DINING OUT
REP UP
This Northern Kentucky restaurant explores the many regions of New American cuisine. — B R A N D O N W U S K E
I
F YOU VEER SLIGHTLY OFF ROUTE 42 IN FLORENCE, YOU’LL FIND REPERTOIRE, IN THE corner of a secluded strip mall on Haines Drive. It sits on a slight hill, overlooking the taverns and chain restaurants of Florence’s main drag. This, it turns out, is fitting. Repertoire is both a familiar neighborhood spot and an outlier. Chef/owner Chris Baulo says as much on the restaurant’s website: “We are saturated with chain restaurants and ‘hole in the wall’ bars. All of this is great, but what if you don’t want to bring the kids or want a better experience without going to the city?” Repertoire is decidedly not a family restaurant. Traipsing as it does from Kentucky to the Southwest, the menu cuts across America’s flavor-rich regions. This is the stated goal of the restaurant, which was inspired by Baulo’s travels. Baulo’s path to Repertoire was an eclectic one. He grew up in New Jersey, savoring the flavors and aromas of his grandmother’s Italian cooking (he started making meatballs at age 8 and graduated to the “gravy” at age 12), began his culinary career in New York City, worked for a few Michelin-starred restaurants in Puerto Rico, did a stint in Vegas, and traveled the country as a restaurant consultant for Harrah’s/ Caesars, all before landing in Florence. It’s hard to imagine a better résumé for a chef devoted to exploring the depth and breadth of American fine dining, and while Repertoire doesn’t turn the cuisine’s conventions inside out, it does playfully alter them. The sleekly antique interior—shelves of old books at the entrance, obsolete card catalogues behind the bar, a rotary phone at the host table—features modern touches, such as comfortable neo-mod chairs, industrial light fixtures, and, in the back of the restaurant, a full-length mirror with water cascading over 1 1 4 C I N C I N N AT I M A G A Z I N E . C O M S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1
FYI
Repertoire 8645 Haines Dr., Suite A, Florence, (859) 817-0146, repertoirenky.com Hours Lunch Thurs & Fri 11 am–2 pm. Dinner Tues–Thurs 5–9 pm, Fri & Sat 5–10 pm. Brunch Sat 10 am–2 pm & Sun 10 am–3 pm. Prices $2 (Grilled Artisan Bread)– $37 (14 oz. NY Strip) Credit Cards All major The Takeaway A playful, mostly successful journey across America’s fine dining landscape.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEREMY KRAMER
