring symbol TK FQQ LNWQX (FYMTQNH JIZHFYNTS WTTYJI NS KFNYM FSI GTZSI G^ XNXYJWMTTI <J FWJ IJINHFYJI YT KZQą QQNSL the legacy and mission entrusted to us by the Ursuline sisters, where faith is at the heart of all we do. We seamlessly blend academic rigor with holistic personal development, fostering an environment for intellectual, spiritual, and emotional growth. Here, the commitment to faith and the strength of sisterhood are a way of life. Our dedicated faculty members are passionate about nurturing students at the intersection of faith and scholarship. Over the years, Ursuline Academy has become synonymous \NYM FHFIJRNH J]HJQQJSHJ UWTIZHNSL HTSą IJSY HTRUFXXNTSFYJ FSI HFUFGQJ \TRJS \MT J]HJQ NS FQQ aspects of life. Our faculty, our grounds, and our faith are relevant more today than ever before. We invite you to come see all that our Ursuline community has to offer. 5535 PFEIFFER RD., CINCINNATI, OH 45242, (513) 791-5791, WWW.URSULINEACADEMY.ORG

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 7 7

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

7 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

THE FACE of

WEALTH MANAGEMENT Yellow Cardinal Advisory Group

Yellow Cardinal Advisory Group, a division of First Financial Bank, always treats our clients as distinct individuals. Each client has a unique story to tell, and we’re here to help make it happen. Our process starts with getting to know you, where you’ve been, where you’re going and how you want to get there. Our team can support you as a business owner, whether you’re looking to pass along the family HTRUFS^ JXYFGQNXM FS J]NY XYWFYJL^ TW ą SFSHJ ^TZW SJ]Y UWTOJHY TW FX FS NSIN[NIZFQ QTTPNSL YT HWJFYJ a trust, plan for a secure retirement, or build wealth to pay for future needs. Every client deserves a HZXYTR XTQZYNTS YMFY NX GZNQY XUJHNą HFQQ^ KTW YMJR FSI HFS FXXNXY NS \F^X YMFY LT KFW GJ^TSI NS[JXYNSL '^ reviewing the whole picture, we’re able to provide a plan for you to help accomplish your goals. 255 E. FIFTH ST., SUITE 700, CINCINNATI, OH 45202, (800) 479-0285, WWW.YELLOWCARDINALADVISORS.COM Yellow Cardinal Advisory Group, a division of First Financial Bank, provides investment advisory, wealth management, and ﬁduciary services. Yellow Cardinal Advisory Group does not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. The products and services made available by Yellow Cardinal Advisory Group are: not deposits, not insured by FDIC or any government agency, not guaranteed by the ﬁnancial institution, subject to risk, and may lose value.

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 7 9

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of

LASIK SURGERY Cincinnati Eye Institute

Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI) has served our community with world-class eye care for over 75 years. We’re a leader in LASIK and the many new leading-edge vision correction options, providing more patients than ever freedom from glasses and contact lenses. The CEI LASIK Team is supported by experts from every eye care specialty. As Cincinnati’s top eye experts, our surgeons combine precision and skill with cutting-edge technology enabling us to ensure you see your absolute best for life. 1945 CEI DR., CINCINNATI, OH 45242, (513) 984-5133, HTTPS://CINCINNATIEYE.COM

8 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of

DENTAL INSURANCE Delta Dental of Ohio Lindsey Parker

With 2.2 million individuals covered by Delta Dental of Ohio, Lindsey Parker and her Cincinnati based team are focused on delivering exceptional service to their clients and agent partners. Lindsey is responsible for bringing in nearly 400 new clients throughout Cincinnati in the last three years, 16 of them having over 1,000 employees. Building trusting relationships attributes to Lindsey’s success, along with having the largest national network of directly contracted dentists, and network discounts that deliver competitive savings for customers. Lindsey is committed to providing science-based, innovative plan designs that help employees feel valued and maintain their oral health. The Delta Dental +TZSIFYNTS MFX NS[JXYJI RNQQNTS ITQQFWX YT UWTRTYJ TWFQ MJFQYM NS 4MNT NS YMJ QFXY ą [J ^JFWX NSHQZINSL sponsorship of eight school-based dental clinics in Cincinnati. Lindsey is proud to be part of building healthy, smart, vibrant communities for all. 7755 MONTGOMERY RD., SUITE 170, CINCINNATI, OH 45236, (513) 719-1322, HTTPS://DELTADENTALOH.COM

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 8 1

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of

CINCINNATI CATERING Feast Grazing Platters

9MJ ą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« NS 1NGJWY^ (JSYJW 9MJ HFK« NSHQZIJX Ć F[TWKZQ RTHPYFNQX HWJFYN[J QFYYJX XFSI\NHMJX Ć FYGWJFIX FSI HZXYTRN_FGQJ HMFWHZYJWNJ TUYNTSX )WN[JS G^ HFZXJ \J HMTTXJ F HMFWNY^ YT XZUUTWY JFHM RTSYM LN[NSL GFHP YT YMJ HTRRZSNY^ YMFY MFX LN[JS ZX XT RZHM (TRRNYYJI YT KTXYJWNSL UTXNYN[J NRUFHY \J TKKJW ^JFW WTZSI UWN[FYJ J[JSYX YT FQQT\ HQNJSYX YT GTTXY YMJNW GWFSI FSI RNXXNTS 7135 FOUNDRY ROW, CINCINNATI, OH 45069, (513) 777-1888, WWW.FEASTGRAZINGPLATTERS.COM

8 2 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

+&(*8

of (.3(.33&9.

THE FACE of

CAREER EDUCATION Great Oaks Career Campuses

With a territory spanning 2,200 square miles of southwest Ohio, and serving students through four campuses, Great Oaks is one of the largest career and technical education districts in the United States. We have adapted our curriculum as workforce needs have evolved for over 50 years, striving to stay FY YMJ QJFINSL JILJ TK YJHMSTQTL^ FSI NSIZXYW^ IJRFSIX 2TWJ YMFS HFWJJW ą JQIX FWJ F[FNQFGQJ NS healthcare, information systems, advanced manufacturing, animal care, construction technology, WTGTYNHX HZQNSFW^ FWYX FSI RTWJ ,WJFY 4FPX JSWTQQX MNLM XHMTTQ XYZIJSYX TS NYX KTZW HFRUZXJX KWTR FKą QNFYJ INXYWNHYX FSI T[JW XJHTSIFW^ FSI RNIIQJ XHMTTQ XYZIJSYX YMWTZLM ,WJFY 4FPX XFYJQQNYJ UWTLWFRX JRGJIIJI NS XHMTTQX YMWTZLMTZY YMJ WJLNTS .S FIINYNTS YMJWJ FWJ T[JW FIZQY XYZIJSYX FYYJSINSL ,WJFY 4FPX YWFNSNSL NS F IN[JWXJ FWWF^ TK ą JQIX *[JW^TSJèX OTZWSJ^ NX ZSNVZJ FSI ,WJFY 4FPX MJQUX XYZIJSYX UZWXZJ YMJNW UFXXNTSX UQF^ YT YMJNW XYWJSLYMX FSI INXHT[JW YMJNW LWJFYSJXX .Y NX ZQYNRFYJQ^ FGTZY KTWLNSL UFYM\F^X YT XZHHJXX 110 GREAT OAKS DR., CINCINNATI, OH 45040, (513) 771-8840, WWW.GREATOAKS.COM

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 8 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of

NEXTGEN MEDTECH

City of Mason Biohub Pratik Shah | Chris Widenhouse | Michele Blair | Emma Raney | Jessica Johnson | Megan Pierce Mason’s Biohub continues to advance groundbreaking technologies in the medical device and therapy sectors. A therapy innovation with potential sweeping applications is a post-operative pain management therapy developed by AtriCure, Inc. Cryo Nerve Block Therapy (cryoNB) harnesses the power of cryotherapy to provide a new form of non-opioid/non-pharmacological temporary pain relief that can last several weeks for patients who undergo certain invasive cardiac or thoracic surgical procedures. Thank you to the teams of people who work tirelessly to bring these novel technologies to the world. CITY OF MASON BIOHUB COLAB: WHYMASON.COM; FEATURED ATRICURE.COM

8 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of (.3(.33&9.

THE FACE of

WOMEN’S HEALTH - NORTHERN KENTUCKY St. Elizabeth Physicians – Women’s Health

At St. Elizabeth, we believe that all women deserve healthcare providers who truly listen and understand the unique medical needs of women. 4ZW GTFWI HJWYNą JI TGXYJYWNHNFSX L^SJHTQTLNXYX FSI HJWYNą JI SZWXJ RNI\N[JX YFPJ UWNIJ NS UWT[NINSL ^TZ \NYM YMJ MNLMJXY VZFQNY^ TK UJWXTSFQN_JI FSI HTRUWJMJSXN[J HFWJ F[FNQFGQJ YMWTZLMTZY FQQ XYFLJX TK your life. <MJYMJW ^TZ SJJI F WTZYNSJ HMJHPZU TW NK ^TZ MF[J F XUJHNą H HTSINYNTS TW HTSHJWS YMFY WJVZNWJX XUJHNFQ FYYJSYNTS TZW \TRJSèX MJFQYM J]UJWYX FWJ QTHFYJI FHWTXX 3TWYMJWS 0JSYZHP^ FSI 8TZYMJFXY .SINFSF FSI FWJ MJWJ YT MJQU XZUUTWY ^TZW HTSYNSZJI MJFQYM FSI \JQQ GJNSL 1 MEDICAL VILLAGE DR., EDGEWOOD, KY 41017, (800) 737-7900, HTTPS://STELIZABETH.COM/WOMENS

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 8 5

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of

INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT TriHealth Interventional Pain and Spine

Dr. Sara Nashi, Dr. James Fortman, Dr. James Bruns, and our newest partner Dr. Dan Johns along with six Advanced Practice Providers provide interventional pain procedures and medication management in 15 clinics throughout the tri-state area, from Anderson to Oxford and Lebanon to Western Ridge. Our physicians are committed to improving the daily lives of our patients, spending dedicated time yearly teaching and learning new pain procedure techniques nationally. This gives us the ability to assess the true needs of the patient and determine the ideal plan of care, individualized for their goals! Our common procedures include everything from epidural steroid injections, branch blocks, Botox, and joint FSI YWNLLJW UTNSY NSOJHYNTSX YT YMJ QFYJXY NS XUNSFQ HTWI XYNRZQFYTWX P^UMTUQFXY^ ;JWYNĆ J] FSI .SYWFHJUY We accept referrals from TriHealth providers and external providers as well. Call us at (513) 246-2300 or visit www.trihealth.com/pain to schedule today! 625 EDEN PARK DR., CINCINNATI, OH 45202, (513) 246-2300, WWW.TRIHEALTH.COM/PAIN

8 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

2023

FACES

of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of

IN HOME CARE Trinity In Home Care

Since its inception in 2012, Trinity In Home Care has been driven to give higher level care to the aging population, and support to those who care for them. Its growth in the Greater Cincinnati region as both a Top Workplace and industry leader in the non-medical home care space shows the level of care they provide. As a winner of the BBB Torch Award, Trinity shows ethics are a top priority that drives their daily decisions. When looking for someone to assist with care in the home, choose the company that gives you the best day possible and the company that cares for its team members as much as those team members care for you. Choose Trinity In Home Care! 7321 MONTGOMERY RD., SECOND FLOOR, CINCINNATI, OH 45236, (513) 281-8000, WWW.TRINITYIHC.CO

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 8 7

CLONE WARS

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 57

Clone Wars Launching a hyper-realistic digital avatar puts Cincinnati writer/podcaster Helen Todd squarely in the debate about human creativity and artificial intelligence.

BY MICHELE DAY ILLUSTRATION BY GLENN HARVEY PAGE 55

Nicholas Caporusso ﬁnds Todd’s aweand-anxiety experiences unsurprising. “Every single innovation ever invented has the same thing,” says Caporusso, a Northern Kentucky University computer science professor who researches humancomputer interactions. Some see new technologies as an opportunity to advance humanity; others fear they will destroy it. He cites Plato’s 4th century B.C. dialogue, Phaedrus, as an example. In that case, the technology in question was writing and its potential to weaken people’s memories and spread false information. We’ve all seen how that’s played out. In today’s world, Todd and her pioneering peers face a similar trajectory, Caporusso says. Her decision to clone herself places Todd at the forefront of the technology curve that starts with innovators, followed by early adopters and then the early majority. Synthetic avatars are still “very much in the innovators stage,” says Jill Schiefelbein, chief experience officer for Render. Based on industry data from Render, Schiefelbein and Todd estimated in August that less than 1,000 known custom synthetic avatars existed worldwide. Todd speculates that her avatar might be the ﬁrst of its kind in Cincinnati. But early adopters are coming within the next year, Schiefelbein predicts, and Todd and Render are helping accelerate the movement here by hosting an Avatar Experience at ADC Fine Art Gallery with opportunities for Cincinnatians to learn more about joining the digital doubles club. As synthetic avatars multiply, Todd hopes Helen 2.ODD and her podcast can serve as vehicles to smooth the path for better human-machine relationships. “My mission is to envision a world where artists not only coexist with AI but thrive,” she says. “I want to be a proactive voice to shape the conversations around AI to be

more human-centered.” The most common uses for hyperrealistic avatars like Helen 2.ODD include personalized marketing, customer service, and sales materials, as well as educational and training videos. Todd sees her avatar as a way of producing video at scale. “We have to figure out what human Helen is good at and what Helen 2.ODD is good at,” she says. “I’m never going to film 25 individual videos welcoming guests to an event, but having my avatar do that would be a nice touch point for an event about AI.” Todd says she’s been reluctant to take on the additional workload of producing videos designed for the TikTok platform and is considering assigning that task to her clone as well. Todd is sensitive to concerns about AIgenerated avatars replacing human jobs. Her contract with Render gives her ownership rights to her digital likeness, an arrangement she sees as a crucial distinction from deepfake avatars created without seeking proper consent or providing fair compensation to humans. She also emphasizes the need for complete transparency when her avatar is performing. “I always want people to know when I’m using it,” she says. But none of those steps will stop her from stoking the ongoing debate over how convincingly synthetic Helen impersonates her human counterpart. Even the people who know human Helen the best disagree. TODD’S FAMILY MEMBERS GOT THEIR first look at Helen 2.ODD before a dinner at her brother’s White Oak home in late July. “I would say it was a little uncanny how similar the avatar was to my sister,” Chris Todd recalls. A typical younger brother, he used the clone’s arrival as an opportunity to rib his sister about her own human imperfections. “One thing that I said jokingly, but also in seriousness, is that the avatar spoke almost too well for it to be Helen,” he says with a laugh. “Helen has a tendency to mix up little colloquial sayings and words. So I thought that was a bit funny.” But after hearing a National Public Radio story about teachers interpreting flawless assignments as evidence students may have used AI to enhance their work, Chris thinks his joke might reflect deeper philosophical insights into the evolving

8 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

relationship between man and machines. “Imperfections in speech are naturally human,” he says. “These avatars have to be taught imperfections.” Too perfect or not, Helen 2.ODD drew rave reviews from most of Todd’s friends and relatives, including Chris’s wife and three children. “The kids were blown away,” he says. “They thought it was really neat.” And many people have told Helen that her clone’s voice is indistinguishable from her own. Regardless, Chris Todd stands by his belief that he can easily distinguish his sister from her clone. He’ll concede that the distinction will likely be more difficult in three to five years. But, for now, something about the avatar’s mouth clues him into its computer origins. “If the mouth was a little bit sharper, that would go a long way to promote the realism,” he says. On social media, Todd encourages followers to make comparisons as well. She edited the video with her initial Instagram announcement last August so that she and her clone appear side-by-side. Visually, the effect is jaw dropping. The people appear identical—same curve of the smiles, same arch of the eyebrows. To be clear, Todd had intentionally enhanced the seeing-double effect. In a purposeful sequence of life imitating art, which in turn imitates life, she replicated her clothing and accessories for her human Helen video shoot to those she wore during her avatar recording session. “I wore everything the same except for my fingernails,” she says. (The clone wore red; human Helen went natural.) But the mirror-like impact of their common scoop-necked black T-shirt, black onyx ring, and silver infinity necklace is powerful. At this point, though, Todd also acknowledges that her digital replica has limitations. The avatar displays elements of what artificial intelligence experts call the “uncanny valley” effect. “This is the space where our brains recognize that something is human-like but isn’t human-like enough to be human,” says NKU’s Caporusso, offering an example. “If we generate a person who has 18 fingers, that’s uncanny because we recognize that humans would not have 18 fingers.” Caporusso describes the characteristics

B T C TY E S

of the

Make your voice heard and cast your vote! Round 1 starts December 1!

CincinnatiMagazine.com/readers-choice

READERS’ CHOICE

CLONE WARS of machines and humans as two extremes. “Either we consider something to be purely synthetic like a robotic voice, or we have something that’s really human-like,” he says. “Anything in between is considered uncanny. There’s this feeling that something is off.” In the case of Helen 2.ODD, the hands trigger my impression that something is out of whack. The avatar always keeps its hands clasped in front of its chest, occasionally moving them forward and back but never releasing the grip. This awkward mannerism, which human Helen duplicated for effect in the look-alike Instagram video, resulted from instructions during the creation process. The Render team advised clasping the hands to avoid the natural human tendency to ﬂail our arms and make big gestures when talking. “There are certain limited movements the avatar can do,” says Todd.“It can’t do too many things with the hands.” The digital avatar also has some limitations in expressions, a lesson Todd learned quickly when she sent her ﬁrst avatar video to a friend. The friend had been a big supporter of her podcast but didn’t

terrupt. “That’s so scary,” I say. Caporusso shrugs and smiles. “It might be scary,” he says. “But it also might mean we could be golﬁng at the same time we’re giving a work presentation.” TODD, LIKE CAPORUSSO, SEES THE PROgression toward more human-like AI avatars as unstoppable. But she downplays the idea of humans losing their identity in a world where machines can look and sound just like us. Todd compares the experience of working with a digital clone to hearing a recording of her voice.“I don’t listen to it and think Oh, that’s me. It is me, but it’s not quite me in the way that I know me,” she says. The human journalist asking the questions probes for deeper reflection, and Todd explains the relationship from a different perspective. “I don’t have an existential attachment to this clone,” she says. “I see it more like a digital puppet and not a replacement for who I am for who I am. It’s not Helen 2.0. There’s not going to be a Helen 2.0.” She chose the name Helen 2.ODD to play off of her last name as well

“I SEE IT MORE LIKE A DIGITAL PUPPET AND NOT A REPLACEMENT,” SAYS HELEN TODD. “IT’S NOT HELEN 2.0. IT’S MY DIGITAL AVATAR.” always listen to the episodes in their entirety. In the video, she prompted her digital counterpart to call her friend “the No. 1 fan of the podcast.” Then she hoped to add a touch of humor by sarcastically inserting the clause “although this may be disputed.” But the nuance of sarcasm was lost on the synthetic Helen, which delivered the line as a statement of fact. Caporusso expects such obvious uncanny elements will soon disappear from avatars. “It’s just a matter of time,” he says. “The algorithms are quickly closing the gap with that uncanny valley and making content that’s so human-like it will be almost impossible to distinguish avatars from humans.” Something about the conﬁdence in his voice stirs a wave of anxiety in me, so I in-

as the strange reality of being cloned. Giving the avatar a name helps her think of it as a separate entity. “That kind of distances it,” she says. “It’s not me. It’s my digital avatar.” Glancing back through her social media channels, Todd says that all art is representation. “As soon as it’s outside of ourselves, it’s representing,” she says. “When you put a photo on social media, is that you? Not at all.” But even those comfortable on the innovation curve’s leading edge must honor the concerns of later adoptees, says Todd, who addresses this challenge during her introduction of Helen 2.ODD in Episode 14 of her podcast. “First and foremost, we support humans,” she says. “Our stance is that all AI tools should amplify human creativity and potential and never replace it.”

9 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

Todd has allocated a portion of her podcast’s revenues to ArtsWave, the nonprofit dedicated to supporting the arts across in Cincinnati. On Episode 14, she also notes that 60 percent of the show’s costs cover the people who work behind the scenes to make Creativity Squared possible. But she also uses the episode to showcase her synthetic avatar’s super-human capabilities. She’s programmed Helen 2.ODD to smile and declare “It’s nice to meet you!” in eight different languages. In contrast, she notes, her own greetings are restricted to English. Back in her home office, Todd walks me through the process of generating a video of Helen 2.ODD. She types a prompt into her avatar app. Seconds later, she hits play and a voice that sounds a lot like the human I’ve been interviewing for the previous two hours recites the lines: Hi, Michele. Welcome to Creativity Squared studio. My human counterpart is excited to show me to you. Todd then adjusts the settings to demonstrate the software’s features. She changes the speed so the avatar is racing through the lines. Too fast, we agree. Todd makes more adjustments. This time a slow, deep voice welcomes me to the studio. Todd shakes her head.“Yeah, I don’t like this one,” she says with a laugh. But her message is clear: Her synthetic avatar is a powerful tool, and in the right human hands it could be a boon for human communication. “It’s a cloned voice and a cloned image,” she says, motioning toward the video screen of Helen 2.ODD expressing her delight at meeting me in Hindi, Portuguese, Polish, German, Italian, Spanish, and French, as well as English. “It’s synthetic media. It’s the most nonauthentic media out there, and I’m still wrapping my head around it too. But in some ways, it’s humanized communication in ways we can’t do. If I wanted to do a video message in Hindi and my intention is I’m trying to meet you where you are, I don’t think this is taking away the human part.” She shakes her head. “I don’t think any digital tool will help replace the human connection, but can it help me crank out videos?” She laughs. “Yes.” For the human Helen Todd, that’s cause for celebration. Bring on the smiling emojis wearing party hats.

AN UNFORGETTABLE CELESTIAL WALK THROUGH THE ILLUMINATED WOODS EVENT WILL FEATURE Light displays from regional artists, live music, food, beer and wine on select nights, holiday shopping, and interactive activities. Preregistration required: www.CincyNature.org

Scan to get your tickets to d a y!

BUILDING SUPPORT FOR THE CAC CONTINUED FROM PAGE 61

PHOTOGRAPH BY PAUL WORCHAL

PHOTOGRAPH BY RYAN KURTZ

Gale Beckett, president of the CAC’s board of trustees and a member of the search committee that recommended Vassallo. “It comes off the written page, it comes off in a phone call, it comes off in a Zoom meeting, and it certainly comes off in person. She really loves to collaborate, and that’s not always the case in the arts world. During one of our interviews with her, she used the words, Collaboration and partnerships are my love language.” Beckett says Vassallo has made an effort to meet every staff member and most of the board members, community leaders, artists, industry professionals, and educational professionals. “She just really thrives on getting to know people and finding connections in new ways,” says Beckett. “That came through in examples from her previous roles, and it’s certainly proving true now.” That show of enthusiasm impressed Cal Cullen when she was still executive director of Camp Washington’s Wave Pool, which considers itself a contemporary art fulﬁllment center. (Cullen is now program manager for the Haile Foundation.) “The week before she officially started at the CAC was when the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts held its convention here, and it was an insanely busy and amazingly entertaining week for the arts in Cincinnati,” Cullen recalls. “Christina came to Wave Pool for the opening reception we had for our three new exhibitions. She made an effort to introduce herself to me and the other staff members and artists and to really be out in the community and building relationships. That’s so important for the Contemporary Arts Center.” For my Zoom interview with Vassallo, she was in New York City to see museum exhibits, including the Whitney’s Henry Taylor: B Side, featuring distinctive portraiture

by the Los Angeles artist whose subjects mostly include African Americans. Taylor, she says, had served as artist-in-residence and had an exhibition at her Fabric Workshop and Museum earlier this year. VASSALLO CERTAINLY HAS JUMPED INTO her new role in Cincinnati, and the institution that hired her is reaping the benefits. CAC trustees were in a forwardlooking mood when they announced a $4.7 million working budget for the fiscal year that started in September, projecting a nice recovery from the pandemic dip, and started a strategic planning process to map out the next several years. Vassallo also announced the achievement of her top priority, hiring a full-time curator. Theresa Bembnister, who started at the end of October, had been at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts in Little Rock since 2020, first as associate curator and then as curator. Before that, she spent five years at the Akron Art Museum, reaching the title of curator of exhibitions. Bembnister will live here, which Vassallo says is critically important. “I surveyed the staff and asked them what we needed in a new curator, and resoundingly I heard they thought it really required and deserved someone who is going to live in the city and help forge the connections with the artistic talent in the region,” says Vassallo. “Our curator is really going to be tasked with not only bringing an international and national perspective to our programming but also understanding the local talent pool and incorporating that into her work.” Meanwhile, Antilla—who served as curator-at-large after moving to Portland—has relocated to the Washington, D.C., area and transitioned into a guest curator role. She curated a show at the CAC that opened in November and runs through April 14, 2024: Tai Shani: My Bodily Remains, the first U.S. solo museum exhibition for the British artist. It features a new site-specific installation and a feature-length film. But the year’s biggest show, which remains on view through January 28, 2024, celebrates the 20th anniversary of the CAC’s Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art at the northwest

9 2 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

corner of Sixth and Walnut streets. Titled A Permanent Nostalgia for Departure: A Rehearsal on Legacy with Zaha Hadid, it was guest-curated by Madrid-based Maite Borjabad, who previously worked at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain and was curator of architecture and design at the Art Institute of Chicago. She’s also a trained architect. The show is a tribute to the Iraqi-born and London-based Hadid, whose CAC building was her first in the U.S. and the first U.S. museum designed by a woman. Architecture critic Herbert Muschamp of The New York Times called it “the most important American building to be completed since the end of the Cold War.” Hadid parlayed its success into an inspiring superstar career. She died of a heart attack in 2016; her firm remains active and has been in the news lately for its rendering of the 1,082-foot-tall Discovery Tower on a mountaintop in Saudi Arabia. For the CAC exhibit, Borjabad commissioned seven new Hadid-inspired works from Middle Eastern and European artists and received loans of seven fascinatingly futuristic artworks by Hadid. One of her pieces is a 1977 graduation project that envisioned a 14-story hotel on London’s Hungerford Bridge over the River Thames that looks like it’s in outer space. The show’s title derives from a 2011 ode to Hadid written by Lebanese-American poet and essayist Etel Adnan. The passage at its heart was reprinted in a 2016 issue of Artforum magazine: “Hadid is a poet of forms and of the materials that give presence to these forms; one must admire them close up and from afar to discover, in this woman who built on solid rock, a permanent nostalgia for departure. Everything she made seems to always be the day before a departure, a permanent invitation to the imagination and to the imaginary.” Hadid wanted the glass-windowed CAC lobby to serve as an “urban carpet” that— according to her architectural firm’s website—“lets pedestrians into and through the interior space via a gentle slope, which becomes, in turn, a wall, ramp, walkways, and even an artificial park space.” And the current Hadid exhibition has a wonderful tribute to that vision. Turkish artist Hera Büyükta cıyan allowed six narrow strips of

Sugar & spice makes organization nice

Custom Closets • Garage Cabinets • +RPH 2ǅFHV • Pantries • Laundries Wall Beds • Wall Units • Hobby Rooms • Garage Flooring • and More…

For a free in-home design consultation ClosetsbyDesign.com or 513.469.6130

BUILDING SUPPORT FOR THE CAC carpet, with brown tones and very subtle patterning, to cascade down a gallery wall to the ﬂoor, like a waterfall. It’s a sacrosanct memorial to the building’s creator and her goals for the CAC building. I wish it could stay there permanently. I PERSONALLY LOVE THE BUILDING’S URban carpet. I imagine myself gliding gently from the front doors to the sloped rear interior wall and then climbing right up, defying gravity. I’ve even tried to walk up it a couple of times. And the stark blackness of the stairway that is the lobby’s centerpiece commands attention and demands to be climbed upward to see the art. But not everyone feels that same magical pull. They need speciﬁc reasons to step into the CAC lobby from the street, especially if they’re not already headed to shows in the upstairs galleries. And they may soon be getting a new café, another top priority for Vassallo. The organization posted on the

employee sells coffee and snacks in the former Fausto space. Vassallo has also been finalizing the CAC’s exhibition schedule for next season, putting another stamp on the institution’s future in a tangible way. Shows will include Jayson Musson: His History of Art, a showcase of recent MFA graduates from DAAP and Miami University, and a CAC Staff Art Exhibition. “The new season will include major thematic group shows and solo exhibitions by living artists, some who live in Cincinnati and some who are setting foot [here] for the first time,” she says. In her spare time, if any exists, Vassallo continues to envision a better-financed and more stable future for Cincinnati’s arts sector. She believes the pandemic revealed major fault lines in terms of how nonprofits operate and thrive. “This interview isn’t really about my political soapbox, but I think it’s an important conversation to be having,” she says. “We’re still not out of that COVID trench of financial

“WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MUSEUMS, ESPECIALLY CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUMS, IS VISITORS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE EXPOSED TO SO MANY PERSPECTIVES. MUSEUMS PROVIDE THOSE ACCESS POINTS.” ArtsWave jobs page in October for a manager to run a space that would be owned and operated by the museum itself. “We’ve decided to take the operation of our café in-house,” says Vassallo. “We did a lot of research on this topic, and we’ve learned it’s nearly impossible for a third party to really make a good profit in a museum café space, especially as American downtowns—where we are and where many museums are located—continue to rebound from the effects of COVID. Not everybody is working on a ﬁve-day office schedule anymore, so that has an effect.” She understands a café is a visitor amenity that doesn’t need to make a big proﬁt on its own. “We just want to better serve our visitors and make sure they’re comfortable and can have some refreshments,” she says. In the meantime, a CAC

pressure, right? I think there’s a lot more work to be done.” Vassallo acknowledges the importance of ArtsWave’s longtime work to fundraise for the region’s arts organizations—its 2023 workplace giving campaign brought in $11.9 million for 150-plus organizations, projects, and artist commissions—but says other cities where she’s worked have used a variety of public funds to support their arts groups. Cleveland organizations receive funding through a Cuyahoga County tax on cigarette sales, and for a time the money was distributed by Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. That city recently added the position of senior strategist for arts, culture, and the creative economy. Philadelphia has an arts, culture, and the creative economy office within City Hall. While working in that city, Vas-

9 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

sallo had been appointed by city council to serve on the then-new Arts & Culture Task Force to develop recommendations to uplift disadvantaged communities through the arts and culture sector, especially in the aftermath of COVID. The city of Cincinnati doesn’t have a dedicated office, department, or staff member for assistance to the arts, though a “leveraged support” process—with an arts category—offers direct financial support to nonprofit organizations with strong local impact. “No specific dollar amount or percentage of overall funding is assigned to each category [within the program],” says Ben Breuninger, deputy director of communications. “Rather, we’ve identified these areas as important for city investment and ask leveraged support applicants to identify which category best defines their work.” ArtsWave’s Black and Brown Artists program recently received $75,000 from this fund, and ArtWorks received $150,000. That type of one-time funding is appreciated, says Vassallo, but isn’t the same kind of year-after-year support that dedicated, ongoing public funding provides. “I believe if we had [public funding], it would make the job of every director in the cultural sector easier,” she says. “Creating an atmosphere where there is an appetite for funding like this to exist is definitely a product of my main job running the CAC.” As the CAC tries—and needs—to grow revenue by attracting post-COVID visitors to its downtown site, it should continue to feed off of the challenging creative and visionary edge that Zaha Hadid gave its building and that inspires its artists and curators. Vassallo assures me she will as she works to grow its audience for shows and other activities. “I don’t see challenging work as being in direct opposition to also being welcoming,” she says. “Creating a buttress of support around an exhibition, which our education department does, gives people entry points into a show. What I love about museums, especially contemporary art museums, is visitors have the opportunity in one building to be exposed to so many perspectives. Museums allow us those access points. That’s what I think is so exciting about this kind of work.”

Bring more comfort into your home.

Your local Pella® team is ready to show you the right window or door for your home and budget. Whether wood, vinyl or fiberglass, let our team find the right product that fits your vision. Pella can help support the completion of your project - from a new construction install to a remodel project. Your home is unique, so you shouldn’t have to settle for an ordinary window or door. Call today for your free in-home consultation and learn more.

Pella Window & Door Showroom 9869 Montgomery Rd, Montgomery, OH | 513.936.5240

pellabranch.com

C I N C I N N A T I

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

2024 WINE FESTIVAL D U K E

E N E R G Y

C O N V E N T I O N

C E N T E R

K F U D 0 K W K W

W I N E F E S T I V A L . C O M

D NE

ITALIAN FOOD IN HYDE PARK P. 98

TACOS IN TERRACE PARK P. 100

PASTRY CHEF Q&A P. 100

TAPAS, TAPAS, TAPAS P. 104

IN LIVING COLOR Al-Posto’s ﬁrst-ﬂoor dining room, with its high ceilings and sun-drenched skylight, pops with blue, green, and yellow accents.

PH OTO G R A PH BY C ATHERINE VIOX

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 9 7

DINING OUT

ITALIAN RENAISSANCE AL-POSTO dishes up southern Italian comfort food.

—BRANDON WUSKE

ANS OF THE RECENTLY CLOSED DEAR ON HYDE PARK SQUARE HAVE SOMETHING to rejoice about: Turns out the closing earlier this year was simply a rebrand. Happily, the space hasn’t changed much. It still has the vaulted ceilings as well as the actual bank vault turned private dining room (this was a bank before Teller’s, Dear, and Al-Posto). The front door has been painted bright blue, and lemon trees grow out of the top of the two-story wine rack. Neon hands touch above the entrance to the vault in a contemporary nod to Italy’s famed Sistine Chapel. But that’s it. You won’t hear Sinatra or see countless black-and-white photos of Rome or Little Italy. The food is transportive enough. Owner Austin Heidt brought in Giovanni Ranieri to open Al-Posto, an upscale southern Italian spot that reﬂects the same commitment to quality ingredients and delicate preparation that made Dear such a gem. That starts at the beginning of the menu, with the salads. The selection is small but mighty with a focus on scratch-made ingredients and expert composition. Take the sourdough focaccia found in the panzanella, a bright, clean salad of red and yellow tomatoes, shallots, and a tangy basil vinaigrette. The bread—baked in-house—soaks up the vinaigrette, yet miraculously retains its crunch. And the Misto House Salad contrasts sweet balsamic dressing with slightly bitter shaved fennel and a heap of grated Parmigiano Reggiano, all served over a bed of lettuce grown at Batavia’s Roothouse Aquaponics. 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. The meatballs, served with ragu and basil, are listed as contorni, a dish meant to be served 9 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

FYI

Al-Posto Italian Ristorante 2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-2710, al-posto. com Hours Dinner Tues–Thurs 5–9 p.m., Fri & Sat 5–10 p.m. Prices $7 (Patate Frite)–$84 (Bistecca alla Fiorentina) Credit Cards All major The Takeaway Reﬁned southern Italian classics in the former Dear space.

PH OTO G R A PHS BY C ATHERINE VIOX

WHEEL OF FORTUNE (From left) Grilled branzino with caper and parsley gremolata, toasted almond, and lemon; Linguini Alla Flora served tableside in Parmigiano wheel; Pugliese skirt steak braciole; Executive Chef Tyler Stemmer and General Manager Whitney Holtgrefe (right).

alongside the second course, but made a perfect appetizer. Al-Posto’s pasta can be ordered as an entrée or a first course. Either way, it’s not to be missed. I especially recommend the Cacio e Pepe, a seemingly simple dish comprised of bucatini (similar to spaghetti, but thicker), black pepper, and a sharp pecorino Toscano. When done right, this classic Roman pasta, which translates to “cheese and pepper,” showcases a restaurant’s mastery of the fundamentals. And Al-Posto knocks it out of the colosseum; the bucatini had just the right chew and were enhanced, but not eclipsed, by the pepper and pecorino. The Gnocchi alla Marcella didn’t dazzle quite as much as the Cacio e Pepe, but it was still a solid choice. The thick dumplings were perfectly pillowy, but the accompanying sweet peas distracted from their flavor and the dish could have used a touch more vodka sauce. Still, it made me eager to explore more of Al-Posto’s pastas. Before I go any further, I have to commend Al-Posto’s excellent wine program. In addition to being co-owner, Heidt is also AlPosto’s wine director. The focused wine menu is heavy on wines from Italy and the U.S., and emphasizes pairings. In fact, you’ll find wine suggestions listed below many of the dishes, a move that I would love to see on more local menus. On my first visit, I ordered a Tuscan vermentino to accompany my grilled branzino entrée. The oaky, fruity white wine brought out the best flavors of the buttery fish. And Al-Posto’s branzino might well be the best fish I’ve had all year. The soft filet, with its delicately crisp skin, had a surprisingly smoky, nutty flavor that was underscored by toasted almonds. A squeeze of lemon juice and

some parsley gremolata (a bright green condiment made of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest) added the fresh, lemony flavors one expects to accompany a good branzino. Another seafood entrée, the blackened salmon on a bed of couscous, is probably one of the least Italian dishes on Al-Posto’s menu (along with the cheeseburger). Not that I’m suggesting they take it off: The summery dish with its hint of mint was one of the highlights. Same with the plump, de-tailed poached shrimp used in the fiery Garlic Shrimp Diavolo. I didn’t intend to skip Al-Posto’s more landlocked entrées, but when a restaurant handles seafood this well, it’s hard to resist. It shouldn’t be a shock that quality seafood plays such a big role in Executive Chef Tyler Stemmer’s southern Italian menu. Southern Italy’s sun-drenched waters offer the most bountiful seafood in that flavor-rich nation. I also neglected to order Al-Posto’s most spectacular dish: the Linguini Alla Flora. When it’s ordered for two (or more), the server brings out a massive wheel of Parmigiano, which they proceed to delicately shave, light on fire and toss into a pot of linguini, tableside. It was a head-turning performance and the perfect way to perfume an Italian dining room. I’ll definitely be getting it when I return, though for the servers’ sakes, I can only hope every table doesn’t follow suit. Since you’re probably wondering, “Al-Posto” 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. Judging from the interactions I observed between staff and diners, it seems like Al-Posto has already cultivated a coterie of neighborhood regulars. If I lived in Hyde Park, I could see myself joining their ranks. I just might anyway. D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 9 9

TABLESIDE WITH...

TAKEOUT HER0

KAYLA HUNLEY

ATWOOD OYSTER HOUSE’S new executive pastry chef is ready for her next adventure. What’s your origin story? I have always loved the way sweets make me and others feel and I want to break the stigma that pastries are only an indulgence. I didn’t get my hands on pastry professionally until I was 22. That’s when I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life. How did you start Hunley Bee Pastry? A friend hired me for my ﬁrst job. She wanted 200 cupcakes and a cake. I knew this was the one order that would make me pop off. I had friends, family, coworkers, and people I had never met messaging me for cakes. What are your pastry specialties? Cakes! They have always been my favorite to bake, build, and decorate. I love to use natural, local ingredients as much as I can.

Stay Golden THE LATEST FROM THE TEAM BEHIND RESTAURANTS LIKE SENATE AND ABIGAIL STREET, Golden State creates an oasis inspired by 1960s Palm Springs. It bursts with innovative tacos and a thematic drinks menu that not only quenches your thirst but sparks conversation. Like the octopus. (A surprise hit, according to the staff.) The wood grilled octopus taco—crispy octo, habanero salsa, pico de gallo, and chorizo—is the eatery’s twist on surf and turf. They say you eat with your eyes first, and this dish definitely inspires social media photoshoots with a long octopus arm waving to greet diners. Surrounded by the vibrant greens and red of the salsa and pico de gallo, it’s unusually pretty. The octopus itself is tender, with a texture similar to lobster or crab sticks, and an understated flavor. It’s pleasant but very mild, and the spice and fat of the chorizo balance the lean seafood with a savory heat. The crisp pico de gallo adds important texture, and the habanero salsa provides the finishing note with enough of a kick to inspire drink refills, not tears. Hot tip: Getting takeout? Be prepared with your silverware. Golden Golden State, State loads its tacos past the tortillas’ limits, so if you don’t take a few 704 Wooster Pike, bites of the filling with a fork before you fold, you’ll use it to collect Terrace Park, (513) 831-8226, goldensta the half that falls out. The octopus is delicious, but you may not want tetacos.queencityho to shake hands. — M . L E I G H H O O D spitalitygroup.com 1 0 0 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

What kind of desserts pair best with oysters? Oysters are pretty new to me, so this is something I’m exploring at the moment. I’m working on a crème brûlée that I think will pair well. What techniques are you bringing to Atwood from your previous gigs? I learned a lot in my short time at AlPosto, and I intend to create pastries with more ﬁnesse.

–AIESHA D. LITTLE FYI Follow Hunley on Instagram (@hunleybeepastry); Atwood Oyster House is at 1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine

Read a longer interview with Kayla at cincinnatimagazine.com

PH OTO G R A PH BY C ATHERINE VIOX / ILLU S TR ATI O N BY C H RI S DA N G ER

Give the gift of

music HOLIDAY POPS DEC 8-10 It’s the most wonderful time of year with Cincinnati’s favorite holiday tradition! Concert Sponsor Graeter’s Ice Cream

STAR WARS: The Last Jedi DEC 29 & 30 The fate of the Resistance hangs in the balance!

NYE: Ellington at 125 DEC 31 Swing into 2024 with the sophisticated jazz stylings of Edward “Duke” Ellington. Presenting Sponsor Dr. John and Louise Mulford Fund for the CSO

BEN RECTOR & CODY FRY: Live with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra MAR 26 Platinum-selling indie superstar Ben Rector and viral TikTok singer/ songwriter sensation Cody Fry bring their magic to Music Hall with the Pops!

NOTORIOUS IOUS B.I.G x TUPAC x MAHLER JAN 10 A hip-hop mixtape pe of music by pac fused with Notorious B.I.G & Tupac n” Symphony Mahler’s “Resurrection” g live emcee’s. featuring

BRAHMS: Runnicles & Trifonov JAN 5-7 Piano powerhouse Daniil Trifonov joins the CSO for an all-Brahms program full of emotion.

AUDRA McDONALD FEB 4 SUN 7:30 PM

SYMPHONIC MOZART JAN 27 & 28

Audra McDonald returns to the Music Hall stage for one night only, after her sold-out performance with the Pops in 2018!

A light and approachable all-Mozart program in which CSO soloists shine.

SHOSTAKOVICH: 1905 FEB 2 & 3 Grammy-winning conductor Cristian Măcelaru joins the CSO for music of two Slavic luminaries. Presenting Sponsor The Segoe Family Foundation

3 FOR $99!

Bundle three concerts and SAVE! Offer not valid for select performances and dates, including Star Wars and Ben Rector & Cody Fry. For full offer details, visit cincinnatisymphony.org/3for99

cincinnatisymphony.org • cincinnatipops.org • 513.381.3300

HIGH SPIRITS

Don’t want booze? Get the Crawler, the nonalcoholic version of the Creeper, served with whipped cream.

HOOK, LINE, & CREEPER

ovalt Station feels like a place you’ve been to on vacation before—it’s just tough to say where. An oyster shack in Maine? A fly-fishing cabin in Montana? A hunting lodge in Minnesota? Maybe that’s what made this quirky Milford haunt a local favorite when it opened last year. Its artisanal drinks shine: Try the signature Covalt Creeper, an indulgent concoction of Don Q white rum, creme de cacao, orgeat syrup, cream of coconut, and pineapple juice, topped off with a tart cherry. The space, which pays homage to local history and its proximity to the Little Miami River, was formerly the Olde Garden Shack, home of some of the best flower baskets in the tri-state. Today, you can Covalt Station, 222 Pike, Milford, sip on a Creeper beneath the greenhouse-turned-patio, close your eyes, and enjoy your Wooster(513) 239-8155, covaltstation.com momentary vacation to wherever you please. — L A U R E N F I S H E R C

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

PHOTOGRAPH BY CHRIS VON HOLLE

Veteran Owned & Operated • 100% Custom Menus Creating Delicious Memories

Photo credit to Megan Noll Photography

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

s a

ore l a G

all plaHtAeDs. LaI TtT LsEome of our m s st y ants.— A I E S a t se staur e h t e t h a nd r i g w ar s

Sh a

r ing is fav car ori in te b

TAKE 5

SHAKSHUKA This dish of slow-simmered tomatoes with warming spices, egg, and feta is a Tunisian delight. You’ll need the rich, savory ﬂavor to soak up those strong gin cocktails at this Covington spot. 1

Juniper’s, 409 W. Sixth St., Covington, (859) 291-4466, junipersginbar.net

PIMIENTOS DE SHISHITO Even a dish as simple as blistered shishito peppers and Maldon sea salt is a major treat at an eatery that has landed on our Best Restaurants list ﬁve times. 2

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

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

FATTOUSH Menu items at this foodie favorite switch out often—the lineup depends on what fresh produce the restaurant’s vendors bring in each week—but this Mediterranean fried bread salad generally stays in rotation. 3

Abigail Street, 1214 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-4040, abigailstreet.com

TORTILLA ESPAÑOLA The menu at this newish wine spot features several Spanish tapas classics, including this potato, egg, and onion omelette, cooked in olive oil and topped with aioli and parsley. Conserva, 4

225 Elm St., Ludlow, (859) 2610680, conservatapasbar.com

CEVICHE This dish is composed of shrimp, orange, grapefruit, avocado, and lime, mixed with various herbs and spices (habanero, cumin, serrano, and cilantro). Served with yuca chips, it’s citrus-y seafood worthy of being the national dish of Peru. Solstice, 1544 Madison 5

Rd., East Walnut Hills, (513) 8721355, solsticecinci.com

PH OTO G R A PH BY C ATHERINE VIOX

Thrill of Hope

the

Thank you Cincinnati for your unwavering support and generosity. We celebrate this Christmas season and the “Thrill of Hope” you have brought into the lives of our students. May the new year bring you endless opportunities and blessings. St. Rita School for the Deaf relies on your donations to help us provide individualized instruction and personal attention to students with communication needs. Please consider a donation in this season of giving. Merry Christmas & may God bless you! Angela Frith, President • St. Rita Board of Directors, Staff and Students

www.srsdeaf.org 513-771-7600

To donate: Scan the code or visit bit.ly/st_rita_donate

Or mail your check to: St. Rita School for the Deaf 1720 Glendale Milford Road Cincinnati, OH 45215

When you see the Ohio Proud logo, you know you are getting Ohiomade and grown products. From fresh meats, fruits and vegetables, to dairy products and snack foods, you can find Ohio Proud products in your favorite grocery store and

ETC PRODUCE & PROVISIONS

CHERRY BLEND COFFEE ROASTERS

ETC Produce & Provisions is a Farmer owned Urban Market located in the beautiful Historic Findlay Market. Come shop some of your favorite local farms and discover a few others while enjoying the Farmer Market experience 6 days a week. Can’t make it to downtown? We offer Next Day Farm Fresh Delivery.

We are Cherry Blend Coffee Roasters. Located in Canton, Ohio. Proudly serving fresh roasted coffee beans, sold by the bag since 2019. We support our farmers and food providers and proud members of Ohio Proud! Feel free to look us up at www.cherryblendcoffeeroasters. com. We offer a choice of 18 different coffee beans, roasted and shipped from our roastery right here in Canton, Ohio. We offer Light, Medium and Dark roasted coffees. Sample boxes and coffeee related gifts fo all occasions. Stop in for a FREE cup of coffee anytime!

1801 Race Street Unit 149 & 150 Cincinnati, OH 45202 etcproduce.com

SELDOM SEEN FARM

MAVERICK CHOCOLATE

Seldom Seen Farm is a family owned maple farm located in Montville Ohio. We are multiple award winners for our traditional and our bourbon barrel aged maple syrup. Our products are great on all things breakfast, ice cream, glaze for cooking and grilling, and more. Be sure to check out our website at Seldomseenmaple.com

Our family started Maverick Chocolate to elevate the standard of chocolate by using ethically sourced ingredients to hand-craft our chocolate the old fashioned way from beanto-bar in Cincinnati, Ohio. You can feel good enjoying chocolate that is delicious, pure, and fair-for-all.

10055 Madison Rd. Montville, OH 44064 (440) 596-9717

Seldomseenmaple.com

Wholesale opportunities available.

1003 Cherry Ave, NE Canton, Ohio 44704 (330) 483-5297

Two Cincinnati Locations: Maverick at Findlay Market Maverick at Rookwood Commons 513-834-8369 MaverickChocolate.com

ohioproud.org

at your local Farm Market. Ohio Proud is a quick and reliable way for you to identify Ohio-made and grown goods. Food and agriculture are Ohio’s number one industries, contributing more than $105 billion to the state’s economy. Ohio is home to more than 1,000 food processing companies and produces more than 200 commercial crops. Of these, the Buckeye State is a leading producer in more than 35 product sectors. If you are a consumer looking for products or a company who needs marketing assistance, Ohio Proud can help!

Farm visits by private appointment only.

BEE WILD HONEY FARM

BLISS IN A BOTTLE

At Bee Wild Honey Farms, we pride ourselves in providing exceptional products from our hives to your home. Our honey is neither pasteurized nor ultra-filtered so you can receive all of the benefits from honey that health buffs and honey connoisseurs buzz about. We offer natural and a variety of infused honeys. Keep in mind that our infused honeys are made with only 8839 Evans Rd, natural ingredients such as vanilla Leesburg, OH 45135 beans, spearmint leaves, lavender blooms, etc. instead of oils. This (937) 728-0427 ensures a higher quality product with incomparable flavor. We hope you enjoy our honey as much as we do!

Bottles containing alcohol or nonalcoholic beverages are sampled to specifically create flavor combinations to enhance the experience for each bottle. Each pairing is designed to send bursts of different flavors to the taste buds, sending one on a journey that evokes the wine’s story, from harvesting the grapes to the cork being put into the bottle. Sourcing the finest Belgian chocolates and confectionery ingredients, each bottle is sampled until the perfect pairing is achieved.

(614) 728-6206

124 Easton Town Center Columbus, Ohio 43219 (614) 428-9463 info@blissinabottle.com blissinabottle.com

! " # $ % # & # $ # $$ ' # ( )* + " , -

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

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

THE BIRCH

702 Indian Hill Rd., Terrace Park, (513) 8315678, thebirchtp.com. Lunch and dinner Tues– Sat. MCC, DS. $

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. $

BRONTË BISTRO

You might think this is a lunch-only spot where you can nosh on a chicken salad sandwich after browsing next door at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. But this Norwood eatery feels welcoming after work, too. The dinner menu features entrées beyond the rotating soup and quiche roster that’s ICON BY CARLIE BURTON

= Named a

Top 10 Best Restaurant March 2023.

popular at noon. Mac and cheese? Check. Quesadillas and other starters? Yep. An assortment of burgers? Present, including a grilled portobello option. Casual food rules the day but the surprise is Brontë Bistro’s lineup of adult beverages, which elevates the place above a basic bookstore coffeeshop. The regular drinks menu includes such mainstays as cosmopolitans and sidecars.

AMERICAN On any given evening, guests nibble at roasted red pepper hummus served with crudités and pita bread while sipping slightly spumante glasses of white squirrel, the specialty house cocktail. And while the dinner menu reads strictly casual at first glance—soups, salads, sandwiches, and sharing plates—the preparation and quality are anything but. A broccoli cheddar kale salad with cheddar cheese, red onion, broccoli, sunflower kernels, and a garlic parmesan dressing, surpassed many versions of the bistro classic. And both the Brussels sprouts and roasted potato sides refused to play merely supporting roles. Both were sensational studies in the balance of sweet, spicy, and acidic flavors.

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

2692 Madison Rd., Norwood, (513) 396-8970, josephbeth.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days. MCC. $

HOP DOG

Streetside Brewery donates 25 percent of the proceeds from each four- pack of its Who’s a Good Beer? to two local animal shelters—Save the Animals Foundation and Ohio Alleycat Rescue. The hazy pale ale is made with Citra, mosaic, and El Dorado hops, for all of the beer lovers in your life.

streetsidebrewery. com/cans/whos-agood-beer

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

COPPIN’S

With wine on tap and a local beer list, Coppin’s is an ideal place to meet for drinks. In addition to plenty of Kentucky bourbon, much of the produce, meat, and cheese comes from local growers and producers. House-cured meat and cheese from Kenny’s Farmhouse and cheese from Urban Stead populate the “Artisan Cheese and Charcuterie Board,” which dresses up the main attractions with honey, Dijon mustard, house pickles, and Sixteen Bricks purple barley bread. The filet mignon with confit fingerling potatoes, bacon and gorgonzola cream, root house aquaponics cress, green apple, and cabernet rosemary salt is a must-have. Or try the Faroe Island salmon with wheatberries, charred bok choy, cranberries, walnuts chive purée, and tamarind vinaigrette. 638 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 9056600, hotelcovington.com/dining/coppins. Breakfast seven days, lunch Mon–Fri, and dinner seven days. MCC. $$

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

109 AMERICAN 112 BARBECUE 112 CAJUN/CARIBBEAN 112 CHINESE 114 ECLECTIC 118 FRENCH 118 INDIAN 118 ITALIAN 120 JAPANESE 120 KOREAN 120 MEDITERRANEAN 122 MEXICAN 123 SEAFOOD 123 STEAKS 127 THAI 127 VIETNAMESE

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

THE EAGLE OTR

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. $$$$

GREYHOUND TAVERN

Back in the streetcar days, this roughly 100-year-

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1 0 9

MAIN WHERE REVIEW TO EAT NOW

old roadhouse was at the end of the Dixie Highway line, where the cars turned around to head north. The place was called the Dixie Tea Room then, and they served ice cream. The fried chicken came along in the 1930s, and they’re still dishing it up today. Families and regulars alike pile in on Mondays and Tuesdays for the fried chicken special. While the juicy (never greasy) chicken with its lightly seasoned, crisp coating is the star, the side dishes—homemade biscuits, coleslaw, green beans, mashed potatoes, and gravy—will make you ask for seconds. Call ahead no matter what night you choose: There’s bound to be a crowd. Not in the mood for chicken? Choose from steaks, seafood, sandwiches, and comfort food options that include meatloaf and a Kentucky Hot Brown. Or just try the onion rings. You’ll wonder where onions that big come from. 2500 Dixie Highway, Ft. Mitchell, (859) 331-3767, greyhoundtavern.com. Lunch and dinner seven days, brunch Sun. MCC, DS. $$

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) 579-8400, 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. Top 10

2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood, (513) 389-0175, ivoryhousecincy.com. Dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$$

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. $$

THE NORTHSTAR CAFÉ

In Northstar’s ﬁrst outpost beyond the Greater Columbus area, the space itself reﬂects the ethos of the food: warm and comfortable, but still modern and fresh. The dinner and cocktail menus are fab, as is the large bar. But breakfast is worth waking up early for. Take the mushroom frittata, made with meaty mushrooms, caramelized sweet onions, and Gruyère. The portions are no joke—that frittata comes

with breakfast potatoes and arugula—yet it doesn’t feel gluttonous or excessive. In large part that’s due to the freshness (e.g., the sausage made in-house daily) and the abundance of healthy options. One of our favorites: the shooting star juice, a balanced blend of carrot, ginger, orange, and lemon. 7610 Sloan Way, Liberty Twp., (513) 759-0033, thenorthstarcafe.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days. MCC. No cash. $

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. $$

QUATMAN CAFÉ

The quintessential neighborhood dive, Quatman’s sits in the shadow of the Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, serving up a classic bar burger. Look elsewhere if you like your burger with exotic toppings: This half-pound of grilled beef is served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. Sometimes cheese. The no-frills theme is straightforward and appealing. A menu of standard sandwich fare and smooth mock turtle soup; beer on tap or soda in cans (no wine or liquor); and checkered tablecloths, serving baskets, and plenty of kitsch is served daily. Peppered with regulars, families, and political discussions, Quatman’s is far from fancy. But it is fun, fast, and delicious. 2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood, (513) 731-4370, quatmancafe.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MC, V, DS, 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.

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

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

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

SUGAR N’ SPICE

This Paddock Hills diner, with other locations in Over-theRhine and Blue Ash, has been dishing up wispy-thin pancakes and football-sized omelettes to Cincinnatians since FDR was signing new deals. Breakfast and lunch offerings mix old-hat classics like steak and eggs, corned beef hash, and basic burgers with funky iterations that draw on ethnic ingredients such as chorizo and tzatziki. Get here early if you don’t want to stand in line. 4381 Reading Rd., Paddock Hills, (513) 242-3521; 1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 762-0390; 10275 Summit Pkwy., Blue Ash, (513) 447-6453, eatsugarnspice. com. Breakfast and lunch seven days. MCC. $

SYMPHONY HOTEL & RESTAURANT

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. $$

TANO BISTRO

This Loveland bistro is comfortable, with reasonably priced food and amenable service. The menu is tidy—25 or so dishes divided between appetizers, salads, and entrées, plus two or three specials—its flavor profile partially influenced by a childhood growing up in a third-generation Italian family. Most of Tano Bistro’s main courses lean toward the comfortable side of American. For instance, Williams serves a stuffed salmon and an allegiance pork chop. The sprout & snout appetizer is also worth a trip to Loveland, combining balsamic-drizzled Brussels sprouts with sliced pork belly. 204 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland, (513) 683-8266; 150 Riverfront Plaza, Hamilton, (513) 795-8654,

MAIN WHERE REVIEW TO EAT NOW

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

ELI’S BBQ foodbytano.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat, dinner Sun & Mon. MCC. $$$

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

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. $$

YORK STREET CAFÉ

Five blocks from the Newport riverfront, Terry and Betsy Cunningham have created the sort of comfortable, welcoming environment that encourages steady customers. A dependable menu and quirky atmosphere appeal to a broad range of diners, from non-adventurous visiting relatives to non-attentive children. Desserts have always been one of the stars: ﬂourless chocolate hazelnut torte, bittersweet, rich, and moist; butter rum pudding that would be equally at home on a picnic table or a ﬁnely dressed Michelin-starred table. 738 York St., Newport, (859) 261-9675, yorkstreetrestaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC, DS. $$

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.

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. 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 ap-

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

pearance. But the extensive menu also features amped-up 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. $$

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 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 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

Strength + Power E X P E R I E N C E O U R N E W E S T C L A S S F O R M AT ! {ƚųå ±ųųå %åĀĹåƕ üƚŸåŸ Ņƚų ÏĬ±ŸŸĜÏ Æ±ųųå ƋåÏĘĹĜŧƚå ƵĜƋĘ ƵåĜčĘƋěÆ±ŸåÚ ŸƋųåĹčƋĘ Ƌų±ĜĹĜĹč ƋŅ ÚåƴåĬŅŞ ĵƚŸÏƚĬ±ų ŸƋųåĹčƋĘØ ŞŅƵåų ±ĹÚ ÆƚĜĬÚ ÏŅĹĀÚåĹÏå ĜĹ ƼŅƚų üŅųĵţ

BOOK INTO PURE BARRE DEFINE™

PURE BARRE OAKLEY ƐǈíƐ a±ÚĜŸŅĹ Úţ ĜĹÏĜĹĹ±ƋĜØ kB ĉĂƖǈĿ ŠĂŎƐš ƐƖŎěĂíǈǈ È ÏĜĹÏĜĹĹ±ƋĜÄŞƚųåÆ±ųųåţÏŅĵ BOOK NOW ON THE PURE BARRE APP PUREBARRE.COM

ÙƖǈƖƐ { 8ų±ĹÏĘĜŸĜĹčØ XX Ø ±ĹÚ ĜƋŸ ±þĬĜ±ƋåŸţ

MAIN WHERE REVIEW TO EAT NOW

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 ChineseAmerican 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 familyowned 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, shattercrisp 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 re-sealed 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 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. Top 10

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

BOCA

With its grand staircase, chandelier, and floorto-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. Top 10

114 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 542-2022, bocacincinnati.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$$ Top 10

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, (513) 345-8838; 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.

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

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, 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 promoted 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

Greater Cincinnati

Help make the season a little brighter for sick children and their families who can’t be home this holiday season. rmhcincinnati.org 513.559.4600

MAIN WHERE REVIEW TO EAT NOW

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. $$ Top 10

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 Latin-American 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 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 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-butnot-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) 2715400, qbcincy.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

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

BACK IN BUSINESS

Now under new ownership, Mansion Hill Tavern recently reopened its kitchen after shutting down food service during the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant/bar/music venue, which offers “classic American tavern fare with a southern twist,” also doubled the size of its bartending staff with a new team of mixologists.

mansionhilltavern. com/food

The best of the city’s past, present and future. All under one dome.

1 1 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

ICON BY CARLIE BURTON

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. $$

SALAZAR

A freewheeling tour through Korean, Moroccan, Italian, and French ﬂavors—and that’s just on one iteration of the ever-evolving menu. Salazar turns out fresh, well-balanced dishes dotted with seasonal surprises: the cauliﬂower steak special (a Moroccan spiced, seared wedge of the cruciferous vegetable complemented by a strong hit of lemon), the chicken liver mousse (so good it deserves its own trophy), and the succulent chicken Milanese (with its musky, sweet-and-sour notes of ground cherry). With its bustling bar and cheek-by-jowl tables, Salazar hums with energy at every meal. 1401 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 621-7000, salazarcincinnati.com. Dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat & 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. $

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

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

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.

This restaurant mixes Mediterranean inﬂuences with homespun 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

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

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. $$$

Enjoy the little things this holiday

voltagefurniture.store (513) 871-5483 info@voltagefurniture.com

@voltagefurniture 3209 Madison Road Cincinnati, OH 45209

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1 1 7

MAIN WHERE REVIEW TO EAT NOW 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,

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 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.

thodox 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.

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

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

chezreneefrenchbistrot.com. Lunch Fri & Sat, dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $$

FRENCH CRUST

Top 10

LE BAR A BOEUF

BRIJ MOHAN

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-yetrefined 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.

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.

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

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

INDIAN AMMA’S KITCHEN Muthu Kumar Muthiah serves traditional southern Indian and Indo-Chinese vegetarian cuisine, but with a sizable Or-

1 1 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

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 crowdpleasers 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 to need a bigger parking lot. 7022 Miami Ave., Madeira, (513) 272-0192, atavolapizza. com. Lunch and dinner seven days. V, DC, MS, AMEX. $

ADRIATICO’S

Everything about this place says it’s about the pizza: the herbed sauce, the assault of the cheese, the toppings. It’s all evenly distributed, so you get a taste in every bite. Adriatico’s still delivers the tastiest pizza in Clifton. On any given night the aroma wafts through every dorm on campus. It’s that popular because it’s that good. Being inexpensive doesn’t hurt either. 113 W. McMillan St., Clifton Heights, (513) 281-4344, adriaticosuc.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $

FORNO

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. Top 10

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

PADRINO

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? 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. $$

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

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. $$

PEPP & DOLORES

As with all of Thunderdome’s restaurants, you get a sense that they want to deliver a meal that satisﬁes many differ-

Top 10

SOTTO

There are certain books and movies that you can read or watch over and over. Eating at Sotto is a

Elegant Entertaining 3 Steps to Build a Brilliant Cheese Board

NO. 1 DEFINE A FOUNDATION Three to ﬁve cheeses usually suﬃce. When selecting, think of this rhyme: Something old, something new, something goat, and something blue!

NO. 2 BUILD OUT THE BOARD Once you've chosen your cheeses, have fun selecting sweet and salty accompaniments, from assorted crackers and cured meats to seasonal fruit and cornichons.

NO. 3 FINESSE & SERVE Don’t forget about the one-hour rule. Allow your cheese to sit at room temperature for at least an hour prior to serving to maximize the ﬂavor.

Oakwood (937) 299-3561 • Springboro (937) 748-6800 Washington Square (937) 434-1294 • D O RO T H Y L A N E . CO M

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1 1 9

MAIN WHERE REVIEW TO EAT NOW

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

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. 311 Pike St., downtown, (513) 621-4500, thelytleparkhotel.com/dining/subito. Breakfast and lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$

VIA VITE

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

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 charcoal-grilled 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 Sake-tini, 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 freshnessand quality as the rest of the menu. Sometimes it pays to dine alone. 595 Race St., downtown, (513) 246-0150, barusushi. com. Dinner Tues–Sat. 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 egg, but the kimchi subs in tofu and its namesake cabbage for the meat. Top 10

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) 583-8897, 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) 891-6880, 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 timetested. 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

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

subtler broths, it adds a deep, mushroom-y richness, with the hint of burned ﬂavor that makes barbecue so good. 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 dinnersized 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, 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. $$

Top 10

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. $$

NEW YEAR’S EVE 10:30PM – 1AM Join James Kennedy for a FREE New Year’s Eve Party located in the Hard Rock Cafe. Íåßç ëĪ õëüî áòáêåêã óåûä ÆÌ ÚÝêÝûå ûäáê ïûÝõ âëî ÌÝéáï Íáêêáàõ ûë îåêã åê ûäá Ðáó ÛáÝî Ýû Òú Îåéåûáà ïáÝûåêã ÝòÝåèÝÞèá

cincinnati

MUST BE 21 OR OLDER TO GAMBLE. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-589-9966.

MAIN WHERE REVIEW TO EAT NOW 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.

SULTAN’S MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE

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. $$

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

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 consis-

tently 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 cinnamonroasted 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. 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

Photo credit to Megan Noll Photography

Veteran Owned & Operated 100% Custom Menus Creating Delicious Memories

Ga rnishCi nci n nati.com • (513) 791- CH EF (2433)

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

striking against the bright starchy white of the fries. 2645 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-6372, mesalocahydepark.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $$

stews, carne asada plates, and sopes—saucers of fried masa much like huaraches, only smaller.

sophisticated destination. It’s likely to remain a favorite. After all, it’s right in the middle of things.

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

NADA

TAQUERIA MERCADO

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

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. $$

SOCO’S

Mexican places seem to change hands in this town so often that you can’t get the same meal twice. Soco’s (formerly Montoya’s) is the exception. It’s been hidden in a tiny strip mall off the main drag in Ft. Mitchell for years. At a place where you can get Huracan Fajitas with steak, chicken, and chorizo or Tilapia Asada, the tacos are still a big item. 2507 Chelsea Dr., Ft. Mitchell, (859) 341-0707. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat. MC, V, 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

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. $

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, fluff y 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 SEAFOOD MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S

CARLO & JOHNNY

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

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.

Celebrate the Holidays ' , 1 ( ž 6 7$< ž 3 / $<

CANTON, OHIO D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1 2 3

PROMOTION

15 MINUTES

THE GREAT CINCINNATI BAKE-OFF

THE SECOND ANNUAL GREAT CINCINNATI BAKE-OFF SERVED UP SWEET AND SAVORY TREATS AT MADTREE BREWING In October, 350 guests joined local bakeries and national baking sponsors to celebrate Cincinnati’s sweet treats and the people who create them. Forty-three contestants in professional and amateur divisions competed in four categories to win the coveted “Golden Rolling Pin” presented by Fisher. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: MadTree Brewing, Baileys Chocolate, Betty Crocker, Blue Diamond, Bonne Maman, Duncan Hines, Fisher, Ferrero Rocher, Guittard, McCormick, Martha White, Thai Kitchen, Nestlé, Oreo, Pillsbury, Splenda, Stuffed Puffs, Unreal, Airheads, and Butterfinger PHOTOGRAPHS BY NICHOLAS VILTRAKIS

2024 EVENTS

CALENDAR

PaRtY WiTh Us

FEBRUARY Breakfast for Dinner

MARCH Best New Restaurants

APRIL Savor

JUNE Girls' Night Out Pride Party

JULY Posh Picnic

AUGUST On The Rocks

SEPTEMBER Slice Night

OCTOBER (SFBU $JODJOOBUJ #BLF 0Ɗ

NOVEMBER Savor

cincinnatimagazine.com/ourevents

bone-in rib eye. This is steak tailor-made for movers and shakers.

MAIN WHERE REVIEW TO EAT NOW

505 Vine St., downtown, (513) 784-1200, jeffruby.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DC. $$$$

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

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD Chef Michelle Brown’s food is deeply ﬂavored, if occasionally a bit busy, her steaks of the butterymild variety, with not too much salty char crust. All ﬁve cuts are served with veal demi-glace and fried onion straws. According to my steak-centric dining partner, his cowboy ribeye is “too tender and uniform” (as if that’s a crime). “I like to wrestle with the bone,” he adds, though that’s a scenario that, thankfully, doesn’t get played out in this subdued dining room. 5980 West Chester Rd., West Chester, (513) 860-5353, jags.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DC. $$$

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

Top 10

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. $$$

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

Top 10

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

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 blue cheese dressing. Jumbo is Morton’s decree: Oversized martini and wine glasses,

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, macand-cheese, asparagus, and sautéed mushrooms; toppings of roasted garlic or Gorgonzola butters to accompany your center cut of ﬁlet mignon.

MIXED FEELINGS

Miracle, the national traveling Christmas cocktail pop-up, is in full swing this month at The Overlook Lodge in Pleasant Ridge. The pop-up—which features 15 specialty drinks such as Rudolph’s Replacement, The Krampus, and Marshmallows & Unicorns, all served in kitschy, holiday-themed glasses—runs through December 28. miraclepopup.

com, sippinsantapopup. com

Absolutely PURE Cocktail Ice

-VVK .YHKL *LY[PÄLK 4HKL PU *PUJPUUH[P

1212 Jackson Street Cincinnati, OH 45202

www.artacademy.edu 1 2 6 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

Rock On

RockOnIce.com

ICON BY CARLIE BURTON

There are boutique touches, though, that make it stand out— a garlic herb aioli with the calamari, steak tartare torchkissed and topped with a poached egg, a superb rack of lamb rubbed with aromatic sumac and served with mint pesto. 12110 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Twp., (513) 677-8669, tonysofcincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$$

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. $$

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

beef, accented with basil and lime leaves in a peppercornand-chili brown sauce.

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.

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

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

VI ETNAM E S E

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

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), December 2023, Volume 57, Number 3. Published monthly ($19.95 for 12 issues annually) at 1818 Race St., Ste. 301, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-4300. Copyright © 2023 by Cincinnati Magazine LLC, a subsidiary of Hour Media Group, 5750 New King Dr., Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted without permission. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, and artwork should be accompanied by SASE for return. The magazine cannot be held responsible for loss. For subscription orders, address changes or renewals, write to CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071, or call 1-866-660-6247. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send forms 3579 to CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071. If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

Schedule a Personal Tour Today Now Offering FULL-DAY PRESCHOOL

• Halo Bell: Enrichment Services for ALL Students • Leader In Technology

• We are a community of prayer and worship. • Continuing Faith Education opportunities are available for all parishioners. • Several Parish Service Organizations allow opportunities to engage individual interests. • Our parish is actively involved in our community.

Guardian Angels Parish 6531 Beechmont Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45230 (513) 231-7440 • www.gaparish.org

- New Makerspace Lab Opened in Fall 2022 - K–4 Grade Students Have 1:1 Access to iPads - 5–8 Grade Students Have 1:1 Access to Tablets

• All K-8 Students Participate in Spanish, Art, Music, and Physical Education Weekly • Extra-Curricular Activities Include Athletics, Music, Drama, & Robotics Clubs, Plus Much More

⊲ ⊲ ⊲ RECOGNIZED FOR STEM EDUCATION ⊳ ⊳ ⊳

Guardian Angels School 6539 Beechmont Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45230 513.624.3141 • www.gaschool.org

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M 1 2 7

CINCY OBSCURA

Storybook Site NEXT TIME YOU’RE EXPLORING MT. AIRY FOREST, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE 100-SQUARE-

foot treehouse. You’ll know the one: It looks like it came straight out of a storybook. Everybody’s Treehouse, named for the fact that it was designed for people of all abilities to use, was built in 2006. At the time it was built, it was the only wheelchair-accessible treehouse in Ohio. It’s one of the most popular attractions in Mt. Airy Forest. “The best part is that no one has to be left out of the fun experience of exploring a real-life treehouse in the woods made from—and among—the trees,” says Rocky Merz, Cincinnati Parks division manager. The structure was a collaborative effort between Cincinnati Parks, The Cincinnati Parks Foundation, then-WCPO reporter Michael Flannery, Rotary Club of Cincinnati, and Forever Young Treehouse, which designed the space. Even the Cincinnati Bengals chipped in, volunteering to help build the entry plaza. Thanks to private donations, Everybody’s Treehouse was built for $500,000. Open year-round, the structure is accessible to all visitors during the park’s hours. It’s a popular space for events, but there is no way to reserve it—which means this treehouse really is open to everybody. — R E B E K A H B O S T I C K 1 2 8 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 3

PHOTOGRAPH BY LANCE ADKINS

Give them a gift they’ll savor

20% OFF GIFT CARDS D EC E M B E R 1 1 -2 5

Purchase at JeﬀRuby.com

No. 1

A top 5 college town just north of Cincinnati

Most Beautiful U.S. COLLEGE TOWN TRAVEL TRIVIA

No. 3

Best College Town IN THE U.S. YAHOO!

OXFORD, OHIO — home to Miami University — is a legendary college town that’s consistently ranked among the top 5 best in America. Discover the red-brick streets of Uptown for yourself, just north of Cincinnati.

Get to know Oxford, Ohio MiamiOH.edu/Oxford