Cincinnati Magazine - December 2024 Edition by Cincinnati Magazine

TRACKING BOB DYLAN ’ S

21 LOCAL CONCERTS BY

STEVEN ROSEN

PATTY BRISBEN REFOCUSES ON WOMEN ’ S HEALTH BY CARRIE BLACKMORE

92 WAYS TO LOVE THE QUEEN CITY

Your Holiday Skincare Gift Guide

Board-certiﬁed dermatologist Dr. Mona Foad shares her favorite skincare gifts of the season to help you and your loved ones reveal more healthy, beautiful skin.

monadermatology.com

Stocking Stuffers

ColoreScience Color Balm ($39) Perfect for enhancing everyday looks or for touch ups on the go, color balm can be used as lip color, blush, and even eyeshadow with the added beneﬁt of 100% mineral SPF 50 sun protection.

SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream ($134) This luxurious, ultra-rich facial moisturizer combines vitamins C & E, hyaluronic acid, and algae extract to improve smoothness and replenish moisture.

SkinMedica Instant Bright Eye Masks ($50) and Eye Cream ($98) For the loved one on your list who’s always busy, Instant Bright will keep them looking refreshed! This next-generation eye formula combines pigment correction to ﬁght dark circles, hyaluronic acid to hydrate and smooth lines, and caffeine to ﬁght puffiness.

ColoreScience Brush on Shield ($69) Sunscreen application on the go has never been easier! This powder SPF 50 formula is a favorite for reapplication over makeup, sports like golf or pickleball (no greasy hands to mess with your grip!), or even for your little ones.

A

Gift for You

SkinMedica HA5 Lip Plump ($68) Say goodbye to dry, cracked lips thanks to this two-step lip system. Using a potent blend of ﬁve types of hyaluronic acid, this product is clinically shown to plump, hydrate, and smooth ﬁne lines on the lips.

Stock up on skincare and save: All products are buy 3, get 1 free through December 31. Available in-office and at monadermatology.com.

The best way to unlock a glow this holiday season: scheduling yourself a Botox & Skinvive combination treatment! Botox reduces ﬁne lines and wrinkles by temporarily relaxing muscle movement. Skinvive is a hyaluronic acid injectable that acts like a heavy-duty, injectable moisturizer that lasts up to six months. Together, these treatments will leave you with that ﬂawless, glowing look we all crave during the holidays!

Year-Long Pampering

Who doesn’t love a gift that keeps on giving? Treat yourself or a loved one to a 6-month or 12-month Diamond Glow facial membership! They’ll receive

one treatment each month to exfoliate the skin, extract impurities, and infuse customized serums into their skin. This treatment has no downtime and is great for skin maintenance.

Skincare-Obsessed Teens & Tweens

Treat your teen to a 40-minute skin care consultation, including VISIA Skin Imaging, an in-depth education on the basics of a good skincare regimen, and a complimentary skincare travel bag and headband. They will leave with a basic understanding of what products are harmless to experiment with and which they should avoid combining, so they can have fun with skincare safely. Teen skincare consultations are $75 to schedule, which turns into a credit

that they can spend on recommended products at their appointment.

Not Sure What to Gift?

For friends and family who are hard to shop for, you can never go wrong with a gift certiﬁcate! A Mona Dermatology certiﬁcate can be used on products such as anti-aging skincare, sunscreens, and more—or treatments like Botox and facials.

Products and gift certiﬁcates can be purchased online at monadermatology. com. All gifts included in this guide can be purchased over the phone (513.984.4800) or in-office (7730 Montgomery Rd. in Kenwood).

Select dates, from 5:30–9 pm

DECEMBER 5–29

Marvel at unique illuminated artworks along our accessible trail

Engage with nature through interactive light displays

Delight in holiday shopping, crafts, and live music

Enjoy food, sweet treats, and libations of the season

Savor time with loved ones in the majesty of woodland wonder

Preregistration required: Scan the QR code to register or visit CincyNature.org

80community building

projects...creating joyful action engaged the community and connected into the lives of people with disabilities and their families.

Rea build more connections and eliminate isolation Check us out...we would love to include you!

Starfirecincy.org I 513.281.2100

care nursing facility. Specializing in providing high quality long-term neurological care together with advanced rehabilitation and restorative services, as well as therapeutic and recreational activities that assist in optimal functioning to our residents. The Beechwood Home currently has 80 beds in long term nursing care.

BY CARRIE BLACKMORE

BY STEVEN ROSEN

PHOTOGRAPH

INSPIRE. SUPPORT. ACT.

Charities registered as of October 22, 2024.

Find a cause you love and show your support during Cincinnati Magazine’s 10-day fundraising challenge, Cincinnati Gives: December 2–12

20 / CONTRIBUTORS

20 / LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FRONTLINES

23 / DISPATCH

Getting crafty in local makerspaces

24 / SPEAK EASY

Kirk Sheppard talks theater and therapy

24 / POP LIFE

Jolly folly at SantaCon

26 / GIFT GUIDE

Celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with local gifts

28 / STYLE COUNSEL

Kaitlin Kirchner loves all the colors

30 / ON THE MARKET

A Newport general’s former home

32 / DR. KNOW

Your QC questions answered

COLUMNS

34 / LIVING IN CIN

A loving tribute to WEBN’s Frank Wood BY JAY GILBERT

128 / OBSCURA

Travel back in time at the Silverton Museum BY

CLAIRE LEFTON

DINE

106 / OFF THE MENU

ETC Produce & Provisions’s new grocery store opens, Walnut Hills

110 / TAKEOUT HERO

BBQ at quirky dEcORa EATERY & DRINKERY, Covington

110 / TABLESIDE

Leroy Ansley celebrates two years at Uncle Leo’s bar

112 / HEAD TO HEAD A ﬁght for ﬂavor between local Mexican food trucks

115 / DINING OUT GUIDE

Greater Cincinnati restaurants: A selective list

Extra servings of our outstanding dining coverage.

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

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

Insight and analysis on the Bengals’ push for the playoffs.

ON OUR SITE

FOOD

PAGE 67

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Faces of Cincinnati

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

BONUS FOR SUBSCRIBERS

Up for a Challenge?

The 2024 Cincinnati Gives Challenge launches December 2. Learn more about local nonproﬁts and visit cincinnatigives. org to support your favorite cause!

COMING IN JANUARY

Smart Guide to Local Schools

Searching for a school for your kids? Our guide has details and stats on some outstanding local schools.

McGohan Brabender

Reimagines Open Enrollment

As one of the nation’s leading mental health centers, we understand your journey is deeply personal. Bringing together unparalleled expertise, and a people-first approach, we provide life-changing care and support, infusing every interaction with the underlying belief that lasting well-being is possible. We see beyond diagnoses — we see you.

LINDNER CENTER OF HOPE lindnercenterofhope.org 513-536-4673

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TTHE FIRST QUARTER OF THE 21ST CENTURY COMES TO A CLOSE THIS MONTH.

Let that thought sink in for a minute. It’s been a quarter-century since the whole Y2K craziness of computer software not being able to handle switching over to the year 2000. These days, our big computer concern is that AI-driven server farms are developing consciousness and taking over.

This issue features our 25th Best of the City section of the century (page 40), so we’re taking the opportunity to reﬂect on how Cincinnati has changed (or remained consistent) over the years. One story highlights businesses that won a Best of the City accolade in our 2000 issue and are still kicking butt today (The Blind Lemon! King Arthur’s Court!). Another focuses on now-established icons that had just launched in 2000 (Newport Aquarium! Paycor Stadium!). A third reminisces about Best of the City winners in 2000 that are gone but not forgotten (Saks Fifth Avenue! The Dock!).

The bulk of the section consists of staff picks for the best stores, people, services, gathering places, and trends right now. I do wonder how many of our recommendations will stand the test of time and be celebrated for their staying power in the December 2049 issue of Cincinnati Magazine. Will Alcove’s living wall still be blooming in 25 years? Will we be buying books at Joy and Matt’s or playing pinball at Arcade Legacy? Will the Cereal Bowl Band be jamming at Jungle Jim’s? Will there still be Taco Tuesdays?

I also laugh thinking about which of our picks will feel soooooo 2024 and unrecognizable in 25 years. Will those readers remember pickleball, sticker shops, fro-yo, stores selling paper and pens, or the Kelce brothers?

Everything’s much clearer in hindsight, of course. Looking back, we can see how certain places, people, and trends became popular—they were almost destined to succeed because they ﬁlled an obvious need or public interest. The problem is those needs and interests weren’t so obvious at the time. I thought the Bengals would win the Super Bowl and a new Brent Spence Bridge would get built in my lifetime; those should get a laugh 25 years from now.

JOHN FOX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CONTRIBUTORS

CARRIE BLACKMORE

In the spring, freelance journalist Carrie Blackmore attended an expert panel hosted by the SHE+ Foundation that discussed women’s sexual health in a way she had never heard before. Blackmore was inspired to write “Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves” (page 62) to highlight the work of SHE+ and to “put out information that could help people understand women’s sexual health and take it seriously,” she says.

MACKENZIE MANLEY

As PR coordinator for the Campbell County Public Library, Mackenzie Manley is no stranger to the resources local libraries have to offer. When writing “Space to Make It” (page 23), she found herself inspired. “We often focus on the creative, innovative aspect, but makerspaces are also practical,” she says. Manley has used makerspaces herself to create buttons and shirt designs, but if she could make anything, it would be an army of 3D-printed frogs.

JARETT SITTER

Freelance artist Jarett Sitter, based in Alberta, Canada, ﬁnds his work inﬂuenced by the graphics he grew up with in the ’90 and ’00s—spot-on for this year’s vintage, yearbook-inspired “Best of the City” (page 40). After illustrating the feature, Sitter says he’d love to try all the local food that made this year’s BOTC list, and to know more about the Queen City’s hip-hop scene. “I grew up a big hip-hop fan, and I’m not sure if I knew that Scribble Jam was based in Cincinnati,” he says.

DIAGNOSIS TO TREATMENT,

The unpredictability of multiple sclerosis (MS) demands both compassion and science, delivered as quickly as possible. With access to clinical trials and the most recent discoveries, the physician-researchers of the UC College of Medicine MS Center are uniquely positioned to provide just that. From breakthroughs offering innovative solutions to leading edge tools for diagnosis, these world-class leaders are bringing answers directly to the bedside. It’s hope, in a hurry, for MS patients. And it’s right here in Cincinnati.

med.uc.edu/indispensable

Left to right: Aram Zabeti, MD; Dan Chapman, DO, PharmD; UC Waddell Center for Multiple Sclerosis

SPACE TO MAKE IT

The rise of local makerspaces gives creatives the chance to explore new hobbies and develop products at little to no cost.

MACKENZIE MANLEY

WHEN THE CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY PUBLIC Library’s (CHPL) Madisonville Branch MakerSpace opened in 2023, Katie Fiorelli of Katenip Vintage Whimsy was one of its ﬁrst customers. On the day I interviewed Fiorelli, her creations were in tow: vintage-style fussy-cut stamps, buttons, magnets, and cutesy stickers with slogans like “free mom hugs” and “book club superstar.”

Makerspaces can broadly be defined as workshops where crafters from an array of disciplines and interests work on projects. CHPL has ﬁve across its 41 branches, including its recently renovated downtown location. According to content specialist Joe Armstrong, part of that can be linked to the library system’s ongoing efforts to modernize its locations.

While there are fees to use MakerSpace materials, it’s at a fraction of the cost you’d ﬁnd elsewhere, and employees can walk ﬁrst-timers through the equipment, which varies across branches. Staff taught Fiorelli how to use Adobe Illustrator to make her designs. “Our focus is access and we see ourselves as the provider of, not just information and books, but also CONTINUED ON P. 24

space and materials,” says Madisonville Branch Manager Jenna Felsheim. “The MakerSpace falls in that. There shouldn’t be a cost barrier and through using our shared resources, we’re able to provide that.”

Beyond CHPL, Greater Cincinnati has seen a growth in available makerspaces in the past decade in other public libraries, universities, and membershipbased facilities.

That interdisciplinary ethos is apparent when you walk into Camp Washington’s Hive13: a sprawling 11,500-square-foot space bent on community. When I visited, members sat chatting in the lounge area, one person showing off their newly acquired yarn. Another shared their love of the laser machine. Back in woodworking, someone was making a table.

operations for the UC Ground Floor Makerspace, shares a similar sentiment. Described as the most advanced makerspace in the region, Weaver says it’s the only lab on campus that’s truly cross-disciplinary. “We’re one of the few places where an engineering student and a design student can meet each other and actually see what each other are working on,” she says. “One of them may be more concerned with the user experience and aesthetic, and one might be more concerned with the mechanical function. Ultimately, they’re in the same space using similar tools.”

Get your hands dirty! Hive13 membership is $50 a month, $100 for cornerstone members, and $13.37 for full-time students.

Kosta ntinos Perentesis, Hive13’s outreach chair, says membership has exploded since the COVID-19 pandemic as more people explored handicrafts. When he joined in 2416, members numbered around 65 and have since swelled to more than 250. “The joy of creation is a universal experience,” says Perentesis. “Having places that facilitate that joy of creation and encourage and celebrate it anywhere is a win.”

As much as Hive13 is about creation, Perentesis also points out that it’s about collaboration. “I cannot tell you how many jobs have come to people from Hive13,” he says.

Lucy Weaver, coordinator of unit

While students get free access to the space, it’s also open to the public through membership. Housed in the 1819 Innovation Hub in Avondale, it currently has two startups in residence fabricating prototypes. Weaver says some professionals have hired students after seeing them using the equipment. Three biomedical UC students Matthew Karp, Natalie Yeretzian, and Benjamin Wenner—used Ground Floor to build Vertetrain, a device aiming to better treat severe pediatric scoliosis. The device won ﬁrst place in UC’s Biomedical Engineering Expo “Do It or mDIEp” competition.

“It’s really awesome to see this clear breadcrumb trail of aspirational work being built and left for people to see themselves in that path. As a makerspace, I’m not trying to sell people access to tools,” says Weaver. “I’m trying to sell them on the journey of making things.”

THERE IS CRYING IN THEATER

Counselor by day, ﬁlm critic by night (and 2018 Northern Wrestling Federation Hall of Fame inductee), Kirk Sheppard sings the praises of Cincinnati theater on his Substack The Sappy Critic, where he implores fellow thespians to support the arts.

Why make counseling your “day job?” Counseling people has always been my purpose, even with my side interests—which I think all align together to create some strange syzygy.

The name “The Sappy Critic” alludes to the fact that when I started reviewing shows, if you could make me cry, you almost always got a good review.

The Sappy Critic documents your love of theater and experience as a playwright and actor in Cincinnati. What inspired this Substack?

theater seemed like a good way to ingratiate myself to the new world I was stepping into by giving them written praise.

How do you select what shows to review? I try to support new works and I have favorite playwrights, directors, and actors who I know won’t disappoint. I try to be as honest as possible in my reviews, without focusing on anything negative, because even if I didn’t like something, I still want every seat to be sold every night.

10,000 SANTAS

Drink and be jolly! The 17th annual SantaCon makes its way through downtown, Mt. Adams, and Covington on December 14, and all proceeds beneﬁ t pediatric cancer research. santacon.info/Cincinnati-OH

In 2010 I went to Kings Island and fell in love with a musical revue show in the Festhaus called Way Too Much TV. I went back to see it again and again and learned the performers were theater students at Wright State and UC’s CCM, so I started attending their other performances. As my exposure grew, I found a home. I’ve always been a writer, so reviewing

What was your favorite show in Cincinnati this year? Of all time? In 2024, my favorite show is Little Women. Vincent DeGeorge, the new chair of musical theater at CCM, staged it inside Household Books in Walnut Hills and it was brilliant and beautiful and surprising. My favorite locally staged show of all time is an obscure piece from the 2014 Cincinnati Fringe Festival called Sarge This show truly embodied what it’s like to have my two worlds—theater and therapy—intersect.

—SARAH M C COSHAM

READ A LONGER INTERVIEW WITH KIRK AT CINCINNATI MAGAZINE. COM

SPEAK EASY

THE GIFT OF MUSIC

New Year’s Eve

LET’S MISBEHAVE: The Music of Cole Porter DEC 31

COPLAND: Symphony in Light JAN 10

A NIGHT AT HOGWARTS: The Music of Harry Potter

JAN 3-5

JAN 24 & 25

THE MAGIC CELLO

SIMPLY THE BEST: The Music of Tina Turner

JAN 17-19

DVOŘÁK DECONSTRUCTED FEB 7

BEETHOVEN X BEYONCÉ FEB 11

STRAUSS & DEBUSSY

JAN 31 & FEB 1

Ring in 2025 at Music Hall

Kaitlin Kirchner

OCCUPATION: Cincinnati Children’s Billing Department | @auburnartisan

STYLE: Eclectic with all the colors

How did being the child of two artists influence your style growing up? My parents were very open to me and my siblings expressing ourselves in any way. I’m from a small town, and we were the eccentric kids. We all dressed out of the norm. I’ve always been in big colorful outfits and waking up at 5 a.m. to put on my heels. They let us be very enthusiastic in how we dress and how we presented ourselves. It made me more confident in who I am. Has color always been your thing? Since I was a baby, I’ve been crazy into rainbows and colors. I had a blanket with rainbows on it, and it was like an extension of me. Even at a young age I remember color-coordinating my clothes in my closet and being so drawn to color. How do you pick out your outfit for the day? I love color-blocking, like choosing a bright top with a different color bottom and shoes, but I also love to tie it all together with an earring. I feel like my earrings are what makes everything make sense. Where do you typically shop? It’s a mix of everything. I thrift a lot, Amazon, Target, secondhand stores, and honestly just random shops. I am so driven by joy, as soon as something sparks joy it’s what I want. I wait for it to find me. What advice would you give to someone who wants to bring more boldness to their style? Just go for it. Anyone can wear anything they want to, but people are just too in their heads and are shy about using bright colors and textures. If you are confident in what you have on, you’ll look good no matter what. That’s going to inspire others to wear what they want, too.

—BRIANNA CONNOCK

FIT FOR A GENERAL

THE STORIED NEWPORT HOME BUILT FOR REVOLUTIONARY WAR GENERAL JAMES TAYLOR IS ON THE MARKET. —PIEPER BUCKLEY

BBUILT IN 1837, THE HOME OF GENERAL JAMES TAYLOR FACES THE southeast side of Newport from its perch atop Third Street’s rise. Known as Belle Vue, it’s on the market for the ﬁrst time in decades, ready to welcome a new owner.

For many years, General Taylor lived on his property in a simple log cabin. His son, James Taylor Jr., purchased the surrounding land and founded the city of Newport. He and his wife, Keturah Moss Leitch, commissioned Benjamin Henry Latrobe—an accomplished architect credited with such icons as the U.S. Capitol Building and parts of the White House—to design a grand home for their family to live in. The house itself, included on the National Registry of Historic Places, embodies southern charm and luxury.

Though the mansion was used as a law office for many years, the most recent owner renovated much of the house to bring it back into residential use. Sleek Italian style in the kitchen and bathrooms—complete with variegated marble and top-of-the-line appliances—provide a contrast to the original ﬁxtures in the rest of the home.

Intricate woodwork and molding elevate every corner. Original stained glass windows are featured in several locations, and chandeliers ranging from ultra-modern to classically antique decorate the ceilings—some of which are over 17 feet high.

One feature of the home is a little harder to spot. Fire inspectors performing routine safety checks in the late 2010s discovered a 16inch layer of sand between the first and second floors. This peculiar detail was added to the mansion in 1837 as the home was rebuilt after being burned down. The secret sand deposit was intended to act as a fire suppressant.

The widow’s walk on the top of the home allows a great view of the Ohio River. It was this sweeping panorama that gave the home its nickname (it means “beautiful view” in French).

Sotheby’s International Realty estimates that more than $1.4 million and 14,000 hours of labor were needed to complete updates and renovations to the house. In 2023, it received the Preservation Hero Award from Newport Excellence in Preservation Awards.

QIs there a study or something that shows the most durable plastic grocery bags in Cincinnati? I reuse bags for trash, cat litter, etc., and Kroger bags always get holes. IGA’s are a little better. Remke seems to have the strongest, but maybe there’s something better. Does anyone know? —BAG, YOU’RE IT

DEAR IT:

The Doctor hopes you have a bag strong enough to hold the hornet’s nest you have poked. Single-use plastic grocery bags have long been under ﬁre for their environmental ickiness. Efforts to get rid of them have mostly gone up in smoke, creating even more pollution. Kroger

Dr. Know is Jay Gilbert, radio personality and advertising prankster. Submit your questions about the city’s peculiarities at drknow@cincinnati magazine.com

ﬁrst announced in 2018 that its bags would be gone by 2025, but then in May 2021 it said the bags would be gone in a few weeks, but then said it’ll be in 2022.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati City Council passed an ordinance in 2020 banning plastic grocery bags, while the State of Ohio tried to pass a law banning all such bans. It’s hard to even keep up with this stuff, but the bags are still winning.

As for which stores have the best reusable bags: The Doctor has found no scientiﬁc treatise on the subject, but his personal survey suggests that Remke bags have the most fans in this category. There also seems to be general agreement that Kroger’s bags grow holes spontaneously upon contact with groceries.

Outside the Hyde Park Medical Arts Building near Hyde Park Square is a tall pedestal and a brass plaque with a long story about the ornate historical clock that’s mounted on top. But there’s no clock there! The pedestal has nothing on it. Was the clock stolen? Did it ﬂy away? —DOES TIME REALLY FLY?

DEAR FLY:

Again with a clock. Regular readers know this topic has been stuffing the Doctor’s inbox as of late. This, however, is our ﬁrst clock that has gone AWOL. Before calling the milk carton people, the Doctor conducted his own investigation and found about one-half of an answer.

The clock was made in 1895 and installed on a street near Cleveland. No surprise, then, that a car ran it down in 1972. An enterprising chap personally restored it and later sold it to Cincinnati’s Wooden Nickel antique store. An enterprising doctor bought and re-restored it in 1976 to go at the entrance to the Hyde Park Medical Arts Building.

Somewhere between then and the year 2009 or so—we found a photo from that year showing an empty pedestal—the clock suffered another calamity. A doctor currently practicing in the building

remembers seeing the clock in the lobby some years back and being told of some weather-related incident. Or maybe that same driver from near Cleveland.

I’m a regular at the coffee shop in the Atlas Building on Walnut Street downtown. A plaque outside says it was built in December 1924 as the Atlas National Bank. The Art Deco building’s 100th anniversary makes me curious: Was Atlas a Cincinnati bank that was wiped out by the crash of 1929?

—COFFEE MAKES ME CURIOUS

DEAR CURIOUS:

Again with a plaque. The Doctor must ﬁrst deliver a small slap of the wrist for your referencing the Atlas Building as Art Deco. After consultation with a most experienced authority in architecture—the highly esteemed Mrs. Know—we declare the building to be Neoclassical. As to your question: Atlas National Bank, launched in 1887, was truly a major Cincinnati institution. You are incorrect, however, about Atlas joining the countless bank implosions of the Great Depression. That it survived the storm attests to its eminence.

No, Atlas National Bank was a victim of forces even mightier than those of the business cycle. It fell into the merciless maw of Merger and Consolidation, gobbled up in 1954 by First National Bank, which became Cincinnati’s largest bank until it disappeared into Star Bank, which then melted into Firstar Bank, which merged with U.S. Bank. Your not-Art-Deco building with its beloved coff ee shop and an upcoming 100th birthday was, for many decades, owned by—prepare to spit take your coffee—Fifth Third Bank. We can’t begin to suggest where to send the greeting card.

A Frog Winterin

FRANK WOOD PIONEERED WEBN AND OUR FAMOUS FIREWORKS. A TRIBUTE WHILE THERE’S STILL TIME.

I WENT TO SEE MY OLD BOSS AND FRIEND, FRANK WOOD. HE’S THE PERSON YOU CAN CREDIT with (choose one) Cincinnati’s shameful decline into coarseness and vulgarity or Cincinnati’s elevation to a showplace of fun and creativity. He was the legendary ringmaster of WEBN, mastermind of its conquest of Cincinnati radio, and creator of our iconic Riverfest ﬁreworks.

Visiting Wood, I rattled off some of the outrageous stunts we got away with in WEBN’s prime, and it was great to see him light up from these memories. He is forgetting so many of them now.

Alzheimer’s has been lowering its dark cloud onto the once-formidable man, and he recently moved to a memory care facility. He had once assembled a gloriously talented

team that ignited wildﬁres of laughter and fun, entertainment that got thousands of people to hear their radios crackle with creative energy and then gathered even more thousands (millions, if you add up the years) to enjoy thunder, lightning, and music from a ﬁreworks show that made Cincinnati world famous.

Wood changed my life, our lives, and the life of this entire city. He deserves to feel our deepest gratitude forever, but that capacity has faded away. We can’t thank him enough, and yet we can’t thank him at all.

There is so very much to appreciate. WEBN’s gorilla-sized ratings from the late 1980s have yet to be matched by anyone, thanks to Wood and his smart moves. He transformed the tiny radio station started in 1967 by his father (also named Frank) into Cincinnati’s No. 1 frequency. Just as Baby Boomers were coming of age, he devised a combination of hardware (FM radio), software (progressive rock), and what you might call a home page (Jelly Pudding, the station’s first rock program) into an electronic gathering place.

Today we call it social media, an obvious thing now, but Wood preceded Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg by decades. He shared with those visionaries a willingness to gamble, to test boundaries, to stare down failure. He also conjured the frog station mascot from WEBN’s famously ﬁctitious Tree Frog Beer. (“Doesn’t taste like much, but it gets you there faster.”)

IF FRANK WOOD CAN NO LONGER APPRECIate his own legacy, please allow me—along with some others whose lives were directly impacted by him—to pay tribute here and now. “One of the first things he told me was, There is no line, as in, Don’t worry about crossing a line; we’ll handle it,” says Eddie Fingers, who joined the WEBN Dawn Patrol show in summer 1985 and added the ﬁrst elements of amiable danger and debauchery to its morning program. “I was tiptoeing when I started, but Frank said go full speed ahead and he’d have my back.”

When the edgier content resulted in more listeners but also more complaints, Wood kept his word and ate the losses from advertisers who clutched their pearls and left. Calculated risk in service to long-term goals—that was a lesson he gave to many. “He loved

chaos,” says Fingers.

It’s no contradiction that his on-air partner Robin Wood also saw Frank, her brother, as an agent of calm. “You’d go into his office all pissed off about something and come out half an hour later smiling,” she says. “He had this gift for listening to you and really paying attention. He just made people feel special.”

Robin had taken over WEBN’s morning show in the mid-1970s after an apprenticeship working weekends. It was another winning gamble. The Dawn Patrol became Cincinnati’s top morning show by the 1980s, staying there for a long time.

“The thing about Frank was he didn’t just give you stuff. He made you earn it,” says Craig Kopp, the show’s third original member. As WEBN’s news director, he was tasked with ﬁtting high-minded journalism into low-minded morning radio. Wood also gave a young City Council member named Jerry Springer his start in broadcasting by allowing him to deliver commentaries twice a week. Yes, there was once a time when a raunchy and offensive radio show’s only oasis of respectability was Jerry Springer.

The list of high-risk moves Wood made is long. In 1984, when the world’s hottest rock band was The Police, he got Cincinnati added to their U.S. tour by purchasing all 16,336 tickets at Riverfront Coliseum. He resold the tickets at face value through a post office box, holding back 500 tickets to sprinkle among WEBN listeners. Bottom line: No other station got giveaway tickets—or ad dollars—for the biggest show of the year.

Wood embodied this kind of sideways surprise attack, the one nobody thinks of. His attraction to risk also extended to skydiving, bungee jumping, muscle motorcycling, and WEBN’s giant hot air balloon, which he piloted.

His biggest gamble by far was in summer 1977, celebrating WEBN’s 10th anniversary with a massively expensive ﬁreworks display on the Ohio River. There was no Riverfest yet, no sponsors, no daytime events—just an invitation to see a free ﬁreworks show at 10 o’clock on a Tuesday (the station’s actual birthday of August 30), promoted on one radio station and paid for out of one guy’s pocket. Nobody knew if the

crowd would be 1,000 or 20,000 or 20.

Riverfest is Cincinnati’s annual reminder that the only thing Frank Wood loved more than running a radio station was blowing shit up. The very ﬁrst time I visited his home, years before Riverfest, I watched him light the fuse of a clearly illegal-sized rocket on his balcony and jump back, just because. His backyard Halloween parties were well-known for their exploding pumpkins. “He tried to get a bigger pumpkin to blow up every year,” says John Phillips, the station’s former traffic helicopter reporter. “One year he wanted me to ﬂy by his party with a 500-pound pumpkin and explode it in mid-air after I dropped it.” Having no desire to upstage the most famous episode of WKRP in Cincinnati or to lose his pilot’s license, Phillips declined.

“Frank never lost his almost childlike creativity, combined with super adult intelligence,” says Randy Michaels. “It made him just a very special person.” He spent years as the anti-Frank Wood, running Q102 and the original 96 Rock, mortal enemies of WEBN. Nothing you heard on the air was more outrageous than what these two men did off the air to each other. “There are a lot of stories I’m not sure you should put in print,” says Michaels.

It was nothing less than an industry earthquake when their two radio companies melted into one, turning Wood and Michaels into partners. Everyone knew they’d already become friends. In one of their earlier lawsuits—Wood had a law degree and often competed via the courtroom—they agreed to a settlement stipulating that all charges would be dropped if both parties sat at a table with a bottle of Chivas Regal and consumed it in one sitting. So they reached a more formal settlement by merging, going through with the original one in private. “Frank and I just got each other,” says Michaels.

THEN THERE’S ME. THE BULK OF MY RAdio career is a direct result of Frank Wood. Things did not begin easily, because the son of a bitch refused three times to hire me.

I was at a small-town radio station in Pennsylvania, and one day a coworker got hired away by some scrappy rock station in Cincinnati. I went there to visit him and instantly knew that WEBN was the place

for me. Wood’s attraction was not nearly as instant. I sent him tapes of my stuff, and he said no. The fool turned me down again a year later, and then dumped a third rejection on me the year after that.

I gave up, crushed. But a few days after the third refusal, Wood called me. The guy he’d chosen for the job backed out for some reason, and now he would settle for me. How’s that for a ringing endorsement? My revenge: I worked at WEBN for 37 years, longer than anyone.

Wait, that’s not quite accurate. I quit WEBN in my third year and didn’t return full-time for almost a decade. Wait, that’s not accurate, either, because we’re talking about Frank Wood. For several months, he let me slowly withdraw from WEBN and establish my own business producing commercials and jingles. I worked half-days at the station getting my footing while he volunteered advice about marketing myself and avoiding mistakes. Have you ever had a boss like that? I did.

Now and then I still get recognized somewhere and am complimented for the fun I helped produce over the years. Everyone from the old WEBN team experiences this, and it feels really good. But Wood himself—the guy who built the very playground where we got to run around jumping in puddles and play way past our bedtime— isn’t able to feel the appreciation anymore. He was watching the ﬁreworks on TV last summer, and when he was reminded that he launched the whole Riverfest phenomenon, he seemed to take it as a joke. That’s heartbreaking.

Frank Wood changed my life, and if you lived in Cincinnati during the second half of the 20th century he changed yours. That damned radio station either made your days or ruined them. Those billboards either made you laugh out loud or caused an accident when you tried to cover your kids’ eyes. And of course, those ﬁreworks shows…next year will be the 50th one. You were affected, even if you avoided them.

The courage to take chances and the fearlessness mixed with joy that Frank Wood inspired in me and in so many others is his lesser-known legacy. I think it’s the more powerful and lasting one. If he can no longer keep that legacy going, I hope you will.

BEST OF THE CITY

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HATSUE

BY EMMA BALCOM, BRIANNA CONNOCK, JOHN FOX, CLAIRE LEFTON, AIESHA D. LITTLE, AND AMANDA BOYD WALTERS

SUNDAYS MONDAYSTUESDAYS WEDNESDAYS THURSDAYSFRIDAYSSATURDAYS and

If you’re a breakfast-for-lunch kind of person, you’re in luck at Eckerlin Meats

The butcher shop serves its breakfast sandwiches all day (every day it’s open). Grab a sausage, egg, and cheese or a goetta to snack on while you peruse the wares at Findlay Market. Easy way to ward off the Sunday scaries. • 1819 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 721-5743, eckerlinmeats. com

Quatman Café has been consistently serving up burgers to hungry Norwoodians since the 1960s, so we know that its cheeseburger special—a half pound of freshlyground chuck blend, charred to perfection, and served with fries and a drink—will always hit the spot. • 2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood, (513) 731-4370; 224 W. Main St., Mason, (513) 229-0222, quatmancafe. com

Tuesdays are for tacos, of course, and at Olla Taqueria Gutierrez, you can get your choice of three tacos (chicken, steak, or chorizo) on grilled corn tortillas for $7 and all-day happy hour drink specials. Don’t bother going down the rabbit hole of how Taco Tuesday was created; just enjoy celebrating it. • 302 W. 12th St., Covington, (859) 261-6552, ollacov. com

The chicken salad at Madison’s is a Findlay Market favorite. Co-owner Laura Riley makes it just once a week, and it’s so good it usually sells out the same day. If you’re lucky there’s a bit left over on Thursday mornings, but we wouldn’t recommend taking that chance. • 110 W. Elder St., Overthe-Rhine, (513) 723-0590

If you miss the chicken salad, head back to Madison’s on Thursdays for the egg salad. Same deal applies: It’s available once a week and once it’s gone, it’s gone. • 110 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 723-0590

Looking for an old-school fave from a deli with old-school sensibilities? You can’t go wrong with the chicken Parmesan sandwich at Young Buck Deli, a crispy chicken cutlet with fresh mozz, basil, and a spicy marinara sauce. Yet another reason to look forward to the end of the work week. • 1332 Vine St., Overthe-Rhine, (513) 287-7867, young buckdeli.com

Saturdays may be “for the boys” but they’re also for lobster rolls at Uncle Leo’s Starting at 3 p.m., the dive bar slings these sandwiches made with Maine-style “knuckle and claw” lobster meat and topped with red bell pepper. Add a squeeze of lemon and imagine you’re in the Pine Tree State.• 1709 Race St., Overthe-Rhine, (513) 381-2403, uncle leosdive.com

RAVIOLI SHEET

Colette

The dreamy, soft, pasta-pillow dish known as Raviole du Dauphiné at Colette looks almost too perfect to eat. However, you should eat it; it’s delicious. The sheet of little raviolis resembles a

Comté (a sweet French cheese) and ricotta and topped with a brown butter sauce. • 1400 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-1018, coletteotr.com

BIKE FITTING SERVICE BioWheels

“It’s as easy as riding a bike” might be a common turn of phrase, but BioWheels

This spring, Cincinnatians watched live on YouTube as the endangered peregrine falcon family that lives at the Mercantile Library grew. The family lives in a special nesting box built by conservation

In the end, only one of the four eggs hatched, but the baby falcon got plenty of time in the spotlight as the city’s youngest streamer. • Mercantile Library on YouTube

WORST GOODBYE

Joey Votto Retires

After battling injuries to try getting back to the big leagues with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays, Joey Votto abruptly retired in August during minor-league rehab, saying, “I’m just not good anymore.” He played all 17 seasons of his MLB career with the Reds, leaving as one of the franchise’s best players of all time. Expect a festive Joey Votto Day at GABP this coming season.

PICKLEBALL SPOT

Aces

By now, you know someone (or are someone) caught up in the pickleball craze. If not, why not start? Give the sport a try at Aces Pickleball Bar + Grill. With both indoor and outdoor courts, an outdoor bar and seating, and a full indoor restaurant, it’s a great spot to hang out with friends and family and whack a ball around. If you’re looking to sharpen your skills, take a lesson at the Aces Pickleball Academy. • 2730 Maverick Dr., Norwood, (513) 778-8555, acespickleballbarandgrill.com

ROCK CAMP GIRLS ROCK CINCINNATI

This summer rock camp empowers girls and trans youth in the community one guitar riff at a time. Girls Rock Cincinnati “uses music as a vehicle for social change, and a tool for rebellion and resistance against systems of oppression,” which is metal. Open to girls and genderexpansive youth ages 12–18, campers attend workshops and performances by local artists, take instrument lessons, create their own musical works, and more. All skill levels are welcome. Rock on! • 1556 Chase Ave., Northside, girlsrock cinci.com

ers the complicated mechanics that go into that ride. After assessing your body’s physical limitations and prior injuries, the experts will use motion capture technology to scan your body (while riding your bike!) to make equipment adjustments. This process will catch the tiniest details that aren’t noticeable to the naked eye but will do wonders for any cyclist’s comfort while riding. It’s as easy as…well, you know the rest. • 6810 Miami Ave., Madeira, (513) 861-2453, biowheels.com

BARE BONES DELI Cincy Gourmet Deli

If you need a reminder to never judge a book by its cover, we present Cincy Gourmet Deli. This unassuming restaurant steps away from the UC campus serves up hot and tasty foods—and you’d never suspect it. With such a huge menu (and portions!) it’s hard to

any time of day, or take your pick of hot sandwiches from Rueben to Chopped Cheese to Philly, wraps, burgers, paninis, and smoothies. • 2832 Jefferson Ave., Corryville, (513) 888-1607, cincygourmet-deli.com

PUBLIC STAIRCASE

Cincinnati Public Library Main Branch

A $43 million renovation and reimagining of the public library’s main downtown branch opened in the summer with an unusual central staircase pulling triple duty. Under a large skylight, the “Social Stairs” turns the previously dark lobby into a multi-story atrium to improve visitor circulation and provide gathering space on the lower level. Its railings also tell the story of Cincinnati’s rich music history from 1945 to today. • 800 Vine St., downtown, (513) 3696900, chpl.org

CINCYCRAB CINCYCRAB

While the Buckeye state may be far from any ocean, dinner at Cincy Crab gives the impression that you’re enjoying a feast right off the coast. Its seafood boils are by far the stars of the menu and come fully customizable. Customers can handpick one pound each of their favorite seafood—from crab and lobster tail to shrimp and

with potatoes, sausage, and corn on the cob, all coated in a sauce of your choosing. Expect to get your hands dirty; a seafood boil is no place for a knife and fork. • 1309 E. Kemper Rd., Springdale, (513) 9751428, cincyseafood.com

COLORFUL SHOP

Handzy

Walking into Handzy feels like walking into funky patterns, and every texture. Spice up desk stocked with unique stationery, pens,

wardrobe with a new pair of statement earrings, hair clips, or the many items of clothing. You can forget about boring Happy Birthday and Thank You cards, too (join the Handzy card club while you’re at it). • 421 W. Sixth St., Covington, (859) 4312883, handzyshopstudio.com

COMEDY CLUB

Commonwealth Sanctuary

Laugh it up in a former church at one of the

wealth Sanctuary. This comedy club has cast recordings, and events nearly every night. No one goes hungry or thirsty here, as they serve a variety of drinks and have food from local business Kate’s Catering. If shop is a weekly open mic that’s free to the public and a great way for comics to work on their latest bits. • 522 Fifth Ave., Dayton, Kentucky, commonwealthsanctuary.com

APPETIZER AS A MAIN DISH

Chili Miso Udon, Café Mochiko

is more than enough to make a whole meal. Udon noodles with sweet and spicy miso is served with charred negi (an aromatic Japanese onion), shiitake mushroom, and crispy garlic for a tangier take on the salty broth. Very low on the heat scale, it’s an excellent way to introduce those who avoid

• 1524 Madison Rd., East Walnut Hills, (513) 559-1000, cafemochiko.com

DRIVE-THRU LIGHT DISPLAY LIGHT UP THE FAIR

The Boone County Fairgrounds strings more than a million

ing lights for a jolt of holiday joy daily

ber 30, including Christmas Eve and Day. Pile your friends and family in the car and make it a party; admission is $7 per person but $25 per carload with up to eight people. There’s a clearance of 11 feet to get through the light tunnels, so no tour busses! • 5819 Idlewild Rd., Burlington, (859) 568-4046, lightupthefair.com

Going for Gold

Local Olympians showed up and showed out in the Paris games.

current FCC player competed Soccer team

alumni of Cincinnati area colleges competed Cincinnati area natives competed

NBC commentator is a UC alumnus (Lewis Johnson)

M EDAL BREAKDOWN

GOLD Aubrey Kinsgbury and Rose Lavelle (Women’s Soccer)

BRONZE Max Holt Volleyball), Carson Foster

Jordan Thompson (Women’s Volleyball)

Annette Echikunwoke (Hammer)

Carson Foster (4 x 200m Freestyle Relay)

CREATIVE OUTLET Not Your Average Paint and Sip

Get the creative juices and

experiences. From private date night classes at the studio in the

artist and educator James Reynolds will lead you through tory, art styles, and artists as you paint. • 1310 Pendleton St., Studio 400a, Pendleton, (513) 836-0592, notyouraverage paintandsipclass.net

SILVER

Jordan Thompson

THESTICKERSHOP

Gen X mom/author/blogger/disability activist Amy Webb had a brainstorm in January 2023: She wanted to open a sticker shop. It might have seemed out of the blue, but digital fatigue, nostalgia, and a desire to connect with her daughters over creativity inspired her to sign a lease on a Wyoming storefront and transform it into The stickers, including some vintage options—scratch-and-sniff and Oilies included. Now, where’s my sticker album? • 434-A Spring-

Superman at Union Terminal

Look, up in the sky, it’s…Union Terminal! The iconic building, once the model for Super Friends’ Justice League headquarters on TV, hosted perhero reboot, Superman: Legacy and is scheduled for release in summer 2025.

SUPERHERO VISIT

STICKERS

Mr. Gene’s Dog House

• 3703 Beekman St., South Cumminsville, (513) 541-7636, mrgenesdoghouse.com

These 2000 superlatives have stayed at the head of the class for 25 years.

TOY STORE JUST FOR FUN > KING ARTHUR’S COURT

3040 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 531-4600, kingarthurstoys.com

CLASSIC BAR > THE GRILL AT PALM COURT (NOW THE LOUNGE AT 1931)

WILDLIFE REHAB LONGBOTTOM BIRD RANCH

The viral “duck retirement home” has helping more ducks this rescue center is name and distincGaston the Toulouse for educational visits and fund-raisers. The for $120. • longbot tombirdranch.com

• 35 W. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 421-9100, hilton.com

OLDIE BUT GOODIE BAR > THE BLIND LEMON

936 Hatch St., Mt. Adams, (513) 241-3885, theblindlemon.com

COMFORT FOOD > GREYHOUND TAVERN

2500 Dixie Hwy., Ft. Mitchell, (859) 331-3767, greyhoundtavern.com

FLY TRAP > DELAMERE & HOPKINS through the shop. • 2708 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 871-3474

HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS > CAPPEL’S

920 Elm St., downtown, (513) 621-0952 (ext. 111), cappelsinc.com

CHICAGO DOG

Around the Horn

Rhino’s Frozen Yogurt & Soft Serve may be tucked away in a Blue Ash gas station, but its array of flavors deserve the spotlight.

Fro-yo dispensing machines

Toppings

Flavors available at a time (21 including

Per ounce

Hours open per day

DINE-IN MOVIE KENWOOD THEATRE

Days open per week

Types of cones

Now owned by the Esquire Theatre group, this multiplex by the mall serves up a solid menu of food, drinks, and like popcorn and soda is available, but you can also order items like grilled cheese, taco fries,

Optimum number of swirls

Sizes of cups

Gallons of fro-yo sold each day

HIKE FOR SPRING EPHEMERALS

Bender Mountain

VEGAN CHEESE Mad Cheese Vegan Cheese

One of life’s greatest pleasures is cheese—and you shouldn’t miss out if you’re plant-based or dairy-free. Owner Heather Donaldson went vegan with her husband in 2019 and found most plantbased products to be enjoyable, other than the cheese. So she set out to make her own. With nearly 30 different products made from a variety of bases (cashews, almonds, and pea protein to name a few) ranging from Gouda to Ranch Dressing, Mad Cheese products can be found at the shop as well as Findlay Market and Nosh. • 5903 Bramble Ave., Madisonville, (513) 227-8412, madcheese.com

REAL CHEESE

Urban Stead’s Quark

Urban Stead’s quark is a creamy spread made with pasteurized Jersey cow milk. Its uses are endless—spread it on a bagel as a substitute for cream cheese, incorporate into cheesy pasta sauces, or even use it as an ingredient in baking cheesecakes and strudels. It’s no wonder the cheese was awarded a bronze medal by the American Cheese Society this year. • 3036 Woodburn Ave., Evanston, (513) 828-0830, urbansteadcheese.com

LEGO HOTSPOT

The Brickery Café & Play

comforting spot at Newport on the Levee, where The Brickery welcomes “hands on” guests to stop and build for a while. Explore

at each table or reserve a table or private room for group activities. The latest LEGO sets are available for sale, and the shop will buy your old bricks if you’re ready to move on. Open daily except Tuesdays. • Newport on the Levee, Newport, (859) 261-0700, thebrickerycafe.com

BANANA PUDDING Makers Bakers Co.

Up and down hills, across wide creek beds, and with stunning views overlooking the Ohio River, Bender Mountain Nature Preserve provides gorgeous hikes at all times of the year but come March and April, the spring ephemerals. Big swaths of the blooms pop up along Bender trails at this time—including blue-eyed Marys, larkspurs, phloxes, and trilliums, to name a few. • 6320 Bender Rd., Delhi Twp., delhi.oh.us/Bender-Mountain-Preserve

right to your seat at any point during the movie. With more than 35 beers on tap inspired cocktails, the bar is worth a visit, too. Keep an eye out for trivia nights and special screening events. • 5901 E. Galbraith Rd., Suite 200, Sycamore Twp., (513) 743-7159, kenwoodtheatre. com

The banana pudding at Makers Bakers Co. is already top tier by itself, but adding a homemade bourbon caramel sauce to the mix takes the taste to stratospheric levels

kicked up a notch with decadent caramel and a skosh of whiskey (but not enough to make it boozy). As the bakery’s Findlay Market advertisement states, it’s “mama slapping, face cracking, lid lapping, no sharing, mine mine mine” good. • 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 807-9748, makers bakersco.com

Time marches on, and the city is always evolving. Here are some bygone bests from the past 25 years that we’re still mourning.

RAINY DAY ALTERNATE > JILLIAN’S

Back in the late 1990s, Ken Lewis of The Party Source bought the former Bavarian Brewing building in Covington and opened BrewWorks. Just a few years later, Louisville-based Jillian’s took over and of fun, including a bowling alley, multiple nightclubs, and game rooms. By 2006, it was shuttered. Today the building houses the Kenton County Government Center.

CAREER MOVE > RICHARD BROWN

We applauded when the “witty front-ofthe-house man” made the switch from Maisonette to The Cincinnatian Hotel’s Palace restaurant. Brown later reunited with Jean-Robert de Cavel at Pigall’s and Restaurant L, and while Brown

at MRBL in Bellevue one night a week), de Cavel and his restaurants will always have a place in our heart.

INVESTMENT DRESSING > SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

We praised the selection and outstanding service at the luxury fashion retailer, which held down the southwest corner of Fifth and Race until 2022. Luxe lovers can trek up to Nordstrom in Kenwood; 3CDC is revamping the Saks space into Paycor’s new headquarters, where Jose Salazar will reopen his eponymous restaurant in an 8,300-squarefoot space.

CLASSIC CINCINNATI > THE INCLINE ROOM AT THE CELESTIAL

ders above the competition, overlooking the city from the Highland Towers in Mt. Adams. With a round bar, live jazz (most notably from singer Mary Ellen Tanner), and clubby atmosphere, The Incline Room welcomed movers and shakers to a sleek and upscale night out. The space is now The View, a high-end event venue.

GAY BAR > THE DOCK

Patrons kissed The Dock goodbye with one last celebration on Valentine’s Day 2018. The state of Ohio bought property on Pete Rose Way for Brent Spence Bridge construction, which meant the end for this institution. Drag shows, dance nights, and countless fund-raisers for AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati made The Dock a hub for the LGBTQIA+ community for 34 years.

Athletic E x tracurricular

CINCINNATI OFF-ROAD ALLIANCE

For those who like to get off the beaten (or paved) path, the Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance maintains 115 miles of trails for biking, hiking, and running in the area. CORA organizes weekly group bike rides to get out on the various trails.

• coratrails.org

SKATE DOWNTOWN CINCY

Strap on your skates and get out to one of Skate Downtown

Cincy’s rinks at Sawyer Point and the OTR CRC. There are regular group skates featuring DJs and coinciding with downtown events.

• skatedowntowncin cinnati.com

REVIVAL

Scribble Jam

If you were a true hip-hop head in Cincinnati in the ’90s and early 2000s, then you’re familiar with Scribble Jam. The local festival focused on the four elements of hip-hop—emceeing, DJing, b-

and Jacob Lightner launched an effort to shed light on its cultural Scribble Jam: The Documentary will explore Cincinnati’s hip-hop scene, its founders, and how the festival became a world-class event. The documentary is currently in the fund-raising stage to support production costs, which include gas for traveling to interviews, lodging, music licensing, marketing, and distribution. • gofundme.com/f/scribble-jam-the-documentary

KINGPIGEON’SKINGPIGEON

If the outstanding craft cocktails aren’t enough to entice you to this Walnut Hills bar, perhaps the adorable King Pigeon mascot will. Designed by Melbourne-based illustrator Cassie Brock, the eponymous King Pigeon brings customers along on his adventures through the drink menu. Whether hitting the slopes with an Irish coffee or getting lost in the jungle with a Mai Tai, this “inexplicably charming, vacant-eyed, bird-brained individual” (according to his creator) never has a dull moment. • 2436 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, (513) 221-3000, kingpigeoncinci.com

BREWRUNNERS OF CINCINNATI

Being the self-proclaimed “most social run club” in the area, the BrewRunners combine distance running with Cincinnati’s local craft beer scene. Open to all skills and abilities, the group partners with all the Queen City’s favorite breweries.

• cincybrewrunners. com

CINCY HIKES

Slow it down a bit and take in the views with Cincy Hikes. From sunrise trail hikes to singles mingle events, this group is free and open to anyone interested in exploring Cincinnati’s nature scene.

NORTHSIDE PHOTOWALKS

• cincinnatihikes.com

Happening at 6:30 p.m. every Thursday, the Northside Photowalk is pretty much as it sounds: walking around the Northside neighborhood taking cool photos. The routes change weekly and are posted to Instagram. • @northside photowalks

BAR MASCOT

These Cincinnati groups can scratch your itch to be social, whether you’re a bookworm or an adrenaline junkie.

Leisure

URBAN SKETCHERS

The Cincinnati chapter of the international group Urban Sketchers celebrates Cincinnati’s scenery with regular group art sessions, encouraging members to connect with their surroundings and each other. • uskcin cinnati.blogspot.com

ROEBLING READERS BOOK CLUB

Organized by Roebling Books & Coffee, this club meets bi-monthly and covers a wide variety of for all kinds of readers. Information about meetings and the books they’re reading can be found on Instagram.

• @roeblingbooks

REMINDER OF BLINK’S ROOTS

The Music Hall Experience

CON FOR KIDS FAIRY TALE FESTIVAL

RECYCLER

Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub

This is truly a one-stop-shop for dropping off your recyclables, even things you didn’t know could be recycled or reused (Styrofoam peanuts, oral care products, denim). For a fee, the hub will take your old tires, batteries, and electronics. And it hosts

the public is invited to the warehouse to claim rescued materials on a pay-whatyou-can basis. • 911 Evans St., Price Hill, reusehub.org

ANIMATRONIC BAND

The Big G Cereal Bowl

With BuzzBee on drums, the Trix Rabbit on keys, and Lucky the Leprechaun on guitar and lead vocals, the TBGCBB serenades produce shoppers daily from atop their stage on the . If that sentence made no sense, you haven’t become a true Cincinnatian yet. General Mills commissioned the mechanized musicians specially for Jungle Jim’s with the help of local animatronics company LF Studios. While the store has several other singing robots to appreciate, the Cereal Bowl Band remains the audience favorite for a reason.

• junglejims.com

DRINKING BUDDIES

The Kelce Brothers

This year’s BLINK weekend reconnected with its projectionmapping roots by once again lighting up the front facade of Music Hall, inviting four artists (two local, one from Australia, and a French collective) to use the iconic building as their canvas. The Lumenocity festival introduced Cincinnati to the magic of projection-mapping art in 2013–2016, when the Cincinnati Symphony performed at Washington Park to accompany Music Hall projections. The old brick hall still has it.

If your children are still a bit too young for the big-kid geeky conventions held around town, the Fairy Tale Festivalat Glenwood Gardens Park in Woodlawn is the perfect substitute. This whimsical

fairies, face painting, hair braiding, and meet-and-greets with kid-favorite characters, such as Robin Hood and Rapunzel. Make your way through

In 2023, Covington-based Braxton Brewing spun off its Garage Beer brand, partnering with Andrew Sauer, a “brand investment marketer,” to focus on expanding distribution and sales of this low-ABV, low-calorie, low-carb lager. Garage took a big step in that direction in the summer when seemingly-everywhere-everymen Jason and Travis Kelce became majority co-owners. Now we can all crack open a cold one with UC’s famous football grads. •

Garden and stop by the vendor booths.

• (513) 771-8733, greatparks.org/

events/fairy-talefestival

NEW DISTRICT Fountain District

rebranded the downtown blocks around Fountain Square in order to drive attenEnergy Convention Center is closed for renovations. Bordered by Fourth, Seventh, includes the Aronoff Center for the Arts, the Contemporary Arts Center, and some of the city’s best-known restaurants, hotels, and apartment/condo buildings.

•

NEW SPOT FOR HOSTESS GIFTS

Hoste

The new home and gift spot in Walnut Hills has already made a name for itself in the world of hosting. Inspired by owner Megan Strasser’s travels around the world, Hoste offers a smorgasbord of bright and colorful decor and goodies, from vibrantly colored candlesticks to various books (coffee table and cooking alike) to graphic art to beauty supplies, all of which are dedicated to making a house into a home and welcoming guests into a celebration. • 737 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, (513) 221-8111, hosteshoppe.com

HOUSEHOLDBOOKS

Sure, you can purchase your favorite titles at Household Books, but the Walnut Hills bookshop also provides space for pop-ups; a stage for local musicians, artists, comedians, and lecturers; a meeting space for writing groups and organizations; an event venue for theings); and a communal home for booklovers of all sorts to share opinions and swap titles with one another. • 2533 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, (513) 349-4573, householdbooks.org

GLUTEN FREE BLUEBERRY MUFFIN

Cherbourg Cyprus

I can’t believe it’s not gluten! Believe it Cherbourg Cyprus (a completely nut-free, gluten-free, and dye-free bakery) is in fact

full of blueberries. This isn’t your average 1804 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, besweetcherbourg.com

SUPPORT SERVICES

Local Libraries

Sure, you can still check out actual books and DVDs, but your local library system is now a 24/7 community resource center. Cincinnati residents can reserve time at the downtown MakerSpace, fax and print, use the Discovery Pass to get free museum admission, chat or text with a librarian 24 hours a day, and get help researching their house’s history or family genealogy. Kenton County’s system offers free career transition classes. Boone County has the Boone Innovation Lab makerspace. And it’s all for the price of a library card (a.k.a. free). chpl.org, kentonlibrary.org, bcpl.org

FORAGING RESOURCE

Cincinnati Permaculture Institute

For those dreaming of living off the land, the Cincinnati Permaculture Institute is a perfect resource for future foragers. The instructors all have their own niche when mushrooms to trees. The institute holds a permaculture course where you can visit a variety of sites to learn about native plants, as well as other themed workshops to help you become one with nature. You can even learn how to plant your own “food forest” 824 Enright Ave., East Price Hill, cincinnatipermacult ureinstitute.org

NEW RESTAURANT Wildweed

Before it even opened its brick-andmortar location in Over-the-Rhine in July, Wildweed was already the talk of the town, thanks to hosting more than 225 pop-ups since 2019. Featured on Bon Appétit’s list of “The 8 Must-Visit New Restaurants to Try This Summer,” the menu is full of seasonal and foraged ingredients that will leave true foodies salivating. Co-owner David Jackman insists his establishment isn’t an Italian spot, though pasta plays a big role in the restaurant’s popularity. From mafaldine and sopressini to rigatoni and gnocchi, Wildweed’s capable kitchen can 1301 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4274, wildweed-restaurant.com

PUBLIC GARDEN > BOONE COUNTY ARBORETUM

County leaders created this “living museum” on land adjacent to a new recreation complex they built near Union. Today a fulltime staff curates a collection of more than 3,600 trees and shrubs and a native Kentucky grassland accessible every day (for free) via a 2.2-mile trail. • 9190 Camp Ernst Rd., Union, (859) 3844999, bcarboretum. org

UNDERWATER ADVENTURES > NEWPORT AQUARIUM

The aquarium has been constantly updating its exhibi-

opening at Newport on Levee, with new areas such as World of the Octopus and Coral Reef Tunnel as well as perennial favorites like the shark bridge, baby penguins, and Scuba Santa.

• 1 Aquarium Way, Newport, (800) 406-3474, newport aquarium.com

REMINDER NEVER TO FORGET > HOLOCAUST & HUMANITY CENTER

Formed by local Holocaust survivors and their families, the Center for Holocaust and Hu-

A number of prominent organizations and programs got their start around 2000.

manity Education debuted at Hebrew Union College and relocated to Union Terminal in 2018 with a wider museum mission. • 1301 Western Ave., West End, (513) 487-3055, holocaustand humanity.org

TASTE OF THE BLUEGRASS > KENTUCKY BOURBON TRAIL

Bourbon has become big business in the Bluegrass state, thanks in part to branding the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, now almost 50 distilleries strong (including a bunch in Northern Kentucky). Overall attendance on the trail topped 2 million

2022. • kybourbon trail.com

SLAM DUNK > CINTAS CENTER

Xavier University brought its signature basketball programs back to campus with construction of this 10,250-seat arena that also houses athletic department cilities, and banquet halls. • XU campus, Evanston, (513) 7454235, cintascenter. com

STAR TURN FOR KIDS > STAR PROGRAM

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati not only produces shows for young audiences, it also trains young actors

in the four-week summer STAR program for ages 9–18. There’s also a STAR Intensive program at Northern Kentucky University. • 4015 Red Bank Rd., Madisonville, (513) 569-8080, thechild renstheatre.com

TIGER HABITAT > PAYCOR STADIUM

Paul Brown Stadium opened with a regular season loss to the Cleveland Browns, and the the 2000 season coach Bruce Coslet after three games. Times, and the stadium name, have certainly changed. • bengals.com/ stadium

The Real MVPs

How three Cincinnati “faces of the franchise” stack up with each other.

NAME Lucho AcostaJoe BurrowElly De La Cruz TEAM

FELINE STORE MANAGER

GARYATEARTHWISEPET HARPER’SPOINT

Who better to run a pet store than a pet? Gary, the Feline Store Manager of EarthWise Pet, is cute, chubby, and great with customers. You’ll be able to spot this white kitty with brown spots wandering the aisles looking for rogue treats or showing off his yoga moves on

for a grooming appointment—he gets along great with everyone 11328 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Twp., (513) 469-7387, harper spoint.earthwisepet.com

GAMER PARADISE Arcade Legacy

FUND-RAISER BINSKI’S BAR MEAT RAFFLE

Arcade Legacy, 2241 Crowne Point Dr., Sharonville, (513) 874-8766, arcadelegacy ohio.com

PISTACHIO ICE CREAM Golden Gelato

2872 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington, @binskisbar on Instagram

130 W. Pike St., Covington, (859) 360-3709, goldengelatocov.com

FAKE TREE Second Story

100 W. Sixth St., Covington, (859) 6692270, secondstory.bar

WORLD’S BEST BOSS

QUEER EVENT GUIDE

Midwestern Lesbian/Cincy Gay Agenda

@midwestern.lesbian and @cincy.gay.agenda on Instagram

Joy & Matt’s Bookshop

915 Vine St., downtown, (513) 427-3413, joyandmatts.com

BOARD GAME STORE Yottaquest

10693 Reading Rd., Evendale, (513) 923-1985, yottaquest.com

MOVE

THE CULTURE ATCAM

Hip-hop celebrated its 51st birthday this summer and The Culture: Hip-Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century at the Cincinnati Art Museum—curated by Ohio State African American Studies professor Jason Rawls, Ph.D. (a.k.a. DJ and producer J. Rawls)—covered the sights, sounds, and styles that have made the art form a mainstay for the last half century. From paintings and photography to sculptures and artifacts from yesteryear, The Culture reminded us of the reasons why hip-hop isn’t just African American history but a worldwide phenomenon. • cincinnatiartmuseum.org/art/exhibitions/exhibition-archive/2024/theculture-hip-hop-and-contemporary-art-in-the-21st-century

COFFEE CART LANG THANG COFFEE

Rain or shine, every Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon, you’ll made with beans lands of Vietnam, and poured over nati? • 1331 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, lang thangcoffee.com

ALTERNATIVE FISH FRY Kanji OTR

1739 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 873-8350, kanjiotr.com

PORCH DECOR SERVICE

Porchside Pumpkins

upon request (and yes, at more than 100 pounds, it requires a porchsidepumpkins.com

2021 Madison Rd., Evanston, (513) 871-8788, annatawinebarandcellar.com

LIVING WALL

Alcove out

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

BIGGEST HEARTBREAK Goose & Elder Closing FOOD HALL

2750 Park Ave., Norwood, (513) 201-7109, thegatherall.com

WEST SIDE PLAYGROUND

West Fork Park

4764 W. Fork Rd., Green Twp., (513) 574-8832, greentwp.org/west-fork-park

A FREEWHEELIN’ APPRECIATION OF BOB DYLAN IN CINCINNATI

BY STEVEN ROSEN

ROLLING STONE BOB DYLAN FIRST PLAYED INSET PHOTOS CONSERVATIVE ERA, BEFORE HE BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL ROCK ICON AND CONTINUOUSLY REINVENTED HIMSELF.

LARGE PHOTO IS FROM NEW YORK CITY, JULY 1986.

Music Hall in 1981. He’s still active, playing here as recently as a September show at Riverbend.

Herren is interested in exploring how these Cincinnati shows over the decades reveal the ways both Dylan and the city have changed with time. He’s so far written 15 individual installments, each in the range of 8,000–12,000 words, and published them as freely accessible posts on his Substack,

Shadow Chasing . Dylan ﬁ rst played here at the Taft Theatre on March 12, 1965. Then a 23-year-old folk singer and songwriter, he was on his last exclusively solo and acoustic tour before going electric and becoming a rock superstar and cultural jugger-

Of the many, many books written about rock icon Bob Dylan to date, it’s probable that none have made a connection between his rise to fame and a stenographer shortage in Cincinnati when he ﬁ rst performed here in 1965. None until now, that is. It’s a key point that Graley Herren, an English professor at Xavier University, makes early on in his book-in-progress, tentatively titled Dylan in Cincinnati. He’s detailing every local concert appearance by Dylan to date. The musician— now 83 and a towering éminence grise of popular music and American and even world culture—has visited this area 20 times and given 21 total concerts, including two shows at

WRITING HIS BOOK ABOUT HOW THE MUSIC ICON AND CINCINNATI ITSELF HAVE EVOLVED ACROSS HIS 21 LOCAL CONCERTS SINCE 1965.

PHOTOGRAPH BY EBET ROBERTS/GETTY IMAGES

naut via the landmark Top 40 hit “Like a Rolling Stone.”

In 1965, Dylan was already followed by the college crowd and other young idealists for the political dimension of his songs, which supported the Civil Rights movement of the time and decried Cold War threats, like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall,” and “Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll.” By early 1965, he was also was writing more personal songs like “My Back Pages” and “It Ain’t Me Babe.”

That brings us to those stenographers. On the afternoon of the Taft Theatre concert, the front page of The Cincinnati Postand Times-Star featured a story headlined, “Lack of Schooling, Sloth Blamed in Stenographer Shortage.” The article said, “If there were enough girls to go around, with adequate skill, more than 1,000 steady jobs could be ﬁlled overnight.” It also observed

that “employers don’t think high schools teach enough typing, shorthand, business arithmetic” and that “they think many of the graduates who want jobs don’t want to work. Many who do want to work overestimate their abilities and think they’ll get by with what is really mediocrity.”

Herren sees in this report a pile of sexist assumptions and ﬁnds it a good example of Cincinnati’s prevailing conservative climate circa 1965. But where does Dylan ﬁt into this narrative? He was the harbinger of change in the mid-1960s, which would mean that media stories with built-in assumptions of gender roles would no longer be go unchallenged.

“I was trying to conceptualize the conservative social atmosphere when Dylan arrived here, because nothing could be less conservative than the wild-eyed

HIS BACK PAGES GRALEY HERREN, PHOTOGRAPHED IN HIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY OFFICE, HAS BEEN CHRONICLING BOB DYLAN'S 21 CINCINNATI CONCERTS AND HOW THE CITY HAS CHANGED ALONG WITH THE MUSIC ICON.

BOB DYLAN’S CINCINNATI SHOWS TO DATE

MARCH 12, 1965 TAFT THEATRE DOWNTOWN

NOVEMBER 7, 1965 MUSIC HALL

OCTOBER 15, 1978 RIVERFRONT COLISEUM DOWNTOWN

NOVEMBER 4 & 5, 1981 MUSIC HALL

JUNE 22, 1988 RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER IN ANDERSON TOWNSHIP

AUGUST 10, 1989 RIVERBEND

NOVEMBER 3, 1992 MUSIC HALL

crazy-haired Bohemian Dylan who landed like an alien from another planet in 1965,” says Herren. “Dylan was on the cutting edge of a cultural revolution, but that’s not to say he was trying to be that. In fact, sometimes he felt very much saddled with the burden of being the conscience of his generation. I was simply looking up what was going on when Dylan arrived, which felt relevant in an unexpected way.”

Dylan’s second Cincinnati concert of 1965, at Music Hall on November 7, was also relevant in unexpected ways. He had gone electric, which confused and angered some of his older fans, and was now performing with a backing group that later came to be known as The Band.

But he had plenty of new fans here who were thrilled by the success of “Like a Rolling Stone.”

One of those new fans was Carole Winters, who recalls hearing Dylan’s breakthrough hit on the radio that summer, around the time she moved with her mother and younger brother and sister to the Cincinnati area from Buffalo ahead of the upcoming school year. “I loved the song the ﬁrst time I heard it,” she says. “The sound of it, the length of it, Dylan’s unconventional but powerful voice, the confrontational lyrics. We were in the process of leaving a beloved home in New York and moving to a strange new place, and I completely identiﬁ ed with the

FEBRUARY 19, 1998 CINCINNATI GARDENS IN BOND HILL

JULY 11, 1999 BOGART’S IN CORRYVILLE

JULY 11, 2000 RIVERBEND

NOVEMBER 4, 2001 CINTAS CENTER AT XAVIER UNIVERSITY

OCTOBER 15, 2007 TAFT THEATRE

AUGUST 22, 2008 RIVERBEND

NOVEMBER 3, 2010 THE BANK OF KENTUCKY CENTER AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

AUGUST 26, 2012 RIVERBEND

JULY 6, 2013 RIVERBEND

NOVEMBER 8, 2019 BB&T ARENA AT NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY

NOVEMBER 9, 2021 ARONOFF CENTER DOWNTOWN

OCTOBER 20, 2023 ANDREW J BRADY MUSIC CENTER DOWNTOWN

SEPTEMBER 11, 2024 RIVERBEND

Patty Brisben’s rebranded SHE+ Foundation doubles down on helping women advocate for their sexual health and well-being.

Sisters Are Doing It for Themselves

By Carrie Blackmore

Portrait by Devyn Glista

Patty Brisben photographed on October 23, 2024.

necessary to ﬁnd the answers? Lacking.

“We needed more research to be able to really treat women,” Brisben says over brunch at The Cincinnati Club. “That’s when I went, You know, I’ve got an army of women. I want women to know that they’re not crazy. This is really happening to you.”

So she created the Patty Brisben Foundation for Women’s Sexual Health in 2005. This year the organization opens a new chapter by rebranding and revamping as the SHE+ Foundation.

Improving women’s lives has always been Patty Brisben’s main goal.

Sure, she was focused on their sex lives while building Pure Romance into one of the largest direct sales companies for relationship-enhancement and intimacy products. But as business grew, Brisben began to see that her ultimate vision stretched well beyond the bedroom.

drop in libido. The queries kept coming.

Brisben has hired a full-time development director and is doubling down on the nonprofit’s efforts to advance science-based education, advocacy, research, and innovation related to women’s sexual health while creating safe spaces for women and their supporters to learn about women’s sexual health and well-being and build solidarity and community. “It’s so important to have healthy women in every household, in every workplace,” she says. “But let’s face it, when you’re talking about intimacy and sex, any of that, it’s an uncomfortable topic.”

She started Pure Romance in her Milford basement in 1993, launching with 55 consultants. By the early 2000s, approximately 10,000 consultants were selling her products at house parties across the country.

“Every night, they were hearing women’s deepest secrets,” says Brisben. Those conversations became a constant stream of e-mails and calls from her consultants relaying women’s questions and concerns. Sometimes, they were worried about pain during intercourse or bothered by unwanted dryness. Maybe mystiﬁed at a sudden

Brisben, always quick to remind her consultants that they aren’t doctors and should never give medical advice, began to think about all the medical researchers and professionals Pure Romance had worked with to create its lines of vibrators, sex toys, skin care, lingerie, and lubricants. Might she be able to connect women to the information they were seeking?

Upon closer look, Brisben learned that nearly half of all women experience sexual difficulties at some point in their lives. While the World Health Organization says sexual health “is fundamental to the overall health and well-being of individuals, couples and families, and to the social and economic development of communities and countries,” information related to sexual health concerns and conditions is hard to ﬁnd or simply nonexistent. The research

On a warm summer evening at the Junior League of Cincinnati, a young woman holds a microphone in one hand and a question from the audience in another. “Is there any truth to the saying, If you don’t use it, you can lose it?” she asks a panel of sexual health experts at the BrowseHer event organized by the SHE+ Foundation.

Several of the experts are members of the foundation’s medical advisory board, including Karen Connor, a pelvic health physical therapist at University Hospitals in northeast Ohio and owner of the Cleveland Pelvic Wellness Center, who takes the question. According to Connor, keeping the pelvic ﬂoor mobile is important to help maintain countenance and a healthy sexual life.

A group of women, all ages and races, has assembled at the free event, invited to bring their questions to the experts as opposed to browsing their way down a rabbit hole on the internet. “From a psychologi-

Women Helping Women Patty Brisben used her experience launching Pure Romance to focus her energy on helping women understand and advocate for their health and well-being. Brisben addresses Pure Romance consultants in Cincinnati (above and opposite page) and mingles at the She+ Foundation gala (right in green dress and crown).

cal perspective, it’s also true,” adds Sheryl Kingsberg, a clinical psychologist and chief of the behavior medicine division in OBGYN at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center. “Because if you don’t use it, then you tend to get anxious about when you do want to use it.”

Let’s take a step back. What is sexual health? For any given person, it’s a complex and very individual combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural aspects, says Kingsberg.

Biological components can include hormones, brain chemistry, and overall physical health conditions that might impair sexual function. Psychological aspects can include depression, general anxiety, or performance anxiety. Sociocultural values also come into play. “The idea that sex is

not for women and women are supposed to be shameful can certainly impact sexual health,” says Kingsberg, who is also a professor in reproductive biology and psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University.

Then there are factors related to interpersonal relationships with past and/ or current partners, which can range from healthy to abusive, she says. When we talk about sexual dysfunction, it’s tied to the body’s sexual responses, meaning problems with loss of sexual interest or desire, decreased ability to become aroused, difﬁculty reaching orgasm, and experience of

genital pain during sexual activity. Study after study has shown that regular sex, either with a partner or with oneself, has health beneﬁts that can include lower blood pressure, an improved immune system, decreased depression and anxiety, and better sleep.

Why then, asks Brisben, acting as moderator at the event, don’t doctors talk to women about this stuff ? Why are many gynecological exams so quick, in and out?

Anita Mikkilineni, M.D., chimes in. She’s an Continued on page 98

Photograph by rudi1976/stock.adobe.com

2024 FACES of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of ORTHOPAEDICS AND SPORTS MEDICINE

Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine

In the heart of Cincinnati, Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine shines as the premier destination for orthopedic care and sports medicine. More than an orthopedic practice, Beacon is woven into Cincinnati’s vibrant athletic culture. With a team of renowned specialists, Beacon is dedicated to getting everyone back in the game, from weekend warriors to professional athletes. Beacon proudly partners with more than 40 local high schools, colleges, and professional teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, ensuring that all athletes receive the expert care they need to excel. Innovation thrives at Beacon, where cutting-edge research and education shape the future of orthopedic medicine. Beacon’s collaboration with TriHealth has redeﬁned patient care in the tri-state area, offering seamless access to comprehensive services. Beyond treatment, Beacon champions the community through partnerships with local organizations and initiatives. At Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, they’re not just the orthopedic experts— they’re fueling Cincinnati’s spirit, one patient at a time. When it comes to orthopedic excellence, Beacon is truly the guiding light for our city. When it’s about Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine, discover the Beacon difference.

500 E. BUSINESS WAY, CINCINNATI, OH 45241, (513) 354-3700, WWW.BEACONORTHO.COM

2024 FACES of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of

DEVELOPMENT

Cruz Development, LLC

Cruz Development, LLC, a minority and veteran-owned business, proudly serves the Greater Cincinnati area. With 50 years of experience, Cruz’s portfolio boasts multiple successful ventures. Owners Fernando and Jaclyn Cruz prioritize job creation. Cruz strives to deliver exceptional project experiences through its general contracting and development services, encompassing commercial construction, ground up construction, office renovations, tenant fit-outs, restaurants, and retail spaces. Its expertise spans Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. As part of Cruz Brands, it also owns Bad Tom Smith Brewery, Brazen Oak Bourbon, Cinco Cruzitos Tequila, and Skyline Roofing and Exteriors, demonstrating its commitment to community engagement and shaping Cincinnati’s future.

3607 CHURCH ST., NEWTOWN, OH 45244, (513) 271-2789, WWW.CRUZCRUZDEVELOPMENT.COM/

2024 FACES of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of RUNNING

Fleet Feet

Owners Stacey and Frank DeJulius see their stores as the hubs for all things running and walking in Cincinnati. With seven locations across the tri-state, their ability to positively impact each community and the city at large is as strong as ever. To inspire the runner in everyone is their goal. They do this through best-in-class, one-on-one outﬁtting experiences in their stores; deep community support through local races, charity events, and school support; and their robust community-focused training programs that run year-round but crescendo for the Flying Pig every May. They approach retail more like hospitality and believe every day is an opportunity to blow people away with the highest levels of care and service, not often found in retail settings. Far more than a running shoe store, Fleet Feet brings people together and the DeJuliuses truly feel that it’s their privilege to serve their team, customers, and all Cincinnati walkers and runners. 9525 KENWOOD RD., BLUE ASH, OH 45242, (513) 793-8383, WWW.FLEETFEETCINCY.COM

FACES

THE FACE of WRITING EXCELLENCE

The Howe Center for Writing Excellence at Miami University

The Howe Center for Writing Excellence at Miami University ensures that all students, regardless of their major, become effective communicators and problem-solvers. The Howe Center has been nationally recognized for 25 years. Its staff members know that strong writers are critical and creative thinkers. Thanks to the Howe Center’s innovative programming and support for both faculty and students, a Miami education shapes exceptional communicators and leaders in every ﬁeld.

THE HOWE CENTER, KING LIBRARY, 151 S. CAMPUS AVE., OXFORD, OH 45056, (513) 529-6100, WWW.MIAMIOH.EDU/HOWE-CENTER

THE FACE of COSMETIC & MEDICAL DERMATOLOGY

Mona Dermatology

Dr. Mona Foad has been in private practice in Cincinnati as a board-certiﬁed dermatologist since 2002. Her vision for what healthcare should be came to life through her Kenwood-based practice, Mona Dermatology. Dr. Mona and her team of 45+ women care for patients through cosmetic, medical, and surgical dermatology. Dr. Mona’s impact has grown exponentially over the last 22 years, and allowed her to achieve several accolades, including 16 years as a Cincinnati Magazine Top Doctor and national trainer for Allergan (the maker of Botox and Juvederm). Most recently, she was awarded the role of national MD Codes trainer. Mona Dermatology has also been named a top practice among plastic surgeons, cosmetic dermatologists, and medspas nationally in the “Allergan Top 50.” Dr. Mona grew up in Cincinnati and has made it her mission to help the community achieve healthy, beautiful skin, and to treat them as she would want her loved ones treated.

7730 MONTGOMERY RD., CINCINNATI, OH 45236, (513) 984-4800, WWW.MONADERMATOLOGY.COM

2024 FACES of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of JOINT AND SPINE CARE

The Christ Hospital Health Network

Recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s premier orthopedic hospitals, The Christ Hospital sets the standard for outstanding orthopedic care. The specialists at The Christ Hospital deliver comprehensive musculoskeletal care, restoring quality of life through surgical and non-surgical treatments. The multidisciplinary team provides care at eight physician ofﬁce locations throughout the Tri-State, including surgical centers in Liberty Township, Mt. Auburn, and Red Bank. Same-day appointments, a walk-in clinic in Montgomery, and after-hours care in Mt. Auburn ensure you receive expert care when you need it. Utilizing the latest techniques, advanced technologies, and an innovative anesthesia program featuring non-opioid pain management, The Christ Hospital does everything it takes to help improve your recovery and regain mobility. Patients in Cincinnati and beyond trust its experienced team for unrivaled orthopedic care.

2139 AUBURN AVE., CINCINNATI, OH 45219, (513) 585-3000, WWW.THECHRISTHOSPITAL.COM/FACES

FACES of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of THE SURGEONISTA

The Surgeonista Cosmetic Surgery

Gina Maccarone, M.D., FACS, FAACS

Dr. Gina Maccarone has always loved art, beauty, and fashion. Sounds pretty superﬁcial. Is it, though? As “The Surgeonista,” she is trying to rewrite the narrative that cosmetic surgery is only about vanity. What would happen if we reframed the industry as a method of self-care? We could eliminate judgement, and patients could be proud of how cosmetic surgery has enhanced their conﬁdence. Dr. Maccarone truly believes in the mind-body connection—feeling and looking beautiful helps us become the best version of ourselves in all aspects of our lives. As a surgeon, wife, bonus mom, and self-proclaimed girly-girl, she is just trying to present her best version to others, too. You will see her bringing fashion, sparkles, sarcasm, or anything pink to the world of surgery while keeping patients’ best interests at heart. She wants us all to know that we can be whatever combination of things we want to be—with the exception of being BORING! 4012 HARRISON AVE., CINCINNATI, OH 45211, (513) 400-4750, HTTPS://THESURGEONISTA.COM

2024

FACES of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of

A BOUTIQUE LAW FIRM

Wolterman Law Ofﬁce LPA

Emily Ames, Ofﬁce Manager | Steve Wolterman, Managing Partner | Maggie Fibbe, Of Counsel | Matt Metzger, Partner | Cassidy Carstens, Associate

For more than 15 years, we have served our clients in the areas of estate planning, probate, real estate, business law, business litigation, and personal injury. We are dedicated to providing each client with the highest level of service and seek to cultivate client relationships that last a lifetime. We represent clients with creative and sophisticated solutions for all matters, whether closing a business acquisition or helping an injured client. Headquartered in Loveland, and soon opening a second location in Blue Ash, we offer an easygoing and neighborly environment for the comfort of our clients.

434 W. LOVELAND AVE., LOVELAND, OH 45140, (513) 488-1135, WWW.WOLTERMANLAW.COM

THE FACE of TENNIS AND GOLF GAME CHANGERS IN THE CITY OF MASON

City of Mason

Jansen Dell | Kari Geiser | Chrissy Avery | Kurt Seiler | Cate Becker

Retaining the Cincinnati Open in Mason furthered the 50-year history of the Lindner Family Tennis Center and Grizzly golf course in Mason, igniting a partnership that will forever change the landscape along I-71, one of the most strategic economic development corridors in the State of Ohio. The site has played host to some of the most prestigious tennis and golf events in the world, and is undergoing a transformation that will elevate both men’s and women’s tennis, racquet sports, and golf operations. The City of Mason is creating a legacy project that will further its complement of world-class community amenities that align with its culture of wellness, enhance recreational programming opportunities, and drive economic development initiatives that are pacesetters for the region. THE CITY OF MASON, WWW.IMAGINEMASON.ORG; FEATURED: WWW.CINCINNATIOPEN.COM AND WWW.MASONGRIZZLY.COM

THE FACE of DENTAL INSURANCE

Delta Dental of Ohio

Tiffany

Schmidt

| Kelley Rinehart | Tanya Wilmes | Kim Hairston | Lindsey Parker

With more than 60 years of combined experience, Tanya Wilmes and her Cincinnati-based team focus on delivering exceptional service to their clients and agent partners. The team has grown the Cincinnati market to more than 300,000 covered members, from Fortune 500 employees to small, independent business owners. Building trusting relationships and offering a best-in-class product with the largest national network of directly contracted dentists are the keys to their local success. Delta Dental is committed to building healthy, smart, vibrant communities for all. The Delta Dental Foundation has invested $5 million to promote oral health in Ohio in the last ﬁve years, including sponsorship of eight school-based dental clinics in Cincinnati. Tanya and her team are proud to be a part of this mission. 7755 MONTGOMERY RD., SUITE 170, CINCINNATI, OH 45236, (513) 719-1320, WWW.DELTADENTALOH.COM

2024 FACES

of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of COMMUNITY

Gold Star

Gold Star traces its roots to 1963, when four Jordanian immigrants—the Daoud brothers—purchased Hamburger Heaven in Mt. Washington. Soon after, they decided to focus on serving their secret recipe Cincinnati-style chili, and Gold Star was born. Through the years, the recipe has remained a closely guarded secret by the Daoud family, as it represents so much more than chili itself—it’s about a family’s search for the American dream, being embraced by the Cincinnati community, and welcoming all to have a seat at their tables across the tri-state. To this day, CEO Roger David keeps the family’s legacy resonating through the community. As Gold Star continues to reinvent and evolve for the good of its guests, involvement in local neighborhoods remains a paramount value. Through countless efforts, Gold Star has shown up for the greater Cincinnati community, just as the community has shown up for Gold Star.

650 LUNKEN PARK DR., CINCINNATI, OH 45226, (513) 231-4541, WWW.GOLDSTARCHILI.COM/

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 nation. It has adapted its curriculum as workforce needs have evolved for more than 50 years, striving to stay at the leading edge of technology and industry demands. More than 30 career fields are available in healthcare, information systems, advanced manufacturing, animal care, construction technology, robotics, culinary arts, and more. Great Oaks enrolls 3,000 high school students on its four campuses from 36 affiliate districts, and more than 18,000 secondary and middle school students through Great Oaks satellite programs embedded in schools throughout the region. In addition, there are more than 13,000 adult students attending Great Oaks, training in a diverse array of fields.

110 GREAT OAKS DR., CINCINNATI, OH 45241, (513) 771-8840, WWW.GREATOAKS.COM/

2024 FACES

of CINCINNATI

THE FACE of BARRE

Pure Barre Oakley & Pure Barre West Chester

Kendra Northgard

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THE FACE of ROOFING

Ray St. Clair Rooﬁng

Our employees make our company special. We have little to no turnover, and therefore, we have happy, long-term employees that believe in what we do. Our employees exhibit the values of hard work and consistency that have been the foundation for our company. We believe our growth is due to our consistent commitment to our customers. Over 50% of our customer base is either repeat or referrals, which allows us to grow in a healthy and manageable way. We thrive on providing personal customer service. When you call us, you’ll get a live person that is happy to help and guide you through the process. That same personal touch will stay consistent throughout your experience with Ray St. Clair Rooﬁng. Longevity is why are we the face of our industry. We are a third-generation company of St. Clairs, celebrating over 70 years of business. We are the name that Cincinnati has come to know and trust.

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THE FACE of 21ST CENTURY LEARNING

The Seven Hills School

Matthew Bolton, Ph.D., Head of School

Ranked No. 1 Private K-12 School, No. 1 Private High School, No. 1 College Prep Private High School, and No. 1 High School for STEM in the Cincinnati area by Niche, The Seven Hills School is guided each day by its mission to engage students’ hearts and minds. Its extraordinary educators provide a supportive, child-centered environment for students—from age two to grade 12—to grow into graduates who lead meaningful lives of purpose. Its youngest learners have a well-rounded start in a variety of subjects that pique their interests, allowing them to ﬁnd their passions. Whether students’ interests lie on the ﬁeld, through its no-cut athletics program; on the stage, under the lights of its state-of-the-art performing arts center; or in the classroom, alongside its world-class teachers, students at The Seven Hills School are constantly learning about themselves, each other, and the world.

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THE FACE of

WOMEN’S HEALTH -

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Ursuline Academy

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song’s lyrics: How does it feel, how does it feel / To be without a home / Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone? I found great comfort and reassurance at that point in my life, at age 14. I’m happy I got to hear it performed in person in November 1965.”

The Music Hall show now is considered as important a Cincinnati popularmusic moment as The Beatles’ appearance at Cincinnati Gardens in 1964. That the Dylan concert occurred at one of the city’s historically signiﬁcant buildings is important to Herren, who muses in his newsletter on the location’s appropriateness and irony.

Riverfront Coliseum (now known as the Heritage Bank Center) on October 15, 1978. Traveling with a large group that included three singers, his show stressed the big sound and spectacle of arena rock, perfect for the ﬂashy new venue. And Cincinnati, too, had a ﬂashy new kind of civic leader in then-Mayor Jerry Springer.

Herren writes about that connection, partly expressing his own observations and partly quoting Springer, who died in 2023: “Mayor Springer was a big Dylan fan and arranged to meet the star backstage to present him with the key to the city. Springer later recalled: ‘That’s how I got to meet all these celebrities I wanted to meet. I said, If you come to Cincinnati and give us a concert, I’ll give you a key to the city. So in 1978 we had Dylan, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, The Eagles, Kenny Rogers. I mean, we had all these people coming in. It was just so I could meet them.’ ”

A photo of Dylan and Springer together backstage accompanies Herren’s post about the show.

anywhere deserve a good show.”

While some may ﬁ nd Herren’s quest simply a deep dive into Boomer music history, in some ways his work couldn’t be more current, thanks to Dylan’s knack for continually remaining relevant. A new biopic, A Complete Unknown , slated for release on December 25, a prime spot for movies with both commercial potential and award ambitions. The story follows Dylan’s early career leading up to the recording of “Like a Rolling Stone”; stars one of the hottest young actors in the business, Timothée Chalamet; and is directed and cowritten by James Mangold, whose Walk the Line brought Johnny Cash’s memoirs to life.

Meanwhile, the Bob Dylan Center, a major museum dedicated to his life and art, opened in 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. And in 2016, in an event that stunned even his biggest fans, he received the Nobel Prize in Literature, the ﬁrst songwriter to receive it.

Herren’s book-in-progress will be his second about the music icon. He published Dreams and Dialogues in Dylan’s Time Out of Mind in 2021, the title referring to a celebrated album the songwriter released in the late 1990s.

“By the mid-’60s when Dylan arrived, Music Hall stood as a point of civic pride for some Cincinnatians and an emblem of social inequality for others: a lavish palace attracting the city’s elite for evenings of leisure and jewelry rattling, situated in the heart of Over-the-Rhine, one of the most impoverished neighborhoods in the city,” he writes. “On one hand, this elegant home for classical music may seem an unlikely venue for Dylan to go electric in Cincinnati. This was in fact the ﬁrst rock concert ever performed at the venerable institution. On the other hand, its combination of grandeur, variety, vitality, and controversy made Music Hall the ideal setting for Dylan’s traveling revolution of 1965.”

Cincinnati and the world had changed immensely by the time of Dylan’s next visit, when he played the three-year-old

CINCINNATI IS BY NO MEANS UNIQUE IN having hosted Dylan so many times. While other musicians of his stature tour infrequently and only at large venues when they do, Dylan has been actively touring for decades now, performing at venues big and small, indoor and outdoor.

In that regard, he’s living the words of one of his idols, the troubadour Woody Guthrie: This land is his land. Conceivably, you can hear America singing—and changing—by using Dylan’s shows in almost any American city of moderate size as a reference point.

“He’s played everywhere,” says Herren. “And I don’t think it’s because the guy needs money. I think it’s because he is originally from Hibbing, Minnesota, a small town very few people would have bothered to come and play. Part of his inspiration is that he believes people from

Because of his novel approach to studying Dylan, as well as the singer-songwriter’s own continuing relevancy, Herren has won admiration within the world of “Dylanologists.” One is Ray Padgett, who in 2020 started a Substack, Flagging Down the Double E’s, devoted to Dylan’s live performances that now has more than 12,000 subscribers.

“I wish every city had a Graley Herren writing about Dylan, because the way he does it is so interesting,” says Padgett. “I’ve never been to Cincinnati. I have no connection to Cincinnati. But the way he does it is to incorporate this speciﬁc slice of Dylan history—which is the concerts and the music he performed there—and then brings in all this regional culture, all this local sociology. It’s fascinating.”

Another supporter is Laura Tenschert, who created Definitely Dylan, a Londonbased podcast since 2020 and a radio show for several years before that.“His Cincinnati series is unique in that it puts the focus on only one city—a city to which Dylan, superﬁcially, has no particularly deep ties—and

BOB DYLAN IN CINCINNATI

uses it to take the temperature of Dylan’s performances through the years,” she says. “In other words, the series’s narrow focus paints a surprisingly representative picture of Dylan’s work on stage on any given night. And, of course, each installment is a love letter to Cincinnati.”

It’s unknown what Dylan himself thinks of Herren’s work, if he even knows it exists. He’s a busy man. Reached by e-mail, his manager, Jeff Rosen, says he declines to comment on writings about Dylan.

HERREN, 54, DIVIDES HIS TIME BETWEEN his Dylan studies and his teaching and personal devotion to literature, particularly contemporary ﬁction and drama. He started teaching English literature at Xavier in 1998, and students look up to him for advice. He and his wife, Cathy, have a son named, naturally, Dylan.

On the day of our interview, I wait in the hallway outside his Hinkel Hall office as he gives encouraging, friendly advice to a student working on a term paper about

visit. Just below is another famous image of Dylan walking with his then-girlfriend Suzi Rotolo down a snowy, wintry Jones Street in Greenwich Village, which was used on the cover of his 1963 album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Herren’s copy of it promotes a 2006 Cincinnati Art Museum show called The Photograph as Music Album Cover

But Herren does most of his Dylan writing at home, so most of his Dylan resource material is there. His campus office displays a collection of books by and about another of his great artistic loves, the radically modernist Irish writer Samuel Beckett, best known for the play Waiting for Godot . Herren wrote his dissertation on Beckett for his English doctorate degree from Florida State University.

Since Beckett won the 1969 Nobel Prize for Literature, I ask Herren what he thinks of Dylan’s similar award. Does he deserve it? “I never even considered the possibility that Bob Dylan could win the prize,” he says. “That was amazing and a wonderful surprise. I love it and totally support it. As

“I LOVE CINCINNATI,” SAYS HERREN. “I’M NOT ORIGINALLY FROM HERE, SO THIS DYLAN RESEARCH HAS GIVEN ME A CHANCE TO LEARN SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THE CITY I LOVE.”

Blanche DuBois, a key ﬁgure in Tennessee Williams’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play A Streetcar Named Desire. A positive man given to a happy, jovial way with words that never seems pedantic, Herren laughs when I tell him I plan to use that Streetcar anecdote in this story. He quickly offers up an off-the-wall Dylan-DuBois connection.

“Dylan occasionally has made a Tennessee Williams reference in his songs,” he says. “In the song he won the Oscar for, ‘Things Have Changed,’ there’s a reference to ‘Don’t get up gentlemen, I’m only passing through.’ That line is from Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Herren’s XU office displays a bit of prominent Dylan memorabilia. On a wall next to a window that lets in the morning light is a poster for Don’t Look Back, a 1967 documentary about Dylan’s tour of England shortly after his ﬁrst Cincinnati

someone who writes so much and talks so much and teaches so much on Bob Dylan, I have to say it felt like a moment of vindication. See, I’m not just some weird crank with this odd eccentricity.”

While Herren knew early in his school career that he enjoyed studying English literature, his affinity for Dylan took a while to develop. Growing up in the small town of Baxter, Tennessee, he remembers being startled by Dylan’s appearance on the televised 1985 Live Aid concert, for which many of rock’s top artists performed to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. He was not impressed.

Why is this guy so important he’s chosen to close the whole shebang? Herren recalls thinking. “His performance sounded bad. Why did so many people think he was so great?”

His interest in and admiration for Dylan

grew, though, when he saw him live for the ﬁrst time in Nashville in 1989. Ten years later, Herren attended his ﬁrst Cincinnati Dylan concert at Bogart’s. Because it was a comparatively small venue for an act of his stature (capacity of just 900), there was keen competition to get a ticket for the show.

The 2001 show at Xavier’s Cintas Center also left a powerful impression. It was held on November 4, not even two months after the cataclysmic events of 9/11, and became “a good example of where what’s going on outside the concert venue casts a shadow on what’s going on inside, in ways you couldn’t control,” says Herren. “Our minds were elsewhere. The world had changed after the attack. There was a lot of fear and tension in the arena that night, because we brought it in with us.”

Dylan, he says, tapped into the angst with his song selection, which included ominous songs about war and loss such as “All Along the Watchtower,” “Searching for a Soldier’s Grave,” and “John Brown.” But he also did other songs that provided a sense of hope or solace, like his ﬁrst number, the gospel song “Wait for the Light to Shine.”

“He was acknowledging that these are dark times but also singing reminders of some hope,” Herren says. “Bob Dylan was aware of this situation and curated a setlist that spoke to the audiences he was encountering at that time. Partly, though, it’s what we were bringing to it through our own individual responses.”

Herren last saw Dylan at Riverbend a few months ago, ironically on September 11, when he was part of the Outlaw Music Festival that included Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Southern Avenue. Herren went with his wife; their son had to bow out at the last minute. “That was a good show with certain highlights,” he says. “He did a powerful version of ‘A Hard Rain.’ It was like a funeral oration, really deep.”

He’ll be writing up his review of that show soon as he completes his chronicle of Dylan’s history in this city. “I love Cincinnati,” says Herren. “I’m not originally from here, so it’s given me a chance to learn so much more about the city I love by doing this research.”

Herren is teaching us—and, he hopes, a much wider audience—that change is always blowing in the wind.

OB-GYN at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and a faculty member at the Sexual Health and Gender Affirmation Center. Like Kingsberg and Connor, she’s a member of the foundation’s medical advisory board.

Women’s sexual health is not standard in medical professionals’ curricula, Mikkilineni says, so doctors like her must seek further training on their own after they ﬁnish their residency. “We do that in our ﬁrst

for better funding at the highest levels of the government,” Mikkilineni says.

Over the course of the roughly two-hour BrowseHer event, the panelists answer questions on topics ranging from perimenopause and menopause to pelvic pain during intercourse (experienced by one in seven women in their lifetime), hormone therapy, birth control, and so much more. “I want to start bringing more and more women together so we feel conﬁdent when we go to our doctors,” Brisben tells the crowd. “We can speak out. We can understand our bodies better.”

THE EDUCATION PIECE IS A HUGE part of the SHE+ Foundation, says Bri Ledsome, its new development director. That’s why the BrowseHer event is available to watch on YouTube and why it’s included in the foundation’s Research Hub on a new

“I WANT TO BRING MORE AND MORE WOMEN TOGETHER SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND OUR BODIES BETTER AND FEEL CONFIDENT WHEN WE GO TO OUR DOCTORS,” SAYS PATTY BRISBEN.

few years as an attending doctor in a new position,” she says, “while possibly trying to start our own families.”

Women’s sexual health is playing catchup for a lot of reasons, says Mikkilineni. “Historically, science has considered a male body the default and a woman’s body too complicated,” she says. “Gender roles have minimized women’s health issues of sexuality, reproductive health, and menopause because of stigmas and taboos against talking about it.”

Also, funding priorities have tipped toward issues more critical to men, she says, because decision-making bodies—including medicine, government, and medical institutions—have historically been led by men. In addition, commercial interests prioritize research perceived as having a larger consumer market and promises of high proﬁtability, like erectile dysfunction medications for men.

“But I’m hopeful that women are having their moment now, as we’re taking more leadership positions and ﬁghting back more

website, sheplusfoundation.com.

The Resource Hub has a plethora of materials, from links and online resources to books to read and videos to watch on all sorts of women’s sexual health topics. The hub also has pocket guides on how to start a conversation with a healthcare provider about a range of sexual health concerns, including perimenopause, menopause, desire and libido, and physical and sexual abuse.

Prior to joining SHE+, Ledsome was a social justice advocate on many fronts, including working with survivors of sexual assault. “We want to break down barriers and give access to information you might not have otherwise,” she says. “And we want to have these conversations in public all together, but also in smaller, more anonymous settings.”

SHE+ is spreading its message of advocacy, solidarity, and respect on social media as well, with accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Doing this work means confronting stigma and shame surrounding women’s health, Brisben says. “I want

everybody to get comfortable with their body,” she says. “I want both mothers and fathers to teach their children about their bodies, which helps take the shame out of it, because that’s where shame begins and that’s why people stay quiet.”

Quiet about sexual abuse. Quiet about a sexual dysfunction. “It’s not just that the foundation is giving money for better research and information,” she says. “I really feel we’re going back to ground zero and starting all over to help people understand why this is so important.”

Brisben is proud of the foundation’s research component. It’s given out nearly $1 million in grants over the past ﬁve years, with an average grant amount of $48,000. The foundation has awarded almost $200,000 so far in 2024.

The projects fall into one or more of the foundation’s eight focus areas: endometriosis, female genital mutilation, the impact of perimenopause and menopause on sexual health, intimacy-related sexual dysfunction after cancer treatments, libido and desire, LGBTQIA+ health, pelvic pain, and vulvovaginal pain.

Endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that’s similar to the inner lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, causing pain, infertility, and other health issues. Cases range in severity, but endometriosis is often painful, with some women reporting pelvic pain during sex.

Roughly 10 percent of women of reproductive age suff er from endometriosis, yet a diagnosis on average takes more than seven years. The SHE+ Foundation is committed to advancing research, raising awareness, and providing support for women with endometriosis to improve their lives and well-being, Brisben says. A grant of $66,836 was awarded to Medstar Health Washington Hospital Center in 2022 to study the use of platelet-rich plasma injections to improve sexual function and decrease pelvic pain.

Over the years, SHE+ has given money to 61 research projects across the U.S., including the Boston-based International Association for Premenstrual Disorders, which launched a program designed to help women facing the impact and abruptness of surgical menopause. The program has provided approximately 90,000 women

May the spirit of Christmas fill your hearts today and guide you throughout the coming year. In this Christmas season at St. Rita School for the Deaf, we reflect on the blessings of the past year and look forward to the opportunities ahead.

FOR THEMSELVES

with support and resources as well as continuing education and training via a smartphone app.

SHE+ also gave money to the Society of Gynecologic Surgeons in 2021 to develop a standardized counseling tool for patients after pelvic reconstructive surgery. The foundation has worked with and supported the UC Health Women’s Center with funds to develop a strategy to educate women about sexual health in the doctor’s office, producing three videos on sexual health: one for younger premenopausal women, one for midlife and older women, and one for women with a history of cancer.

“Sexual health was not cured with Viagra,” says Michael Thomas, M.D., chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at UC’s College of Medicine. “Having one partner who is sexually receptive or functional does not equate to a healthy sexual

Kingsberg suggests that we not think of vibrators as sexual toys but as sexual tools that can be helpful to bring into the bedroom if you have a partner or if you don’t.

When it comes to drop in libido, dryness, and other sexual health problems, hormone therapy is available. Thomas says it’s important, when considering hormone therapy, to ﬁnd a doctor who spends at least 30–45 minutes going through medical history and considering what medications a woman is already taking.

Related to menopause, everyone knows about hot ﬂashes and brain fog, but they may have also heard that menopause is a leading cause of osteoporosis, a progressive condition in which bones become structurally weak and are more likely to fracture or break. Yet studies have shown that women can suffer the most bone loss in the years prior to menopause, Mikkilineni says.

“SEXUAL HEALTH WAS NOT CURED WITH VIAGRA,” SAYS MICHAEL THOMAS, M.D. “WITHOUT THE SHE+ FOUNDATION,

FEMALE

SEXUAL HEALTH WOULD BE ON THE BACK BURNER.”

relationship. The SHE+ Foundation is one of the few foundations funding innovative research in sexual health, and without these monies, female sexual health would be on the back burner.”

BRISBEN WANTS WOMEN TO TAKE control of their own sexual health ﬁrst by understanding their bodies, second by better understanding female sexual function and dysfunction, and third by demanding what they need. There are ways to preserve sexual function, avoid pain, and protect your health, the panel at BrowseHer explains.

As mentioned before with the “use it or lose it” question, pelvic ﬂoor health is important and is part of a broader muscle system of strong hips, strong glutes, and strong abdominals, says Connor. Sex is one way, but certainly not the only way, to keep this area of the body strong. Pelvic ﬂoor exercises can ward off pelvic pain and help with incontinence, which one in three women experience in their lifetime.

“That completely ignores the up to 10 years prior, with the average year of menopause being 51, of hormonal fluctuations and changes that can have some serious longterm effects,” she says.

On the other end of the life cycle, reproductive and social trends are also changing for women. “Millennials don’t want to get pregnant anymore,” says Thomas. “They want to see me to freeze their eggs. The population of women wanting to get pregnant over the age of 40 is increasing, and that’s a large segment of where healthcare is going.”

Conversations about all of these topics should be had with your doctor, panel members say, and if they can’t answer the questions, ask who can. “You need to start demanding this both in your doctor’s ofﬁce and in your local governmental agency,” says Mikkilineni. “Reach out to your congressman. Get loud on social media. Start demanding the things we need. This doesn’t fall just on women. It’s on everybody.”

Ledsome says the SHE+ Foundation will step up support for all women as they demand better medical information and treatment. By the end of spring, its Medical Advisory Board will have reviewed and chosen the recipients of the next round of grant funding.

There is still so much research to be done, and so much to be learned, says Christine Vaccaro, D.O., a urogynecologist and sexual medicine specialist who is also a member of the foundation’s medical advisory board. “I wish everyone knew that women’s sexual health was just as important as men’s sexual health,” she says. “The human clitoris has 10,000 nerve endings, which was only discovered last year. The clitoral anatomy was ﬁrst described correctly in 2005 and wasn’t included in medical textbooks prior to that.”

Fund-raising is imperative to create lasting change in women’s sexual health, says Ledsome, including the foundation’s annual gala in October and a greater focus on individual donations. “That’s my personal bread and butter,” she says, mentioning her seven years working in campaign politics. “Cincinnati has a very robust young professional community of people who have disposable income, and a lot of them already dedicate part of their budget to philanthropy.”

SHE+ will maintain its advocacy efforts, setting up booths at community events like the Flying Pig Marathon, medical conferences, and annual meetings like the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health in February in Long Beach, California. “At University Hospitals in Cleveland, we train our doctors to talk to their patients and say, Most of my patients have sexual concerns after a baby or at menopause or with Type 2 diabetes, what are your concerns? How hard is that?” says Kingsberg.

Brisben launched Pure Romance so women could make their own decisions about what happens in their bedrooms. The SHE+ Foundation will continue to bring that empowerment out from behind closed doors.

“Sexual health is general health,” says Brisben. “It does not discriminate. It’s universal. But right now we have to be our own advocates.”

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

PRESENTING SPONSORS: MadTree Brewing, Cintas Center, Incubator Kitchen Collective

SPONSORS: Betty Crocker, Guittard, Martha White, General Mills, Pillsbury, Justin’s, Skippy, Hershey, Reese’s, Ben & Jerry’s, Muscle Milk, Chinet, Bonne Maman, Vital Farms, McCormick, McCormick Gourmet, Bob’s Red Mill, Duncan Hines, Oreo, Four Sixes, Clabber Girl, Crisco, OWYN, Big Blue Moving

October 8, 2024 Cintas Center → Xavier University’s pep band, cheerleaders, and dance team welcomed guests to this year’s Great Cincinnati Bake-Off More than 20 stations of sweet treats and a few savory bites fi lled the Cintas Center. Fox 19’s Courtney King emceed our stage competitions with extra help from the Musketeer and Blue Blob mascots. But the real stars of the night were the incredible entries and winners of our 10 baking competitions! Special thanks to Rachel DesRochers’s Incubator Kitchen Collective for their support.

WHAT’S IN STORE?

From farm fresh eggs to grab-and-go meals to frozen foods, ETC Produce & Provisions has the goods.

ETC OPENS IN WALNUT HILLS P. 106 ARTSY FOOD IN THE COV P. 110 BAR OWNER Q&A P. 110

MEXICAN FOOD TRUCK BATTLE P.112

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ETC brings fresh food to Walnut Hills and helps the community’s resurgence.

—RODNEY WILSON

“THE JUICE IS LOOSE. I GET TO DO WHATever I want!”

Toncia Chavez is, in a word, excited. ETC Produce & Provisions, the thriving farm-centric grocery she’s run with her husband, Estevan, at Findlay Market since 2017, recently expanded to a brick-andmortar space in Walnut Hills, and the local entrepreneur is bubbling with joy over the thought of eggs. Just regular eggs. “Very conventional, your regular dozen eggs you’d see in a Kroger,” she says.

The notion of buying eggs and other basic essentials in Walnut Hills is, in fact, kind of a thrilling notion. The neighborhood has been without a walkable grocery since 2016, when the beleaguered Kroger, after years of operating at a loss, ﬁnally closed its doors for good. Since then, the area has effectively been a food desert, with the closest place to buy groceries a car or bus ride away. Occupying the anchor space in the new Paramount Launch building at the very site of the shuttered Kroger, ETC Produce & Provisions and Chavez have accepted the daunting responsibility of feeding a hungry neighborhood.

Toncia and Estevan ﬁrst met years ago in Louisville, where she worked as a baker for Maker’s Mark Bourbon House and he worked with parking service companies. The pair was poised to advance in their respective careers but started to feel they were sacriﬁcing essential experiences for potential success.

“We never got to see each other,” she says. “I married this man because I loved him, but we were just not enjoying life.”

So they quit their jobs, sold their stuff, and drove a little camper across the country for a year, farming with a movement

known as World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

“We learned how to work on organic farms, we learned how to work on conventional farms,” Chavez says. “From A to Z, we learned a bunch of great things and we wanted to bring it back.” Speciﬁcally, the couple wanted to purchase a farm of their own, and with Estevan hailing from Hyde Park (Toncia is an L.A. native), they looked for and eventually found 68 acres in nearby Felicity, Ohio. The farm was less than ideal—a creek bisected the property, with a 100-foot swinging bridge connecting the barn and house—but they set about ﬁlling the pastures with heritage-breed chickens, working their way up from 25 birds to around 600. That’s a lot of eggs, and the Chavezes needed a place to sell them. Luckily, Cincinnati is home to Ohio’s oldest continuously operated public market.

“We started at the farmers’ market at Findlay Market in 2017,” she explains. “I’m a baker by trade, so we baked everything to ﬁll our table. We picked ﬂowers, we picked herbs, we had eggs.” Following two years in the Farm Shed (one of Findlay’s outdoor market spaces), a “primo spot” by the entrance became available and ETC Produce & Provisions officially opened in 2019, selling locally sourced and organic goods to the public. The COVID-19 pandemic boosted their burgeoning home-delivery service exponentially and set ETC on an accelerated, if unexpected, path to success.

The pandemic (and deft acumen) set ETC up for continued success as the Chavezes grew their Findlay Market business to include more than 150 farmers and artisans. If you stop in today, you’ll ﬁnd everything from fresh produce and frozen meat to bread, meal bundles, and bottled organic condiments. Delivery kept going, too, until mid-2024. Chavez is quick to point out that none of this was necessarily planned, but she’s grateful for how things turned out.

“You have this idea, just like you have this idea of what your farm is,” she says. “I thought I’d be baking, not managing the store, but I was completely wrong—which I love. Baking is one of my passions, for sure, but hospitality is

WON’T YOU BE OUR NEIGHBOR?

Between the new Walnut Hills store and the original Findlay Market location, ETC Produce & Provisions is making organic groceries a way of life for more people.

BEST CITY

my all-day, every day obsession.”

A couple of years ago, the Chavezes started thinking about expanding ETC to a second location and approached one of their customers, Matt Reckman of local development ﬁ rm Model Group, about helping them ﬁ nd a spot. They toured a handful of sites and were about to move on from the idea when Reckman mentioned a long-term project in the works: a mixed-use development slated for the site of the closed Walnut Hills Kroger.

“We were like, Oh my God, we kind of love it,” she says. “We believe in Walnut Hills, and being able to give this community fresh groceries is like a dream come true for us.”

The years-long wait was perfect, too, as it gave them time to save for (and, ultimately, sell their farm to afford) the expansion.

The years of sacriﬁce and hard work paid off in October, when the doors to ETC Produce & Provisions in Walnut Hills opened to the community as the anchor business in the Model Group and Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation’s building. The 3,500-square-foot space features fresh meats, rotisserie chicken, yogurt, grab-and-go meals, and tons of frozen foods. ETC features a large food prep area and a number of prepacked deli items, as well as a selection of beer and wine.

And then there are the eggs. While ETC will of course carry a range of local, organic products, Chavez understands her commitment to paying farmers fairly for their labor has an effect on consumer pricing. She also gets that being the only Walnut Hills grocer comes with certain responsibilities to her community. And while Findlay limits sales to only local or organic products, in Walnut Hills, ETC can sell conventional items at an affordable price to a neighborhood in need in addition to the higher-end stuff.

“We’re basically taking the ETC at Findlay and putting it on steroids,” she says. “I feel like this is a resurgence of the community, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

Art and Eats

FROM THE MISMATCHED CHAIRS AROUND THE BAR TO THE WONDERLAND-LIKE collection of mirrors in the bathroom, dEcORa EATERY & DRINKERY bursts with character. The venue is an art gallery, bar, and restaurant shaken into one. The art is always for sale, and the space changes with seasonal twists and new canvases from owner Dustin Sims’s collection, but your eyes won’t be the only senses feasting. A basic bar bite menu (sliders, salads, ﬂatbreads) and specialties like the Pulled Pork Sweet BBQ Loaded Tater Tots (pulled pork, BBQ sauce, three-cheese blend, pickles, sour cream, chives, and smoked chili sea salt) transform classic sides into entertaining mains. The tots provide a crunchy base, supporting the blend of sweet, savory, salty, and tangy toppings perfectly. Pulled pork crowns the dish, and it earns the spotlight. The sweet BBQ tempers the rich, heavy cheese that holds the dish together, and the tender pork suits the tater tots’ texture well. Sour cream and pickles pop with tangy acidity, linking the sweet and the savory. The chives and sea salt get a little lost in the cheese, but that’s OK. The base layers are baked together on the plate, leaving lacy frills of crisped cheese. The cheese sticks to the decorative parchment paper, so the bottom layer requires careful excavation. The more signature cocktails you try, the harder this becomes. But each bite’s worth the effort.

—M.LEIGHHOOD

LEROY ANSLEY

THE OWNER OF UNCLE LEO’S talks bar life, with the Over-theRhine spot recently celebrating two years in business.

You’re originally from Kansas, right? Absolutely, from Kansas City. Bounced around a lot after college, cooking in various cities. But I fell in love with Cincinnati and wouldn’t want to call any other place home.

What’s made you stay for so long? Cincinnati is such an incredible city. The restaurant and bar scene is a great tight community where we push each other to be the best version of ourselves.

Why did you decide to switch from restaurants to managing a bar? I have been a chef since I moved to Cincinnati in 2010. Having worked with great operators such as Daniel Wright and the Wayne Brothers, it really opened my eyes to wanting to be an owner, so when I had the opportunity to own our own bar with my wife, I had to jump at the chance.

dEcORa EATERY & DRINKERY, 333 Scott St., Covington, (859) 261-0638, instagram. com/experience. decora

How do you decide what food goes on the menu? A lot of the food is steeped in classic French techniques. On Thursdays when it’s cold out, we do Beef Bourguignon; when it’s warmer, we shuck oysters from Island Creek Oysters. We made caviar and potato espuma served with Pringles, so we do an upscale dish in a very down-home manner. (Also, an industry secret: We harvest our Pringles from the Meijer in Milford.) We have a chance to be creative with the food options.

– AIESHA D LITTLE

FLAVOR FIGHT

In a Mexican food truck battle, who comes out on top?

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION:

This truck is located in the parking lot of ice cream shop La Michoacana Y Sus Antojitos, so you can have a sweet treat while you wait for your order. THE MEXICAN VILLAGE

OUT-OF-THEBOX MENU

ITEM:

The Mexican hamburger is a burger patty of chorizo, ham, and onion, topped with pineapple, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

BEST “TACO TUESDAY”

SPECIAL:

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every Tuesday, you can get your choice of chicken, steak, al pastor, and chorizo tacos for $2 each.

SIDE SELECTION:

Can’t go wrong with chips and salsa.

This trailer is covered with a mural of—you guessed it—a Mexican village.

BEST YELP REVIEW:

“One of my favorite destinations. I’m SUPER picky on my Mexican, especially tacos and burritos. Being raised out west, if a taco doesn’t come out of a truck…it’s crap. From the standards of pork, chicken, and steak, they also offer authentic Mexican fare, such as tripe, [lengua], etc.”—Tim G.

The Mexican Village 5225 Montgomery Rd., Norwood, (513) 646-2119

BEST “TACO TUESDAY”

SPECIAL:

Jorge’s taco trays features 20 tacos, three sides, rice, beans, and guac for $50.

D. LITTLE

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION:

Typically parked in the Shell gas station parking lot at the corner of Erie Avenue and Rosslyn Drive, it’s a little isolated but worth the drive.

SIDE SELECTION:

OUT-OF-THEBOX MENU

ITEM:

Not many go to a taco truck expecting vegetarian options, but vegetarianos can get the quesadilla and burrito without meat.

Arroz (Mexican rice) and frijoles (refried beans) make appearances on this menu.

DESIGN: This former parcel truck delivers big on ﬂavor, not color (it’s gray).

BEST YELP REVIEW:

“I’ve been on the hunt for the best taco truck near me. I’m a native Los Angelenos, and grew up being taken to King Taco. I share this only to make a point that I know really good tacos. Run to Jorge’s!!”—Margaret S.

Jorge’s Taco Truck 3980 Erie Ave., Oakley, (513) 370-0232, jorgestacotruckcincinnati.com

DESIGN:

JORGE’S TACO TRUCK

HOLIDAY MAGIC

Experience holiday magic in Hamilton County, Indiana. Explore the award-winning Carmel Christkindlmarkt. Enjoy festive shows at the Center for the Performing Arts. And stroll our illuminated town squares. Discover more magic while riding the Reinder Express train and at Conner Prairie’s A Merry Prairie Holiday. Holiday magic is everywhere!

Plan your holiday getaway today at VisitHamiltonCounty.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

AMERICAN

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 duck breast, lamb chop, and demi haute chocolate boar 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, thebrowndogcafe.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat. MCC, DS. $$$

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, DS. $$$$

GREYHOUND TAVERN

Back in the streetcar days, this roughly 100-yearold 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

WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Trevor Snowden, owner of Delwood and Parkside, is opening a pizza spot in the old Pizza Bank space in Mt. Lookout early next year. The restaurant—which is on Linwood Avenue, a stone’s throw from Delwood—will seat around 20 people and focus primarily on takeout.

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 $30

$$$ = Up to $49

$$$$ = $50 and up

= Named a Best Restaurant March 2023. Top 10

= Named a Best New Restaurant March 2024.

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) 3313767, greyhoundtavern.com. Lunch and dinner seven days, brunch Sun. MCC, DS. $$

Top 10

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. All steaks are premium and hand-selected, the star player being the Japanese A5 Wagyu. The Ultimate Surf & Turf is a date night favorite with a 34-ounce Angus Tomahawk, four shrimp, four scallops and two lobster tails. Bluefin tuna steak is complemented by cilantro lime rice, a vegetable medley, chimichurri, and a soy ginger vinaigrette. Confit duck leg, an Ivory House specialty, is served with parsnip mash, confit beets, and berry gastrique. The cocktails are ones you’ve probably seen before, but everything—from the Death Valley Farm Old Fashioned to the Best West Lemon Drop—has an extra dash of liveliness from a house-made element, like the rosemary syrup.

2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood, (513) 3890175, ivoryhousecincy.com. Dinner seven days, brunch Sun. MCC. DC. $$$

RON’S ROOST

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

3853 Race Rd., Bridgetown, (513) 574-0222, ronsroost.net. 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) 831-5753, theschoolhousecincinnati.com. Lunch Thurs–Fri, dinner Thurs–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

SUGAR N’ SPICE

This Paddock Hills diner, with other locations in Over-the-Rhine 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) 2423521; 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. $

TANO BISTRO

This Loveland bistro is comfortable, with reasonably priced food and amenable service. The menu’s 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) 6838266; 150 Riverfront Plaza, Hamilton, (513) 795-8654, foodbytano.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat, dinner Sun & Mon. MCC. $$$

THE WILDFLOWER CAFÉ

Wildﬂower Café is not the sort of place that tries to wow anyone with feats of inventiveness. Its for-

mula 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 wellmade, 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. $$$

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.

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

ELI’S BBQ

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 nofrills 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 bringyour-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. $

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 appearance. 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. $

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 was wonderfully meaty, with dense layers, substantial and satisfying as a counterpart to the noodles. Ask for some suggestions and prepare to be astonished.

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

ORIENTAL WOK

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

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

THE PACIFIC KITCHEN

The monster of a menu can be dizzying. Ease in with some top-notch Korean Wings. These slightly bubbly, shatter-crisp wings are painted with a thin gochujang chili sauce (a foil to the fat). It takes 24 hours to prep the Cantonese duck, between a honey-vinegar brine to dry the skin, a marinade of star anise, bean paste, and soy within the 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. $$

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

Top10

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 lamb belly skewer with tzatziki and pickled shallots, feel just as

accomplished as old favorites like the falafel, beautifully moist and crumbly with a bright parsley interior. The restaurant is always watching for what works and what will truly satisfy, ready to sacriﬁce the superﬁcially interesting in favor of the essential.

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

ALCOVE

Alcove lives up to its name, the embodiment of a green oasis at the corner of Vine and 14th streets. A lot of care goes into the space’s bright, ﬂoral design—it features more than 300 square feet of plant-covered “living walls,” which are pruned by their creator, Urban Blooms, on a weekly basis. Equal care and attention went goes into Alcove’s the seasonal farm-to-table menu. It’s an uncomplicated affair featuring exceptional-but-approachable dishes. As one might expect from a restaurant where plants cover most of the walls, vegetables are done very well here. The simple, clean pear and quark salad stands out as do the stuffed mushrooms. Like the produce, much of the meat is sourced from local and regional farms (for instance, the “Denver Cut” of steak— a lean cut, taken from the shoulder—comes from Sakura Farms in nearby Westerville, Ohio). Among other local vendors, Rich Life Farms, Urban Stead Cheese, and Eli Settler (a.k.a. “Eli the Farmer”) all contribute to Alcove’s menu. This is a restaurant that takes sustainability seriously, and sustainability has a funny way of going hand-in-hand with quality.

1410 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 371-5700, madtree.com/locations/alcove-bar-restaurant. Brunch Fri–Sun, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

THE APERTURE

After several pandemic-related setbacks, Chef/ Owner Jordan Anthony-Brown opened his Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Walnut Hills’s historic Paramount Square Building. And it was worth the wait. The restaurant’s seasonal menu draws on ﬂavors from across the Mediterranean with subtle touches, such as its woodﬁred pita, elevated with za’atar seasoning and olive oil. The sublime charred carrots are served with Middle Eastern spice blends like dukkah and ras el hanout as well as mint and crumbles of lamb merguez sausage. Brined, poached, and cooked over coals, the carrots themselves eat like a tender smoked sausage. It’s a dish that perfectly encapsulates The Aperture’s commitment to serving substantial versions of traditionally lighter fare. For a restaurant so serious about food—and exceptional wines—it’s refreshing to see it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The original cocktails have offbeat names like #lemon and I’m Her, and the catchy playlist is heavy on old-school hip-hop. At heart, The Aperture is a neighborhood restaurant, albeit one that’s bound to bring people in from all over.

900 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, (513) 872-1970, theaperturecinci.com. Dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $$

ATWOOD OYSTER HOUSE

While Atwood has done an excellent job of working closely with coastal purveyors to curate a focused but eclectic selection of oysters, the rest of its menu consists of southern coastal cuisine prepared with rigorous French technique. The wild-caught ﬁsh is as fresh and deliberately sourced as the eponymous oysters, and grilled shrimp with Calabrian chili and arugula. The modern, clean-lined space, adorned with busts and oil paintings (curated with the help of neighborhood artist Alex Frank) matches the elegant food. It’s stately without being stuff y; it somehow feels both timeless and hip. Like everything else at Atwood, it’s the result of a delicate, highly successful balancing act.

1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4256,

atwoodoysterhouse.com.

Top10

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.

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

Top10

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. $$

WEALTH MANAGEMENT & TRUST

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CROWN REPUBLIC GASTROPUB

What makes Crown Republic special isn’t its handful of outstanding dishes. It’s the place’s sheer consistency. No single dish is absolutely mind-blowing or completely original, but when almost everything that comes out is genuinely tasty, the service is always friendly and attentive, and (stop the presses!) the bill is quite a bit less than you expected, you sit up and pay attention. The crab and avocado toast, served on toasted bread with lime juice and slivers of pickled Fresno chiles, is a prime example of what makes Crown Republic tick. The cocktails are equally unfussy and good, like the Tequila Honey Bee, made with tequila reposado, honey thyme syrup, lemon, bitters, and mezcal rinse, which adds a smoky kick. 720 Sycamore St., downtown, (513) 246-4272, crownrepublicgastropub.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. Brunch Sat & Sun. V, MC, DS, AMEX. $$

FIVE ON VINE

The ﬁfth venture from Anthony Sitek and wife Haley Nutter-Sitek’s Crown Restaurant Group, Five on Vine achieves excitement through comfort food with meticulous attention to detail: the meat is butchered in-house, the bread and pasta are made from scratch, and the bacon is house-cured. House-butchered beef and house-made pasta come together beautifully in the pappardelle stroganoff, served with chunks of short rib that are as tender as the noodles themselves. Thick, cleanly acidic fried green tomatoes make an appearance, as does a bountiful cioppino, a tomato-based seafood stew created by Italian American ﬁsherman in San Francisco. Some of the dishes are pulled straight from Sitek’s own childhood, in New Jersey. “Gracie’s Meatballs,” named in honor of his grandmother, use her unique blend of raisins and pine nuts. A love letter to the long-beloved dishes, the menu is an extended rebuttal against the tired argument that American food is bland and boring.

1324 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4301, ﬁveonvine.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$

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, gluten-free 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 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. $

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. $

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 rusticity. Its vegetarian fare contains many of its most inventive and delightful creations. The seared salmon is served with miso wild rice, asparagus, pickled bok choy, and sesame seeds. The blistered shishitos, served with burrata and preserved lemon, encapsulates Metropole at its best: fun and whimsical, but rooted in careful execution of deep and satisfying ﬂavors.

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

Top10 MITA’S

It’s ﬁtting that Chef/Owner 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. The tacos de barriga de cerdo, which come in pairs, are made with fried pork belly, citrus gastrique, habanero slaw, huitalacoche mayo, and are served on house-made corn tortillas. 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, DC. $$$

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

UNFORESEEN POTENTIAL

to get delightfully unexpected touches. The smoked chicken, for example, comes with peach Alabama barbecue sauce, greens, mirliton, and charred peach. 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,DC. $$$

OPAL

Opal’s hip-ly minimal menu (many of the dishes have one syllable names like “Duck” or “Fish”) centers around the restaurant’s wood-fired, 88-inch grill. You can taste the grill’s handiwork on the “Cauliflower” appetizer, which also comes with citrus supremes, fennel pollen (a potent and rather pricey spice), salsa brava (a smoky Mediterranean sauce, not to be confused with the ubiquitous Latin American salsa), feta, and almonds. For the duck, the kiss of flame locks in the juices while a medley of blackberry, peanut, chow chow, and jus add the sweetness that one expects to flavor a good game bird. According to Owner Bill Whitlow, Opal’s menu started small as the team figured out which dishes worked best with its signature grill. The selections, like the restaurant, have continued to grow, so you can expect tweaks and seasonal changes to a menu this committed to fresh meat and produce.

535 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 261-0629, opalrooftop.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DC. $$$

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. $$

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 palaterattling 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 truffle fries inspire countless return visits.

1100 Summit Place Dr., Blue Ash, (513) 7690099, senateblueash.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MC, V, DS. $

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) 3965800, and other locations, authenticwaffle. com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tues–Sun, breakfast and lunch Mon, brunch Sun. MCC, DS. $$

TERANGA

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

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

MCC. $

YUCA

Yuca is in The Fairﬁeld’s former space, retaining

NO CAP

The Cameron Mitchell Restaurants will open Cap City Fine Diner and Bar inside of the new Hotel Celare in Clifton Heights this month. The menu features classic comfort food, including an All-American cheeseburger and a buffalo chicken sandwich as well as brunch favorites, such as French toast. cameronmitchell. com/restaurants

much of the same modern, airy, and inviting café vibes with a neighborhood feel, but boasting a menu certainly worth a commute. In the mood for a hearty breakfast?

Indulge in the Fat Zach, a heaping corn gordita packed to the brim with chicken, chorizo, and scrambled egg, served with avocado, pineapple pico, and sweet and spicy potatoes. There’s a full drink menu ranging from coffee to Bloody Marys—or a selection of margaritas and palomas if you’re looking to stick around.

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

FRENCH

CHEZ RENÉE FRENCH BISTROT

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

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

COLETTE

At his “mostly French” restaurant, Chef Danny Combs has built a more laid-back home for his focused, pristine cooking. While there is classic bistro

fare, like steak frites, on the concentrated menu, there are also less familiar but equally classic French dishes, like Brandade de Morue (a silky emulsion of whipped salt cod served with rustic bread) and the savory puff pastry known as Vol-au-Vent. One can turn to the extensive drink menu (also “mostly French”) to ﬁnd a wine or cocktail to go with any dish on offer. Like Zula, Colette would function just ﬁne as a wine and cocktail bar, though we can’t imagine coming to a place this good and not eating something.

1400 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-1018, coletteotr.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DC. $$

FRENCH CRUST

Located in the old Globe Furniture building at the corner of Elm and Elder Streets, this Jean-Robert de Cavel creation offers French fare in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. Swing by for lunch and have a quiche Lorraine (French Crust’s quiches 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 theday. You’ll also ﬁnd the much-loved French Lunch Tray, a throwback from the Jean-Robert’s Table days. 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 $19.

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

Top10 LE BAR A BOEUF

If it’s been a couple of years since you’ve been to Le Bar a Boeuf—the late Jean-Robert de Cavel’s fun-yet-refined French bistro located on the first floor of the Edgecliff Private Residences in East Walnut Hills—it may be time for a revisit. The formerly burger-centric menu now approaches the full repertoire of bistro classics. The menu reads like a greatest hits list of bistro fare, with escargot, beef tartare, duck leg confit, steak

frites, and French onion soup all making appearances. As France’s influence on American fine dining has waned, it’s refreshing to see a restaurant committed to not only preserving the French classics but reinvigorating them.

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

LUCA BISTRO

Opened in October 2022, this unabashedly French restaurant, with its French posters, bright red outer paneling, and chalkboard menu proclaiming its specials to passersby, fits into its Mt. Adams environs so perfectly that it’s hard to imagine Hatch Street without it. That, combined with warm service, timeless French fare, and relaxed joie de vivre makes this a true neighborhood establishment. Chef Frederic Maniet grew up in the south of France and has done an excellent job transporting his native cuisine to a quiet corner of Cincinnati. These are the dishes that culinary Francophiles often crave, prepared in a straightforward, time-honored way. The Bouchées à la Reine, a buttery, flaky puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms, peas, Gruyèere cheese, and béchamel sauce, is so warm and comforting it makes chicken pot pie seem aloof by comparison. It’s a warm, gentle reminder that French food can be convivial and affordable.

934 Hatch St., Mt. Adams, (513) 621-5822, lucabistro. com. Breakfast and lunch Tues–Sun, dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

INDIAN

AMMA’S KITCHEN

Muthu Kumar Muthiah serves traditional southern Indian and Indo-Chinese vegetarian cuisine, but with a sizable Orthodox Jewish community nearby, Muthiah saw an opportunity: If he was going to cook vegetarian, why not also

make it kosher? Muthiah prepares every item—from the addictively crunchy gobhi Manchurian, a spicy Chinese cauliﬂower dish, to the lemon pickle, tamarind, and mint sauces—entirely from scratch under the careful eye of Rabbi Michoel Stern. Always 80 percent vegan, the daily lunch buffet is 100 percent animal-product-free on Wednesdays. Tuck into a warm and savory channa masala (spiced chickpeas) or malai kofta (vegetable dumplings in tomato sauce) from the curry menu. Or tear into a crispy, two-foot diameter dosa (chickpea ﬂour crepe) stuffed with spiced onions and potatoes.

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

BRIJ MOHAN

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

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

ITALIAN

A TAVOLA

In 2011, Jared Wayne opened A Tavola Pizza with two friends just as OTR was blowing up. A Ferrara pizza oven was ordered from Italy; Wayne, a skilled woodworker, built custom tables; and the menu was fleshed in with trendy crowd-pleasers like charcuterie and craft cocktails. Fast-forward a decade. The OTR outpost is closed but the second location is still going strong in the ’burbs: A Tavola Madeira capitalizes on the menu from the Vine Street location, including the fresh and zesty artichoke pizza on a Neapolitan crust; gooey mozzarella-filled arancini, or risotto fritters; and the zucchini mozzarella. Wash down your small plates with a glass of crisp and grassy Sannio falanghina or an ice-cold Rhinegeist. They’re definitely going to need a bigger parking lot. 7022 Miami Ave., Madeira, (513) 272-0192, atavolapizza.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. V, DC, MS, AMEX. $

AL-POSTO

Al-Posto is an upscale southern Italian spot that reflects the same commitment to quality ingredients and delicate preparation that made its predecessor Dear such a gem. Appetizers include classic sharables like marinated olives (prepared with orange zest, rosemary, and Calabrian chile), burrata with grilled focaccia, and coppa (a cured pork served with preserved peppers and almonds), but it’s the pasta (which can be ordered as an entrée or a first course) that’s not to be missed. We recommend the Cacio e Pepe, a seemingly simple dish comprised of bucatini (similar to spaghetti, but thicker), black pepper, and a sharp pecorino Tosca-

no. 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. 2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-2710, al-posto. com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DC, DS. $$

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 Mon–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$

Top 10 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 aged balsamic and lavender honey on the Italian cheese board to the staff’s wine knowledge—is going to put out special meals. Rarely have humble insalate been so intricately delicious, between the non-traditional summer gazpacho, ﬁlled with crab, zucchini, peaches, and squash, or the balance of the tangy, salty, and citrusy Siciliana salad. Order an old favorite, by all means, but make sure you try something new, too.

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

PEPP & DOLORES

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

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

PRIMAVISTA

Besides offering the old-world ﬂavors of Italy, Primavista also serves up a specialty no other restaurant can match: a bird’s eye view of Cincinnati from the west side. The kitchen is equally comfortable with northern and southern

regional specialties: a Venetian carpaccio of paper-thin raw beef sparked by fruity olive oil; house-made fresh mozzarella stuffed with pesto and mushrooms; or artichoke hearts with snails and mushrooms in a creamy Gorgonzola sauce from Lombardy. Among the classics, nothing is more restorative than the pasta e fagioli, a hearty soup of cannellini, ditali pasta, and bacon. Most of the pastas are cooked just a degree more mellow than al dente so that they soak up the fragrant tomato basil or satiny cream sauces. The fork-tender osso buco Milanese, with its marrow-ﬁlled center bone and salty-sweet brown sauce (marinara and lemon juice), is simply superb. Desserts present further problems; you’ll be hard-pressed to decide between the house-made tiramisu or bread pudding with caramel sauce, marsala-soaked raisins, and cream.

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

Top10 SOTTO

There are certain books and movies that you can read or watch over and over. Eating at Sotto is a similar experience: familiar, but so profound and satisfying that there is no reason to ever stop. Unlike other restaurants, where the techniques are often elaborate and unfamiliar, the magic at Sotto happens right in front of you, using ordinary elements and methods. When you taste the results, though, you realize that some mysterious transmutation has taken place. The wood-ﬁred branzino with zucchini, matched with the warm, smoky taste of the Calabrian pepper, offers a ﬂavor that you could go on eating forever. From the texture of the chicken liver mousse to the citrusy lemon aioli on the tartare di fassone, most of the food has some added element of soulfulness.

118 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 822-5154, sottocincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$

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 lion’s mane lumache. This citrusy dish is served on lumache pasta and cooked with scallions, garlic, shallots, chili, brodo, and pecorino. Everything at Subito is done with intelligence and a light touch.

311 Pike St., downtown, (513) 579-3860, thelytleparkhotel.com/dining/subito. Breakfast and lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$

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. $$

JAPANESE

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 creamy béchamel sauce cooked in the panko breaded and fried croquettes, or the buttery amberjack collar marinated in a Japanese citrus infused

soy sauce and grilled over charcoal. 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 kamo negi maki (grilled duck breast stuffed with organic green onions) or a chocolate crepe and matcha parfait, delicacies that you’ll be hard-pressed to ﬁnd in anywhere else. 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, DS. $$$

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. Baru’s sushi 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, such as the prime New York strip. For all its convivial buzz, Baru is also a spot where solo diners can enjoy a few peaceful bar-side bites. The Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna from the small plates section brought the same level of freshness and quality as the rest of the menu.

Sometimes it pays to dine alone.

595 Race St., downtown, (513) 246-0150, barusushi. com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$

Top 10

KIKI

Kiki started as a pop-up at Northside Yacht Club, then leapt into brick-and-mortar life in College Hill’s bustling business district. Your best bet here is to share plates, or simply order too much, starting with the edamame; it comes either salted or tossed in tare, a savory dipping sauce. Add the karaage fried chicken, with the Jordy mayo and the oroshi ponzu, 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.

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

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—combination of crab, ﬁsh, shrimp, scallop, and vegetable tempuras, a volcanic tower of chopped fatty tuna hidden inside overlapping layers of thin avocado slices, crispy chicken katsu with a mayo sauce,, 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, DS. $$

ZUNDO RAMEN & DONBURI

A stark contrast to Styrofoam cup soup, chef Han Lin’s

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

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

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. $$

Top10 PHOENICIAN TAVERNA

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

keeps taking these classics a little further.

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

SANTORINI

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

3414 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, (513) 662-8080. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Mon–Sat, breakfast and lunch Sun. Cash. $

SEBASTIAN’S

When the wind is just right, you can smell the meat roasting from a mile away. Watch 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. 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, they never misses a beat, turning more covers in the 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. MCC. DS. $

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. $

NADA

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 crowd-pleasers. If you’re biased against Brussels sprouts, Nada just might convert you. The crispy sprouts, served with chipotle honey and candied ancho pepitas, are a deliciously intriguing starter.

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

TAQUERIA MERCADO

On a Saturday night, Taqueria Mercado is a lively ﬁesta, with seemingly half of the local Hispanic community guzzling margaritas and cervezas or carrying out sacks of burritos and carnitas tacos—pork tenderized by a long simmer, its edges frizzled and crispy. The Mercado’s strip mall interior,

splashed with a large, colorful mural, is equally energetic: the bustling semi-open kitchen; a busy counter that handles a constant stream of take-out orders; a clamorous, convivial chatter in Spanish and English. Try camarones a la plancha, 12 chubby grilled shrimp tangled with grilled onions (be sure to specify if you like your onions well done). The starchiness of the rice absorbs the caramelized onion juice, offset by the crunch of lettuce, buttery slices of avocado, and the coolhot pico de gallo. A shrimp quesadilla paired with one of their cheap and potent margaritas is worth the drive alone.

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

SEAFOOD

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S

The daily rotation here reads like a ﬁsherman’s wish list: lobster tails from Australia and the North Atlantic, ahi tuna from Hawaii, clams from New England. But high-quality ingredients are only half the equation; preparation is the other. Herb-broth sea bass, served with roasted ﬁngerling potatoes, makes the taste buds dance. The spacious digs and attentive waitstaff bring a touch of class to Fountain Square and make it a sophisticated des-

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

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

ROSEWOOD SUSHI, THAI & SEAFOOD

Chanaka De Lanerolle sold Mt. Adams Fish House back in 2011, and Rosewood Sushi, Thai & Seafood is its reincarnation—and reinvention. Most of the menu includes crowd favorites such as Pad Thai, made with rice noodles, egg, bean sprouts, and a choice of protein. The handful of ethnic experiments on the menu—like the Black Tiger Roll, one of the chef’s special sushi rolls, made with shrimp tempura, eel, shiitake mushrooms, and topped with eel sauce—are among its most vibrant offerings.

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

STEAKS

CARLO & JOHNNY

The stars of the menu are 12 delectable steaks that could sway the vegi-curious to recommit. Not sure which to choose? If you prefer brawny ﬂavor over buttery texture, go for one of the three bone-in rib cuts. Or if it’s that melt-in-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 non-beef alternatives.

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

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 are there for the slabs of beef (dry aged USDA prime). The best of these is Jeff Ruby’s Cowboy, 22 ounces of 70-day dry-aged bone-in rib eye. This is steak tailor-made for movers and shakers.

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

LOSANTI

Top10

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

BARREL PICKS

Twenty Northern Kentucky businesses were named to TheBourbon Review’s 2024 list of “America’s Best Bourbon Bars,” including Smoke Justis, The Brass Ring Bourbon Bar, The Globe Covington, and Three Spirits Tavern. Compiled annually since 2013 by TheBourbon Review’s editorial board, the list is a combination of editorial team picks and feedback from social media followers. gobourbon.com/ americas-best-bourbonbars-2024

• 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.

• Students Earn Their H.A.L.O. Everyday by Being Honest, Accountable, and a Leader to Others

• Earned Distinction as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence

• All Students Participate in our Halo Bell Program, Providing Enrichment Services for ALL Students

• Opened New Makerspace Lab in 2022

• Mental and Physical Health Services Provided by a Full-Time School Counselor & Full-Time School Nurse

• Teachers Guide Students to Develop Spiritually, Academically, Emotionally, and Physically

• Technology Integrated into Every Classroom

• All K-8 Students Participate in Spanish, Art, Music, and Physical Education Weekly

• Extra-Curricular Activities Include Athletics, Music, Drama, and More

• EdChoice Program Provider

Angels Parish 6531 Beechmont Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45230 (513) 231-7440 • www.gaparish.org 6539 Beechmont Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45230 513.624.3141 • www.gaschool.org

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. $$$

Top10 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. $$$$

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 something-for-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 staff members from Mt. Adams, some adaptations have been made to better meet expectations of modern diners. Letting go of preconceived notions about Teak will serve you well. With a two-sided, standalone sushi menu and a wide variety of main plates ranging from small bites to signature dishes, you have plenty of room to craft your own dining experience. 1200 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-8325, teakotr. com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

WILD GINGER

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

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

VIETNAMESE

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 2024, Volume 58, Number 3. Published monthly ($19.95 for 12 issues annually) at 221 E. Fourth St., Ste. 130, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-4300. Copyright © 2024 by Cincinnati Magazine LLC, a subsidiary of Hour Media Group, 5750 New King Dr., Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098. 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.

Time Travel

IN WHAT LOOKS LIKE A SMALL SHACK JUST OFF THE TRAIN TRACKS IN SILVERTON, YOU’LL find decades of the village’s history. The Silverton Museum was built in 1976 as a train station replica. “They built this as a model of the station that used to be on the other side of the tracks,” says longtime museum volunteer Dolline Colter. “From then on it housed memorabilia from members of the community.” Silverton citizens have donated all kinds of items to the museum that you can see on display—newspapers, maps, signs, trophies, a potbelly stove, even a jacket lined with spoons that once belonged to the saxophonist of the local “Kitchen Band.” The organization that runs the museum, Silverton Block Watch, is hoping to raise more support for both renovations and research as the area develops. For example, Colter has been finding documentation about the neighborhood’s integration history. “[Colter] is now starting to bring these things to light, and I think it’s just going to make the place more interesting,” says Silverton Block Watch President Don Kincaid. “The more support we have, the more we can pull together information.” The Silverton Museum is open from 2 to 5 p.m. every second and fourth Sunday. —CLAIRE LEFTON

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