Cincinnati Magazine - September 2022 Edition

Price Hill s Comeback by David Holthaus Via Vite, Revamped by Brandon Wuske

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BY DAVID HOLTHAUS P. 38

WELCOME TO BOURBON COUNTRY

PHOTOGRAPH BY CATIE VIOX SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 5

As the popularity of Kentucky’s most famous spirit grows, more parts of the state—and region—are getting in the game. Step inside some of the local bars, restaurants, and distillers rolling out their barrels for you to enjoy. Plus, meet some of the people making all that mash.

FROZEN ASSET A GLASS OF BOURBON WITH CUSTOM SMOKE JUSTIS ICE FROM BIG ICE. FEATURES SEPTEMBER 2022

BY MILDRED C. FALLEN THE ART OF REVIVING PRICE HILL P. 56 There’s no road map for successfully bringing back a struggling neighborhood. On the west side, these residents and nonprofit leaders are figuring it out as they go.

HOW RICARDO GRANT BECAME A BOSS P. 52

From starting businesses to hosting art shows, Grant has embraced the value of reaching out and making connections. He lives by a favorite childhood saying: “Closed mouths don’t get fed.”

8 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 LLCSHOWING,FIRSTTHEFARR,CHRISBY(BOTTOM)/KRAMERJEREMYBY(TOP)PHOTOGRAPHS 18 / CONTRIBUTORS 18 / LETTER FROM THE EDITOR FRONTLINES 21 / DISPATCH A local book club’s hide and seek 22 / SPEAK EASY Kyle Cadena of Music Resource Center 22 / SPORTS A perfect sports storm 24 / STYLE COUNSEL Cameron Mundon of Fly By Nature Clothing 26 / STOREFRONT Queen City Clay, Norwood 28 / REAL ESTATE A stunning Hyde Park manse 30 / DR. KNOW Your QC answeredquestions COLUMNS 32 / WELCOME TO MIDDLEHOOD Calling a suburban city council meeting BY JUDI KETTELER 128 / CINCY OBSCURA Murals in Bolivar Alley BY LUCY LAWLER DINE 106 / DINING OUT Via Vite, downtown 108 / HOT PLATE Soul Secrets, Over-theRhine 108 / TABLESIDE Phillip Baxman of FC Cincinnati 110 / TRY THIS The Strawberry Dreams Forever milkshake, Nomad, Bellevue 111 / SNACK TIME Goodies from Boosalis Baking, Kenwood 114 / DINING GUIDE Greater Cincinnati restaurants: A selective list ON THE COVER photograph by MARLENE ROUNDS label design by JAMES BILLITER 106 ON OUR SITE FOOD NEWS An extra serving of our diningoutstandingcoverage. CITY NEWS Decoding our civic DNA, from history to politics personalities.to HOME + LIFE Tracking what’s new in local real estate, artisans, and storefronts. SPORTS Insight and analysis on the Bengals, Reds, and FC Cincinnati. 28 DEPARTMENTS SEPTEMBER 2022 Cincinnati Magazine@CincinnatiMag @cincinnatimagazine@Cincinnatimagazine FOLLOW US

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Speak to someone now by calling. 513-536-HOPE (4673) 4075 Old Western Row Rd., Mason, lindnercenterofhope.orgOH 1 in 4 mentalsuffersAmericansfromillness. SEPTEMBER 2022 12 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 PUBLISHED BY CINCINNATI MEDIA, LLC CEO Stefan Wanczyk PRESIDENT John Balardo EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Fox DESIGN DIRECTOR Brittany Dexter SENIOR ART DIRECTORS Jen Kawanari, Emi Villavicencio ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORS Carlie Burton, Logan Case, Jessica Dunham JUNIOR DESIGNER Wesley Koogle CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Lance Adkins, Ryan Back, Wes Battoclette, Aaron M. Conway, Chris Danger, Andrew Doench, Devyn Glista, Chris von Holle, Jeremy Kramer, Ryan Kurtz, Lars Leetaru, Marlene Rounds, Dola Sun PRODUCTION DIRECTOR & IT SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR Vu Luong EDITORIAL/ADVERTISING OFFICES 1818 Race St., Suite 301 Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-4300 E-MAIL cmletters@cincinnatimagazine.com WEB cincinnatimagazine.com BUSINESS OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Missy Beiting BUSINESS COORDINATOR Erica Birkle SUBSCRIPTIONS 1-866-660-6247 E-MAIL Cincinnati_Service@hourmediagroup.com SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS Maggie Wint Goecke, Julie Poyer ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE Hilary Linnenberg SENIOR OUTSIDE ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE Laura Bowling SENIOR MANAGER, SPONSORSHIP SALES Chris Ohmer EVENT SPONSORSHIP ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Kirsten Werner-Reyes SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER Cecilia Rose EVENT MARKETING INTERN Melina Traiforos PUBLISHER Ivy Bayer CIRCULATION CIRCULATION MANAGER Riley Meyers DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL OPERATIONS Amanda Boyd Walters SENIOR EDITOR Aiesha D. Little ASSOCIATE EDITOR Lauren Fisher DIGITAL EDITOR Sam Rosenstiel SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Kane Mitten CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Jim DeBrosse, Kathleen Doane, Jay Gilbert, Lisa Murtha, Laurie Pike, Kevin Schultz, John Stowell, Linda Vaccariello, Kathy Y. Wilson, Jenny Wohlfarth, J. Kevin Wolfe EDITORIAL INTERNS Nathan Granger, Allison Kiehl, Lucy Lawler, Claire Lordan, Morgan Schneider DIGITAL INTERNS Nina Benich, Anna HeatherColletto,Spinks BEST MAGAZINE IN OHIO 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 Ohio Excellence in Journalism Awards

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Back in May 2015, when Cincinnati Magazine chronicled local bars, retail outlets, and distilleries contributing to the bourbon boom, this region still seemed like an interloper. The “real stuff” was produced in central Kentucky, like it’s always been, with some expansion to Louisville. All of that’s changed now, as highlighted in “Welcome to Bourbon Country” (page 38); today Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati are a legitimate, multi-layered gateway to that signature spirit. It wasn’t that long ago that New Riff and other area distillers loaded their first barrels into aging warehouses for the long hibernation that produces a top-quality product. Has it already been five, seven, nine years? Just like that, the “real stuff” is now made in Bellevue, Burlington, Independence, Newport, and even on the Ohio side of the river.

A number of area distilleries have been in the game for generations, of course. But it’s fun to witness a time-honored tradition morph and grow right before your eyes. It’s even more fun to sample the new bourbons. Cheers.

18 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

Lifelong Cincinnati resident and contributing writer David Holthaus took a closer look at a beloved west side neighborhood in “The Art of Reviv ing Price Hill” (page 56). To Holthaus, one of the most rewarding aspects of the piece was getting out into the community and spending time with its residents. “Just getting to know some of the people there and getting to learn about the history of this great neighborhood was fascinating to me,” he says.

The tech world has upended this neat schedule, of course, by compressing years and decades of effort into minutes and hours. Take sports, one of my favorite topics. A breaking news story (the Reds trade Luis Castillo) is immediately followed by contextual coverage (what does it mean for the Reds next season?) and historical comparisons (is this one of the top 10 Reds trades of all time?). Which quickly turns into nostalgia. (Remember where you were when you heard about the trade? Yes, I was here on my computer yesterday.)

DAVID HOLTHAUS

CONTRIBUTORS

JESSICA DUNHAM Assistant Art Director Jessica Dunham joined the Cincinnati Magazine family last year and loves to share her illustrations with readers. Her col orful, clean-line icons can be found throughout this month’s “Welcome to Bourbon Country” (page 38). “I’m glad that I’ve ended up choosing graphic design as where I want to go in my life,” says Dunham. “It’s an honor to be able to do work for the magazine and to show my work off to the whole Cincinnati area.”

THERE’S A SAYING IN OUR BUSINESS THAT JOURNALISM IS THE FIRST ROUGH draft of history. A magazine like this might contribute a second draft by contextualizing news events and newsmakers in a What does it mean? manner. Book authors, documentary filmmakers, researchers, and other professionals eventually take a crack at memorializing what becomes known as history.

Bourbon’s rise to its current popularity feels like a compressed draft of history, too.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR SEPTEMBER 2022 T ILLUSTRATION BY LARS LEETARU JOHN FOX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MILDRED C. FALLEN

After a year of work, contributing writer Mildred C. Fallen would like to think she has perfected her feature on local creative entrepreneur Ricardo Grant (“How Ricardo Grant Became a Boss,” page 52). Owner of Gallery at Gumbo and Cinema, he enriches lives on a daily basis. “Like gumbo, Rico has a lot of flavor,” Fallen says. “He creates venues with doors already open to Black and brown artists and business owners so that Cincinnati can contain more of its talent at home.”

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I WAS WALKING TO LUNCH ON A sunny spring day when I caught sight of a striking graphic: a freeform olive oval on the cover of a brand-new hardbound book. PURE COLOUR read the title in all caps. Sheila Heti was the author, a name I recognized, as I’d coincidentally just read a short story by her in The New Yorker. Her new novel was on the ground, leaning against Skyline Chili at the corner of Clifton and Ludlow avenues. Had someone left it behind? It didn’t appear so; it had no cracked spine, thumbprints, or dog-ears. Leafing through it—a little jewel, luxurious in its thick, creamy pages and glossy dust jacket—I came across a bookmark that said, “You Found Us! Welcome to Under Cover Book Club!” What I’d stumbled across was one of this city’s secret delights: a book placed in plain sight for an unsuspecting finder. It was one of a dozen titles placed that month, and every month, in public spots from Sharonville to Evanston to Covington. You can simply happen upon the books, or you can search for them using clues on the @UnderCover513 social media accounts. First the book titles are teased: juicy covers of (mostly) justpublished fare, with details about plot and author. Later the

TIMEUPONCHANCEA Why is someone leaving novels in plain sight for passersby to find and take home? LAURIE PIKE

ILLUSTRATION BY ZACHARY GHADERI A MUSIC CENTER FOR TEENS P. 22 A WINNING WEEKEND P. 22 SHAPING CLAY INTO ART P. 26 HYDE PARK STYLE P. 28

Responses from the publishing world wereWithenthusiastic.theassistance of volunteer “hiders,” the project grew from placing 117 titles in 2019 to almost double that last year. About three copies of each title are placed, which means somewhere close to 1,500 total books have been disseminated. The pandemic didn’t stop Evans’s benevolent book-leaving, though it temporarily halted the gettogethers she organized at coffeeshops to discuss the latest offerings. The project is feeding an unexpected boom for bookreading. Despite the rise of digital reading and audiobooks, physical books still command the lion’s share of money spent on reading material. The pandemic, according to Publishers Weekly , led to an increase in reading time among Americans. Like the little free libraries that pop up all over town here, Under Cover Book Club has a decidedly local flavor. The first book Evans chose to hide was Tiffany McDaniel’s award-winning debut The Summer That Melted Everything, set in a fictional town in Ohio; McDaniel hails from Circleville, south of Columbus. Not all the books have a local connection, though they’re all curated by Evans. “I intentionally left a book by an LGBTQ+ author outside a church in Fairfield,” she says. “I thought, This could send a message that maybe wouldn’t necessarily be talked about in that space.”

Finders Keepers Learn more about the Under Cover Book Club undercover513.comat A SEPTEMBER TO REMEMBER Sports fans, assemble! Our four major teams overlap this month, starting September 10, when UC opens its home football season and FC Cincinnati hosts San Jose. The Bengals kick off their season the next day at PBS against the Steelers, and the Reds return home on September 12. It’s a win-win-win-win! SPORTS Music Resource Center teaches life skills along with lessons in performing and recording to help teens dive deeper into their passion. Operations Director Kyle Cadenza coordinates many of the activities, which engaged more than 400 kids last year at its state-of-the-art facility in Evanston and through school outreach programs. MRC hosts its next sampler program September 23 to showcase student talent. What is it about music that can reach kids who might struggle in school or at home? Music is an escape, it’s cathartic, and it releases emotions that can be difficult to express verbally. We’ve watched countless kids show up at MRC for the first time, nervous and unsure of themselves, and in time they often start writing their own songs, playing an instrument, or performing in public. How has MRC grown in terms of programs, clients, staff, and volunteer instructors? When I started in 2017, the staff helped students not only with music and production, but also with school, at home, or in their personal life. It’s grown to include collaborations with the Cincinnati amongandOpera,Orchestra,ChamberCincinnatiWordPlayCincy,CincinnatiBallet,others.

DISPATCH general locations are announced, about 12 neighborhoods per “drop.” Finally, photographs of the books in situ are posted, along with latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates. Samantha Evans is the young woman behind this literary branch of geocaching, itself a rising sport of anonymous hideand-seek games. “I have always liked the idea of happening upon something on any given day,” says the Cheviot native, who lives in East Walnut Hills with her husband and cats. “I wanted to know I wasn’t the only one who felt that if you found a book it belonged to you.” Evans returned to the Queen City in 2017 after grad school in Chicago and was casting about for ways to reconnect with the local community. Never mind that she was working a job and pursuing a second master’s degree (in Montessori education); she always made time for whatever book was in her handbag at the moment. “I wanted to learn more about Cincinnati,” she says, “and give myself an excuse to find more books and read and have a little fun with it.”

BYICONANDILLUSTRATIONEVENTS/HARTWALLY(SPEAKEASY)COURTESYIMAGE VILLAVICENCIOEMI

One of the young men featured in your March sampler will attend UC’s impactsomethingthisConservatoryCollege-ofMusicfall.HowdoeslikethatMRC?

22 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JONATHAN WILLIS

And what’s more fun than a scavenger hunt? At first Evans purchased the books herself and placed them in cafés, on park benches, and on Metro bus seats within a small radius of where she was working at the time downtown. As the project grew, she asked book publishers for free copies and contacted authors for interviews, which she posted on her website.

This is one of the reasons we love what we do. We want to help guide our members in the many facets of music production, but in life as well. To see students accepted into their college of choice for a career they feel passionate about is rewarding for everyone. You have heavy hitters among your volunteers and board members, including John Curley of the Afghan Whigs [the band plays Bogart’s on September 11]. Do the kids know they’re working with bona fide rock stars? I don’t think the students understand John’s history unless they Google him. What they know is his skill with music production, setting up the venue or multi-track space, mixing songs, or just jamming on bass with an MRC member band.

—BILL THOMPSON READ A LONGER INTERVIEW WITH KYLE AT CINNATIMAGAZINE.COMCIN SPEAK EASY TUNED IN TEENAGERSTO

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Cameron STYLE: “Fashion-forward streetwear”

OCCUPATION: Owner of Fly By Nature

—ANNASOFIA SCHEVE 24 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

Mundon COUNSELSTYLE PHOTOGRAPH BY DEVYN GLISTA

What is your go-to piece to pull an outfit together? I’m starting with a pair of shoes. And then I kind of go from there. That’s how I dress. What shoes do I wanna wear today? In the traditional fashion industry, there isn’t much focus on streetwear. What about streetwear is important to you? It’s looking good, looking nice, looking presentable [and] fashion-forward while being comfortable. It’s just part of the culture, more definitely of a hip-hop culture, that everyone’s embraced. Streetwear has just taken over the world. It’s part of everyone’s anatomy now. You recently opened a storefront at the 3CDC Wilkommen building. How has it been having a physical space? When you do stuff mainly online, you can learn your customers’ analytics, but you never envision the amount of customers and different walks of life and diversity that you come in contact with every day. A lot of my customers are still old school. So having a brick-and-mortar store, it bridges the gap. What are your future plans for Fly By Nature? I wake up every day to have constant growth, get better with designs, incorporate the community, incorporate the Cincinnati area. I want to be one of those brands that you see all over social media. Another big thing I want to do is create jobs in the company. How do you want people to feel when they wear the brand? The meaning behind the brand is no matter what you’re wearing, you’re already fly by nature. The way you carry yourself, the way you present yourself, the way you speak—that’s being fly by nature. Everything you wear from the brand just enhances that.

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26 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

PHOTOGRAPHYJORDANTHOMASBYPHOTOGRAPHS

Inside a low, white50,000-square-footsprawling,brickbuilding in Norwood lies the United States’s largest education facility for clay. There are pottery wheels, kilns, and clay mixers. There are shelves and shelves of materials: tools, glazes, clay. There’s workshop space and retail space, storage and classrooms. Professionals, hobbyists, and students alike can work on wheel throwing, handbuilding, and pottery painting here. This is Queen City Clay. The studio has called this Norwood facility home since 2020. Previously located on Wasson Road in Hyde Park, Queen City Clay (QCC) started out as Annie’s Mud Pie Shop 26 years ago. The then-owner, Annie Swantko, had been in an accident, and she turned to clay as therapy for her hands. QCC’s current coowner, Ben Clark, found Annie’s in the phone book when he moved to Cincinnati in 2004. “Annie’s was the biggest studio I’d ever seen,” Clark says. “I begged her to let me teach for her and mix clay—whatever she needed.” Annie’s changed hands— and hisbackgroundspaceinHeclassesteachinghasthannames—moreonce,butClarkbeenaconstant,advancedthewholetime.boughtthebusiness2016andgavetheitscurrentname.WhileClarkhasainpottery,résuméis,well, varied. His bachelor’s degree is in creative writing. He worked for Founders Brewing Company and coached gymnastics. He was a there’sconnectaboutthanisn’taboutwonSydney,worldhewon.yearduringcompetitionworldattendedinbeganjump-roperprofessionalwhocompetingsixthgrade.HehisfirstchampionshipinHungaryhissophomoreofhighschool.HeTwoyearslater,wenttohissecondchampionship,inAustralia.Hethat,too.Whathelovesjumpingropeallthatdifferentwhathelovespottery:Bothpeople.Andthatwowfactor.“Whenpeoplesee someone do flips and crazy tricks with a rope or in double Dutch, it’s very similar to the reaction people give when you’re making a large pot out of clay,” Clark says. “The clay moves in such a crazy way on the wheel that it seems like magic.” Similarly, teaching a kid to work on the wheel is as much of a confidence booster as teaching jump rope tricks. “I guess I’m addicted to making people happy.” CITY CLAY MAKES ROOM FOR EVERYONE WITH PLENTY OF SPACE FOR GALLERIES, CLASSROOMS, STUDIOS, AND RETAIL. —JACLYN YOUHANA GARVER POT OF GOLD GOOD TO KNOW

QUEEN

Queen City Clay has nearly 50 full- and part-time employees, some of whom have been around as long as co-owner Ben Clark, who’s been involved in some form for almost two decades. “It’s growing at a pace where we can barely keep up,” he says. CITY CLAY , 2760 HIGHLAND AVE., NORWOOD, (513) 871-2529, QUEENCITYCLAY.COM

QUEEN

STOREFRONT

From unique bourbon experiences to experimental spirits, Kentucky brings a distinct flavor and finish.

The home changed hands several times over the years, typically migrating between wealthy families like the Orrs, whose patriarch made his name as president of Potter Shoe Company (remembered as the place to buy children’s shoes in Cincinnati). Newspaper records from the 1950s note that Edward Orr planned “extensive” renovations of the property (A library! A sleeping porch!), but the real updates came just shy of the home’s centennial in 2013, when the owners gutted it down to the studs and brought it into the 21st century.

Inside, you’ll find all the trappings of a well-maintained Hyde Park home, plus a few bonus details (peep the putting green in the basement and the wet bar tucked behind the living room fireplace). But open the French doors to the covered porch and you’ll immediately see why Greene picked this spot on the hill so many years ago. The outdoor entertaining space alone clocks in at nearly 1,000 square feet, says listing agent Perrin March. And somehow, that’s not including the lawn or the pool yard. That’s impressive—even for this part of town.

The century-old Hyde Park home began its journey as the estate of Clifford Greene, who—along with noted names like Thomas Pogue, James Forbes, and Henry and Louis Wessel—was an executive at the Cincinnati Ball Crank Company.

Today, the facade of the 5,600-square-foot home looks much like it did in even its earliest days, from the charming eyebrow window on the third floor to the spectacular views of the Cincinnati Country Club’s golf course, which backs up directly to the property and makes the one-acre lot look like it goes on for miles.

A HYDE PARK ESTATE WITH COUNTRY CLUB VIEWS AND A PROUD HISTORY. —LAUREN FISHER OLD NEWHOUSE,TRICKS LLCSHOWING,FIRSTTHEFARR,CHRISBYPHOTOGRAPHS 28 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

ON MARKETTHE $3.5 MILLION 2515 HANDASYDE CT., HYDE PARK LISTING ADDRESS:PRICE:

NOT UNLIKE CINCINNATI ITSELF, 2515 HANDASYDE COURT TELLS A story that features a roster of illustrious family names, good bones, and a remarkable ability to adapt to the changing times.

www.ensemblecincinnati.org OPERATINGSEASONSUPPORTFUNDER Shonita Joshi & Saiyam Kumar in Queen. Photo by Mikki Schaffner. SWEAT by Lynn Nottage SEPTEMBER 17 – OCTOBER 9 THE DANCING PRINCESSES by Joseph McDonough & David Kisor NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 30 GRAND HORIZONS by Bess Wohl JANUARY 14 – FEBRUARY 5 MORNING SUN by Simon Stephens FEBRUARY 25– MARCH 19 WHO ALL OVER THERE? by Torie Wiggins APRIL 8 – 30 MAYTAG VIRGIN by Audrey Cefaly MAY 27 – JUNE 18 2022 – 2023 SEASON

Dr. Know is Jay Gilbert, weekday afternoon deejay on 92.5 FM The Fox. Submit your questions about the city’s peculiarities magazine.comdrknow@cincinnatiat

Probably McMicken Street will also get renamed soon. But I wonder why McMicken’s name went on that particular street in the first place. It’s nowhere near UC. - SO FAR AWAY Street. You will notice a large, steep hill. McMicken built his final home around 1850 at the bottom of this hill; the street was called Hamilton Road then. UC later built its first home on the same hill. So it made sense in 1876 to rename Hamilton Road as McMicken Avenue, the better to honor a famous city father. Unfortunately, we now know that McMicken was also an infamous father to at least two of the above-mentioned human beings. His good name is no longer good. And that hill? A huge landslide in 1972 obliterated most of it, leaving no trace of McMicken’s footprint. Maybe UC should be renamed Karma College. Attached are screenshots showing the decibel levels of a public restroom hand drier, the new kind where you dangle your fingers down inside. It turns out these things are louder than leaf-blowers, and actually dangerous to unprotected ears. Don’t they violate some kind of Cincinnati noise ordinance?

DEAR HEAR: The Doctor will not judge the kind of person who goes around with an app measuring decibel levels. Take comfort in knowing that you have a kindred spirit who addressed a similar topic in our April 2019 column, asking if the explosions and musical thuds in movie trailers cross some auditory threshold into illegality. Our answer from then is the same as now: Cincinnati noise ordinances apply only to acoustic disturbances that travel from their source to another place, such as over-enthusiastic concerts reaching your home or that early-morning leaf blower next door. There’s nothing about noises inside a room with you, especially a room you’ve voluntarily entered in a venue you may have paid to be in. The Doctor is not a lawyer, but perhaps your particular example presents a slim legal opportunity. Since you’re in a public restroom, maybe you could claim that your presence is not voluntary! Just throwing

Charles McMicken’s name is disappearing at the University of Cincinnati.

- I CAN’T HEAR ME

A Q + ILLUSTRATIONS BY LARS LEETARU30 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

DEAR FAR: Poor Charlie McMicken. Well, he actually wasn’t poor at all—not even close. In Cincinnati and elsewhere he owned vast amounts of money, land, and—in case you didn’t know—human beings. That is why, despite helping to launch the University of Cincinnati, he has become nom non grata. As for the street bearing his name (at press time anyway), the Doctor urges you to look at a satellite view of McMicken Avenue at Elm

KNOWDR.

- LEFT ON THE SHELF DEAR LEFT: The Doctor hesitates to repeat suggesting a therapist in this column, but you may want to reconsider your response to Westwood’s splendid library: Billy got his popsicle first, waahh!! Perhaps more than a library is the issue here, just sayin’. Your resentment is also misplaced. When Carnegie began donating the funds for libraries in the late 1800s, he was far too busy crushing entire U.S. industries than to bother with designating specific locations. That was done locally. Cincinnati’s nine branches were chosen by a committee, headed by someone so distinguished and prestigious that he had three initials: N.D.C. Hodges. This man came from Harvard and settled in Walnut Hills, so, really, how much of a chance did Westwood everFurthermore,have? your library’s pedigree is none too shabby. Its architect was Stanley Matthews, grandson of a Procter on one side (yes, that Procter) and a Supreme Court Justice (also named Stanley Matthews) on the other. He was Cincinnati west side all the way. The Westwood branch opened in 1931 to great acclaim. Even its first librarian was a spinster named Marion, undoubtedly the inspiration for that song from The Music Man (even though Meredith Willson, the musical’s composer and lyricist, spelled the name Marian). Gratitude, please!

SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 31

ARONOFFBroadwayInCincinnati.comCENTEROct25-Nov06,2022Sept6-Oct2,2022 it out there. If you don’t feel courageous enough to call an attorney with this case, consider a psychiatrist for that thing about carrying around a decibel app. We all know about robber baron Andrew Carnegie donating the funds to build many of Cincinnati’s public library branches. Good for him. But why did he ignore Westwood? Our library is beautiful, but it came years later and looks very different from the other branches. Why was our prominent neighborhood overlooked by Carnegie?

Announcer: Sorry Pete, I know I said you’re offering color commentary, but I need to say that I don’t see color. I don’t care what color someone is, as long as men are men and ladies are ladies and nothing about my identity is threatened. OK, let’s kick this game, er, meeting, off with a prayer. Pete: Like to God? Wait, isn’t this a government-sponsored event?

I DON’T KNOW MUCH ABOUT BASEBALL, BUT I’M A BIG FAN OF SUBURBAN CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS.

Announcer: Don’t worry, it’s just tradition. And tradition is always good, right? [An awkward prayer is said, with half the citizens in attendance looking confused, followed by an even more awkward recit ing of the Pledge of Allegiance. A woman in a “Notorious RBG” T-shirt stares ahead, arms folded across her chest, while a man in a denim jacket embroidered with a red, white, and blue eagle puts a hand on the gun under his jacket.] Mayor: I call this meeting to order.

Pete: Um, OK, no I won’t, and it’s just Pete. But let’s focus on the issue at hand, which is that suburban city council meetings are getting increasingly divisive, especially as towns focus more efforts on diversity and inclusion. It inspires both support and backlash, and…

Announcer: Quick preview, Pete, because this lineup of speakers tonight is really something. Anchoring for Team Freedom is Karen the School Board Candidate, who recently moved here after singlehandedly tanking the school tax levy where she used to live. I hear she made sure that no white child in her old school would ever be forced to read a book that might help them develop empathy or learn about unpleasant history. I think we can agree those things have no place in education.

Pete: Well, if you look at the data…

WELCOME MIDDLEHOODTO BY

WELL FOLKS, HERE WE ARE IN ANYTOWN, USA. IT’S A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT FOR A CITY COUNCIL meeting in this safe, friendly town, where probably no one will get followed to their car and threatened by people who disagree with them. I’m Mike the Mediocre Announcer, and I’m joined tonight by Antifa Pete, who will be offering Communist takes and color commentary.

Welcome, members of the community. We eight council members are going to pass several motions tonight that likely have more impact on your daily lives than anything the federal government does. Suddenly everyone is noticing this, which means I’m in way over my head. I’m here only because I run an insurance agency on Main Street and my friend whose family basically owns the town told me I should be on council. But that was four years ago, and now cities are banning abortion, so things have gotten real. With that, it’s time to hear from citizens about what’s on their minds. I’ll just be sitting here clutching my gavel, looking panicked. But nobody worry. Everything is fine, because later we’ll use a lot of convoluted language about ordi nances and it’ll sound like we know what we’re doing.

32 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 ILLUSTRATION BY DOLA SUN

W Step Up to the Plate

Announcer: Tell it to your comrades, Pete. OK, it looks like we’re ready to start with the lead-off batter for Team Freedom.

Resident No. 1: My name is Bob Bigot, and I live at 100 Reactionary Run Road. I run a website called Anytown Liberty, where I use 12 different fonts and a lot of Capital Letters to indicate Problems. I have JUDI KETTELER

PHOTOGRAPH BY

34 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

Pete: What year is it? Did I hit my head? Announcer: It’s 2022 in the Year of Our Lord, but I do love my 1776 flag, because the founding fathers understood the Bible and that’s really what is missing. OK, our first speaker hit a home run, but the Woke Mob is up now.

LET’S SAVOR EVERY SIP.

Resident No. 3: I’m Carol Caustic, and everyone knows where I live because I’ve lived here for 35 years. I like to say “35 years” a lot, and when I say it my tone is always going to be aggravated, because I’m angry that things aren’t like they were 35 years ago when everything was so much better. It’s ridiculous to say that anyone is excluded in this town. Everyone is welcome here. And by everyone, I mean people just like me, preferably who have lived here 35 years.Unfortunately, no one listens to older people like me. We raised a bunch of Gen Xers who, I guess, were irritated that no one

Resident No. 2: Hi, I’m Sally Signmaker and I live left of center. I think it’s good that our little town is finally focusing on diversity and inclusion. I’m from San Francisco [audible groans in the audience], but my husband is from here. Can’t we have it all? Do we have to let the narrow-minded people drag us back in time? I work at Biggest Employer in the Region with Progressive Ideals, and every week we make statements about DEI. I think we can do that here, too. Oh, and my “We Believe” signs are for sale on Etsy if anyone is interested.

Indulge in a vibrant craft cocktail and craft brewery scene. From beach bars and rooftop lounges to nightclubs and fine dining spots, you’re sure to find just the place to enjoy a round. So, pull up a stool, raise a glass and get a taste of everything St. Pete/Clearwater has to offer. Let’s shine—see what’s on tap at VisitStPeteClearwater.com

WELCOME TO MIDDLEHOOD a Facebook page where I Tell the Truth and post all the e-mails I receive from the various Freedom of Information Requests I make every week, because everyone knows you can’t trust the Left-Wing Media to report the truth. I think it’s clear I know exactly what I’m talking about and I’m not a homophobic conspiracy-theorist when I say that I have no problem with gay people as long as they aren’t in my town having a Pride picnic, where my grandchildren might accidentally wander into them and turn gay or get caught up in a pornography ring. It would also be better if women didn’t work, because divorce is causing school shootings. Now I’m going to ramble for five minutes about programs that aren’t Fiscally Responsible, which isn’t a secret code for racism. My confidence is completely unearned, yet I appreciate that no one ever tells me to sit down at these meetings and that I face few consequences for anything I say. Thank you.

Announcer: Just type in “Let’s Go Brandon” in your little Google bar, Pete, and you’ll find exactly what you need. OK, moving on since that was a clear strike out...oh, now this is a shame. Karen the School Board Candidate was going to be next, but she got unexpectedly called away to 1933 Germany for a book-burning event. Luckily the pinch hitter is solid, having had at least one at-bat every meeting for the past year.

Pete: Did you catch if she mentioned her Etsy seller name? I know my wife would love one of those signs.

Now, by nature of this political climate, my very existence is fodder for legislators. So here I am—along with anyone else in this town who doesn’t look like, love like, pray like, or move in the world like some of the other residents—to say that I’m going to meet all of your bigotry and makebelieve science with facts. Of course, I know that will do little to change the mind of anyone who doesn’t believe in facts, like the recently elected councilmember who posted all over social media that our schools had litter boxes for kids who identified as cats and masks were a form of child abuse. We’re like the frog in the pot of water who doesn’t notice it heating up, and now we’re seeing our civil rights being slowly boiled away and replaced with nonsense. Sure, we’re forming book clubs, start ing committees, and doing various other performative things. But we have to do more. We have to show up and speak out! Pete: Wow, that was inspiring! Am I the only one who heard The West Wing soundtrack playing in the background while he spoke? Judi Ketteler: No, I heard it, too! Announcer: Alright, I’m back from the whizz palace. Hey there, Little Miss Writer Up to No Good, where’d you come from? Judi: Well, I was doomscrolling the town’s Facebook forum and then realized I should get off of social media and show up in person, because it turns out tedious local meetings like this are important. As Aaron Sorkin writing Jed Bartlet quoting Margaret Mead says in Season 4, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed people can change the world.” In other words, it’s time for the rest of us to get in the game. Let’s play ball, people!

Announcer: I’m going to stop you right there, Pete. We don’t do -isms, OK? That’s not what Jesus taught. He said you need a gun and you should never be forced to coparent with the government. Alright, now it looks like the Woke Mob is next, which means it’s probably time for me to take a bathroom break since I’ve been all RudyGiuliani-on-election-night up here.

paid them any attention, so they paid us back by raising a bunch of Millennials and snowflakes. Which brings me to my next point: Nobody wants to parent anymore. They just let the internet parent, and that isn’t what we did 35 years ago. I hate everyone and everything. Good night.

Pete: Everything she said was clearly a foul, except the fact that older people are often invisible. The problem of ageism…

Resident No. 4: I’m Josh Justice-Seeker, and I live with my husband and our two kids. It’s actually none of your business how they were conceived, because no one here gives hetero people a quizzical look when they see them with their families—at least not white people with white children. But that’s not what I’m here to talk about. I’m not even here to talk about how a few years ago I would have said I was a moderate because I came of age after Will & Grace

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On the Rocks Learn more about Big Ice on page 46. PHOTOGRAPH BY MARLENE ROUNDS

39 to BY Lauren Fisher, Aiesha D. Little, Sara MCCosham, Sam Rosenstiel, John Stowell, and Amanda Boyd Walters AS THE POPULARITY OF KENTUCKY’S MOST FAMOUS SPIRIT GROWS, MORE PARTS OF THE STATE—AND REGION—ARE GETTING IN THE GAME. STEP INSIDE SOME OF THE LOCAL BARS, RESTAURANTS, AND DISTILLERS ROLLING OUT THEIR BARRELS FOR YOU TO ENJOY. PLUS, MEET SOME OF THE PEOPLE MAKING ALL THAT MASH.

40

BourbonProhibitionBar

The Cherry Street Manhattan is a sweet concoction of Redemption Rye, vermouth, and Angostura bitters, barrel aged for 37 days and served over a massive ice ball and a cherry garnish dripping with sugar syrup. And we can’t recommend the Chase enough; Evan Williams mixes with housemade ginger beer (a much stronger kick than Fever-Tree, to be sure), striking the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and refreshing. Try the rotating cocktail for a cause—it was the Pepo Rita with jalapeño-infused tequila when we visited in June, which benefited the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition— and imbibe on the spacious patio or inside among the art. 3934 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, (513) 386-7570, littlefieldns.com

By day, Newberry Bros. Coffee roasts the beans that keep Newport jittering. But on Friday and Saturday evenings, the coffee joint is reborn as a Prohibitionera speakeasy with a surprisingly massive bourbon selection. The intimate space is literally packed with thousands of bottles of spirits from around the world. It can be hard to get in without a reservation, a hallmark of any truly authentic speakeasy—so be sure to call ahead. But unlike those old juice joints with their paltry selections of hooch, PBB can pour you a finger (or two, or three) of Pappy, Blanton’s, Weller, and all the good stuff. Fuhgeddaboudit. 530 Washington Ave., Newport, (859) 261-9463, reservations (513) 300-1347, newberrybroscoffee.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CATIE VIOX / BOTTLE COURTESY NORTHSIDE DISTILLING

BARREL PROOF

There are hundreds of bourbons to try at this eclectic Northside hangout, and the cocktail menu is killer, too.

Bourbon Haus 1841 This charming MainStrasse house holds two bars; you want the door on the right. Behind it lies bourbon wonderland. The seven-seat bar and leather sofa in front of the fireplace are both ideal spots for a convivial evening. Take a table in the courtyard out front and enjoy flights named after classic rock tunes, like Stairway to Heaven (Eagle Rare, 1792, Four Roses Single Barrel) or Sweet Emotion (W.L. Weller Special Reserve, Maker’s Mark, Larceny). Handcrafted cocktails include the 1841, a not-too-sweet combo of Woodford Reserve, Cointreau, apple cider, strawberry simple syrup, and lemon juice. Meet you on the porch. 522 Main St., Covington, (859) 888-7038, bourbon haus1841.com

The Littlefield

DistillingNorthsideCo. Born in a barn (really!) in Cincinnati’s Distillingneighborhood,quirkiestNorthsidemadethemoveto Race Street in 2017. Though the company started out with a white corn whiskey, its bourbon is now the official bourbon of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament. Game, set, match. 922 Race St., downtown, (513) 202-6532, northside distilling.com

Over a short period of time, Stuhlreyer moved the tenants and cubicles out and filled the space with what we all expect in a taproom: a sizeable bar, tables, chairs, a polished concrete floor, an outdoor patio, a kitchen, merch, and people. Lots of thirsty people.

Stuhlreyer describes himself as “not really a beer guy” but when he and his business partner decided to incorporate, he was excited about distilling and his partner was all about hard ciders. But beer was going to be the draw, so Stuhlreyer recruited a couple of experts to the team and the March First family of suds, ciders, and spirits was born. The tiny taproom in the back filled up and what started as a fun project became a full-fledged business.

Mark Twain once said, “If I cannot drink bourbon and smoke cigars in heaven, then I shall not go.” But fear not, Cincinnati. You won’t have to wait for heaven. Bourbon and cigars, along with vodka, rum, tequila, moonshine, and gin are all waiting for you now…in Milford. The Millcroft, one of southwest Ohio’s oldest private homes, is now Cincinnati Distillery and will be turning out barrels of its signature spirits—Cooper Island Rum, Voltage Vodka, Rebellion Agave, Red Sky gins, and branded bourbons and whiskeys. It’s a great addition to this west Clermont County suburb that sports a Norman Rockwell–like downtown, the Little Miami Brewery, a topnotch wine bar in 20 Brix, and a DORA district that runs more than a mile and a quarter.Itwas just the kind of town with just the kind of history that Mark Stuhlreyer was looking for as he grew the distilling business under his parent company, March First Stuhlreyer,Brands.a1986 St. Xavier graduate, “All Saints kid,” and former Marine and telecommunications executive, founded March First Brewing (not so ironically) on March 1, 2016. It’s an homage to the date Ohio became a state back in 1803. The company started as a kind of side busi ness. When Stuhlreyer sold his Dayton telecommunications firm in 2015, he bought a nondescript one-story building on East Kemper Road in Symmes Township and renovated it to serve as an incubator for start-up research and development work and a more mature school software management company. “We had room in the back, so we kicked around the idea of a small brewery, and it took off,” he recalls. “It was a fun and exciting time to be in the brewing business here in Cincinnati, so we went with it.”

IF SPIRITS WALK AMONG US, THE GHOSTS OF THE Waldschmidt and Kugler families are probably sitting over at that sun-splashed table, peering through the massive windows that showcase the traffic on Milford’s Mill Street. They marvel at the glistening new still that emerges out of the basement through an opening in the floor and laugh at the customers’ strange attire: T-shirts and shorts, not buckskins and slouch hats. They may be scandalized that women are participants in the revelry, sipping the biting brown liquid that—200 years ago—they made right here at this homestead on the banks of the Little Miami River.

BY

Still, like all entrepreneurs, Stuhlreyer wasn’t hanging around his bar drinking for free. New products were being developed, including a line of seltzers, rum, vodka, schnapps, and some flavored bourbons. “We have about 40 different products in our distilling division,” Stuhlreyer says, “and we launched half of those or more in 2017 and 2018.” But the aggressive growth was putting a strain on the company’s production

CONTINUED ON PAGE 43

Cincinnati Distilling stakes its claim to a piece of local bourbon history with its new Milford distillery. JOHN STOWELL

He’s not excited to be interviewed, but he’s happy to talk about the Milford distillery, his business, his growing line of products, and his employees. With an athletic 6-foot-9 build, he’d be easy to spot in a crowd or on the basketball court and his frame doesn’t fit into some of the Millcroft’s 19th century spaces. He is softspoken but his eyes reveal focused alertness and joy as he shows me around the still-under-construction project. It’s mid-July and he’s anxious to open. But the new industrial-sized still has yet to be shipped from Nebraska.

IN SpiriTSGooD

41 ILLUSTRATION BY CARLIE BURTON

Once you’ve seen the whole process and met distillery cat Thumper, you’ll get a chance to taste the dizzying selection of moonshine, including an orange moonshine cream. The single barrel bourbon’s toasty vanilla notes make it very sippable, while both rye offerings are much smoother than most. You can buy bottles, cocktails, and T-shirts in the gift shop, along with beef from Whobrey’s Farm, which is fed exclusively on the distillery’s sour mash. 4360 KY-1130, Sparta, (859) 394-3258, neeleyfamilydistillery.com DRIVE oN

(oftenmoonshine,plentyinByhecopperJames11th-great-grandfather,HisJohnNeeley,broughtstillswithhimwhenemigratedfromIreland.thetimethefamilyarrivedKentucky,they’dhadofexperiencemakingeliminatingrivalsviolently),andbuilding their business. By the time Royce was in college, he’d tried his hand at the still and started wondering if he could take the family legit. So in 2015, he and his father started Neeley Family Distillery. Two years later, they opened in Sparta, where they apply tricks of the moonshiner’s trade to bourbon. Here, bourbon is triple-distilled in pot stills and aged in barrels with a much lighter char and in a much smaller rickhouse than the big bourbon producers.

WORTH THE

ShiNe

Running moonshine is in Royce Neeley’s DNA.

After 11 generations, the Neeley Family Distillery is finally on the right side of the law.

—AMANDA BOYD WALTERS PHOTOGRAPHS BY CATIE VIOX / BOTTLE COURTESY WOODSTONE CREEK

The OG of Cincinnati’s modern distilling industry, founded in 1999, was one of the first microdistilleries in the state. It’s still a tiny operation, producing something like three barrels a year. Try the goods at the St. Bernard tasting room. 4712 Vine St., St. Bernard, (513) 569-0300, woodstone creek.com

43 and warehousing capabilities. It was time to Growth,grow.Stuhlreyer says, is his passion. Not beer. Not bourbon. Growth. “The [craft beer] business was getting to the point of saturation,” Stuhl reyer says, recalling the days not that long ago when it seemed a brewery was opening somewhere in the region every month. “And we are probably still overbuilt. We’re seeing some players, some of them big ones, spinning down production.” In just the last few months, for example, Rivertown Brewery in Monroe and Rebel Mettle on Central Avenue have shuttered. Stuhlreyer concluded that there was a consolidation opportunity and launched a merger and acquisition strategy that added to the March First Brands family: Middletown’s FigLeaf Brewing in 2019; Woodburn Brewing in 2020; and Fairborn’s Flat Rocks Spirits, owner of the Stillwrights brand, last summer. “It’s not that there haven’t been other mergers in the industry, but I think ours have been different because we’ve decided to keep the unique brands that we’ve acquired,” Stuhlreyer explains. “We know these brands have loyal customers and we want to build on that and improve it— not whitewash it with our own brand.” That’s why you’ll see FigLeaf beers and Stillwrights premium bourbons, rums, and moonshine, for example, BARREL PROOF Woodstone Creek

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARLENE ROUNDS / BOTTLE COURTESY KARRIKIN SPIRITS / HEADSHOT COURTESY NEW RIFF DISTILLING

There’s more than just bourbon to Karrikin. Beer and sparkling spirits also make an appearance, and in June the Fairfax distillery hosted the second Ohio Craft Whiskey Festival, which featured a limited-edition collaboration between Karrikin, Brain Brew, Northern Row, and Woodstone Creek.

3717 Jonlen Dr., Fairfax, (513) 561-5000, karrikinspir its.com

Hannah Lowen Vice President of operations, New Riff Distilling WORTH THE DRIVE youRWhiSkeYwaY Brain Brew Custom Whiskey prides itself on making custom blends for every taste.

—SAM ROSENSTIEL

New Riff is a family and independently owned and operated bourbon distillery with a prime location on the acclaimed Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It opened in 2014 and released its first aged products in 2018, focusing on bourbon and rye whiskeys using “bottle in bond” and “without chill filtration” methods.

3849 Edwards Rd., Newtown, (513) 271-9911, brainbrew whiskey.com

So much of modern life is customizable, from the cars we drive to the phones in our pocket. Brain Brew asks, Why shouldn’t bourbon fit your taste just as well as everything else? Tucked away in Newtown (take a right on Edwards Road when you see the “Eureka! Ranch” sign), this distillery specializes in custom whiskey and lets you hearken back to when the stuff was made “of the people, for the people, by the people.” Brain Brew offers a largely self-guided custom whiskey tour inside a living room space filled with quirky decor. Sample six single-wood bourbons from all eras of craft brewing history—with the history lesson provided via tablet—before you blend your favorites milliliter by milliliter to create your perfect tincture. Once you’re satisfied with your tailored blend, sit at the bar a spell and enjoy an inclusive whiskey or cocktail flight as you wait for your personalized fifth. Brain Brew also offers custom whiskey kits for home use, enough for four people to create their own recipe from the comfort of your kitchen (and great for blind taste tests), or use mybourbonwizard.com to fill out a short questionnaire to find your ideal mixture. We definitely recommend visiting in person, and if you do, say hi to Spider-Man for us.

BARREL PROOF KarrikinCompanySpirits

New Riff is a bit of a “new kid on the block” in the Kentucky bourbon scene, and your origin story sounds a bit like Danny Ocean assembling his dream team. Ken Lewis, who founded the company, was the former owner of The Party Source and had been in liquor retailing for 30-plus years. He drafted a small team of self-described “corporate refugees” to help launch the distillery. Our staff has grown from eight to 45, and our production has grown nearly fivefold. You started your career in politics and nonprofit management. What compelled you to make the switch? Serendipity. I was between jobs when Ken called. I knew Ken and his family from growing up in Louisville, and when he reached out, I jumped at the chance. Back then, I didn’t have a role, title, or even specific duties—I was just a person to come in and help get [New Riff] off the ground. Aside from its age, what sets New Riff apart? Using a mix of new and old techniques is what sets New Riff, a nod to a musical riff, apart. The idea [is that] musicians put their own spin on an old song. That’s how we feel about bourbon and our place in the industry. We’re not attempting to rewrite the song; the song is really reallygood. We love the song. We are simply adding a new riff. What’s your go-to drink? That’s an easy question! New Riff of course! [Our] high-rye bourbon is perfect in a spicy and bold well-mixed Manhattan. —SARAH McCOSHAM

Bagford joins Bryan Fischer, who has distilled with March First since 2019, but is now becoming more heavily involved as a production manager.

This no-frills neighborhood dive in Cheviot is a popular hangout for game days and mid-week kickbacks. Known for its killer beer menu—would you expect anything less from a bar with a giant “We Want Beer” photo on the back wall?—Dean’s also has quite the collection of whiskey (we counted more than 80; the official roster is more than 150). Pull up a barstool to order a shot of Boone County, Jack Daniels 150, Old Elk Rye, Angel’s Envy, or your favorite bourbon to go with your High Life. Enjoy that glass of Kentucky gold at a high top or out on the patio looking over Harrison Avenue. 3722 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, (513) 515-3215, facebook.com/deanshv

Billy Yanks

The name honors the iconic bronze statue of a Union soldier keeping watch over the Hamilton skyline atop the Soldiers, Sailors, & Pioneers Monument, but you won’t drink like a Union soldier at Billy Yanks. The bourbon bar and restaurant inside the historic Hammerle building boasts dozens of whiskies, beers, and spirits to try. If the march to Hamilton worked up your appetite, Billy Yanks also serves a fiery Victory at Nashville chicken sandwich and a Big Kahuna burger that puts the patty from Pulp Fiction to shame. Both pair well with Grippo’s-crusted mac and cheese. 205 Main St., Hamilton, (513) 844-0130, billyyanks.com still gracing store shelves. The Stillwrights acquisition, which occurred just a month after that distillery had shuttered, also netted a master distiller—James Bagford. “That was really an important find for us,” Stuhlreyer says. “He has more than a decade of knowledge and that’s a very hard thing to find in distilling.”

BARREL PROOF RobertDistilleryJames Bob Slattery bought the former Shumrick and Leys and rebranded it in 2019. RJ Cinema, near Jungle Jim’s in Eastgate, serves as a de facto tasting room. The Highland Avenue facility is available for private parties and events. 4450 Eastgate South Dr., Eastgate, (513) 738-7680, robertjames distillery.com

Engel landed a job with March First thanks, in part, to a beer blog he wrote in the early days of the craft beer explosion. He has an associate’s degree from Miami in information technology with a visual media design concentration and parlayed that into a semisuccessful (“it didn’t pay the bills,” he says) motorsports photography gig before going to work for a logistics company. When he had a chance to work

Dean’s Hops & Vines

UNLIKE STUHLREYER, JOSH ENgel is a self-described “beer nerd.” The March First Brands marketing director is as effervescent as a frothy mug or a bubbling seltzer. The 33-year-old has cultivated an impressive beard that hangs six inches below his chin and he notes, early on, that he’s not a traditional marketer. “If you want me to write a report using all the acronyms and marketing buzzwords like blahblah-blah,” he says, “that’s not me.”

45 BOTTLE COURTESY ROBERT JAMES DISTILLERY

While the Bluegrass bourbon industry has been largely male-dominated, Three Keys Distillery is changing the narrative. Started in 2016 by Jessica Banish, who also serves as master distiller, Three Keys is an inextricable part of the Bluegrass State’s bourbon culture.

What compelled you to start Three Keys, one of the state’s only female-owned and operated distilleries? It is important to [women] to take responsibility for keeping history alive in our wonderful state of Kentucky. I started the company in 2016, and our first batch was released in December 2019. How does location play a role in Three Keys story? [Three Keys Distillery’s] building, the former J.W. Kite store in Burlington, Kentucky, is on the National Historic Register, [and the plan is to] use the funds from our bourbon to finance the restoration. How does Three Keys fit in with the Bluegrass bourbon narrative, and what are your hopes for the future? Three Keys bourbon was named as a legacy for [my] three boys. [Years ago], I wrote “Three KY Sons” on a bar napkin, which became “Three Keys.” The hope is that our brand withstands the test of time and that [my husband’s and my] boys have the chance to carry it on through the family. While we know it isn’t the goal of all our boys to do so, having that legacy available to them is incredibly important to us.

James Ferguson of Big Idea Group is a pure ice evangelist. He had his first piece of hand-cut ice in a glass of bourbon four years ago and has been preaching the gospel ever since. About a year ago, he decided to get in the ice supplier game with his company Big Ice. Massive ice blocks are directionally frozen over several days to eliminate impurities and tempered before they’re cut with food-safe chain saws and handcrafted into six shapes: rocks, balls, blocks, stones, sticks, and pebbles. The result is slow-melting ice that doesn’t water down your drink. Cheers! drinkbigice.com —AIESHA D. LITTLE Ice ColD

46 HEADSHOT COURTESY JESSICA BANISH / BOTTLE COURTESY NEW RIFF DISTILLING

What Three Keys spirit belongs on every bourbon lover’s tasting list? Currently, we offer one Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey because we wanted to regulate the batches effectively before branching out. Keep an eye out for some barrel strength options as well as barrel programs! —S.M.

for Jungle Jim’s to kick-start a video program, shoot photos, and work on the brand’s social media, “I took a leap of faith and a pay cut,” he laughs. In his spare time, he wrote a beer blog and went from being merely a consumer to a social media influencer. “At the time, when you walked into a brewery it was kind of a new thing and it had magic,” he remembers. “So I started this blog and I couldn’t believe I was just this random guy with a blog and I got to go back into the production area, meet the brewer, and try a beer off the tank. All because I had a dumb blog?” He still laughs at his luck and probably his chutzpah. When the marketing position with March First opened, he said, Stuhlreyer hired him on the spot after what he recalls as “just a long conversation about beer.” Stuhlreyer remembers the conversation too, and says he knew right away Engel was the right fit. Like Stuhlreyer, Engel said he didn’t know the distilling business as well and wasn’t a bourbon drinker. “I come from a family of Catholics so it’s beer,” he says. “But I did my research, talked to a lot of people, and watched a lot of YouTube videos to broaden my horizons.” He credits the elevated craft cocktails showcased at Woodburn as being particularly helpful. So, yeah, his due diligence included consumption. Engel calls distilling “mystical,” noting the barriers to market entry are BARREL PROOF New Riff Distilling Since releasing its first bottles in 2018, New Riff has racked up plenty of awards for its bourbons and other spirits. And it’s growing: A 2021 expansion increased production, and the company plans to build a new aging warehouse in Silver Grove where all those barrels can rest. 24 Distillery Way, Bellevue, (859) 261-7433, newriffdistill ing.com

WORTH THE DRIVE

Jessica Banish CEO, Three Keys Distillery

Sipping the RoSeS

You have to learn when to stop and sip the roses, and the new visitor center at Four Roses is a prime spot. In the heart of bourbon country, the Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, Lexington30-minute-ishdistillery—adetourfromandFrankfort— boasts a state-of-the-art center incorporating the Spanish mission architecture of the original distillery building. Rustic Kentucky decor and the grand porch perfect for summer sipping make any bourbon pilgrim feel right at home. You’ll start your Legacy Distillery tour in the cozy parlor. Before the parlor lies the Al Young Archive Collection, a mini-museum of Four Roses artifacts featuring a wall of 22 bourbon bottles from the past 134 years. Using a touch screen display, you can light up each bottle’s niche—including a noteworthy “prescription” bottle from 1924 with a pharmacist’s scrawl instructing 2 ounces be taken, as needed, with water. Across from the parlor sits Bar 1888, where you can sample 10 distinct Four Roses recipes (as needed) on a rotating basis, and tours and tastings exit through the expanded gift shop. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, indeed. 1224 Bonds Mill Rd., Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, (502) 839-3436, fourrosesbourbon.com

Oscar Station As you would expect from a bourbon bar located in the OG Jungle Jim’s International Market complex in Fairfield, it’s hard to beat the selection at Oscar Station, just beyond the aisles of global eats. If you can’t decide from the list of nearly 160 bourbons from Ezra Brooks to Pappy 15 Year try a handcrafted creation from the ever-rotating cocktail menu. If you’re looking to relax the old-fashioned way, you can kick back in the smoke-friendly cigar room with your glass. Bring some friends and make it a party—the Oscar Station and Oscar Event Center can be booked for your next bourbon-filled get-together. Thursdays 4–10 pm, 8771 N. Gilmore Rd., Fairfield, (513) 674-6055, junglejims.com

The new visitor center at Four Roses embraces the distillery’s nearly 140-year history and makes bourbon lovers from around the world feel right at home. —SAM ROSENSTIEL

PHOTOGRAPH BY MARLENE ROUNDS / BOTTLE COURTESY SECOND SIGHT SPIRITS

As you wind down Germantown Road off of U.S. Route 68 near Maysville, keep your eyes peeled for a barrelhead sign heralding the home of Old Pogue Distillery. This is a family operation: Today, fifth and sixth generation Pogues distill bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskey here, producing about 200 barrels a year. The tour—and tasting!—is free, but you must make reservations online in advance. When we visited, there were only eight slots available for each tour (one morning, one afternoon). Early birds might get lucky—we did—and have tour guide Dan Crum all to yourself. He starts in the brick Greek Revival three-story that was once the Pogue family home. Crum filled us in on distilling history and showed us the still, where John Pogue was working on that day’s batch. Then he led us to the back porch, where we tasted Old Pogue Master’s Select, a smooth 91 proof bourbon made from an old family recipe, along with Old Maysville Club rye and Belle of Maysville, the wheat malt whiskey. Overlooking the Ohio River, it’s a beautiful setting for sipping some history. 705 Germantown Rd., Maysville, Kentucky, oldpogue.com

WORTH THE DRIVE It

iN the

The theater design and prop building background of founders Rick Couch and Carus Waggoner makes the Ludlow home of this small distiller one of a kind. Where else can you find a fortune teller–inspired still? 301 Elm St., Ludlow, (859) 488-7866, second sightspirits.com RunS FamilY

The Old Pogue Distillery in Maysville has deep roots in Kentucky’s original Bourbon County.

—AMANDA BOYD WALTERS

BARREL PROOF SecondSpiritsSight

ICON BY JESSICA DUNHAM /PHOTOGRAPHS BY CATIE VIOX

Smoke Justis Walk all the way through the large, high-ceilinged dining room and you’ll come to the Smoke Justis Bourbon Lounge, where a large bar surrounds towering shelves stocked with bottles—bartenders use library ladders to access the upper reaches of the collection. This is a swanky space (you’re inside the historic Citizens Telephone Company headquarters) with real presence, but it’s far from pretentious. Newbies and aficionados alike can enjoy the spirits at weekly Wednesday bourbon socials. Pro tip: Ask for a pour based on what you like and your price point, and you might just discover a new favorite. 302 Court St., Covington, (859) 814-8858, smokejustis.com

STILL SLEEPING

Northern Row Now roughly three years into its slumber, this bourbon is the definition of local—Northern Row hasn’t outsourced anything for it, and all mashing, fermentation, distilling, and bottling will be done in-house. The bourbon has big flavor notes hiding away, too. Head distiller Josh Quattlebaum described the high rye, high wheat, four-grain, and traditional mash bills for this line, and he’s already started tasting rich vanilla and spice notes in this young bourbon. 111 W. McMicken Ave., Overthe-Rhine, (513) 620-8302, northernrow.com

These bourbons are nearly ready to come out of the barrel. Here’s what their master distillers expect. —SAM ROSENSTIEL

The Monkey Bar Back in the 1970s, Train Stop Inn owner Ken Harris kept a chimpanzee named Sam that drank beer and smoked cigarettes, and the place got nicknamed “The Monkey Bar.” Sam’s long gone now, but the name remains. In the summer months, the huge patio along the Little Miami River and the Loveland Bike Trail–adjacent location make this a popular hangout for locals and trail riders. When the weather turns chilly, it’s time to head downstairs to the bourbon room. The large bar features leather-backed stools, two stone fireplaces, and a wide selection of Kentucky’s finest. 7837 Old 3C Hwy., Maineville, (513) themonkeybarandgrille.com781-4246,

Knox Joseph/OTR Stillhouse

Head Distiller Chris Mitchell joined the Knox Joseph family in January 2018, and he wasted no time getting this bourbon ready for the barrel. Made with a traditional mash of corn, rye, and barley, the distillery’s first straight bourbon has been aging since summer of that year—and should be ready to drink by the time you read this. We were lucky enough to try the new spirit in June, and you’ll be sure to note the warm spiciness of this approachable sipper. 2017 Branch St., Overthe-Rhine, (513) 421-7800, otrstillhouse.com

48 Pensive Distilling Co. The distillery may be named for a lightning-fast Derby champ, but Pensive is placing its bets on taking it slow with this new bourbon. Head Distiller Corbin Arrasmith started aging Pensive’s latest bourbon in 15-gallon oak barrels this summer (each one yields just 70–80 bottles). It won’t be ready to tap until Christmas 2023, and Arrasmith expects it to be a festive concoction with notes of brown sugar, chocolate, and a complex woodiness from the small batch barrel that will only get better with age. 720 Monmouth St., Newport, (859) 360-5579, pensivedistilling.com

Victor Yarbrough Cofounder, Brough Brothers Distillery In a state with a long and celebrated bourbon legacy, Brough Brothers Distillery is Kentucky’s first Black-owned distillery, launching in 2019. Yet that historic and important distinction is just one of many noteworthy attributes of this new bourbon brand led by Kentucky-born brothers Victor, Bryson, and Christian Yarbrough.

49 higher. There are more stringent production regulations, state stores that limit retail opportunities, and fewer distilling experts than brewers. It also takes more patience—your glass of bourbon won’t reach its potential for at least two years. But, he says, he’s seeing a stronger market developing in younger drinkers. They’re drinking a little less beer and more spirits, even in the suburban Kemper Road taproom, although they sell more bourbon and Coke than innovative cocktails. “You get a lot of people who like the crazy stuff, espe cially the younger crowd,” he says. “But we also have our traditionalists who say, just give me the plain stuff. Bourbon is supposed to be just bourbon.”

You and your brothers were born and bred in Louisville’s West End, then traveled the world learning about the ins and outs of the spirits industry. What led you back to Kentucky? Brough Brothers started as an export company, Victory Global, that begin exporting bourbon, moonshine, and craft beer to the United Kingdom in 2012. Having success with [spirits] and being from Kentucky, where the bourbon market was exploding, it made sense to begin the next phase of the company [here] and start our own bourbon brand. Kentucky is a place with a proud bourbon history, with many of its distilleries passed down through the generations. How does Brough Brothers fit with this tradition, and what are your hopes for the future? Bourbon is certainly a legacy industry; our goal is to leave a thriving business to future generations. Representation is so important, especially in the bourbon industry. Can you speak to this? Representation provides awareness to other opportunities beyond the status quo. It gives hope and provides confidence to those who didn’t believe it was possible to succeed beyond that. We’ve opened the door and are paving the way for other African Americans entering the bourbon industry.

For every winner, Stuhlreyer says, there are 10 losers. He laments how much beer he’s thrown away in the last

What’s your favorite spirit from Brough Brothers? Easy: Our bourbon! We currently only have one type of bourbon, but we just released Brough Brothers Overproof Rum. — S.M. BARREL PROOF Boone DistillingCountyCo. Its slogan is “Made by Ghosts,” a nod to a Boone whiskey-makingCountytradition that dates back to 1883 and the founding of the Petersburg Distillery. Its event center opened in 2021, and this year, it introduced the Canvus line of ready-to-drink cocktails, which is spinning off into its own company. 10601 Toebben Dr., Independence, (859) 282-6545, boonedistilling. com

HEADSHOT COURTESY VICTOR YARBROUGH / BOTTLE COURTESY BOONE COUNTY DISTILLING CO.

The “crazy stuff” at Cincinnati Distillery includes specialty products like Fire Brigade Cinnamon Whiskey, Honey Whiskey, or La Terza Coffee Barrel Bourbon. Fire Brigade is whiskey that’s finished by dipping cheesecloth-wrapped cinnamon sticks into the fully fermented product. The honey whiskey blend mixes in nectar from a bee colony near Oxford, and La Terza is a barrel exchange collaborative with the Lockland coffee shop of the same name. More “new stuff” will be introduced soon now that the Milford distillery is open.

WELL STOCKED (Clockwise from far left) The Smoke Justis bourbon bar; smoked wings and a meat plate; pouring some private selection Maker’s Mark.

The Purple Poulet In 1947, The Green Derby opened at the corner of Ninth and York in Newport, serving generations of diners before it closed in 2018. In February, a new color took over when The Purple Poulet moved from Dayton to this fully revamped space. A small, six-stool bar topped with purple-flecked granite sits on one side of the main dining room, the gateway to a swell collection of bourbon, including some vintage bottles. Easygoing prices make this a worthwhile visit. And if you’re hungry, the popular fried chicken or one of the other Southern specialties will fix you right up. 846 York St., Newport, (859) 916-5602, purplepoulet.com the b-line

Revival Vintage Bottle Shop

Chad Brizendine Cofounder, with Jake Warm, O.K.I. Bourbon In 2016, BFFs Jake Warm and Chad Brizendine, former investor/equity partner and co-owner, respectively, of bourbon brand George Remus, found themselves free agents in the distillery world. Looking for a way to forge their own path but also stay true to the legacy inherent in the state’s long-standing distilleries led them to O.K.I. in 2020.

It may look like an extremely small liquor shop with a wee bar in the corner, but Revival Vintage Bottle Shop is really a time machine. The inventory is vintage—these are the dusty bottles from the back of grandpa’s liquor cabinet, like a 1955 bottle of J.W. Dant or a 1971 flask of Evan Williams. Brad Bonds finds and sells these bottles; he also lets you try some. There’s a rotating selection of tasters, ranging from $5 a half ounce up to $25. It’s not all bourbon, either—we saw vintage rum and even banana liqueur when we visited. 5 E. Eighth St., Covington, (859) 479-2676, revivalky.com

Five Eightdistilleries.bars.Six restaurants. All of them in Northern Kentucky, all of them making or serving Kentucky’s finest. Bars must keep at least 100 labels in stock at all times (including all available labels from the five member distilleries) and each establishment must complete Moonshine University’s Stave & Thief Society certification. We’ve shared a few of the Line’s spots with you, but there’s much more to explore at The Beehive in Augusta; Three Spirits in Bellevue; Libby’s Southern Comfort, Rich’s Proper Food and Drink, Coppin’s, Wiseguy Lounge, The Globe, OKBB, and Bouquet in Covington; and Tousey House in Burlington. thebline.com

PHOTOGRAPHS BY CATIE VIOX / HEADSHOT COURTESY CHAD BRIZENDINE

What inspired you to make the leap from working at a distillery to owning and operating a distillery? We love the industry and are proud of its growth over the last decade... bourbon is an industry that’s welcoming, social, and caring all at once [which is] pretty rare. What led you to O.K.I.? O.K.I. was originally founded and owned by New Riff before we purchased the brand from them in 2020. O.K.I., an acronym for “Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana,” alludes to the fact that 95 percent of the world’s bourbon is made on these states’ soils. As a longerstanding distillery, O.K.I. developed a cult following among bourbon enthusiasts, and we were ecstatic to build on that foundation. In what ways have you and Jake added to O.K.I.’s legacy? We have a single barrel waitlist that has over 9,500 applicants for the 40 barrels we made available in 2022! We are proud that so many bourbon enthusiasts have shown an interest in O.K.I. and we hope to serve them all someday in the future as our supply grows. Your favorite drink? Within our portfolio, O.K.I. Bourbon barrel No. 23 was my all-time favorite. It was the most well-balanced five-year bourbon I’ve ever had, and I just love the 36 percent high rye bourbon mash bill. Outside our portfolio, I’m a hugerye whiskey fan (we named our daughter Rylan, Rye for short) and I’d have to say what New Riff is doing with experimental ryes is so exciting! —S.M.

51 ICONS BY JESSICA DUNHAM

Like the craft beer industry, Stuhlreyer and Engel think of competition not so much in terms of Covington’s New Riff, downtown’s Northside, or Fairfax’s Karrikin Spirits. The distilling community here is relatively small, both in terms of numbers and in how it stacks up against the Big Bourbon Boys. Buffalo Trace, Woodford Reserve, Wild Turkey, Four Roses— that’s the competition. Sure, the local distilleries compete against one another for shelf space, but that battle is waged by the distributors. As Engel puts it, “the liquid speaks de Force

These local companies will handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on the drinks. —LAUREN FISHER

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Mint ExperiencesJulep Make Louisville your home base and embark on an expansive variety of tours that’ll take you to a mix of old and new bourbon magnets. Mint Julep has both public and private options available but recommends three-stop tours to maximize the experience. $180–$200 per person; juleptours.comandFridays,Thursdays,Saturdays,Sundays;mint

Louisville Transport Executive Transportation doesn’t just specialize in cars—on the weekends, the Louisville-based company conducts its own tours of Kentucky’s Bourbon Country. Friday tours stop at Four Roses and Wild Turkey, while Saturday tours drop by Buffalo Trace and Woodford Reserve. $95 per person, Fridays and Saturdays, louisvilletransport.com

RiverKentuckyTours See the Bourbon Trail by sea—er, by the Kentucky River—and experience firsthand the role of river power in Kentucky’s distilling history. While you can’t drink onboard (thanks to the state’s boating laws), most of this company’s bourbon tours stop at Buffalo Trace, so there’s ample opportunity to sample. $25–$80 per person, six days a kyrivertours.comweek,

American Legacy Tours While American Legacy Tours isn’t currently offering its bourbon tours to the public, private group bookings are still available. For a taste of what the company has to offer, hop on the Hidden Caverns Tour, which begins and ends at Northern Row Brewing & Distillery. Private bookings only, americanlegacytours.com Cincy Brew Bus All aboard the Bourbon Express! This five-hour excursion, run by the same company that tours local breweries, starts at Northern Kentucky’s New Riff and detours to two distilleries and a bourbon bar. $75 per person, Saturdays only, cincybrewbus.com ON 92

The biggest hard seltzer seller is Red Cream Soda, meant to evoke sweet childhood memories by putting a little liquid cotton candy in your mouth. The product was the brainchild of Jeff Stine, the chief financial officer. That the company’s “bean counter” even had a voice in the development of a product line is illustrative of an “everyone in” culture that Stuhlreyer believes is critical to innovating. “It was his idea and we probably changed the recipe five times, but it was his idea,” Stuhlreyer laughs. “And he never lets us forget it.”

BOURBON AND WHISKEY REmain the biggest spirits sellers but the Astra line of flavored seltzers is the fastest growing product line. In fact, so many flats of March First’s seltzers fill the rickhouse, located about a 10-minute walk from the taproom, that the bourbon barrels have been pushed into a corner. They’ll have more space in the Milford basement.

five years. “We’re Forrest Gumping our way through this,” Stuhlreyer says. “It’s not like we put a lot of thought or research into new product development or buy into focus groups. We’re making what we hope is good stuff and seeing if people flock to it. Variety is fun and each product line needs to stand on its own. There’s no huge market for peppermint schnapps, but every year we’re making more of it. I don’t know who’s drinking it, but somebody is.”

TouRS

BY MILDRED C. FALLEN ILLUSTRATION BY RAFA ALVAREZ HOW RICARDO GRANT BECAME A FROM STARTING BUSINESSES TO HOSTING ART SHOWS, GRANT HAS EMBRACED THE VALUE OF REACHING OUT AND MAKING CONNECTIONS. HE LIVES BY A FAVORITE CHILDHOOD SAYING: “CLOSED MOUTHS DON’T GET FED.” BOSS PAGE 52

One of Grant’s recent wild hairs popped out shortly after the pandemic arrived in 2020, when he decided to take up running. “It’s not only good for my body physically,” he says, “but it’s the one point of the day specifically when I’m able to disconnect from devices.”

Much of what Grant, 37, admires and carries into his business models is inspired by growing up in the 1990s, an era he lovingly refers to as a “golden age” of Black popular culture and creativity. His career path has been one leap of faith after another, especially once he embraced entrepreneurship after more than 10 years in corporate America.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PALOOZANOIRE

Grant and business partner Ray Ball cofounded Paloozanoire in 2019, a com pany focused on enriching the lives of people of color in areas of entrepreneur ship, corporate leadership, and creativity. They organized a Juneteenth Block Party at The Banks, and this year’s version drew more than 10,000 partygoers. They’ve also presented two Black & Brown Faces art exhibitions at the Cincinnati Art Museum in partnership with ArtsWave.

Grant worked with organizations like Duke Energy, Cincinnati/Northern Ken tucky International Airport, the Cincinnati Reds, FC Cincinnati, and the University of Cincinnati to launch the 17 Under Seventeen Awards, which present $5,000 scholarships for extraordinary young leaders. He’s also the founder and executive director of SoCap Accelerate, a healthcare startup program based at Northern Kentucky University’s Institute for Health Innovation and backed by Mercy Health and St. Elizabeth Healthcare. His non profit, Fundnoire, hopes to raise $1.5 mil-

ON A PARTICULARLY OVERCAST SPRINGTIME SUNDAY, Ricardo Grant is reflective while taking a rare day off. He’s gotten better at self-care thanks to audiobooks and running. “I don’t have a whole lot of time to sit down and read, so I think it’s important for me to find ways to take care of myself while I’m on the go,” he says, mentioning how he’s listened to Will Smith’s memoir, Will, twice.

“The book is filled with stories of resilience and grace. I certainly relate to his relationship with his tough father and his siblings, and the way he chased his wild and out-of-the-box dreams with sometimes very little support.”

Grant, known to most as Rico, might be one of Cincinnati’s bestconnected people. He owns a barbershop that doubles as an art gallery, but he isn’t a stylist or a museum curator. He doesn’t have a background in hospitality either, but he recently opened a new bar and lounge concept in Over-the-Rhine. His fluffy, salt-and-pepper beard and relaxed but fashion-forward uniform of limited-edition sneakers and fitted baseball caps represent today’s young professional: a trendsetting lifestyle influencer rather than the traditional suit-and-tie-with-a-briefcase look.

Junet nth Block P tyJunet nthBlockP ty at the Banksat the Banks PAGE 54 PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY RICO GRANT

In the pandemic’s early months, Grant and his Paloozanoire team produced the Black & Brown Faces art exhibition as a free attraction at the Cincinnati Art Museum. It depicted the highs and lows of 2020 and was intended to initiate a healing conversation.

lounge that would use Black films, art, and music as a throwback aesthetic, and he spent months renovating a historic building at 1517 Vine Street into a modern, real-world version of Ray’s BoomBoom Room, the nightclub Eddie Murphy’s incarcerated character imagines in Life. He leaned on Gelter’s and others’ expertise when it came to construction and design, a process he says involved “a lot of hand-holding” while trying to turn a gutted building into what he hopes will become a popular nightlife destination. It officially opened in August. A few months out from the opening, Grant shared a post on social media saying, “This building, it’s an eyesore right now, but it’s gonna be beautiful. I’m so grateful for the process because I’m learning so much.”

A second installment ran at CAM from March through June of this year, celebrating some of the city’s sung and unsung leaders through work by 15 artists from across the Midwest. The ex hibition included many 2D and 3D pieces, including the iconic rattan peacock chair often seen in 1960s and ’70s photographs of African Ameri cans like Black Panthers leader Huey P. Newton. lion worth of seed funding by the end of this year to award grants to 25 local Blackowned businesses; The Kroger Co. Foundation and Sycamore Capital have already invested in it. To most of Cincinnati, though, Grant might be best known as the owner of two unique businesses in Over-the-Rhine: Gallery at Gumbo and Cinema. Both are partnerships with 3CDC. “Rico knows just about everybody and engages in a lot of different worlds,” says Adam Gelter, 3CDC’s executive vice president of real estate. “We met through mutual friends, and one day he reached out and asked if I was interested in talking about an idea for a space. I said, Of course.”

G ALLERY AT GUMBO IS A CULTURAL barbershop on Main Street that also serves as an art gallery showcasing a rotation of local Black artists, who receive 100 percent of the profits from their commissioned pieces. Grant films a conversation series, “Gumbo Talks,” at the shop, hosting spirited discussions with a diverse, gumbo-like guest roster of ath letes, recording artists, and business executives—even Mayor Aftab Pureval. Recent debates included choosing who’s had the better careers, Al Pacino vs. Robert DeNiro and Muhammad Ali vs. Mike Tyson. “I’m not a barber,” Grant says at the shop. “I’m not an artist. I’m a curator. And I’m not an art curator. I’m a community curator. I enjoy bringing people together. Obviously, the pandemic made that almost impossible, but I’m looking at the path forward.” Grant envisioned Cinema as a bar and Big Plans Ricardo Grant (as a boy, left) has created a number organizedwhichPaloozanoire,Talks”heGumbo,Gallerycolor,ofenrichsupportdesignedandbusinessesofinitiativestoandthelivespeopleofincludingatwherehosts“Gumboandhas

Black & Brown Faces exhibitionsart and a BlockJuneteenthParty.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY PALOOZANOIRE

Faces PAGE 55 CONTINUED ON PAGE 94 PHOTOGRAPH

Black & Br n FacesBlack & Br n COURTESY SHOT BY DUBS

GumboGumboTalksTalks

REVIVING By David HolthausThere’s no road map for successfully bringing back a struggling neighborhood. ARTTHEOF 56

Photographs by Chris Von Holle On the west side, these residents and nonprofit leaders are figuring it out as they go. 57 PRICE HILL

The community once epitomized the popular conception of west side Cincinnati: German, Catholic, working class. It’s always been a place where people moved to realize their dreams, raise their families, and build their lives. And it’s always been changing.

Running Up That Hill Nancy Laird ( above, with her husband Steve) has seen a lot of change in Price Hill during her 53 years on Prosperity Lane, much of it driven by Rachel Hastings and Joe Huber (previous spread) and their organizations, which collaborated on renovating the ARCO performing arts and event venue.

58

hauntingThe and dreamy chant “O Mysterium”Magnum

The 110-year-old lodge at Price and Purcell avenues is now ARCO, a portmanteau of arts and community, and it’s the focal point of a budding effort to revive the spirit of Cincinnati’s most diverse neighborhood. East Price Hill (population 11,000 in 2019) and West Price Hill (population 23,000), collectively known by most as Price Hill, would be, if they were one official Cincin nati neighborhood, the city’s largest—bigger than Westwood, and twice the size of Newport.

is ethereal, soaring then subsiding into stillness as the centerpiece of the Young Professionals Choral Collective’s summer concert in East Price Hill. The sold-out affair is worthy of the city’s preeminent classical perfor mance venue, Music Hall; instead it’s held at a renovated Masonic lodge that had languished vacant for more than three decades.

Evan Price, an immigrant from Wales, planted his stake on the hillside west of the Mill Creek, building a home there in 1807. His son, Rees Price, started a brickyard and sawmill business, serving the growing number of immigrants moving to the hill. As Germans and Irish poured into the bustling 19th century river town of Cincinnati, they eventually aspired to homes on the hill, with a bit of a yard, removed from the crowded confines of riverfront tenements. “The German and Irish in the basin saved their money and then bought houses,” says Michael Maloney, a social scientist who has tracked demographic changes in Cincinnati’s neighborhoods for de“Price Hill is Cincinnati’s most racially, ethnically, and saysdiversesocioeconomicallyneighborhood,”RachelHastingsofPriceHillWill.

A couple of generations later, white Appalachians moved in, followed by Black families seeking affordable homes and apartments. Today, families from Guatemala and other Central American nations are finding Price Hill a neighborhood where they can launch a new beginning and make a dream come true. “Price Hill is Cincinnati’s most racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse neighborhood,” says Rachel Hastings, executive director of Price Hill Will (PHW), a nonprofit community development organization working to reinvest in housing, businesses, and community spaces. Her organization is hoping to make up for decades of disinvestment, population loss, and neglect. PHW also serves the river basin neighborhood of Lower Price Hill, but physically, demographically, and culturally, Lower Price Hill has its own identity and its own story to tell. “We’re trying to make sure we serve the folks who are here in Price Hill and work with them to create an equitable community future,” says Hastings. “Which is a challenge.”

59

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There are lots of challenges in Price Hill, to be sure. The neighborhood has suffered from years of steady population loss and disinvestment. In a generation, since 1990, East Price Hill lost more than a quarter of its population, while West Price Hill lost 16 percent. Those who stay are often poorer. Almost half of East Price Hill residents live below the federal poverty level; in West Price Hill, a quarter do. Those who left, predominantly, were white. In 1990, 89 percent of East Price Hill’s population was white; by 2018, that number had dropped to less than half, a decline of more than 11,000 people. The Latinx population grew from 1 percent to 11 percent during that time. West Price Hill’s white population decreased by 8,700 during those years, according to U.S. Census American Commu nity Survey estimates.

THEATERINCLINEANDWILLHILLPRICECOURTESYPAGE)(THISPHOTOGRAPHS

ONCONTINUEDPAGE98 A Culture Club The arts bring Price Hill together, from community festivals ( above) to renovated buildings on Warsaw Avenue ( below) to the bustling Incline District.

Nancy Laird stayed. She and her husband, Steve, pursued their dreams 53 years ago by buy ing a house in West Price Hill for $14,900 on the aptly named Prosperity Place. She grew up in East Price Hill and was baptized, confirmed, and married at Holy Family Church. Steve also grew up in East Price Hill, but, being nearly four years older than Nancy, they didn’t know each other until meeting one weekend at the old Sunset Lounge on West Eighth Street. They were the youngest people on Prosperity Place when they moved in. “People stayed until they died,” says Nancy. Looking out her window, she describes a

cades. “Moving to Price Hill was a big deal for people living in the East End and Over-the-Rhine.”

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HARTONG

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CINCINNATI MAGAZINE CELEBRATED ALL THINGS SUMMER WITH GOOD FOOD AND FAMILY FUN AT SUMMER FOOD FEST AT CONEY ISLAND. Cincinnati Magazine guests enjoyed this annual family friendly event featuring activities such as giant Jenga, face painting, and relay races. Our nonprofit partner, Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, was on hand to raise funds to support their wish-granting mission. The all-inclusive price for food, beverage, games, and activities made it the perfect summer afternoon.

PROMOTION SUMMER FOOD FEST 202215 MINUTES

Smart Guide to SchoolsLocal INSIDE SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Ardea-studio/stock.adobe.combyIllustration 2022 SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 61

THE

• (513) 771-7462 • www.bethanyschool.org Personalized appointments available Monday through Friday. Evening appointments also available in the fall (October–December). Learn more at www.countryday.net Cincinnati

will be known, nurtured, and inspired. We provide students an exemplary,

ter-driven, and innovative

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1926 GRADES SERVED: Early childhood (18 months)–grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 855 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 9:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes, K–grade 4; dress code grades 5–12 TUITION: $7,880–$28,730 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Students matriculate to top colleges nationally and internationally • #1 Cincinnati area high school for sending students to Harvard, Princeton, and MIT (PolarisList) • $10.9 million awarded in college grants and scholarships to the class of 2022 • A top K–12 school by Niche for 2022 • Member of Cum Laude Society • • Advanced Placement Scholars • National Merit Recipients, Scholars, and Scholarship winners • Scholastic Art and Writing Award winners 6905 Given Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45243 • (513) 979-0220 • www.countryday.net SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 62 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

Open House: November 13, 2022, and February 5, 2023, 2–4 pm

be the

Bethany School Bethany School is a 124-year-old independent, K–8 Episcopal school located in Glendale, Ohio. Bethany has a long history of nurturing the whole student with outstanding results. Known for its campus like setting, the school encourages spiritual growth, academic excellence, and character development. As a result of a 2014 strategic plan, two new academic buildings were constructed and welcomed students through their doors at the opening of school 2019 and 2020. The Bethel Platinum energy efficient school building and has an equally amazing natural playscape. The new playscape will foster activity and risk-taking in a safe environment. The new buildings are both beautiful and inspiring for the staff and students. Along with academic excellence, Bethany School offers extensive extracurricular activities and summer programming. We are centrally located near I-75 and I-275. Join us for our Open Houses on November 13, 2022, and February 5, 2023, from 2 to 4 p.m. For more info visit www.bethanyschool.org. STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1898 GRADES SERVED: K–8 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 180 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 10:1 GRADUATION RATE: N/A UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: $10,660 555 Albion Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45246 Country Day their children characacademic them to future leaders next generation. one community united help grow students, ages 18 months to 18 years. connect students both academically and personally, whether in the classroom or outside on our 62-acre campus. the next phase of their lives purpose, Be a scholar. Be an athlete. Be an artist. Be an innovator. Be a philanthropist. Be a leader. Be your best self. Country Day is the place to be.

to

We are

We

experience that will guide

with

of the

School We ensure families that

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1973 GRADES SERVED: Preschool–Grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 275 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 10:1 GRADUATION RATE: N/A UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: Varies by program TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Voted “Best Private School in 2020 and 2021” by CityBeat readers

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Preschool–Gr 8: 6743 Chestnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45227 • (513) 541-0220; Gr 9–12: 6703 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45227 • (513) 386-7974 • www.cincinnatiwaldorfschool.org

The Cincinnati Waldorf School provides active hands-on academics infused with nature, community building, and the arts. CWS students learn compassion, resilience, creativity, balance, problem solving, and independent thinking—exactly what our world needs most right now. Waldorf teachers are experts in outdoor education, and our students spend a lot of time outside. This year we are continuing to spend as much time outdoors as possible to provide a safe and joyful learning environment for our students. Waldorf High School students work closely with teachers who are experts in the subjects they teach. The high school curriculum is extremely diverse and gives students the opportunity to engage in a wide assortment of classes, allowing them to dive deeply into academic subjects that are integrated with art, music, drama, community building, and more!

Cincinnati Waldorf School Step into CHCA and you will discover an extraordinary Christ-centered education unlike any within the city, where students have countless opportunities to Choose More—to find their place, pursue their gifts, strengthen their faith, and make a meaningful impact on our world. Whether you are a preschooler, an Upper School student, or anywhere in between, you will experience high levels of engagement intellectually, spiritually, and relationally. It’s where innovative programming, theological integration, hands-on learning, and countless extracurriculars all come together to result in unique and exciting learning experiences.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1989 GRADES SERVED: PK2–Grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 1,300 STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: 12:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes, through Grade 6 TUITION: THREE 9% of Class of 2022 students recognized by National Merit Scholarship Corporation CHCA is ranked by Niche as the #1 Christian High School in Ohio Only school in the region offeran Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Program with student-run businesses, a greenhouse, multiple learning gardens, nationally recognized Teaching Kitchen PK2–Gr 3: Edyth B. Lindner Campus, 11312 Snider Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249; Gr. 4–8: Founders’ Campus, 11300 Snider Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249; Gr 9–12: Martha S. Lindner Campus, 11525 Snider Rd., Cincnnati, OH 45249; PK3–Gr 6: Otto Armleder Memorial Education Campus, 140 W. Ninth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 • (513) 247-0900 • www.chca-oh.org

•

Open House: November 5, 2022, 10 am–1 pm (all campuses); January 28, 2023, 10 am–1 pm (all campuses); April 13, 2023, 8:30–10:30 am (all campuses); in-person and virtual tours available. Learn More Live Chats: Visit chca-oh.org/visitus for schedule.

$3,750–$19,350 TOP

AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS:

•

ing

and

Open House: November 5, 2022, and February 4, 2023, 10 am–1 pm. Personal tours available by appointment; e-mail enrollment@cincinnati waldorfschool.org

Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Open House: Sunday, October 30, 2022, 1–4 pm Purcell Marian High School Purcell Marian High School is a historic Marianist co-ed high school serving a diverse population of students. We are the only Catholic, authorized International Baccalaureate World School in Southwest Ohio.Our school, affectionately called The istry of Mary, education, the arts, social justice, and service to others. Your fouryear experience as part of our unique and Marian, your future is whatever you can THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1928 GRADES SERVED: 9–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 375 STUDENTFACULTY RATIO: 12:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: $10,500 TOP AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Authorized International Baccalaureate World School 2935 Hackberry St., Cincinnati, OH 45206 • (513) 751-1230 • www.purcellmarian.org Great Oaks Career Campuses school district serving 36 school districts in southwest Ohio. students prepare for a career at a Great in Milford, or Scarlet Oaks in Sharonville. school districts. adults. THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1970 GRADES SERVED: 11–12 and adults on campus; middle and high school satellite programs in partner schools CURRENT ENROLLMENT: Over 3,100 students on campus; over 21,000 in over 100 satellite programs throughout 36 school districts STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO: N/A UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: Tuition is free for high school students; adult program tuition varies TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: 2022 Ohio ACTE Teacher of the Year • 2021 Early Childhood Teacher Educator of the Year • Students consistently place in national skills competitions 110 Great Oaks Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45241 • (513) 771-8840 • www.greatoaks.com 64 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITION: • • emy listed among Newsweek • • national Fair Trade School, just 36th in nation 1339 E. McMillan St., Cincinnati,

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1927 GRADES SERVED: 9-12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 680 STUDENTFACULTY RATIO: 18:1 TUITION: $12,500 (plus $1,000 in fees) TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: 99% of graduates go on to pursue a four-year postsecondary education with 80% of students receiving college scholarships. • Students have an exclusive opportunity to take part in the Seton-TriHealth Summer Employment Program.

GRADUATION RATE:

Visit Saint Ursula Academy this fall and learn why so many girls from across the Greater Cincinnati region choose to call Saint Ursula Academy home. 1910 Girls 9–12 637 13:1 100% Yes $15,100 OH 961-3410,

UNIFORMS REQUIRED?

GRADES SERVED:

TUITION:

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTIONSEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 65

• System as its form of student government. 3901 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45205 • (513) 471-2600 • www.setoncincinnati.org

45206, (513)

CURRENT ENROLLMENT:

•

Open House: October 23, 2022, 1–4 p.m. RSVP required St. Ursula Academy Saint Ursula Academy (SUA) is a dynamic Catholic educational community for girls in grades 9–12. Students attend SUA because of its reputation for academic excellence, whole-person formation, innovation, service, and proven student success year after year. Saint Ursula graduates are women of faith, integrity, and courage who are confident in their roles as thinkers, leaders, nurturers, and prophets committed to building a better world. Saint Ursula is committed to cultural and socioeconomic diversity by drawing students from the entire tri-state area to its campus in East Walnut Hills. Each student is supported by her teachers, staff, counselors, and even SUA’s therapy dog, Angelo, every step of the way. Families call SUA a good value and investment based on consistent graduate success, high stanlege scholarship offers for most students.

Open House: Wednesday, November 9, 2022, 4:30–8:30 p.m. Seton High School

STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO:

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED:

In the tradition of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and through the mission of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Seton High School develops a diverse population of young women for a life of faith, service, and leadership and engages them in achieving academic excellence in a college-preparatory environment.OurstrongCatholic faith is intertwined in every aspect of the school. The young women at Seton High School are chal lenged to be critical thinkers in an individualized, supportive, and experiential learning environment. Seton offers an Honors Program, a variety of both AP and dual college credit courses, and an inclusive and collaborative support services program. Our students are leaders in the classroom, and activities, on stage, and in their communities. The mission and values of Seton High School, strong academics, and a true sense of spirit and sisterhood are why thousands of young women have chosen to become a Seton Saint.

www.saintursula.org

Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc. Cincinnati, Ohio. WS-40093 2203 Western & Southern is with you through it all. We help our customers and communities feel at ease knowing you’re financially prepared for whatever comes your way. WesternSouthern.com/Community Western & Southern is proud to support the Barrett Cancer Center at UC

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68 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION ® We are so grateful for your support of Slice Night and the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center. Together, you are helping us realize our mission to raise the level of cancer care throughout the region, led by our team of medical experts and caregivers who are changing the face of cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Funds from Slice Night continue to make innovative, multidisciplinary care accessible to our patients. This includes early cancer screenings, clinical trials, patient assistance, and cancer survivorshipWeprograms.lookforward to celebrating the ninth annual Slice Night with you at Yeatman’s Cove. It is sure to be a great night and we are most thankful for all of you being part of our team in fighting this disease.

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Subspecialists from across all disciplines meet weekly to discuss each patient’s specific needs. We combine our years of experience, leading edge research, and access to the most clinical trials in the region to deliver specialized, intentional care. Throughout their cancer journey, our patients have a customized, highly skilled care team, including surgeons, oncologists, imaging specialists, pathologists, nurses and nurse navigators, genetic counselors, pharmacists, a wide variety of therapists and social workers, and post-treatment survivorship care team members.

The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center is proud to be the No. 1 preferred provider for cancer care in the region, and we’re honored to take care of our patients. A cancer diagnosis is never easy, but we have the support in place to maintain and improve our patients’ overall quality of life. These personalized services include acupuncture, the only oncology-specific primary care in the tri-state, sexual and reproductive health services, nutrition counseling, music therapy, and many, many more.

In 2022, there will be an estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases diagnosed in the United States. When receiving an unexpected cancer diagnosis, it’s overwhelming to figure out where to start. The Cancer Center understands this, which is why the level of expertise in research, combined with subspecialized, holistic patient care, is something you won’t find anywhere else in the tri-state. At the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, we know that in science, cancer is destroyed.

he University of Cincinnati Cancer Center is a collaboration between the University of Cincinnati, UC Health, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center—each bringing their own rich legacy of top-tier care. Our common goal is to minimize the suffering and mortality associated with cancer in the Greater Cincinnati region and beyond. The Cancer Center provides the best possible care for our patients while training the next generation of cancer experts—all while being at the forefront of new advances and cutting-edge discoveries.

We believe a cure for cancer is possible ... We wake up every day dedicated to finding that cure. Our unending curiosity leads to research which leads to clinical trials which lead to breakthroughs not even dreamed about decades ago. Discover more go.uchealth.com/Cancerat

An important differentiator of our academic medicine model is access to the latest clinical trials. A clinical trial, or a research study, is a carefully planned test that combines the latest science and clinical care, with the goal of helping patients live longer. Research isn’t just a differentiator—at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, research is a core part of our mission. The Cancer Center offers over 100 clinical trials at a time, providing patients with access to the newest and most innovative treatments. Patients who participate in clinical trials aren’t just receiving exclusive access to novel and unique treatments—these patients are playing an active role in their road to remission and are contributing to the greater good through medical research. Our doctors can quickly bridge the research bench to the bedside, like John C. Byrd, M.D.,Gordon and Helen Hughes Taylor Chair of Internal Medicine at the UC College of Medicine and internationally recognized cancer researcher, who is currently spearheading the Beat AML study.This study focuses on highly specialized, personal treatment for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Davendra Sohal, M.D., MPH, associate director of clinical/translational research, experimental therapeutics and clinic medical director at UC Health and associate professor in the UC College of Medicine is the national leader for a study of pancreatic cancer. Proton radiation therapy is a newer and more precise way to treat cancer, and the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center houses the only Proton Therapy Center in the region.InOctober 2021, the Proton Therapy Center completed enrollment in first human study of FLASH therapy, a new way of delivering radiation therapy. FLASH therapy can administer a radiation treatment course in less than a second and has been shown to reduce side effects significantly. This trial is being led by John C. Breneman, M.D., medical director of the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and UC Health Proton Therapy Center, UC Health radiation oncologist and professor emeritus at the UC College of Medicine. The Proton Therapy Center is supported by Emily Daugherty, M.D., UC Health radiation oncologist and assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the UC College of Medicine, and Anthony Mascia, Ph.D.., DABR, director of medical physics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and UC Health Proton Therapy Center, and adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the UC College of Medicine.Weknow that in science lives hope, and at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center, we recognize that in science, cancer is destroyed. Hope and science go hand in hand—it’s ingrained in our everyday work. If you would like to make an appointment or would like a second opinion, please call the Cancer Center at (513) 585-UCCC.

72 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

» All proceeds benefit the UC Cancer Center.

» 10+ participating pizzerias and pizza trucks.

» Parking for Yeatman’s Cove is near the intersection of East Pete Rose Way and Eggleston Avenue. After parking, follow directional signage.

74 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 AVAILABLE AT KROGER Chinet® products keep the party going. ONE SLICE, TWO MORE!THREESLICE,SLICE, SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

» VIP tickets are $75 and include a parking pass, open bar, and access to the VIP tent featuring seating, a private bar, and pizza sampling.

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Cincinnati’s premier choice for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, welcome parties and farewell brunches. The fully retractable, glass covered rooftop event space, Vista, can accommodate up to 110 people and offers park, city, and river views to be enjoyed by your guests year-round. Complemented by our luxury service and sophisticated cuisine, your event at The Lytle Park Hotel is exactly like nothing else. EXACTLY LIKE NOTHING ELSE 311 PIKE STREET, CINCINNATI OHIO | (513) 621-4500 | THELYTLEPARKHOTEL.COM THE LYTLE PARK HOTEL @LYTLEPARKHOTEL PHOTO COURTESY OF AMBER BRIDGES STUDIOS

SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 77PHOTOGRAPH BY HAMOON PHOTOGRAPHY

TRUE LOVE’S KISS Riley Scott and Adam Girmann share a tender moment before their wedding ceremony on April 16, 2022. The two married in an intimate outdoor ceremony before dancing the night away under the lights at the Pinecroft Mansion.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Local Love FEATURING NINE QUEEN CITY WEDDINGS

78 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 LAUREN SHER & LOGAN PASQUAL JUNE 4, 2022 On their wedding day, Lauren and Logan reveled in sunlight and summer flowers. PHOTOGRAPHY: Brit Jaye VENUE & FLOWERS: The Marmalade Lily WEDDING PLANNER: Corinah Woeste CAKE: 3 Sweet Girls Cakery CATERING: Tano Bistro RENTALS: All Occasions Event Rental RECEPTION MUSIC: Upbeats DJs GOWN: Wendy’s Bridal GOWN DESIGNER: Morilee by Madeline Gardner INVITATIONS AND FAVORS: Riley Girmann MAKEUP: BRIDEface HAIR: Younique Hair Design BRIDE’S PROFESSION: Magazine editor GROOM’S PROFESSION: Child behavioral health specialist COUPLE’S CURRENT RESIDENCE: Newport POCKET(S) FULL OF LOVE: To honor the memory of Logan’s father, who passed away two weeks before, the wedding party carried D20 dice, used in Dungeons & Dragons, in their pockets. Logan’s dad was an impassioned player of the fantasy role-playing game.

TWO HEARTS, ONE MIND: Lauren and Logan wrote their own vows, which were eerily similar. They each recounted meeting while working at a Chipotle on Ohio University’s campus—in fact, they separately mentioned the red Converse Logan was wearing that day. “One of our best friends came up to me afterwards, and he said, ‘It all makes sense now. You think so similarly, even though you’re so different.’ ” Lauren says. “That was really special.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Laura Leppert Photography VENUE: The View at Mt. Adams FLOWERS: The Budding Florist CAKE: The BonBonerie CATERING: Funky’s Catering Events RENTALS: All Occasions Event Rental MUSIC: Toad Entertainment and Production GOWN: Theia FAVOR BAGS: Leslie Applebaum & Suzanne Applebaum MAKEUP: BRIDEface HAIR: Jordan Mize BRIDE’S PROFESSION: Photo stylist and jewelry designer GROOM’S PROFESSION: Financial plant controller COUPLE’S CURRENT RESIDENCE: Covington FIRST KISS: Suzanne’s friend Molly invited David to the 2014 Port Clinton Walleye Drop, where a giant fish with glowing green eyes lowers to count down to the new year. “I remember him trying to keep me warm,” Suzanne says. “We actually had our first kiss in the cab on the way back.”

FIRST LOOK: The couple’s sweet first look seemed like vindication after having to postpone due to COVID. “He was a little emotional,” Suzanne says. “He even shed a couple of tears, as did I.”

80 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

SUZANNE APPLEBAUM&

OCTOBER 22, 2021 Suzanne and David thought The View at Mt. Adams would be the perfect spot to host their big day. The weather shrouded the vista in fog and rain, but it turned out to be a blessing. “It actually made it pretty,” David says. “And it’s good luck!” Suzanne adds.

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WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS: The couple added a unique element to their wedding—a live painter. Stephanie Gaffney, the artist behind Torregrossa Fine Art, took what was important to the couple’s big day and turned it into lasting piece of artwork. “She was able to add elements from our wedding that happened [at different times] and put them all together for us to look back on always,” says Paige.

TRANSPORTATION: A Savannah Nite Weisgerber Productions The Letter Box MOBILE BAR : The Merry Mare MORE THAN FRIENDS: After meeting as coworkers at an online payroll and human resource company, Paige and Kevin quickly became friends. After years of building a sturdy foundation, the two realized that maybe what they’d built was made for more.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION 82 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 PAIGE SEE & KEVIN UCKO ER AUGUST 7, 2021 Sparks flew—figuratively and literally—as Paige and Kevin tied the knot under a dazzling Rozzi Fireworks display. PHOTOGRAPHY: Melissa Marshall VENUE: Pinecroft at Crosley Estate FLOWERS: Robin Wood Flowers CAKE: Icon Cake and Sugar Flowers CATERING: Funky’s Catering Events CEREMONY MUSIC: String Source Cincinnati RECEPTION MUSIC: Bluewater Kings Band GOWN: Hyde Park Bridal HAIR: IdoUpDo MAKEUP: Cynthia Crist, Cincinnati Makeup Collective RENTALS: All Occasions Event Rental PAINTING: Torregrossa Fine Art

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84 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 LESLEY DARREN&BRUNKWEIGL DECEMBER 17, 2021

PHOTOGRAPHY: Hailey Bollinger VENUE & CATERING: Cincinnati Art Museum FLOWERS: Piepmeier, The Florist WEDDING PLANNER: Katie Mitchell MUSIC: Byron Ginter, TOAD Entertainment and Production GOWN: Bridal and Formal TUX: StudioSuits HAIR: Rachel Roedersheimer OFFICIANT: Logan Briggs BRIDE’S PROFESSION: Inside sales associate GROOM’S PROFESSION: Director of marketing COUPLE’S CURRENT RESIDENCE: Clifton SEALED WITH A KISS: Darren and Lesley connected immediately on their first date at Hap’s Irish Pub in 2020. “I was just trying not to sound like an idiot,” Darren says. “Then she stopped the conversation mid-sentence to say ‘Can I kiss you?’ ” Each wedding guest was given a jar of Hershey’s Kisses to take home. MARRIAGE OF CULTURES: During the ceremony, the pair literally tied the knot by participating in a Celtic ritual. Flanked by their parents, Darren and Lesley bound their hands together with a cord while receiving an Irish blessing. A sake toast served as a gesture of goodwill.

Darren’s and Lesley’s serene Cincinnati Art Museum celebration evoked the quiet joy of Christmastime. Surrounded by family, friends, and awe-inspiring artwork, the couple prioritized authenticity over formality at every turn.

SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 85 ALEXA EMING & JAKE CLARK MAY 14, 2022 Alexa’s and Jake’s spring wedding was lively and lush. Friends and family celebrated the couple in a dazzling downtown setting.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Emmalie Christine Photo CEREMONY: St. Francis Xavier Church RECEPTION & CATERING: The Lytle Park Hotel WEDDING PLANNER: Every Last Detail Ohio (Andrea Rueve) FLOWERS: Floral V Designs CAKE: The BonBonerie, The Precinct RENTALS: Dahlia Vintage (specialty lounge furniture), Prime Time Party and Event Rental (chairs, chargers, flatware), BBJ La Tavola (table linens, napkins)

SHINING JUST FOR YOU: “To be surrounded by so much love and joy is an indescribable moment,” says Alexa of the event.

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TRANSPORTATION: Motortoys Limousine and Party Bus VIDEOGRAPHER: Dave Woodland Films CEREMONY MUSIC: Floyd and the Walkmen RECEPTION MUSIC: Perfect Day DJs GOWN: Luxe Redux Bridal TUX: Romualdo STATIONERY: Design by Molly Dennig MAKEUP: Beautiful You by Jade HAIR: Reign Beauty BRIDE’S PROFESSION: Nurse practitioner GROOM’S PROFESSION: Marketing manager COUPLE’S CURRENT RESIDENCE: Mt. Lookout CALL ME UP: Two weeks before Alexa’s 30th birthday, she and Jake connected on Hinge and exchanged numbers. Their first call lasted six hours. “The depth of conversation stood out to me, but also the lightness of it,” Jake says. “There was a lot of laughter.”

86 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

CHRISTINA LAUCK WILLIAM&YARDLEY

HONORING THE PAST: Since Christina was a girl, she knew Summit Country Day’s Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel is where she wanted to walk down the aisle—it’s where her parents exchanged vows.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Kortnee Kate Photography CEREMONY: The Summit Country Day School, The Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel RECEPTION: Greenacres FLOWERS: Courtenay Lambert Floral and Event Design WEDDING PLANNER: Elisa MacKenzie, Elegant Events by Elisa CAKE: Maribelle Cakery, Mon Petit Choux CATERING: Funky’s Catering Events RENTALS: All Occasions Event Rental TRANSPORTATION: Jimmy’s Limousine Service CEREMONY MUSIC: Theresa and Tom Merrill RECEPTION MUSIC: The A-Town A-List GOWN: Monique Lhuillier TUX: Ralph Lauren INVITATIONS: Poeme HAIR AND MAKEUP: BRIDEface GROOM’S PROFESSION: BS&B regional sales manager COUPLE’S CURRENT RESIDENCE: Mt. Lookout OLIVE YOU SO MUCH: The couple met through friends in 2016 when they were students at Xavier University. Four years later, William proposed to Christina while walking their 3-year-old dog Olive in Washington Park.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2021 Christina and William celebrated their marriage at the altar in front of 200-plus guests, then moved the party to the beautiful stone grottoes of Greenacres.

Some Events Are Memorable. Let Us Make Yours Unforgettable. Backstage E V E N T C E N T E R T H E Contact Our Events Team: backstagecincinnati.com513.550.1869 The Backstage Event Center 625 Walnut Street Downtown Cincinnati Images: Sixteen-Fourteen Photography Rustic-Modern Decor | Outdoor Terrace Seating | City Views

PHOTOGRAPHY: Hamoon Photography VENUE: Pinecroft at Crosley Estate FLOWERS: Amelia Florist CAKE: Oliver’s Desserts CATERING: Funky’s Catering Events TRANSPORTATION: Your Chauffeur Limousine MUSIC: Perfect Day DJs GOWN: Lace Bridal TUX: Bonobos HAIR AND MAKEUP: Shear Hotness BRIDE’S PROFESSION: Graphic designer GROOM’S PROFESSION: Medical student COUPLE’S CURRENT HOME: Toledo, Ohio HAPPY ENDING: Before they began dating, Adam read Riley’s favorite book, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, to impress her. Inspired by the book’s opening line, “An angel and a devil fell in love—it did not end well,” Adam had Riley’s engagement ring inscribed with a slight modification: “It did end well.” Adam’s peacock-feather bow tie and the barely-there feathers on Riley’s gown also paid homage to the novel that brought them together. ALL IN THE DETAILS: Almost every detail—from the stationery to the signature drinks to the wedding party’s custom sweatshirts—was designed or DIY’d by the bride. Look closely, and you’ll see certain motifs throughout, like the couple’s tattoos, or the paintbrush and reflex hammer hidden in their initial crest. “Truly, it was like an art project for me,” Riley says. “And it made the whole day feel like us.”

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 89 GLORIA&GARCIA GEoRGE TALIAFERRO III NOVEMBER 6, 2021

Gloria’s mother Cora ensured there was an abundance of flowers. “She dried a lot of flowers and native plants, and even hand-painted some to add extra intrigue,” Gloria says.

Gloria’s and George’s Peterloon Estate wedding could have been mistaken for a celebration in the Italian countryside.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Alex Davis Photography VENUE: Peterloon FLOWERS: Una Floral (bridal bouquet), Cora García (all others) CAKE: A Spoon Fulla Sugar CATERING: Eat Well Celebrations and Feasts, The Rhined (cheese table) RENTALS: Advantage Tent and Party Rental, All Occasions Event Rental WEDDING PLANNER: Elegant Events by Elisa CEREMONY MUSIC: Pro Art Music RECEPTION MUSIC: TOAD Entertainment and Production GOWN: Bridal and Formal GOWN DESIGNER: Monique Lhuillier INVITATIONS: Julia García FAVORS: Julia García HAIR: Autumn Healey, Lightbox Salon MAKEUP: BRIDEface BRIDE’S PROFESSION: Event director at The Rhined GROOM’S PROFESSION: Copywriter COUPLE’S CURRENT RESIDENCE: Price Hill Incline District YOU MAKE ME MELT: After meeting at a classmate’s birthday party in 2011, Gloria and George connected on Facebook and arranged a first date at Graeter’s.

HAPPILY EVER AFTER: The wedding aesthetic was inspired by a book of Italian fairy tales gifted to Gloria by a close relative.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION MICHAEL BAMBINO life’sltoWWW.LUXEANDART.COM513.507.4482MICHAEL@LUXEANDART.COMBAMBINOcreatepiecesofartthatcapturecaptureife’smostinspiringmomentsmostinspiringmoments. SAMANTHA HEDGES NATHAN&ZELLERS JUNE 26, 2021 Samantha and Nathan exchanged special vows : I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine. PHOTOGRAPHY: Genesis Geiger VENUE: Cincinnati Art Museum FLOWERS: Petals on Park Avenue CATERING: Cincinnati Art Museum, Skyline Chili, Graeter’s TRANSPORTATION: Elegant Excursions MUSIC: Steve the Greek GOWN: David’s Bridal SUIT: Pursuit INVITATIONS: The Invited Cincy FAVORS: Sip Hip Hooray MAKEUP: Ashley Olivia Makeup HAIR: Zephyr Blowout & Salon BRIDE’S PROFESSION: Engineer GROOM’S PROFESSION: Certified public accountant COUPLE’S CURRENT HOME: Covington HAVA NAGILA: One of the couple’s favorite moments from the reception was the Horah, a traditional Jewish wedding dance. It wasn’t just a way to get guests out on the dance floor—it also resulted in memorable photos of the couple’s parents. LOCAL FLAVOR: As the night wore on, guests were treated to ice cream from Graeter’s and a midnight snack courtesy of Skyline Chili. 90 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

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CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COMSUBSCRIBETODAY@CINCINNATIMAGAZINE The definitive guide to living well in Greater Cincinnati 92 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATI DISTILLING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 51 for itself and, in the end, it’s up to the customer.” There have been occasions where one local distillery will help another if a piece of equipment fails and, as in the brewing industry, they sometimes get together socially and drink each other’sCouldproducts.itbe that several generations of Waldschmidts and Kuglers followed us up into the attic and down into the basement as we walked through their old home and stable? Catherine’s father, Revolutionary War soldier Christian Waldschmidt, was a titan of the New Germany community (now Camp Dennison), owning several enterprises including a blacksmith shop, general store, paper mill, and the region’s only distillery. Catherine and her husband Mathias Kugler inherited the businesses in 1814 when Christian died of the flu and, 14 years later, fire destroyed most of the businesses. While Catherine and Mathias stayed in their home (now a museum on Glendale-Milford Road) and ran the undamaged paper mill, their son John and his wife, Matilda, purchased and finished the 19th century Pearson home in the hamlet of Milford and relocated the distillery there. The Kuglers and Waldschmidts went on to buy or start many other businesses from tanneries to farms to meatpacking. The Kugler home thrived and was the center of frontier society. It was in the family’s hands until 1939. In the years between then and now, it has served mostly as a series of restaurants, a doctor’s office, a church, and a private residence. Stuhlreyer himself worked as a busboy there in 1985. It’s been empty for years and was slated for demolition by a developer who wanted to put in townhomes. The citizens of Milford revolted and the developer pulled out. Soon after, Cincinnati Distilling unveiled its plans, which included preservation of the old house and horse stable. The community has embraced them. “We’re so excited to have this unique business come to town,” says Andrea Brady, executive director of the Milford Miami Township Chamber of Commerce. “Distilling is going to give Milford a higher profile that will attract attention to our community and encourage even moreExcavationgrowth.” of the old homestead was a history lesson and, along with the pandemic, put the project behind schedule. Excavators unearthed two 7,000-gallon cisterns circa mid-1800s, four stonestacked water wells, and a 2,000-pound millstone that was being used as a footing for the horse stable. Other artifacts discovered during the renovation will be placed in a second-floor museum. The new building also features an art gallery, event space, a candy shop and bakery called Old Milford Sugarworks, and two restaurants—one in-house, the other the third Cincinnati-area venue for the upscale burger eatery Nation Kitchen and Bar. A large rooftop bar includes a cigar humidor and views of the Little MiamiCincinnatiRiver. Distilling is flying high now, but soon it will hit Rock Bottom—the old Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery, that is. The 12,000-squarefoot space on the north end of Fountain Square is currently being renovated and Stuhlreyer hopes to have it open by— you guessed it—March 1 of next year.

Stuhlreyer admits he’s no bourbon connoisseur, but he is a bourbon businessman; while he acknowledges his taste buds aren’t that discerning, he’s sure he has a good product in the market. He’ll just sip his occasional Cooper Island rum and dream of selling more and more of that sweet brown liquid that brings joy as it bites.

The Fountain Square entrance will have the March First brewery look and feel, while the Sixth Street entrance will be, as Stuhlreyer puts it, “a mini version of [Milford].” It will bring the brand and the bourbon that bears the city’s name to downtown’s most iconic space.

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Justice remembers wincing whenever his brother said he wanted to start nonprofits, because to a child that sounded like the antithesis of entrepreneurship. “I’d be like, Nonprofits? They don’t make any money!”

GRANT STARTED SEEKING WAYS TO build community and create a more livable environment for others at an early age, says his youngest brother, Justice Grant, who is 27. “He understood that we’re not taught everything important in school,” says Justice. “Rico always had the vision, and he was like a researcher. He was a kid who, if he figured something out, he’d sit at the computer for hours or in a book for hours and continue learning. He used to make me drop the dictionary every morning and, wherever it opened, learn that word.”

Justice recalls, “I was like, Uhh, I want to play outside! He started a lawn care service at 16 for the elderly, which was basically going around cutting grass for free. He’s always been into sponsoring things where he doesn’t have to charge a fee; he would rather get the money from somewhere else, from an investor or something, and try to just build up people. When we opened Gallery at Gumbo, he gave the barbers free rent for their first year.”

A film quote that best describes Grant as an entrepreneur comes from the 1989 sports fantasy drama, Field of Dreams: “If you build

He also remembers a key life lesson he still follows today as a businessman. “I’ll never forget when I was 11 years old, some guy started talking to us in the grocery store,” says Justice. “I was like, I don’t know you! And Rico was like, Don’t talk to him that way.You never know who you could be talking to—it could be a CEO or your next boss.You should always be nice to people. Not long ago, I met a guy at a truck stop who now wants to give me a trucking contract with Amazon just because I was willing to open my mouth and learn.”

Justice, who cofounded the Gallery at Gumbo with Rico and owns his own trucking company, describes his brother as industrious and generous. “When he wanted to volunteer at homeless shelters,”

As a child, Justice remembers Rico standing in as a father-like figure. “I never met my father and Rico was 10 years older than me, so he kind of did everything for me—he’d take me to get my hair cut, he took me to buy my cleats, he made me go to practice, and he made me go to the gym and work out.”

Rico’s grades weren’t good enough to qualify for college scholarships, so he thought about entering the U.S. Air Force. His uncle suggested it would be better if he worked instead of joining the military, and he helped Rico get a job in the Coca-Cola warehouse working third shift. He didn’t start college until age 22, and he kept his Coca-Cola gig while attending UC. Some of Grant’s aspirations panned out over the years, and others didn’t. After graduating with degrees in criminal justice and African studies, he considered going to law school to study business law. His LSAT scores were decent, but he would have incurred significant student loan debt, so he decided against it. In 2020, he launched SoCap Accelerate. Founded with the goal of using innovation to address health issues in Kentucky, from drug addiction to heart disease to cancer, the organization is hosting its sixth cohort now and has worked with almost 30 startupsWorkingtotal. with Paloozanoire feeds Grant’s creative urges. “If I could do life over, I would put all my energy into becoming a filmmaker,” he says wistfully. Black movies from the 1980s and ’90s are his jam. “There aren’t many Black movies I haven’t seen at least 10 or 15 times.”

He admits that his overwhelming tendency to quote entire film scenes gets on people’s nerves. “I’m the annoying guy on the other end of the couch saying it word for word,” he says, followed by a hearty chuckle at himself. “And you’re like, Bro, can I just watch the movie?”

94 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 HOW RICARDO GRANT BECAME A BOSS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 55

Though the 2022 exhibition received widespread acclaim, a painting by Columbus-based Black queer artist Magnus Juliano drew anger from some Cincinnati Police leaders because of its depiction of Piglet dressed as an officer who shoots Winnie the Pooh, with Tigger holding a sign that reads, “Off the Pig.” Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Dan Hils requested that the art museum take down the painting. “Any conversation that [the painting] starts is a divisive conversation,” he told Newsweek.“It serves no other purpose.”

Days before Hils’s request, public focus turned to the mass shooting of 10 Black people at Tops grocery store in Buffalo, New York, followed by the massacre in Uvalde, Texas, that took 21 lives, including 19 children. Paloozanoire released a statement on its Instagram page to acknowledge the tragedies without addressing the painting“Whilecontroversy.ournation reflects on the collective trauma we are all experiencing, it’s important to for us to pause and ask ourselves what matters most,” the statement read. “What matters most to us is the love we have for our city. Our mission has been and continues to be to create safe and inclusive spaces for all, while encouraging meaningful dialogue about the realities African Americans face each day.… In the spirit of collective healing let’s continue healthy dialogue in Cincinnati, the city we all love.” The Cincinnati Art Museum did not remove Juliano’s work. Its own statement concluded, “We believe that free expression is foundational in dialogues and communityGrantpartnerships.”sayshewouldn’t have tackled these community projects if he didn’t have a strong team helping him. Creating businesses—and employment opportunities— was a happy accident of his drive to succeed. “I have an army, and they allow me to do what I’m really good at, which is remain a visionary and seek out new opportunities for us to grow,” he says. “I’ve gotten really good at working with people who are smarter than me in specific areas. That’s the reality. One of the rewarding things I never anticipated is being able to provide good employment for, specifically, some of the top Black talent in the city who—without the opportunity to work with Paloozanoire or Cinema or anything I’m a part of—otherwise might leave Cincinnati because they don’t want to necessarily sit behind a desk.”

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it, they will come.” Like the film’s main character, played by Kevin Costner, Grant listens to his inner voice when it urges him to pursue a vision. The next step is sharing the vision with others. Quoting a saying shared often while he was growing up, his reasoning is, “Closed mouths don’t get fed.” Being vocal about his vision is how he opened Gallery at Gumbo and launched his other endeavors. “Black creatives and entrepreneurs and even those in the corporate sector have to speak up and talk about our aspirations and our dreams,” he says.

GRANT’S TENACITY AND SPIRIT INSPIRE others these days, including visual artist Gee Horton, a 2022 Black & Brown Faces honoree. Horton left a corporate career to pursue art full-time in 2020, and he quickly found a kinship with Grant, who helped him shake feelings of imposter syndrome when it comes to being an artist. “That brother can do anything, honestly,” says Horton. “Whatever he puts his mind to, I think he can make happen. I firmly believe that. Connecting people is just one of his many superpowers. He pulls out the best in people because of the amount of energy, work, and effort he puts into his Grantprojects.”demurs when told how Gee and others describe him as some sort of su perhero with special powers. “There are a lot of moving parts with these businesses, yes, but there are lots of passionate people working on it, so I’m not alone,” he says. He laughs repeating the question he always gets: When do you sleep? “My response is, At night, the same as you do,” he says. “I get my eight hours. I dozed off last night around 10:45 and woke up this morning around 7:30. Same times as everyone else. But in between 7:30 and 10:45, my team and I are running at lightning speed. Now is the time to be unselfish in the service of others.”Afewweeks before Cinema’s grand opening, Grant again revisited Will Smith’s audiobook. Will had continued to be his journey companion. “Imagine if Will would have studied at the University of Wisconsin right out of high school, as he promised his mother he would, and never made [his 1988 hit song] ‘Parents Just Don’t Understand,’ ” he says. “It’s like when I was growing up, your parents push you to get an education because they don’t want you to have to work with your back like they did. They did it in order to put you on a path toward having a better life. So sometimes I wonder What if I had just stayed at my desk job? There’s nothing wrong with that. I would have lived my life and been fine, but Gallery at Gumbo, Cinema, Paloozanoire, and Fundnoire wouldn’t exist. I just really relate to Smith’s ambition of doing things that maybe weren’t popular or weren’t part of everyone else’s plan for him.”

Sixty years later, the Lewis home, which provided comfort and respite for generations, is still part of his family’s legacy. “If you failed or if you fell down on your luck for whatever reason, there was space for you in that home,” says Grant. “It was a house for more people than just those with the last name Lewis, which is my grandmother and my dad’s side of the family. That house was a blessing to so manyThepeople.”house is also where Grant, the eldest of six children, began building his entrepreneurial spirit, following examples from his older cousins and uncles. Growing up in a predominantly Black community felt nurturing, he says, especially being part of the Friars Club baseball team. But his exposure to diversity came from attending schools like Clifton Elementary with students from all races and walks of life, which provided a sense of belonging. “We would go up in the Clifton Gaslight District as boys with our shovels when it snowed and shovel driveways and build up a clientele. We were like 10 or 11 years old and [would] shovel the driveway for $10, make $70 on a day,” Grant recalls. “And then we’d go hit Ludlow Avenue and grab burgers andGrantmilkshakes.”alsocredits his father for instilling a drive for entrepreneurship in him. Well-known around Avondale as a secondgeneration union drywall finisher, he took on side contracts with clients like Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, UC, and Xavier University. He’d often meet someone on the job who admired his craftsmanship and hired him to finish a basement or an attic, and Grant saw firsthand that his father was more than a laborer. “In high school, I would go on the job sites and earn some extra income,” Grant says. “He paid me to do demolition and stuff like that, and I began to see how he was able to curate these teams and bring these people together. He was doing some of the work, but he was really delegating and building a force of individuals to come in and do the painting and the demolition. That’s kind of my first crack into the world of, Oh, this is what it looks like to be a boss. That really appealed to me.”

GRANT’S ASPIRATIONS FOR CINEMA INcluded a vibrant color palette inspired by the iconic Australian Coogi sweater— most notably worn by the late rapper Biggie Smalls—with hues of oranges, blues, yellows, and greens. The design element is intended to evoke the nostalgia and vigor of the ’90s, from the music to the fashion to the artwork. And the significance of its location on Vine Street brings him full circle to growing up a few neighborhoods up the road in Avondale, where his grandmother, Lucy Lewis, lived for more than 60 years until she died recently at age 96. “As I build the things that I build, I do it from a framework and a mindset of that childhood home,” says Grant.“When I think about acquiring things, I take it from that approach: What type of legacy is it gonna have? I think about that now as a serial entrepreneur who’s building multiple businesses and how I can turn success into significance. My grandparents were able to own their own home in the ’60s, and that helped define their life in that neighborhood.”

HOW RICARDO GRANT BECAME A BOSS 96 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

“WHEN DO I SLEEP? AT NIGHT, THE SAME AS YOU DO,” SAYS GRANT. “MY TEAM AND I RUN AT LIGHTNING SPEED. NOW IS THE TIME TO BE UNSELFISH IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS.”

Nancy Sullivan runs a nanoscale charity called Transformations CDC that serves

REVIVING 57 PRICE HILLARTTHEOF 56 98 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

Staying active at age 78, Steve cuts the grass for neighbors. They reciprocate by hauling the Lairds’ garbage cans out to the curb. The neighborhood is a mix of white and Black renters and homeowners. “Nobody’s driving a Mercedes or anything,” Nancy says. “You’ve got mixed cultures all over the place. That hasn’t been an issue. We’ve had mixed cultures here for a long time.”But Price Hill’s steady evolution from a predominantly middle-class community to one with significant populations of lower economic status has at times created racial tension, distrust, and a fear of crime. Crimes against the Latinx population a couple of years ago grew to a point where community members formed a group called BASTA, which held a protest rally on Warsaw Avenue. Price Hill has a proud history. More than half a dozen Cincinnati mayors have had connections there, including the most recent former mayor, John Cranley, who grew up in the neighborhood and now lives in Hyde Park. Its churches, especially those built by the German Catholic congregations of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, have been core to the neighborhood’s identity and stability. Catholic families identified their neighborhoods not by the streets they lived on but by what parish they lived in: St. Lawrence, St. William, Holy Family, St. Teresa. The St. Lawrence congregation built the first Catholic church in Price Hill, dating its founding to 1870. By 1894, the congregation had enough money to build the magnificent Gothic-style edifice that still towers above Warsaw Avenue. Price Hill’s main thoroughfares, Glenway and Warsaw avenues, are lined with mom-and-pop businesses. Cincinnati chili was incubated there when the fi rst Skyline opened on the hill in 1949, its name prompted by the sweeping view of downtown below. The businesses have changed dramatically over the years. Joe Huber’s family opened a dry goods store on Warsaw in 1908 and sold school uniforms to Catholic families around the west side. The site is now the Warsaw Avenue Kroger store, and today Huber helps revitalize Price Hill through strategic investments from Cincinnati Development Fund, where he’s president and CEO. Across the street from Kroger is a tienda, a small grocery store, as well as Latinos Barber Shop, Rae Jayz Hair and Nailz, Valle Verde Restaurante, and the Price Hill Historical Society. Down the street, a Price Hill mainstay for 120 years, St. Lawrence Bakery, closed in 2021. It shared that block with three thrift stores and another tienda, Guatemex Supermercado No. 1.

Somm Wine Bar opened in the Incline District in 2016 with a sophisticated wine list and gourmet food. Across Price Avenue is Veracruz Mexican Grill, which has expanded its space and its menu of authentic Mexican fare. BLOC Coffee serves highquality coffee and has become a community gathering space while supporting the work of BLOC Ministries, which provides a variety of outreach programs for underserved and at-risk people. The Incline District is a prime example of the impact of public and private investments spurring a cycle of new businesses and new neighbors. But Price Hill is wildly diverse, racially as well as economically. Some blocks in West Price Hill feel more like the suburb of neighboring Green Township, while some streets in East Price Hill are mired in poverty. Two miles from the burgeoning Incline District is a maze of low-slung apartment buildings that are home to a population of immigrants, many of whom have fled their native Guatemala. Along Westmont Drive and its side streets are more than a dozen apartment buildings, some of them subsidized low-income properties.

PRICE HILL REVIVAL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 59

THE SPIRIT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND the dream of owning a business is still alive in Price Hill. “There was white flight, there was disinvestment, but then people—a critical mass—said that diversity is a good thing and makes the neighborhood better and stronger,” says Jeff Cramerding. He’s a rarity these days: a Cincinnati City Councilmember elected from the west side. Cramerding grew up in the burbs of Delhi Township and moved to Price Hill while in law school, staying there for 25 years, until a recent divorce resulted in a move to Westwood. He stayed because of the neighborhood’s old houses filled with character, as well as the community’s history and traditions. He believes its housing stock, its proximity to downtown, and its parks and greenspaces are assets that make Price Hill attractive to a new generation of urban dwellers. “There’s a trend of people moving back to urban neighborhoods,” says Cramerding. “People are getting priced out of Over-the-Rhine and are looking for other options.”They’re finding them in a Price Hill neighborhood known as the Incline District. With the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater as its centerpiece, the surrounding neighborhood has seen investment in houses on Mt. Hope and nearby streets, where a five-bedroom rehabbed Victorian sold for $254,000 in December, practically a bargain in today’s overheated housing market.TheIncline Theater is a $6 million facility that opened in 2015, presenting a series of locally produced plays. It survived the pandemic shutdown of performing arts venues and returned to presenting a full slate of musical theater in April. Cincinnati Landmark Productions owns the theater as well as the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts in West Price Hill and the Madcap Education Center in Westwood. Incline Public House actually came first, opening across the street in 2013, capitalizing on the expansive view of the city from what was the peak of the old Price Hill Incline, a now-demolished cable railway that opened in the 19th century to transport people and freight from the basin up the hill. A stone’s throw away is Primavista, a Price Hill institution, where patrons have been enjoying the tastefully prepared Italian cuisine and the spectacular view for more than 30 years.

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PRICE HILL REVIVAL immigrants in Price Hill and elsewhere. She and a handful of volunteers organize a food pantry at the Westmont apartments on Saturdays, bringing eggs, rice, sweet potatoes, soap, and detergent to a tiny greenspace off the apartments’ cratered parking lot. On a recent Saturday, a young man accepts a box overflowing with pantry staples, as Sullivan translates his story. He says he only just arrived, having spent 20 days making his way through the South western desert after the coyote who was smuggling him and others deserted them. He found his way to Price Hill because of a friend’s family connections there.

PRICE HILL WILL GREW OUT OF THE Schenks’ community building and fundraising efforts. Today, the organization pursues a strategy of preserving afford able housing, improving the neighborhood’s built assets, and engaging residents and others largely through the arts. It’s achieved some visible and noteworthy successes.TheARCO space is a Samuel Hannaford–designed Masonic lodge built in 1912 in a neoclassical style and owned and operated by the Price Hill Freemasons for 77 years. When the Masons merged with another lodge in the 1970s, they sold the building, which eventually became a boarded-up hulk looming over the rest of the neighborhood. Price Hill Will purchased the property in 2014 and obtained financing for a $10 million renovation that restored two theater and event spaces as well as offices and off-street parking.

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El Sistema’s motto is “Music for Social Change,” and that could serve as MYCincinnati’s rallying cry too. About 120 Price Hill kids meet every day after school in an old firehouse on Warsaw Avenue to learn brass, strings, woodwinds, and percussion, and prep for performances. They’ve collaborated with the Cincin nati Symphony Orchestra, the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and other groups and individual artists. After a pandemic pause, MYCincinnati resumed in-person classes earlier this year and held its first concert in more than two years in May, spreading good vibes throughout the neighborhood from the ARCO parking lot. Price Hill Will bought the old firehouse a few years ago, but the seller drove a hard bargain: PHW could buy the firehouse, but only if it also bought the eight 100-yearold buildings next door. It was essentially a gritty block of Warsaw Avenue with historic architecture that over the years had been neglected, covered up, and forgotten. Perfect!Price Hill Will bought them all and got the block designated a historic district, qualifying it for tax credits and enabling a transformation of the destitute stretch into the Warsaw Avenue Creative Campus. Renovation of eight buildings is now under way; storefronts will be restored to house arts-related businesses, while the upper floors will be converted to 13 afford ableAffordableapartments.housing is another arm of PHW’s mission, through a homestead ing program that makes homeownership affordable for low-income families. The organization buys a vacant house, gets it up to code, and fixes the furnace, the roof, and whatever else it needs, then sells it through a land contract to a low-income family, who makes payments for five years with no interest. The family commits to continued maintenance and upgrades, and PHW staffers stay in touch, do regular inspections, and monitor the finances to

Renamed ARCO, the space now hosts concerts, special events, banquets, and weddings and is the performance home of MYCincinnati, an orchestral program PHW launched in 2011. It follows a method called El Sistema, started in Venezuela, which sees music education not as a way to train professional musicians but as a means to build children’s confidence and help them reach their potential.

“DIVERSITY HAS BEEN A BIG PART OF THE AREA’S RESURGENCE,” SAYS PRICE HILL NATIVE JOE HUBER, CEO OF THE CINCINNATI DEVELOPMENT FUND. “IT CONTINUES TODAY.”

A middle-aged woman is asked about her story. With Sullivan translating, she says her three children recently arrived to join her in the U.S. after 14 years apart. Her children are now in their 20s. Sullivan’s group runs several programs, all serving immigrants, including an afterschool program and three soccer teams with kids from Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras and a coach from Senegal. Be yond the programming, Sullivan responds to whatever individual needs she hears about. When we speak, her van is full of donated furniture for a Nicaraguan family who’s just arrived. She’s lived in Price Hill for 13 years, moving there to pursue the shared dream of an urban eco-village. Sullivan bought a house on Enright Avenue, gutted it, and did a green remodel with solar-powered hot water, a rainwater harvesting rig, and permaculture garden. She joined dozens of others on the street living a vision of an ecologically responsible community practicing urban faming, cultivating native plants, and serving others. The godfather of that dream is Jim Schenk, who’s lived on Enright for 48 years in a house he and his wife, Eileen, purchased for $17,500. Eileen, who passed away in 2020, was a fourth-generation Price Hillian, a graduate of Seton High School. “When we got married, I wanted to live in Covington,” says Jim, who hails from Indiana. “She wanted to live in Price Hill. So we compromised.” That may have been the secret to a 51-year marriage. In 1978, Jim and Eileen founded Imago, an ecological education organization rooted in the dream of living in harmony with the natural world, right in the middle of the city. In 2004, the Schenks gathered a group of like-minded people together to brainstorm the eco-village concept. “I believe we’ve got to stay in our cities, because if we spread out we destroy the Earth’s ability to sustain us,” says Schenk. “An eco-village is basically a community of people who support each other to live sustainably, and that’s what we’ve created here.”

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PERHAPS THE TRUE THROUGH LINE IN Price Hill is change. Its Catholic church-

PRICE HILL REVIVAL make sure they can keep making payments. After five years, ownership is transferred outright to the family, who can stay or sell the house. Out of 16 such projects so far, every family has stayed. “We’re providing families opportunities to buy a house, work on it themselves, and build equity,” says PHW’s Hastings. “If we’re going to have a healthy community, we need people of different income levels living together and supporting our local businesses.”

Joe Huber grew up in the St. William parish with ex-Mayor Cranley and has fond memories of playing wiffleball at the end of his street, Century Lane. “When I think of Price Hill, I think of family and friends,” says Huber. “I remember block parties and that kind of community spirit. It always was and continues to be a gritty, working-class neighborhood with a focus on community.”Whilehe’sbeen with the Cincinnati Development Fund, the nonprofit organization has helped finance the Incline Theater, ARCO, and the Warsaw Creative Campus. “Diversity has been a big part of the area’s resurgence,” says Huber. “The sense of community has evolved, but “It’s been a through line. It definitely continues today.”

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Five years ago, Juana and Ausel Perez found a home on East Price Hill’s Woodlawn Avenue for themselves and their four children. Originally from Guatemala, they’d moved to Price Hill from Atlanta. Through Santa Maria Community Services—another neighborhood anchor institution that’s served the less fortunate for 125 years—the Perezes were connected to Price Hill Will and its housing program. As his young boys romp in the front yard, Ausel—through his 13-yearold daughter, who translates—says it was hard to fi nd a place big enough to be comfortable for his wife and their children and aff ordable on the income he earns working in landscaping. His kids are ages 5, 9, 11, and 13, and they now have a yard to run around in, with a fenced-in backyard for their dog, Polo.

SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 103 es are magnificent symbols of constancy, but they too are evolving. Holy Family Church dates its founding to 1884, after a series of floods in the valley below led to an exodus of Catholic families to safer elevations in Price Hill. St. Lawrence was getting too crowded to handle all these new-to-Price-Hill families. They needed a new space, and Archbishop William Henry Elder bestowed his approval. By 1916, the congregation had raised enough money to complete its current Romanesque Revival church. The church and its school next door have adapted to the changing community. Today, more than half of the people affiliated with Holy Family are Spanish speakers, says Father Len Wenke, who served the congregation for the last 10 years. The church holds a regular bilingual Mass in Spanish and English, at least “as best as you can do it,” Wenke says. “The younger folks growing up here in the U.S. appreciate English,” he says. “It’s an effort on our part not to have two separate communities, but one faith community.”HolyFamily “is one of the most integrated and diverse schools that you’re going to find,” he says. More than third of its students are Latinx, about a quarter are Black, and about a quarter are white, according to greatschools.org. More change is coming. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s restructuring program, which it calls Beacons of Light, has meant a reassignment for Wenke to a family of parishes in Dayton, Ohio. A new priest has been assigned to Holy Family, who will also minister to other congregations in its new parish family: St. Joseph in the West End, St. Leo in North Fairmount, San Antonio in South Fairmount, St. Therese Little Flower in Mt. Airy, and St. Boniface in Northside. “The church communities will continue to be core institutions,” says Wenke. “But a priest being present in the neighborhood, that will be a challenge.” Asked to look ahead to the future of Price Hill, Wenke turns to the Gospel of Luke. “The Lord said if it’s a peaceful village, stay there. If folks can remain peaceful with each other, there’s all kinds of potential there.” Amen.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMY KRAMER DNE SOUL FOOD IN OTR P. 108 SOCCER CHEF Q&A P. 108 OUTRAGEOUS SHAKES IN BELLEVUE P. 110 BAKED GOODS IN KENWOOD P. 111 FLAME TO PLEASE Via Vite’s charred octopus, served with gremolata, frisée, saba, and tonnato sauce, accompanied by red potatoes. SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 105

106 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEREMY KRAMER DINING OUT A WAYNEW

A refurbished VIA VITE delivers bold flavors in more comfortable digs. —BRANDON WUSKE FYI Via Vite 520 Vine St., downtown, (513) 721-8483, viaviteres taurant.com Hours Dinner Mon–Thurs 4–10 p.m., Fri & Sat 4–11 p.m. Prices $7 (Sourdough Baguette)–$48 (Veal Chop “Parmigiana”) Credit Cards All major The Takeaway After some major renovations, Via Vite is back— more comfortable, and flavorful, than ever.

OUNTAIN SQUARE WAS A LITTLE LESS LIVELY FOR ABOUT A MONTH LAST WINTER, when Cristian Pietoso shut down his sophisticated Italian restaurant, Via Vite, for renovations. Pietoso—who also owns Nicola’s in Over-the-Rhine and two locations of Forno Osteria + Bar (in Hyde Park and Montgomery)—wanted to make his flagship restaurant “cozier and more comfortable,” as he put it. The redesigned space, with its expanded outdoor dining and plush upstairs seating, is certainly that. But it hasn’t lost the heart-of-the-city buzz that I have always loved about it. You can join the throng of customers crowded around the redesigned kitchen to watch fresh pasta get sheeted and cut by hand. If you sit at the chef’s table facing the open kitchen, you’ll hear the tune of a well-run restaurant. My server, Jake, guided me through the menu with authority, pointing out several new additions, like Lobster Tortelloni Al Nero and Chicken Milanese. In addition to the physical renovations, Pietoso also reworked the menu during the restaurant’s brief hiatus. Just as the redesign prizes coziness, the new additions to the menu push Via Vite further into the rustic realm of Italian comfort food. (Via Vite regulars need not worry; the menu’s most beloved items remain. “Our iconic dishes, like the Crispy Gnocchi and the Bolognese, aren’t going anywhere,” he says.)

Of the new dishes, the Pappardelle Pasta e Fagioli best exemplifies this Italian pastoral aesthetic. Warm, garlicky cannellini beans were served in a bowl with broad ribbons of pappardelle, the softness of which can only be achieved by hand (thanks to the expanded pasta station, all but two pastas dishes are

F

The Fritto Misto appetizer was a great follow-up to the salad course. Calamari and shrimp are lightly breaded and fried and served in a basket with Fresno chilies and grilled lemon. Unlike so many fried seafood dishes that evoke little more than a bubbling fryer, the sea really shines through here, while the Fresno chilies add a pleasant tingle to the briny dish. The dish itself is proof that Via Vite’s heartier menu still has room for light, refreshing Italian fare. Ditto for the tangy, oily Burrata Panzanella: a medley of creamy cheese, charred broccolini, tomatoes, croutons, and a crisp Calabrian vinaigrette. If you’re looking for the quickest possible trip to some sun-soaked piazza, take a bite of this dish and be transported. My friends chose pasta dishes as entrées, both of which were solid. The lasagna, which is available only on Fridays, was soft with a nice smoky char. My vegetarian friend opted for the Mama’s Eggplant Parmigiana appetizer, smothered in a robust pomodoro sauce (similar to marinara but thicker), as her main. It rested on a bed of spaghetti that she described as “Proper al dente. You can sink your teeth into it.” Of course, I had to try some and she was right.

That’s the thing about the new Via Vite. It’s cozier and more comfortable, but it still offers the kind of food and the kind of night that you can’t wait to sink your teeth into.

IO AMO L’ITALIA (From left) Handmade Crispy Gnocchi with a four cheese fonduta, black truffle, and chive; bruschetta with smashed burrata, tomato, prosciutto, and basil; patio dining on the renovated second floor; Corporate Sous Chef Adam Reed. now made by hand). It was the kind of dish that makes me want to return in winter just to soak up its warmth. What better accompaniment to a warm bowl of pasta than a heaping plate of meat? At $18, the Prosciutto Service is a pricey appetizer, but it’s enough meat to satisfy the snacking needs of a sizeable party. The prosciutto was perfect, soft and fatty with a sheen of oil, and there’s plenty of warm, buttery grilled bread to pile it onto. Sticking to my mission of exploring Via Vite’s new menu items, I ordered the Chicken Milanese entrée. Like the Pasta e Fagioli, it’s pure comfort food, a lighter take on that hearty Northern Italian dish, Veal Milanese. Italian as it was, it reminded me of a schnitzel, with its light breading and sprinkle of lemon butter vinaigrette. The accompanying heirloom tomatoes and a lemony arugula salad provided further acidic bite. Over the course of my meal, I saw a few parties come and go, including a couple down from Dayton for their anniversary dinner. They were eying my dessert, a delightful vanilla risotto with a caramelized top, a la crème brûlée. I assured them it tasted as good as it looked. They had made several trips to Via Vite over the years and were glad to see it humming again. On my return visit, this time with two friends in tow, we were seated upstairs in a subdued, dimly lit area that seemed far from the madding crowd. I love that the renovated Via Vite allows for several different dining experiences—downstairs seating in the middle of the action; the more tranquil, romantic upstairs; and outdoor seating with a panoramic view of Fountain Square, which on most nights means dinner and a show. The food was, for the most part, as good on my second visit as the first. We started off with salads, a half portion of the Classic Caesar and a half portion of the Boucheron Goat Cheese salad (Via Vite offers half portions of both salads and pastas, ideal for diners who love to play the field). Of the two, the goat cheese salad was certainly the highlight. The frisée, with its speckles of pistachio and drizzle of raspberry-truffle vinaigrette, had a rich, smoky flavor that was enveloped, but not smothered, by the creamy cheese.

SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 107

—M. LEIGH HOOD Soul Secrets, 1434 Vine St., Over-theRhine, (513) soulsecretscincy.com721-7685,

108 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 PHOTOGRAPH BY ANDREW DOENCH / ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS DANGER HOT PLATE TABLESIDE WITH... PHILLIP BAXMAN

YOU NO LONGER NEED AN EVENT TO CELEBRATE WITH A FISH FRY. AT CANDICE HOLLOWAY’S restaurant, Soul Secrets, fried chicken and fish are always on the menu. Servers wearing T-shirts that read “my ancestors sent me” introduce guests to a trim menu full of the best soul food. A list of traditional sides as long as your arm makes ordering a dilemma. The good news is you can’t make a wrong choice. That said, the macaroni and cheese is a must-try. It tastes like homemade but better. Every bite is full of rich melted cheese, and you can see the black pepper in it. While we’d never presume to reveal the Soul Secrets secrets, the macaroni definitely spends some quality time in the oven, because there are extra crispy morsels from the top in every serving. You can’t go wrong with the fish platters. The whiting is good, but the catfish is divine. The cornmeal breading is so perfectly seasoned you won’t need salt, and the light crunch it adds doesn’t hide the star of the show. So soft it’s nearly fluffy, the catfish melts in your mouth. Each catfish platter delivers two enormous pieces of fish along with two sides and a cornbread muffin that may be the best in Cincinnati. This is the kind of meal you take home with you—not just in your heart but in a box—because chances are low you’ll conquer all the fish and sides in one go.

THE EXECUTIVE CHEF FOR FC Cincinnati delivers for hungry soccer What’sfans.itlike cooking for a sporting venue? Such an amazing feeling walking through these doors every day. The atmosphere is unlike any other place that I have worked. Describe an average day at the stadium. The days leading up to the match are all about the 5 Ps—proper planning prevents poor performance. We ensure that all food is prepped as close to the day of the match as possible to highlight the freshness and quality of the product. The day of the match is all about execution. What would you say is the most popular food item at the stadium? Some of our most popular items are the schnitzel sandwich from Rhine Roost in concessions and Noonan’s Nine Layer Nachos, named after FCC coach Pat Noonan, in the First Financial Club. Soccer is such a big sport internationally. Does that play any role in your cooking? We try to pay homage to each team by creating a competition battle burger. For example, when FCC played CF Montreal, we created a poutine burger. What made you make the move away from the fine dining scene? I don’t necessarily feel that I’ve left the fine dining scene; I’ve only changed venues. AIESHA D . LITTLE FC Cincinnati, matchday/concessions-guidefccincinnati.com/

Holy Macaroni

PENSIVE DISTILLING CO.

We’re a craft micro-distillery in the heart of Newport, Kentucky, offering our spirits that include Bourbon, Vodka and Cherry Liqueur. We also offer a full bar, elevated bar food, and Bourbon tours and tastings.

LOG STILL DISTILLERY

AUGUSTA DISTILLERY Augusta Distillery sits on the limestone banks of the small Kentucky river town for which it is named. We are creating a bourbon-centric ecosystem and curating authentic experiences that delight our guests and neighbors. Come see us for barrel tasting experiences and tours of our historic 40,000-square-foot distillery.

207 Seminary Ave., Augusta, KY 41002, (513) 283-9427, https://augustakydistillery.com

NORTHERN ROW BREWERY & DISTILLERY

Situated in the historic Over-the-Rhine Brewery District, Northern Row Brewery & Distillery occupies a notable pre-prohibition brewery building. The taproom’s industrial architecture and repurposed finishes create an authentic setting to enjoy Northern Row’s award winning, distilled in-house, Five Stories Spirits, craft beer, curated cocktails, and food offerings.

DISTILLERY & DRINK GUIDE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

111 W. McMicken Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 620-8302, www.northernrow.com

It’s been said that the greatest moment of any journey is the turn toward home. For us, the horizon holds Gethsemane and southern Nelson County, Kentucky. Experience a tour and tasting of our Monk’s Road Bourbon and Gins. Stay overnight, host an unforgettable experience at our event venue, or enjoy a concert at our 2,000-seat outdoor amphitheater. Be one of the first to visit our new distillery opening in September for public tours.

225 Dee Head Rd., Gethsemane, KY 40051, (502) 349-2539, http://logstilldistillery.com

720 Monmouth St. Newport, KY 41071, (859) 360-5579, https://pensivedistilling.com

110 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

omad, the Bellevue spot known for loaded tots and epic tacos, has a line of boozy milkshakes that pay tribute to pop music. The pink and fluffy Strawberry Dreams Forever starts with a decadent blend of ice cream, strawberry syrup, trippy rainbow sprinkles, and strawberries (plus vanilla vodka if you feel like going far out) topped with pillowy whip, a crisp strawberry wafer, a cherry, and a fresh strawberry. If you’re not much for classic rock, you can sip on a new wave Dough You Want Me, Baby; the banana-split-meets-diva-pop Oops! I Split It Again; or the Ba-duhduh-duh-duh-duh-duh-duh…TEQUILA! Nomad can also serve these concoctions sans alcohol, so it’s nothing to get hung(over) about. —SAM ROSENSTIEL BY ANDREW DOENCH N TRY THIS Nomad, 225 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, (859) facebook.com/nomadky360-7134,

PHOTOGRAPH

SHAKE IT UP

SEPTEMBER 2022 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM 111PHOTOGRAPH BY MARLENE ROUNDS SNACK TIME WAKE AND BAKE WHEN BOOSALIS Baking opened in Kenwood this winter, many Cincinnatians rejoiced. The new spot, across the street from Kenwood Towne Centre, would save them repeated trips to Matt Boosalis’s original store,signsneedWe’resayandsampleAmann’theaboveinhea“twiceofinmeansKouign-Amann,croissants.ersthefins,scones,ofsalisfresh-bakedtheCityeveryonetheinbe-Daytonmight-as-well-locationCenterville.NowbakeryisshowingintheQueenwhyitwasworthdrive.Asidefrombread,Boo-offersaplethoragoodies—pastries,cookies,muf-macaroons—butmostloyalcustom-areallabouttheThebaker’swhich“butterycake”theBretonlanguageBrittany,France,hastherichnessofregularcroissant,”says.“AtourstoreCenterville,wehaveourdoor‘HomeofAmazingKouign-becauseweitto[customers]thefirstthingtheyis,‘That’samazing.’sureBoosaliswilltoaddoneofthosetotheKenwoodtoo. Boosalis Baking, 7565 Kenwood Rd., Kenwood, (513) boosalis.com745-9106, —AIESHA D. LITTLE ” The Kouign-Amanncroissant

september 25 11 am - 1 pm at cincinnatithe Club YourzanelattoWithandbandticketincludesFull Brunch buffet and 2 drink tickets good for the Mimosa/Bellini Bar, and/or the Outrageous Garnish-Your-Own Bloody Mary Bar Find out informationmoreatwww.cincinnatimagazine.com/musicalbrunch

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

8170 Montgomery Rd., Madeira, (513) 9848090, embersrestaurant.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DC, DS. $$$$ GREYHOUND TAVERN Back in the streetcar days, this roughly 100-yearold roadhouse was at the end of the Dixie Highway line, where the cars turned around to head north. The place was called the Dixie Tea Room then, and they served ice cream. The fried chicken came along in the 1930s, and they’re still dishing it up today. Families and regulars alike pile in on Mondays and Tuesdays for the fried chicken dinner. While the juicy (never greasy) chicken with its lightly seasoned, crisp coating is the star, the side dishes—homemade biscuits, cole slaw, green beans, mashed potatoes, and gravy—will make you ask for seconds. Call ahead no matter what night you choose: There’s bound to be a crowd. Not in the mood for chicken? Choose from steaks, seafood, sandwiches, and comfort food options that include meatloaf and a Kentucky Hot Brown. Or just try the onion rings. You’ll wonder where onions that big come from. 2500 Dixie Highway, Ft. Mitchell, (859) 3313767, greyhoundtavern.com. Lunch and dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$

6440 Cincinnati Dayton Rd., Liberty Twp., (513) 644-9365, cozyscafeandpub.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$$ THE EAGLE OTR

The revamped post office at 13th and Vine feels cozy but not claustrophobic, and it has distinguished itself with its stellar fried chicken. Even the white meat was pull-apart steamy, with just enough peppery batter to pack a piquant punch. Diners can order by the quarter, half, or whole bird—but whatever you do, don’t skimp on the sides. Bacon adds savory mystery to crisp corn, green beans, and edamame (not limas) in the succotash, and the crock of mac and cheese has the perfect proportion of sauce, noodle, and crumb topping. The Eagle OTR seems deceptively simple on the surface, but behind that simplicity is a secret recipe built on deep thought, skill, and love.

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

1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 802-5007, eaglerestaurant.com. Lunch Fri–Sun, dinner Mon–Thurs. MCC. $ EMBERS The menu here is built for celebration: poshly priced steak and sushi selections are meant to suit every special occasion. Appetizers are both classic (shrimp cocktail) and Asian-inspired (shrimp tempura); fashionable ingredients are name-checked (micro-greens and truffles); a prominent sushi section (nigiri, sashimi, and rolls) precedes a list of archetypal salads; Kobe beef on sushi rolls sidles up to steaks of prime; non-steak entrées (Chilean sea bass or Dover sole with haricots verts and almondine) make for high-style alternative selections. Talk about a party.

AMERICAN THE BIRCH

popular at noon. Mac and cheese? Check. Quesadillas and other starters? Yep. An assortment of burgers? Present, including a grilled portobello option. Casual food rules the day but the surprise is Brontë Bistro’s lineup of adult beverages, which elevates the place above a basic bookstore coffeeshop. The regular drinks menu includes such mainstays as cosmopolitans and sidecars. 2692 Madison Rd., Norwood, (513) 396-8970, josephbeth.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days. MCC. $ BROWN DOG CAFÉ

If you haven’t had a plate of Shawn McCoy’s design set in front of you, it’s about time. Many of the menu’s dishes show his knack for the plate as a palette. A trio of grilled lamb t-bone, boar tenderloin, and prawns in scampi butter is a standout. The eye for detail and contrasts of colors and textures belongs to someone who cares for food. 1000 Summit Place, Blue Ash, (513) 794-1610, browndogcafe.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat. MCC, DS. $$ COZY’S CAFÉ & PUB

DINING GUIDE

On any given evening, guests nibble at spicy hummus served with French breakfast radishes and pita bread while sipping slightly spumante glasses of Spanish Txakolina. And while the dinner menu reads strictly casual at first glance—soups, salads, and sandwiches and sharing plates—the preparation and quality are anything but. A chef salad with chopped romaine, sweet peas, applewood smoked bacon, hard-boiled egg, and sunflower seeds surpassed many versions of the bistro classic. And both the Brussels sprouts and fingerling potato sides refused to play merely supporting roles. Both were sensational studies in the balance of sweet, spicy, and acidic flavors.

Boomtown leans hard into the Gold Rush theme: prospector-style overall aprons on servers, bluegrass tunes humming, and rustic decor details. And the dense grub isn’t for the faint of heart. Arrive with an empty belly, ready for a carbo load. The biscuits are all they’re cracked up to be, and the gravy’s not playing around, either. Sample its biscuits and gravy styles with a gravy flight. Or try The Yukon, an anytime breakfast sandwich, featuring fried chicken on par with the best the city has to offer. By the end of the meal, you’ll feel a little out of place without your own denim getup.

BOOMTOWN BISCUITS & WHISKEY

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

THOU?WHEREBROTHERS,ART Aglamesis Brothers will open 50facilityabrandcreamtimefall.Westturingchocolate7,000-square-footamanufac-plantintheEndbylateIt’sthefirstthebelovediceandcandyhasopenednewproductioninmorethanyears. aglamesis.com AMERICAN 114 BARBECUE 116 CAJUN/CARIBBEAN 116 CHINESE 117 ECLECTIC 118 FRENCH 120 INDIAN 121 ITALIAN 121 JAPANESE 122 KOREAN 122 MEDITERRANEAN 122 MEXICAN 124 SEAFOOD 125 STEAKS 126 THAI 127 Top 10 = Named a Best MarchRestaurant2020. $$$ = Up to $49 $$$$ = $50 and up $ = Under $15 $$ = Up to $30 KEY: No checks unless specified. AE American Express, DC Diners Club DS Discover, MC MasterCard, V Visa MCC Major credit cards: AE, MC, V 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: magazine.comcmletters@cincinnati 114 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022

On a visit to England, Jan Collins discovered the “cozy” atmosphere of London restaurants built in historic houses. She brought that warm, comfortable feeling back to the United States in opening Cozy’s. Though the atmosphere in the restaurant is reminiscent of Collins’s London travels, the food remains proudly American. The produce in virtually every dish is fresh, seasonal, and flavorful. The braised short rib stands out with its cheesy grits and haystack onions along with a portion of tender meat. And when it comes down to the classics, from the biscuits that open the meal to carrot cake at the end, Cozy’s does it right.

WHERE TO EAT NOW ICON BY JEN KAWANARI

The classics are here—prime rib with horseradish and au jus; liver and onions; an eight-ounce filet with bernaise— plus some new favorites, including short rib pasta. Or have breakfast, English-style: fried eggs, bacon, sausage, stewed beans, roasted tomatoes, and buttered toast. The dinner menu also features burgers, risotto, pasta, seafood, and plenty more lighter options.

GOOSE & ELDER

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

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

The menu here generally doesn’t reinvent dishes or introduce outlandish flavors, but simply pays attention to enough little things to make the results unusually good. The Wagyu is served in cheeseburger form, but the exceptional tomme from Urban Stead gives it that extra something. The cocktails are things you’ve probably seen before, but everything—from the Death Valley Old Fashioned to the Queen City’s Bees Knees—had an extra dash of liveliness from a house-made element, like a rhubarb honey syrup or the raspberry shrub. Even when an ingredient seems out of left field, like the burnt grapefruit hot sauce on the Hamachi, it never tastes as unusual as it sounds. The hot sauce is just a hint of sweet citrusy spice that melts into the grits—a softly intriguing element rather than a slap in the face. Ivory House also has an excellent brunch. 2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood, (513) 389-0175, ivory housecincy.com. Dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$$

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

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

The third restaurant from chef Jose Salazar, Goose & Elder is a more everyday kind of joint compared to his others. The prices are lower, and most of the dishes, from burgers to grits, are familiar. Salazar’s menus have always hinted that the chef had a fondness for, well, junk food. But junk food is only junk if it is made thoughtlessly. Everything here is made with little twists, like the cumin-spiced potato chips and delicate ribbons of housemade cucumber pickles with a sweet rice wine vinegar. Even the fries, crinkle cut and served with “goose sauce,” a mildly spiced mayonnaise, are wonderfully addictive. The restaurant demonstrates that what we now consider “fast food” can be awfully good if someone makes it the old-fashioned, slow way. 1800 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 579-8400, gooseandelder.com. Mon & Wed–Fri, dinner Mon & Wed–Sun, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$ IVORY HOUSE

SYMPHONY HOTEL & RESTAURANT Tucked into a West 14th Street Italianate directly around the corner from Music Hall, this place feels like a private dinner club. There’s a preferred by-reservation policy. Check the web site for the weekend’s five-course menu, a slate of “new American” dishes that changes monthly. You can see the reliance on local produce in the Greek lemon chicken soup. Salads are interesting without being busy, and the lemon lavender sorbet is served as the third course palate cleanser with the five-course menu.

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

RON’S ROOST They stake their reputation on their fried chicken, serving 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 that’s not all they have. The menu is five solid pages of 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.

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

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 corn bread, slaw, salad, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and vegetables. The deal here is quantity. More mashed potatoes with your fried chicken? More corn bread with your baked ham? You don’t even have to raise your hand.

This Paddock Hills diner, with a second location in Overthe-Rhine, 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; 1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 242-3521, eatsugarnspice.com, Breakfast and lunch seven days. MCC. $

THE RESTAURANTSCHOOLHOUSE

Main courses of pan-seared rainbow trout, grass-fed strip steak, and a veggie burger hit all the right notes, and you can end with a sweet flourish if you choose the strawberry lavender shortcake.

7610 Sloan Way, Liberty Township, (513) 759-0033, thenorthstarcafe.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days. MCC. No cash. $ OTTO’S Chef/owner Paul Weckman opened Otto’s, named after his father-in-law, with $300 worth of food and one em ployee—himself. Weckman’s food is soothing, satisfying, and occasionally, too much of a good thing. His tomato pie is beloved by lunch customers: Vine-ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and chopped green onions packed into a homemade pie shell, topped with a cheddar cheese spread, and baked until bubbly. Weckman’s straightforward preparations are best. The shrimp and grits with sauteed shrimp spinach, mushrooms, Cajun beurre blanc atop a fried grit cake, short ribs braised in red wine and herbs, served over mashed potatoes with green beans and caramelized baby carrots that will bring you the comfort of a home-cooked meal. This is, at its heart, a neighborhood restaurant, a place with its own large, quirky family. 521 Main St., Covington, (859) 491-6678, ottosonmain. com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Fri, brunch and dinner Sat–Mon. MCC. $$ QUATMAN CAFÉ

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

With a kitchen full of students from the Findlay Culinary Training Program, this “meat and three” makes food good enough that everyone involved can hang their chef’s hats on. (Served in a small skillet so it stays hot and slightly creamy throughout the meal, the baked mac and cheese casserole would be the favorite dish at any church potluck.) At $15 for an entrée and three sides, Mighty Good offers one of the best values, not just in Over-the-Rhine, but in all of Greater Cincinnati. 1819 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 263-6893, mighty goodotr.com. Lunch and dinner Tues-Sat. MCC. $$ THE NATIONAL EXEMPLAR

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

MIGHTY GOOD

THE NORTHSTAR CAFÉ In Northstar’s first outpost beyond the Greater Columbus area, the space itself reflects the ethos of the food: warm and comfortable, but still modern and fresh. The dinner and cocktail menus are fab, as is the large bar. But breakfast is worth waking up early for. Take the mushroom frittata, made with meaty mushrooms, caramelized sweet onions, and Gruyère. The portions are no joke—that frittata comes with breakfast potatoes and arugula—yet it doesn’t feel gluttonous or excessive. In large part that’s due to the freshness (e.g., the sausage made in-house daily) and the abundance of healthy options. One of our favorites: the shooting star juice, a balanced blend of carrot, ginger, orange, and lemon.

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

3853 Race Rd., Bridgetown, (513) 574-0222, rons roost.net. Breakfast Sun, lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

TRIO

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

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

THE WILDFLOWER CAFÉ Wildflower Café is not the sort of place that tries to wow anyone with feats of inventiveness. Its formula is simple but satisfying: lots of mostly local meat and produce, a menu that continuously changes with available ingredients, a nice selection of wine and beer, and well-made, homey food. The small, focused menu has a classic American quality (salads, steaks, burgers) with enough surprises to keep things interesting. Many of the dishes are designed with open spaces to be filled with whatever is available in the kitchen that day, an advantage of an unfussy style. You don’t go to Wildflower expecting a certain kind of perfection;

204 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland, (513) 683-8266, foodby tano.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$$

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

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

Five blocks from the Newport riverfront, Terry and Betsy Cunningham have created the sort of comfortable, welcoming environment that encourages steady customers. A dependable menu and quirky atmosphere appeal to a broad range of diners, from non-adventurous visiting relatives to non-attentive children. Desserts have always been one of the stars: flourless chocolate hazelnut torte, bittersweet, rich and moist; butter rum pudding that would be equally at home on a picnic table or a finely dressed Michelin-starred table.

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WHERE TO EAT NOW 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, beesbarbecue.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sat. 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 Mason-Dixon line, and browned mashed potatoes that would make any short order cook diner-proud. The small no-frills restaurant—packed cheek-by-jowl most nights—feels like it’s been there a lifetime, with customers dropping vinyl on the turntable, dogs romping in the side yard, and picnic tables crowded with diners. The hooch is bring-your-own, and the barbecue is bona fide. 3313 Riverside Dr., East End, (513) 533-1957; 133 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 533-1957, elis barbeque.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $ &SINNERSSAINTS

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

CARIBBEANCAJUN/ 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 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, wildflower mason.com. Dinner Mon–Fri. MCC. $$$ YORK STREET CAFÉ

738 York St., Newport, (859) 261-9675, yorkstonline. com. Lunch Tues–Fri. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DS. $$ BARBECUE BEE’S BARBEQUE You’ll want to get to Bee’s Barbecue in Madisonville 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

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

figures and tables made from real NBA courts.

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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. $$

The chilies-on-steroids cooking here will have you mopping beads of garlic-laced sweat from your brow. The musky, firecracker-red Mongolian chicken stabilizes somewhere just before nirvana exhaustion, and aggressively pungent shredded pork with dried bean curd leaves your eyes gloriously glistening from its spicy hot scarlet oil. Even an ice cold beer practically evaporates on your tongue. Do not fear: not all the dishes are incendiary. Try the seafood—lobster, Manila clams, Dungeness and blue crabs, whelk, and oysters— prepared with tamer garlicky black bean sauce, or ginger and green onions. The Cantonese wonton soup, nearly as mild as your morning bowl of oatmeal, is as memorable as the feverish stuff. Sliced pork and shrimp are pushed into the steaming bowl of noodles and greens just before serving. Think comforting, grandmotherly tenderness. 11042 Reading Rd., Sharonville, (513) 563-6888, chineseimperialinn.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. DC, MC, V. $ 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. Be as brave as you are in the mood to be. Ask for some suggestions and prepare to be astonished.

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.

Hatch Chiles They’re Back

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

KNOTTY PINE ON THE BAYOU

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

The smoky heat of Hatch Chiles can’t be beat! Grown in Hatch Valley, New Mexico, we look forward to the In addition to fresh and roasted chiles, see what we’ve HATCHed in stores and online, including Hatch Chile Cheddar Bread. Oakwood (937) 299-3561 Washington Square (937) 434-1294 Springboro (937) 748-6800 DOROTHYLANE.COM

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

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. Pot stickers, 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 noodle, fried chicken, and seasonal vegetables in gingery white sauce) topping the menu’s flavor charts. 521 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 261-6121 , amerasia. carry-out.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Sat. MCC. $ CHINESE IMPERIAL INN

It has all the elements of your typical neighborhood Chinese restaurant: Strip mall location. General Tso and kung pao chicken. Fortune cookies accompanying the bill. The dragon decoration. But it is the nontraditional aspects of Raymond’s Hong Kong Café that allow it to stand apart. The menu goes beyond standard Chinese fare with dishes that range from Vietnamese (beef noodle soup) to American (crispy Cornish hen). The Portuguese-style baked chicken references Western European influences on Chinese cuisine with an assemblage of fried rice, peppers, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, and squash all simmering together in a creamy bath of yellow curry sauce. Deciding what to order is a challenge, but at least you won’t be disappointed. 11051 Clay Dr., Walton, (859) 485-2828. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $$ SICHUAN BISTRO CHINESE GOURMET

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. $$ Top 10 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 violet-derived purple sugar beside the pain de Gênes (French almond cake). In others, there is a dramatic suspense, like the whole egg yolk quivering in the center of the Fassone 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.

THE PACIFIC KITCHEN

Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$ UNCLE YIP’S Long before sushi somehow un-disgusted itself to the Western World, China had houses of dim sum. Uncle Yip’s valiantly upholds that tradition in Evendale. This is a traditional dim sum house with all manner of exotic dumplings, including shark fin or beef tripe with ginger and onion. As for the seafood part of the restaurant’s full name, Uncle Yip has most everything the sea has to offer, from lobster to mussels. The menu has more than 160 items, so you’ll

1535 Madison Rd., East Walnut Hills, (513) 221-2702, eatatbranch.com. Dinner Tues–Sun, brunch Sun. MCC. $$ CHÉ This Walnut Street spot draws on authentic Argentine recipes, including the empanadas. Choose from more than a dozen different crispy, perfectly cinched dough pockets, with fillings ranging from traditional (a mixture of cuminspiced beef, hard-boiled egg, and olives) to experimental (mushrooms, feta, green onion, and mozzarella). There are also six different dipping sauces to choose from, but you need not stray from the house chimichurri.

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

1342 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 345-8838, checincinnati.com. Lunch Tues–Sun , dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC, DC. $$ CROWN GASTROPUBREPUBLIC

The concept behind the name for Dear is that the restaurant is a kind of love letter from the team to the guests, to Hyde Park, and to Cincinnati. Occupying the old Teller’s spot on Hyde Park Square, it’s two establishments in one. One side is a full-service butchery that sells housemade sausages, wine, and coffee, and the other is a grand two-story restaurant. Animals, from pigs to cows, arrive weekly and are broken down in house, and turned into charcuterie and other cuts that make it into most of Dear’s dishes. The menu is small and focused, with dishes changing seasonally. This variability means the restaurant is serious about letting the availability of the best ingredients dictate what comes out. And if the dishes turn out to be as good as the spring carbonara, with its sugar snap pea tagliatelle, lemon, and mint, they can serve us whatever they want.

WHERE TO EAT NOW 118 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBERfind2022arange 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 Top 10 ABIGAIL STREET

Like many Chinese restaurants that cater to both mainstream American and Chinese palates, this strip mall gem uses two menus. The real story here is found in dishes of pungent multi-layered flavors that set your mouth ablaze with fermented peppers and fresh chilies and then just as quickly cool it down with the devilish, numbing sensation of hua jiao, Sichuan pepper. Its numbing effect is subtle at first: appetizers of cold sliced beef and tripe, as well as slices of pork belly with a profusion of minced garlic, lean toward the hot and sweet; mapo tofu freckled with tiny fermented black beans and scallions, and pork with pickled red peppers and strips of ginger root, progress from sweet to pungent to hot to salty—in that order. Alternated with cooling dishes—nibbles of rice, a verdant mound of baby bok choy stir-fried with a shovelful of garlic, refreshing spinach wilted in ginger sauce, a simply sensational tea-smoked duck—the effect is momentarily tempered. 7888 S. Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 7703123, sichuanbistro.com.

THE LITTLEFIELD Inside a modest 1,500 square-foot space on Spring Grove, just south of Hamilton Avenue, at least 70-odd bourbons behind the bar drive this little restaurant’s philosophy. The menu is meant to be limited, the better to support and celebrate the bottled flavors up front. There are surprises: a faint hint of curry powder deepens the moody cauliflower fritters; skewered golf-balls of mild, peppery ground lamb get a faint crust from the final sear. You’ll also want to order the smoked pork katsu. Panko crusted cutlets of pork, topped with tonkatsu sauce, served with sesame ginger slaw and kewpie mayo. The signature chicken and corn chowder 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.

720 Sycamore St., downtown, (513) 246-4272, crgcincy.com. Brunch, lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. MCC, DS. $$ DEAR RESTAURANT & BUTCHERY

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. $$

HONGRAYMOND’SKONG CAFÉ

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

TThe monster of a menu can be dizzying. Ease in with some top-notch Korean Wings. These slightly bubbly, shattercrisp wings are painted with a thin gochujang chili sauce (a foil to the fat). It takes 24 hours to prep the Cantonese duck, between a honey-vinegar brine to dry the skin, a marinade of star anise, bean paste, and soy within the re-sealed cavity, and the crispy convection oven finish. Dolsot bibimbap had plenty of crispy rice at the bottom of the stone bowl, and the accompanying banchan were soothing yet flavorful. Even dishes like a Malaysian goat stew resonated with rich, original flavors.. 8300 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, (513) 898-1833, thepacific.kitchen. Lunch and dinner Mon & Wed–Sun, dim sum lunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$

519 Main St., Covington, (859) 491-7777, bouquet restaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DS. $$ BRANCH Located in a huge Art Deco building, formerly a bank, Branch has taken this potentially cavernous and impersonal space and made it intimate. Diners might recognize the vibe from this restaurant group’s first venture, Northside’s The Littlefield. This “international homestyle” menu takes inspiration from the comfort food of many cultures. It maintains a balance between cooking to a higher price point and creating an atmosphere of refinement without losing the informal neighborhood feel. The shrimp and grits—served soupy in a big bowl with an addictively sweet-and-sour green tomato marmalade swirled into the creamy grits— are taken surprising heights. Another notable item is a dish that wouldn’t normally get a mention in a review: the french fries. They demonstrate that food that is usually mindlessly inhaled can be worth savoring if it is made with enough love.

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. New offerings like the wood-grilled kefta, with charred tomatoes, peppers, and whipped tahini, feel just as accomplished as old favorites like the falafel, beautifully moist and crumbly with a bright parsley interior.

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 ricotta toast, a thick slab of brioche toast smothered in ricotta and fresh, seasonal jams. Sandwiches also get an inventive twist here. The “Governor Tso’s chicken”—a crispy fried chicken breast glazed with a General Tso’s–inspired sauce, topped with apricot slaw and served on a toasted brioche bun—is a gigantic, happy mess of a sandwich, but the sweet glaze faintly evokes the namesake “General” while letting the sublimely fried chicken lead the charge. Order a side of crinkle cut fries and ask for the housemade Maple Thousand Island dipping sauce. (You’ll thank us later.)

2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-2710, dear restaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$$

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.

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

ROSIE’S COCKTAILS & PIES

118 W. 15th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 3811969, pleasantryotr.com. Dinner Wed–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$ PONTIAC OTR Dan Wright’s BBQ dream gets reincarnated as a wing joint and tiki drink emporium. The brisket still shows up on the brisket nachos, and the fried pickles and the cheesy grits didn’t go anywhere, but the smoked wings have taken center stage. Choose from one of three sauce options—BBQ, buffalo, or dry rub—pick your quantity, and chow down. If you’re feeling particularly spirited, you can try one of their original tiki cocktails. The cherry blossom, made with lightly aged Puerto Rican rum, whisks diners away with notes of coconut and lime.. 1403 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 5798500, pontiacbbq.com. Lunch Fri–Sun and dinner Wed–Sun, brunch Sun. MCC. $$

The Quarter Bistro has multiple personalities: one part clubby neighborhood joint, one part dinner and a movie with a dash of lusty romance. The Bistro Burger, a half-pound of black Angus beef, is seasoned but not overly so, with a sturdy-butnot-too-chewy bun. The 18-hour short ribs are the star, and reason enough to skip the movie next door. Braised into a flavor bomb of meat candy, it’s served with papardelle pasta, roasted vegetables, and onion straws. With the no-lip service, The Quarter Bistro could be well on the way to making middle age look sexy. 6904 Wooster Pke., Mariemont, (513) 271-5400, qbcincy.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

THE QUARTER BISTRO

1401 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 6217000, salazarcincinnati.com. Dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$

ANDCOFFEECAKES

119ICON BY JEN KAWANARI is exactly what you need on a cold winter’s day. 3934 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, (513) 3867570, littlefieldns.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Sat & Sun. V, MC. $ MAPLEWOOD KITCHEN At Maplewood, you order at the counter, then find a table, and a server will deliver what you’ve selected. There’s no cohesive cuisine, rather, the menu takes its cue from all corners of the globe: chicken tinga, spaghetti pomodoro, a New York Strip steak, guajillo chicken are all represented, along with a satisfying pappardelle with housemade sausage. Brunch is available all day so try the light lemon ricotta pancakes or the satisfying avocado benedict. 525 Race St., downtown, (513) maplewoodkitchenandbar.com.421-2100,Breakfast and lunch seven days. MCC. $$ MASHROOTS

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5903 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, (513) 6204126, mashroots.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat, Lunch and dinner 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 pop-ular dishes on the menu, and maintained a certain vibe, a balance between sophistication and rustic-ity. Its vegetarian fare contains many of its most inventive and delightful creations. The seared salmon is served with beluga lentils, green tomato, cucumber, brown butter, and smoked onion. The blistered shishitos, served with refreshing watermelon, goat cheese, yuzu, and spiced almonds, 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. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$ Top 10 MITA’S It’s fitting that chef Jose Salazar named this restaurant after his grandmother, because there is something deeply homey about the food at Mita’s. With a focus on Spanish and Latin-American tapas, it always feels, in the best possible way, like elevated home cooking. Its sophistication is modestly concealed. The flavors are bold and direct, whether the spicy freshness of the ceviche de camarones with passionfruit leche de tigreor the intensely bright sourness of the pozole verde. In dishes like the alcochofas y hongos, the chef hits every register: the acid of red espelette peppers to balance the earthy ramp-garlic hummus, the crunchy pistachios against the soft sautéed mushrooms and artichoke hearts. But what mainly comes through is the warm-hearted affection a grandmother might have put into a meal for a beloved grandson. It’s the kind of big hug everyone needs from time to time. 501 Race St., downtown, (513) 421-6482, mitas.co. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$$ OKTO This lively mash-up is a telling symbol of Earth+Ocean Restaurant Group’s flexible ap proach to traditional food. In what other Greek restaurant would the best cocktail be a smoky, chile-laced paloma, normally associated with Mexico? Or would the dish of lamb chops come dressed with gremolata, which we’ve never seen on anything but Italian food? E+O has always prided itself on its eclectic take on regional cuisine and they serve up something similarly fun and varied here. Those looking for classic Greek food will find plenty to satisfy them. The lamb kebabs, served ground, with the classic roasted tomato on the side; or the Via bowls, featuring tomatoes, olives, cucumbers, feta, red onion, tzatziki, and your choice of protein served atop a bed of couscous. The fun Okto has with Greek cuisine means there is already plenty that is good, plus plenty of room to grow.

645 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 632-9181, oktocincinnati.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$ PAMPAS Much like American food, Argentine cuisine is a melting pot shaped by immigration, particularly from Italy and Germany, and with plenty of meat on the plate. You see that mix in the menu, but Pampas puts parrillada, the Argentine method of cooking over an open flame, front and center. The chimichurri appears throughout the menu, and does wonders wherever it goes. Spicy, tart, and filled with the flavor of oregano, it wakes up the marinated skirt steak. Magnificent desserts deserve special mention. The dolce de leche crème brule, with its caramelized sugar crust and shaved chocolate, is particularly popular.

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

urbana-cafe.com

After serving mofongo at Findlay Market for nearly four years, Mashroots opened its first brick-and-mortar spot in College Hill this year. For the uninitiated, mofongo is a traditional Puerto Rican dish of mashed fried plantains with garlic and olive oil, typically served with protein and sauce. Here, you can get plantain, yuca, or sweet potato as your root and a protein, like skirt steak or pulled chicken. Top it off with veggies (pinkslaw, vinagrete, citruscarrot) and a sauce (pink mayo, anyone?), and wash it all down with refreshing cocktails made with rum and harderto-find spirits.

2036 Madison Rd., O’Bryonville, (513) 3210863, pampascincinnati.com. Brunch Sun, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$ PLEASANTRY With only 40 seats inside, Daniel Souder and Joanna Kirkendall’s snug but spare OTR gem—they serve breakfast and dinner like a true neighborhood spot—features an engaging wine program aimed at broadening your palate alongside small plates that are equally ambitious. Classic technique and fresh produce anchor an approachable menu—toast with poached salmon, burgers, and katsu chicken breast are available at dinner, and the oyster mushroom dish is an admirable vegan option, served with a black garlic BBQ sauce and tempura flakes. This is not to say that the proteins aren’t something special. Traditionally a much less expensive cut, the small hanger steak was decidedly tender, served with jus sauce.

Equipped with clever cocktails and a healthy amount of chili oil , Rosie’s Cocktails & Pies offers Jersey-style pizza, sandwiches, salads, gelato, and plenty of drinks to wash it all down. Flavors bonded in holy mozzarella, the classic Tomato (tomato and fresh mozz) is ideal comfort pizza. The mushroom pizza starts strong: Mushrooms get the love and attention they deserve, with a generous serving of truffle oil before they join the pizza’s garlic sauce and fresh mozzarella. All of the cocktails rock names inspired by pop tunes and tongue-in-cheek sass, but it’s the Crash Into Me (gin, rosemary syrup, apple juice, green chartreuse, lime juice, and blanc vermouth) that cuts through the pizza grease, delivering enough of a punch (you have to sign a waiver before drinking it) to prove it means business. 300 E. Seventh St., downtown, (513) 381-1243, rosiescocktailsandpies.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. MCC. $$ RUTH’S PARKSIDE CAFÉ The spiritual successor of Mullane’s Parkside Café, Ruth’s brings back the vegetable-forward menu with a few concessions to contemporary tastes. Dinner options now include steaks and heavier entrées. But the stir-fries, beans and rice, pasta, and the traditional option to add a protein to an entrée (tofu, tempeh, chicken, or local chorizo) for an upcharge are all old standards. While dishes are generally hearty, they are rarely too rich, leaving room to freely consider dessert. There is a small selection of baked goods, including a gooey butter cake, homemade fruit pies, and Madisono’s Gelato. 1550 Blue Rock St., Northside, (513) 5427884, ruthscafe.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$ SACRED BEAST Sacred Beast advertises itself as a kind of upscale diner, but the real gems are the oddball dishes that don’t quite fit the diner mold. The menu can be disorienting in its eclecticism: foie gras torchon is next to fries with lobster gravy, and a king salmon is next to a diner breakfast and deviled eggs. Winners are scattered throughout the menu in every category. On the cocktail list, the Covington Iced Tea, a lemon and coffee concoction made with cold brew, San Pellegrino, and vodka is oddly satisfying. The service is good, and there is some flair about the place—including vintage touches, from the facsimile reel-to-reel audio system to the mostly classic cocktails—even within its rather chilly industrial design. In short, go for the unique grub; stay for the elegant, shareable twists on classic snacks.

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

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

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, chezrenee frenchbistrot.com. Friday–Sat and dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $$ FRENCH CRUST Located in the old Globe Furniture building at the corner of Elm and Elder Streets, this Jean-Robert de Cavel creation offers French fare in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. Swing by for lunch and have a quiche Lorraine (French Crust’s quiches are unrivaled in our humble opinion) and an avocado and shrimp salad, or opt for a more hearty entree—like bouillabaisse

$ THE VIEW AT SHIRES’ GARDEN

The name of this restaurant demands that one question be answered first: So, how’s that view? Well, it’s impressive. Especially if the weather cooperates and you can get a seat outside. Most dishes are rotated out every six months, but a few remain staples from season to season. Try the panroasted chicken, featuring a Freebird Farms skin-on breast. Or go for the Chef’s Feast for Two, a shareable steak with an Argentine shrimp salad and two sides. The cocktail list offers high, low, and zero proof options alongside a well-rounded beer and wine selection. 309 Vine St., 10th Floor, downtown, (513) 407-7501, theviewatshiresgarden.com. Dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$$ YUCA Yuca is in The Fairfi eld’s former space, retaining much of the same modern, airy, and inviting café vibes with a neighborhood feel, but boasting a menu certainly worth a commute. In the mood for a hearty breakfast? Indulge in the Fat Zach, a heaping corn gordita packed to the brim with chicken, chorizo, and scrambled egg, served with avocado, pineapple pico, and sweet and spicy potatoes. There’s a full drink menu ranging from coff ee 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 FRENCHRENÉEBISTROT

SENATE Ever since it began dishing out its lo-fi eats, Chef Dan Wright’s gastropub has been operating at a velocity few can match. From the howl and growl of supremely badass hot dogs to the palate-rattling poutine, Senate has led the charge in changing the local conventional wisdom about what makes a great restaurant. Consumption of mussels charmoula means either ordering additional grilled bread to soak up every drop of the herby, saffron-laced broth or drinking the remainder straight from the bowl and perfectly crisped and seasoned fries inspire countless return visits. 1100 Summit Place Dr., Blue Ash, (513) 769-0099, senateblueash.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MC, V, DS. $ TASTE OF BELGIUM Jean-François Flechet’s waffl e 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 waffl es: a dense, yeasty waffl e 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. Five rotating taps off er some of the best the Belgians brew, not to mention those made in town. 1133 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-4607, and other locations, authenticwaffle.com. Breakfast and lunch Mon–Sat, dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $

7022 Miami Ave., Madeira, (513) 272-0192, atavola pizza.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. V, DC, MS, AE. $ BETTA’S ITALIAN OVEN

3514 Erie Ave., East Hyde Park, (513) 818-8720, fornoosteriabar.com. Dinner Tues–Sun, brunch Sun. MCC. $$ or cassoulet—for dinner. If you’re an early bird, a Croque Monsieur (sunny side up egg) is a great way to start the day. 1801 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 455-3720, frenchcrustcafe.com. Breakfast and lunch Wed–Sun, dinner Thurs–Sun. MCC. $$

LE BAR A BOEUF If it’s been a couple of years since you’ve been to Le Bar a Boeuf—Jean-Robert de Cavel’s fun-yet-refi ned French bistro located on the fi rst fl oor 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 confi t, steak frites, and French onion soup all making appearances. As France’s infl uence on American fi ne 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, barboeuf.com. 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, Muthia 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 caulifl ower 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 buff et 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, ammaskitchen.com. Lunch buff et seven days (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 super-sizing your mint lassi. The saag, full of cream in most northern Indian restaurants, is as intensely fl avored 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-fl avored milk, cooled and sprinkled with crushed pistachios. 11259 Reading Rd., Sharonville, (513) 769-4549, brij mohancincinnati.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DC. $ 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 crowdpleasers like charcuterie and craft cocktails. Fast-forward a decade. The OTR outpost is closed but the second location is still going strong in the ’burbs: A Tavola Madeira

3764 Montgomery Rd., Norwood, (513) 631-6836. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat. MC, V. $$

JEWELRY Appy Download our free app and enjoy an incredible value on local experiences! Deals that make you DININGCASINO SCAN DOWNLOADTO 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 Peroni lager. They’re definitely going to need a bigger parking lot.

This Italian place hits the spot on all levels. It’s casual—we felt at home in jeans and a T-shirt—but not so casual to rule it out as a date-night spot. It’s friendly, with a staff that stays on top of refilling that Morretti La Rossa beer. And best of all, the food is amazing (especially for the price). We ranked their pizza the best in the city. Dubious? Their pizza Margherita will make a believer out of you. Their lasagna, spaghetti, and eggplant Parmesan will have you crying Mama Mia and other Italian-sounding phrases. Their dessert options (Cannoli! Tiramisu! Amaretto cream cake!) are all homemade, and delicious to the very last bite.

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 pappardelle with spiced cinghiale (wild boar) ragu are examples of the elevated, adventurous comfort food that Pietoso strives for.

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220 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 975-0706, zundootr.com.

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 celebrates 25 years in business. Nicola’s has entered a new era of exuberant creativity under the leadership of chef Jack Hemmer. You can still get the old Italian classics, and they’ll be as good as ever, but the rest of the menu has blossomed into a freewheeling tour of modern American cuisine. Any establishment paying this level of attention to detail—from the candied slice of blood orange on the mascarpone cheesecake to the staff’s wine knowledge—is going to put out special meals. Rarely have humble insalate been so intricately delicious, between the perfectly nested ribbons of beets in the pickled beet salad or the balance of bitterness, funkiness, and creaminess in the endive and Gorgonzola salad. Order an old favorite, by all means, but make sure you try something new, too.

WHERE TO EAT NOW 122 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBERmagic2022at 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. Penne with rapini and sausage comes in a buttery, lightly starchy broth with a kick of spice that you could go on eating forever. From the texture of the chicken liver mousse to the tart cherry sauce on the panna cotta, most of the food has some added element of soulfulness. 118 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 977-6886, sottocincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

1420 Sycamore St., Pendleton, (513) 721-6200, nicolasotr.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DC, DS. $$$ PADRINO Billed as “Italian comfort food,” this sister restaurant to 20 Brix offers the classics (like lasagna and chicken carbonara) plus hoagies and meatball sliders, an impressive wine list, seasonal martinis, and a decadent signature appetizer—garlic rolls, doughy buns smothered in olive oil and garlic. Best of all, Barraco’s pizza sauce, which is comprised of roasted tomatoes and basil, is so garden-fresh that one can’t help but wonder: If this is real pizza, what have we been eating all these years? 111 Main St., Milford, (513) 965-0100, padrinoitalian. com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$ 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 and 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.

Come for the jo gi mae un tang—a bowl of sizzling, happy hellbroth pungent with red pepper, garlic, and ginger, crowded with nuggets of fish, tofu, and vegetables. Come for the restorative power of sam gae tang, a chicken soup for the Seoul—a whole Cornish hen submerged in its own juices and plumped with sticky rice and ginseng, dried red dates, and pine nuts. Revered for their medicinal properties, both dinner-sized soups will leave your eyes glistening and your brow beaded with sweat. They’re 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. $$

Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$ KOREAN HARU After the closing of Sung Korean Bistro, Haru is a welcome addition to the downtown scene. Dishes are served along with the usual Korean accompaniment of pickles, kimchi, fish cakes, and other mysteriously delicious dainties. A favorite is the japchae, a traditional dish sporting silky sweet potato noodles with sesame-and-garlic sauce, matchsticks of assorted crisp vegetables, and behind it all a wonderful smokiness that pervades the whole meal. The accompanying pot of gochujang, a fermented Korean chili paste, adds its own sweet and spicy note. The result is a homey, soulful, and satisfying taste that appeals even to those who’ve never eaten a bite of Korean food before.

8608 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, (513) 891-6880, meijapaneserestaurant.com. Lunch Sat & Sun, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$ ZUNDO RAMEN & DONBURI

628 Vine St., downtown, (513) 381-0947, harucincy.com.

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

Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$

SUBITO Focusing on Northern Italian cuisine, Subito carves out its own worthwhile place in the landscape. Most of the items on the menu—from pizza to various pastas—will be familiar, but there are delightful surprises, like the vegan torta di ceci. At the base of the dish is a light, flaky farinata—a griddled pancake made out of chickpea flour. Topped with pickled red onion, and covered with nectarine and toasted almonds, the whole dish is rounded out with a touch of tangy sweetness from a blackberry balsamic vinaigrette. Everything at Subito is done with intelligence and a light touch. 311 Pike St., downtown, (513) 621-4500, thelytlepark hotel.com/dining/subito. Breakfast and lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$ 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 rich and meaty chyu toro (fatty big-eye tuna), or the pucker-inducing umeshiso maki (pickled plum paste and shiso leaf roll). Noodles are also well represented, with udon, soba, or ramen options available. And don’t forget to ask about the specials; owners Ken and Keiko Ando always have something new, be it grilled koji or marinated amberjack smoked salmon crudo, delicacies that you’ll be hard-pressed to find in any of those Hyde Park pan-Asian wannabes. The only thing you won’t find here is sake, or any other alcohol. Bring your own, or stick to the nutty and outright addicting barley tea.

12082 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Twp., (513) 583-8897, kyotosushibar.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $$ MEI Mei’s menu is meant to represent traditional Japanese cuisine, appealing to the novice as well as the sushi maven. It is divided into sections that encourage a progressive meal of small dishes: One each for hot and cold appetizers, noodles, sushi and sashimi, special rolls, soups and salads, sushi dinners (with miso soup), and combinations (such as tempura paired with sashimi). Deep-fried soft shell crab comes with ponzu sauce—a dipping sauce made of rice vinegar, soy sauce, mirin, and citrus juice—and the kind of yakitori that you can find on the streets of New York. Bento boxes—lacquered wooden boxes divided into compartments—offer the neophyte a sampling of several small dishes. Mei’s are lovely: deep red and stocked with tempura, cooked salmon, sashimi, stewed vegetables, and a fabulous egg custard with shrimp and gingko nut. Mei’s sushi—nigiri, maki, and handrolls—is exceptionally good with quality cuts of fresh seafood. The staff is knowledgeable, extremely efficient, respectful, and attentive, even when it’s at peak capacity.

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

RIVERSIDE RESTAURANTKOREAN

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.

5932 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, (513) 541-0381, kikicincinnati.com. Lunch Sun and dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $ KYOTO Owner Jason Shi seems to know everybody’s name as he chats up diners, guiding them through the extensive sushi and sashimi menu. Five young sushi chefs, all part of Shi’s family, work at light speed behind the bar, a choreography backlit by rows of gleaming liquor bottles. Dinner proceeds with glorious chaos as a feisty Carla Tortelli–like server delivers one dish after another—slivers of giant clam on ice in a super-sized martini glass, a volcanic tower of chopped fatty tuna hidden inside overlapping layers of thin avocado slices, smoky grilled New Zealand mussels drizzled with spicy mayo, and delicate slices of a samurai roll—all between shots of chilled sake.

810 Matson Pl., Price Hill, (513) 251-6467, pvista.com. Dinner Wed–Sun. MCC, DC, DS. $$ Top 10 SOTTO

MEDITERRANEAN ANDY’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILLE In this lively joint with a burnished summer lodge interior

5889 Pfeiffer Rd., Blue Ash, (513) 791-8687, ando japaneserestaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$$ KIKI Kiki started as a pop-up at Northside Yacht Club, then leapt into brick-and-mortar life in College Hill. Your best bet here is to share plates, or simply order too much, starting with the shishito buono, a piled-high plate of roasted shishito peppers tossed in shaved parmesan and bagna cauda, a warm, rich blend of garlic and anchovies. Add the karaage fried chicken, with the Jordy mayo and the pepe meshi, confit chicken on spaghetti and rice that somehow works. And, yes, the ramen, too. The shio features pork belly and tea-marinated soft-boiled egg, but the kimchi subs in tofu and its namesake cabbage for the meat.

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

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Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$ SANTORINI Steak, eggs, and home fries. Jumbo haddock sandwich with Greek fries. Chocolate chip hot cakes 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) 6628080. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Mon–Sat, breakfast and lunch Sun. Cash. $ MEDI DELIGHT Katie Zaidan, the owner of

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

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Lunch Mon–Sat, dinner seven days. MCC. $$ CAFÉ MEDITERRANEAN Chef-driven Middle Eastern cuisine leans heavily on Turkish tradition here. The baba ghanoush uses seared eggplant, which adds a pleasant smokiness to the fi nal 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.

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.

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COMING JEN KAWANARI

Lunch Mon–Sat, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

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Let Our Family Family’s Financial Goals First of wood and stone, even the food is unrestrained: rough-cut chunks of charbroiled beef tenderloin, big slices of onion and green pepper turned sweet and wet in the heat, skewers of marinated and charbroiled chicken perched on rice too generous for its plate. Co-owner Andy Hajjar mans his station at the end of the bar, smoking a hookah pipe that fills the air with the sweet smell of flavored tobacco, while the friendly but hurried staff hustles through. 906 Nassau St., Walnut Hills, (513) 281-9791, andyskabob.com.

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7305 Tyler’s Corner Dr., West Chester, (513) 847-1535, sultanscincinnati.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$ MEXICAN EL VALLE VERDE Guests with dietary issues, high anxiety, and no Spanish may take a pass, but for hardy souls, this taqueria delivers a memorable evening. Seafood dishes are the star here—ceviche tostadas, crisp corn tortillas piled high with pico de gallo, avocado, and lime-tastic bits of white fish, squid, and crab; the oversized goblet of cocktel campechano, with ample poached shrimp crammed into a Clamato-heavy gazpacho; and simmering sopa de marisco came with langoustines, mussels, crab legs, and an entire fish—enough to feed three.

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6717 Vine St., Carthage, (513) 821-5400, valle-verde3.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. $ Top10 TAVERNAPHOENICIAN

MEDITERRANEANSULTAN’S

7944 Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 770-0027, phoeniciantaverna.com.

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Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DC, DS. $ MAZUNTE Mazunte runs a culinary full court press, switching up specials to keep both regulars and staff engaged. Pork tamales arrive swaddled in a banana leaf, the shredded pork filling steeped in a sauce fiery with guajillo and ancho chilies yet foiled by the calming sweetness of raisins. The fried fish tacos are finished with a citrusy red and white cabbage slaw that complements the accompanying mango-habañero salsa. With this level of authentic yet fast-paced execution, a slightly greasy pozole can be easily forgiven. Don’t miss the Mexican Coke, the mar garitas, or the non-alcoholic horchata.

21 E. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 721-9339, mccormick andschmicks.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DC, DS. $$ OAKLEY FISH HOUSE

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

the approximate shape and size of a shoeprint, mounded with beans and slivers of grilled beef or chili-red nubs of sausage, shredded lettuce, a crumble of queso fresco, and drizzle of cultured cream. Should you have an adventur ous side, you can have your huarache topped with slippery tongue, goat meat, shredded chicken, or pork. There are stews, carne asada plates, and sopes—saucers of fried masa much like huaraches, only smaller. 518 Pike St., Covington, (859) 431-3859. Lunch and dinner seven days. Cash. $ SEAFOOD MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S

358 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, (513) 961-6800, habanero latin.com.

The brains behind Boca deliver authentic, contempo rary, 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. Their crispy brussels, served with chipotle honey and candied ancho pepitas, are a de liciously intriguing starter. 600 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 721-6232, eatdrink nada.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$ TAQUERIA CRUZ

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5207 Madison Rd., Madisonville, (513) 785-0000, mazuntetacos.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $ MESA LOCA Sitting on a corner of Hyde Park Square, it’s easy to see that Mesa Loca has an absolute dream of a location. The pan demic forced a few changes to the seafood-centric menu, but those dishes still on the menu indicate what Mesa Loca could be. The tuna ceviche is nicely balanced: tart, with a little spicy creaminess, and a good crispy tostada. The Baja snapper goes well with a bright pile of grated radish and the mango habañero salsa, one of the highlights of the meal. With minced chunks of mango and a hint of fruity habañero heat, it is a prime example of how you can elevate Mexican food and make it worthy of a higher-than-ordinary price. One of Mesa Loca’s appealing qualities is its dramatic flair: The yucca fries come stacked on the plate like a late-stages game of Jenga, and their sour-and-spicy rub is quite delicious and striking against the bright starchy white of the fries.

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

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2507 Chelsea Dr., Ft. Mitchell, (859) 341-0707. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat. MC, V, DS. $ NADA

2645 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-6372, mesaloca hydepark.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $$ MONTOYA’S Mexican places seem to change hands in this town so often that you can’t get the same meal twice. Montoya’s is the exception. They’ve been hidden in a tiny strip mall off the main drag in Ft. Mitchell for years. It’s unpretentious and seemingly not interested in success, which means success has never gone to their head here. At a place where you can get Huracan Fajitas with steak, chicken, and chorizo or Tilapia Asada, the tacos are still a big item.

The menu at this four-table mom-and-pop welcomes you to “a little piece of Mexico.” The huaraches (spelled guarachis here), are flat troughs of thick, handmade fried masa dough

Chanaka De Lanerolle sold Mt. Adams Fish House back in 2011, and Oakley Fish House is its reincarnation—and reinvention. Most of the menu tends toward fairly con servative takes on classics, like well-seasoned crab cakes and thick, creamy chowder full of seafood. The handful of ethnic experiments on the menu are among its most vibrant offerings, including a Mediterranean fish stew that takes inspiration from the North African coast. Tender,

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The stars of the menu are 12 delectable steaks that could sway the vegi-curious to recommit. Not sure which to choose? If you prefer brawny flavor over buttery texture, go for one of the three bone-in rib cuts. Or if it’s that meltin-your-mouth experience that raises your serotonin levels, C&J features several tenderloin cuts, including the premium six-ounce Wagyu filet. There are the usual suspects of raw bar, seafood, pork chops, et al, if you’re interested in non-beef alternatives. 9769 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery, (513) 936-8600, jeffruby.com/carlo-johnny. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$$ LOSANTI

This seafood-focused restaurant offers a variety of fresh fish on daily rotation, displayed on a 10-by-2-foot chalkboard:

WHERE TO EAT NOW Appy Download our free app and enjoy an incredible value on local experiences! Deals that make you DININGBAKERIESBREWERIES SCAN DOWNLOADTO mahi-mahi from the Gulf, Lake Erie walleye, wild Alaskan salmon, wreckfish from South Carolina, rainbow trout, and wild striped bass make up the majority of the featured dishes. The regular offerings are no slouch either: a Cajun grouper sandwich with chipotle tartar sauce, chubby fish tacos, perfectly fried piping hot oysters tucked into a buttered and toasted po’ boy bun with housemade slaw, and tart-sweet key lime pie. And of course, the damn good New England style chowder. 7261 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Twp., (513) 232-2526, the pelicansreef.com. Lunch Tues-Sat, dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$ STEAKS CARLO & JOHNNY

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 fl oorlength aprons deliver two-fi sted martinis and mounds of greens dressed in thin vinaigrettes or thick, creamy emulsions. An occasional salmon or sea bass appears, and there’s a small but decent assortment of land fare. But most customers, even the willowy model types, inhale slabs of beef (dry aged USDA prime) like they’re dining in a crack house for carnivores. The best of these is Jeff Ruby’s Cowboy: , 22 ounces of 70-day dry-aged bone-in rib eye. This is steak tailor-made for movers and shakers. 700 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 784-1200, jeffruby. com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DC. $$$$

A bit more upscale than its sister restaurant, Crown Republic Gastropub, Losanti is also more conservative in its off erings. 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 fi let 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 truffl es wakes up the mac and cheese, and the sweet corn—yes, totally out of season, but still good—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 Mon–Sat. MCC. $$$ JEFF RUBY’S

THEMORTON’SSTEAKHOUSE

No one has replicated the concept of an expensive boys’ club better than Morton’s. Amid the dark polished woods and white linen, the Riedel stemware and stupendous fl ower arrangements, assorted suits grapple with double cut filet mignons, 24 ounces of porterhouse, pink shiny fluff y couscous soaks up a fiery but sweet tomato sauce that showcases chiles and peppercorns, golden raisins, and lovely firm cashews, and the stew itself is packed with mussels, shrimp, and chunks of fish. 3036 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 631-3474, oakleyfi shhouse.com. Lunch Fri–Sun, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$$ PEARLSTAR Over-the-Rhine’s buzzworthy oyster bar marks owner Terry Raley and his Amaranth Hospitality Group’s first foray outside of Nashville. The oysters—flown in every 24 to 36 hours—are delivered on a bed of crushed ice with lemon wedges and a vinegary herbed mignonette sauce. Add a few refreshing drops of lemon and mignonette, mix in the additional fresh horseradish, house-made hot sauce, or cocktail sauce, and slurp your way to the sea. The entrées (Pearl “Stars,” as they’re called on the menu) are equal parts surf and turf, with the Arctic char and Texas redfish living up to the “star” billing. The char, with its topping of lemon caper butter, was creamy enough to eat by the spoonful while the soft, spicy redfish was flecked with a chocolaty chorizo oil that tasted like a master chef’s take on Cincinnati chili. All of this can be washed down with PearlStar’s extensive drink menu, including cleverly named cocktails like Summer Dreamsicle and House Cup #1. 1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-0427, pearlstar.com. Dinner Wed–Sun, brunch Sun. MCC. $$ PELICAN’S REEF

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 For all of the hype around this restaurant’s re-emergence on the scene, it’s probably best to consider it a reimagining rather than a reopening. While longtime 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.

5461 North Bend Rd., Monfort Heights, (513) 4813360, thainamtip.com. Lunch and dinner seven days.

MC, V. $ WILD GINGER Wild Ginger Asian Bistro’s ability to satisfy a deep desire for Vietnamese and Thai fusion cuisine is evidenced by the signature Hee Ma roll, a seaweed-wrapped roll filled with shrimp tempura, asparagus, avocado, and topped with red tuna, pulled crab stick, tempura fl akes, a bit of masago, scallions, and of course, spicy mayo. It’s tasty, even though the sweet fried fl oodwall 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. $$ CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, (ISSN 0746-8 210), September 2022, Volume 55, Number 12. Published monthly ($19.95 for 12 issues annually) at 1818 Race St., Ste. 301, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-4300. Copyright © 2022 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.

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the kind of good that’s oh so simple and savory for this and other Butterball recipes, visit our website Grilled Turkey Sausage with Pineapple Relish available at slabs of prime rib, overfl owing plates of salty Lyonnaise potatoes, or mammoth iceberg wedges frosted with thick blue cheese dressing. Jumbo is Morton’s decree: Oversized martini and wine glasses, ethereal towering lemon souffl és, roomy chairs, and tables large enough for a plate and a laptop. Even steaks billed as “slightly smaller” weigh in at 8 to 10 ounces. 441 Vine St., downtown, (513) 621-3111, mortons.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$ THE PRECINCT Part of the appeal of the Ruby restaurants is their ability to deliver deep, comfort-food satisfaction. And the steaks. The meat is tender with a rich mineral fl avor, and the signature seasoning provided a nice crunch, not to mention blazing heat. The supporting cast is strong—the basket of warm Tribeca Oven bread with a mushroom truffl e butter, the addictive baked macaroni and cheese, the creamy garlic mashed potatoes, the crisp-tender asparagus with roasted garlic and lemon vinaigrette—and dinner ends on a sweet note with a piece of Ruby family recipe cheesecake. Neither cloyingly sweet nor overwhelmingly creamy, it’s a lovely slice of restraint. 311 Delta Ave., Columbia-Tusculum, (513) 321-5454, jeffruby.com/precinct. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$$ THAI GREEN PAPAYA

1200 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-8325, teakotr. com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$ THAI NAMTIP Classic Thai comfort food on the west side from chef/ owner Tussanee Leach, who grew up with galangal on her tongue and sriracha sauce in her veins. Her curries reign: pale yellow sweetened with coconut milk and poured over tender chicken breast and chunks of boiled pineapple; red curry the color of new brick, tasting of earth at fi rst bite, then the sharply verdant Thai basil leaves, followed by a distant heat. Tom Kha Gai soup defi nes the complex interplay of fl avors in Thai food: astringent lemongrass gives way to pepper, then Makrut lime, shot through with the gingery, herbaceous galangal, all yielding to the taunting sweetness of coconut. Even the simple skewers of chicken satay with Thai peanut sauce are rough and honest, dulcifi ed by honey and dirtied up by a smoky grill.

128 CINCINNATIMAGAZINE.COM SEPTEMBER 2022 PHOTOGRAPH BY WES BATTOCLETTE

SLIPPING BETWEEN THE WALLS OF BOLIVAR ALLEY MEANS TUMBLING DOWN A RABBIT hole of colors, patterns, and textures. The 1,000-foot Pendleton passageway that treats passersby to an unorthodox (and free) art show was a neglected expanse of brick and stone just four years ago. Recognizing Bolivar’s potential, ArtWorks transformed it in 2018, part nering with Spring in Our Steps to create New Lines Phase II: Bolivar Alley. Five designers, two teaching artists, and 10 youth apprentices completed the project over the course of eight weeks. “It’s a straight shot, so you can really stand at one end and see the complete other end of the alley,” says Liz Miller, Director of Creative Projects at ArtWorks. The big picture is striking, but so are the alley way’s individual components. If you’re not looking for them, you might step right over the semi-realistic lizards or miss the spelling of solidarity in stocky script. What’s more, Bolivar possesses a sentient quality; artists unaffiliated with ArtWorks consistently add to the collection. “It has evolved and taken on a life of its own, which we expected,” Miller says. “People have kind of gone rogue and added their own touches to the space over time.” Visitors just have to stop and stare. —LUCY LAWLER

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