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NEWS

United American Cemetery in Madisonville P H O T O : S AVA N A W I L L H O I T E

Preparing for Restoration Proposed federal legislation could help restore Ohio’s first Black cemetery, Madisonville’s underfunded and rundown United American Cemetery BY M I C H A E L D. M O R GA N

wo cemetery associations were founded in Cincinnati in 1844. Both created burying grounds that were revolutionary in their own ways, but the tales of these two cities of the dead are remarkably divergent. The Cincinnati Horticulture Society produced Spring Grove Cemetery, and the United Colored American Association created United Colored American Cemetery, later shortened to United American Cemetery. While Spring Grove set a new bar for graveyard design, United American became the first respectable burying ground for Black Cincinnatians. Previously, Black people were buried in one of the city’s Potter’s Fields. Today, Spring Grove is a source of municipal pride. It is the site of weddings as well as funerals. Its manicured beauty makes it a popular destination for leisurely walks or runs; and the cemetery offers guided walking tours. By contrast, United American looks

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derelict. Grave markers are sunken, overgrown, tilted or toppled. United American is called the first Black cemetery in Ohio. But unlike Spring Grove, it did not set its sights on revolutionary design. The goal of its founders was simpler: dignity, honor, respect. And the Black community of Hamilton County took pride in the cemetery until it was attacked by an unlikely enemy. Reverend George Williams was elected to the Ohio Legislature in 1879. A year later, he introduced a bill that would have forced United American to close and move out of its original location in Avondale. As the village had grown, some citizens thought that the land could be better allocated, and racism motivated a call for change. The county’s Black population fought the proposal. What shocked and saddened the citizens that opposed closing the cemetery

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the most was that Williams was, himself, Black. Critics said that “the Rev. Hon. George W. Williams had been bought, and had sold his people out.” With the aid of white legislators, the bill was quashed, and the cemetery was saved — temporarily. In March 1883, United Colored American Association was formally incorporated. The Trustees, which included people who had fought Williams to save the cemetery, reportedly consulted with the families that owned burial plots and, based on a majority sentiment, sold the Avondale location and bought the current site on Duck Creek Road in Madisonville; but this version of events is doubtful. Families claimed that, in fact, “not one of the lot owners was consulted.” Trustees allegedly told families that if they did not pay to move loved ones’ remains at their own expense, “the bodies would be removed by the Trustees and thrown in a trench.” The plans were contested vociferously. Allegations of corruption and self-dealing abounded, but the sale was ultimately consummated, and generations of Black Hamilton Countians were reinterred. What respect, or lack of it, was given to the bodies in the move is unclear, but the threat to throw bodies into a trench might explain why at least 12 African American veterans of the Civil War are now buried in United American in unmarked graves at unrecorded plots. The new United American became the resting place of at least 41 veterans

of the Civil War, 66 men who served in segregated units during World War I, and veterans from all the conflicts that followed. Humble, everyday folk are buried there alongside captains of industry and heroic community leaders like John Isom Gaines. Born in Cincinnati in 1821, Gaines was a fierce, outspoken abolitionist and a pioneer of public education. In the decades that followed, United American continued to receive dignitaries of the community, people such as Horace Sudduth. As a young man, Sudduth worked as a Pullman train porter, providing gold star service to affluent travelers. During layovers, he had to stay in hotels. As a Black man in segregated America, this usually meant sleeping in flea bag joints. The experience stuck with him. In the early 1900s, Sudduth became a real estate broker, later expanding into real estate investment and development. He became an extremely wealthy man with an avant-garde social conscience. Sudduth counseled his Black clients about real estate financing and loans, and in 1919 founded the Industrial Federal Savings and Loan Association, helping countless Black families become homeowners. He was elected president of the National Negro Business League, served as president of the New Orphan Asylum for Colored Youth, and in 1995 he posthumously became the first African American inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Business Hall of Fame. He was well known and highly

respected for his philanthropy and his entrepreneurial success, but Sudduth was best known as the proprietor of the Manse Hotel in Walnut Hills. The Manse fulfilled a pledge that Sudduth made as a young porter. If he could not end segregation, he could build a hotel that rivaled the best whiteonly marquee accommodations in Cincinnati. Opened in 1937 and completely remodeled in 1950, the Manse was a showplace, the preferred locale for national Black business conferences, as well as community and personal celebrations. Although the Manse ballrooms were as opulent as those found in segregated downtown hotels, Sudduth rented them for a fraction of the cost. He also provided royal accommodations for traveling dignitaries who were barred by race from other premier hotels. Over the years, guests included musicians like Duke Ellington, Count Basie and James Brown. Sports heroes Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Jackie Robinson stayed at the Manse, and famed Cincinnati Red, Frank Robinson, lived there his rookie year. Sudduth empowered the people around him with the dignity that they deserved and when he passed away in 1957, he was fittingly buried at United American. After the new location was established in 1883 and the controversy over the move subsided, the United Colored American Association continued to attract prominent citizens to serve as trustees. Wendell P. Dabney is a good example. Dabney graduated from Oberlin College. He was a good musician and published several books, but his most noted legacy is The Ohio Enterprise, later renamed The Union. First published in Cincinnati in 1902, this was one of the nation’s early Black newspapers. Dabney was also the first president of the local chapter of the NAACP. But in the years following Dabney’s service, the cemetery association grew lax about maintaining trustees. Kathleen Christmon recalls that when she was a child in the 1940s and ’50s, the adults would take shovels and rakes to weed and clean poorly maintained family plots every Memorial Day. “It wasn’t sad,” she recalls, “just something that we did every year.” Her family did not permit the deteriorating conditions to make them angry, but by 1966 other families were complaining publicly that no one was performing maintenance, and that weeds had grown “as high as an automobile.” The problem, in part, was that there was only one United Colored American Association Trustee still alive, and no infrastructure or funding remained in place. Families hired lawyer Charles P. Taft to file suit and wrestle control away from the functionally defunct association. For a while, relatives of the

deceased took care of the grounds and tried to make a volunteer system work, but these efforts failed, and the cemetery fell back into disrepair. In 1968, Taft negotiated an arrangement with Union Baptist Church, which has owned and managed the cemetery since. Union Baptist improved site conditions. But at some point, Ohio’s oldest African American cemetery (if you date it back to the Avondale location) once again fell into disrepair. In 1990, conditions were deplorable. So bad, in fact, that the Cincinnati Health Department ordered Union Baptist to stop burials until weeds, underbrush and erosion were addressed. Under pressure, the church announced a plan to invest $250,000 to restore United American and Union Baptist Cemetery, a second African American graveyard in Price Hill that was founded in 1864 and is also owned and managed by Union Baptist. Church officials aspired to make United American a source of pride again, pledging to clean the grounds, install a proper fence and computerize burial records. How much of this work was done is unclear, but the cemetery was mowed and cleaned in 1991 and burials resumed. When Arthur L. Bouldin, Sr. passed away in 2011, his daughter, Lisa Bouldin-Carter, and her siblings had no hesitation about where he would be buried. She recalls that, as a girl, they drove past United American as part of a common route. Frequently, Bouldin would remind them that when he died, he wanted United American to be his final resting place. His parents were buried there, and when his son Michael died unexpectedly, he was laid to rest at United American as well. Bouldin’s request, however, was about more than family connections. It was a commitment born of solidarity. He recounted the history of the cemetery to his children. Born in 1928, Bouldin could personally recall when Spring Grove and Vine Street Cemetery would not accept African Americans. By the time of his passing, Bouldin was an accomplished man, an educator who rose through the ranks, breaking color barriers in school administration at Cincinnati Public Schools, and eventually retiring from the Ohio Department of Education. Bouldin’s family had the resources to bury him anywhere, but Bouldin-Carter says there was “no conversation” on the topic. They honored Bouldin’s wishes and laid him to rest at United American. To Bouldin, the fact that Spring Grove and other prestigious burying grounds had cast aside their segregationist pasts was irrelevant. He did not forget their history nor the dignified tradition of United American. Bouldin-Carter has four generations

of her family buried at United American: her great-grandmother, both grandparents, her father and brother, along with extended but close-knit relatives. The cemetery’s proud, rich history is intermingled with her own, but when she is asked if she wants to be buried there with her family when the time comes, she says, “I don’t know, because it is in such disrepair. I just don’t know if I want to do that.” It is a difficult decision. She conveys a clear respect for what United American represents, but its current condition is unsettling. A walk through the cemetery in June was a somber trek through a sea of waist-high weeds. The word “Mother” struggles to peek above groundcover surrounding its granite stone. A grave marker for a WWII veteran sits in brush along a road, blending in with nearby garbage. Headstones that range in dates from the 1800s to at least 2018 are tilted, sunken, overturned, lost in patches of weeds. “Sister,” “Son,” “Father,” “Husband,” “Infant,” “Beloved” are all tragic, single-word stories of loss, stories of lives lived but now forsaken in acres of neglect. Last year, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus and Mayor John Cranley, along with representatives of the Freedom Center and Union Baptist Church all converged on Union Baptist Cemetery in Price Hill, the other historic, African American cemetery. This delegation of officials held a press conference to bring attention to the African American Burial Grounds Network Act and efforts to restore Union Baptist Cemetery, which was the target of vandals in 2019. Commissioner Driehaus announced that she had secured $10,000 in federal funds to help maintain Union Baptist Cemetery, and Cincinnati City Council passed an ordinance granting an additional $5,000 in aid. Senator Brown’s office worked with Union Baptist Church to identify an eligible source of grant money, and the church obtained $400,000 from the National Park Service as a result. There are limitations on the funds. Angelita Jones, chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Union Baptist Church, explains that the grant money can only be used for restoration of the exterior of the building, the cemetery fence, and re-setting sunken and toppled gravestones. But in March, Councilman Greg Landsman introduced a motion calling for the administration to identify an ongoing source of $20,000 a year to pay for mowing Union Baptist Cemetery. Eight of nine council members voted in support. Jones says that the church has an inspirational vision for Union Baptist Cemetery. They want to convert the structure on the cemetery grounds

into a museum and offer historic tours, similar to what occurs at Spring Grove. Aside from celebrating the lives of the people who are interred there, this could help generate ongoing revenue. None of this does anything to help United American Cemetery or the families with loved ones there, but proposed legislation could change the cemetery’s fate. Senator Brown (D-OH) and Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) have initiated a bipartisan effort to pass the African American Burial Grounds Network Act. The act would create a voluntary, nationwide network of historic African American burial grounds and allocate resources for their restoration and continued maintenance. United Baptist Cemetery is on the National Register of Historic Places, and Union Baptist Church has begun the process of obtaining historic designation for United American. Although a sign on the chain link fence that surrounds United American says, “Preparing For Restoration,” this is currently just unfunded optimism. Jones explains that the church must rely on donations for operating costs like lawncare, and tithings are one of the many casualties of COVID-19. The church says that there is no source of funding for maintenance. By both city decree and “self-help,” Confederate statues are being removed, toppled and defaced across America. When we celebrate people with statues who championed the cause of slavery or instigated genocides, those statues are more than ill-advised artwork from a different era; their continued prominence in public spaces is a tacit, ongoing approval of their deeds and values. Similarly, when we allow the generations who came before us to lie in overgrown, trash- and weed-filled lots, are we not indicating that their lives were unimportant? Senator Brown seems to think so. Contacted for this story, he says: “We need a full picture of our country’s history — that means acknowledging hard truths about our country’s past and it means recognizing all of Black Americans’ contributions to our history. We do that by uplifting and preserving historical sites like United American Cemetery, the oldest African American cemetery in Ohio, where former slaves and freed men and women were laid to rest.” Regardless of the practical financial reasons that cause United American Cemetery to lie in a state of disrepair, the people who are memorialized there deserve better. Their lives mattered, and it should look like it. United American Cemetery, Duck Creek Road and Strathmore Drive, Madisonville, facebook.com/unionbaptistcemeteries. Visit CityBeat.com for a full version of this story.

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Zip's Cafe. | HAILEY BOLLINGER

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BY GRACE DEARING, WILLIAM MEYER, OLIVE COLLINS NIESZ, HAILEY BOLLINGER AND CITYBEAT STAFF

The hamburger: a cornerstone of American cuisine. From backyard grill outs and roadside drive-thrus to gourmet interpretations, these beefy bunned babies are like a slab of comfort food you can (generally) hold between two hands. Adhering to a tried-and-true culinary equation, the nucleus of a burger is some type of patty (or two) — beef, turkey, veggie — topped with assorted accoutrements like lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, pickles, bacon, overeasy eggs, etc. But within those parameters, an almost overwhelming amount of variations on the same general concept can be achieved. And whether you want a damn good basic cheeseburger or to push the limits of a meat sandwich to the extreme is up to you — and whomever you’re ordering from. To help you on the quest for burger nirvana, this issue features the top 10 best overall burger joints in the city, as voted by CityBeat readers in the 2020 Best Of Cincinnati Issue, plus our readers’ favorite top 10 veggie burgers and top neighborhood-specific burger spots. We also threw in a handful of new and noteworthy burger destinations (because some of the top picks are currently closed due to COVID-19). As a bonus: Burgers were basically made for carryout and therefore an ideal food to devour during a pandemic, when more than just the thought of melty cheese and a side of fries conjures up a feeling of nostalgia for days gone by (or even just for early March).

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Top 10 Best

Quatman Cafe. | SAVANA WILLHOITE

Overall Burger Joints No.10

No.9

Sammy’s Craft Burgers & Beer

Krueger’s Tavern (TIE)

Sammy’s Craft Burgers & Beer has been around since 2009, offering fresh food and a casual dining experience. Nothing at Sammy’s is ever frozen, and the restaurant also sources everything from its bread to its produce and patties locally. The biggest and most popular attraction for guests is the Sammy’s burger of the month. The most recent burger to flip into this role is the Waston Burger, created by FC Cincinnati player Kendall Waston. A handcrafted burger blend is topped with bacon, fried egg, gouda cheese, housemade guacamole, fried carrots, caramelized onion, arugula and Waston dressing and is served with sweet potato fries. Sammy’s donates a percentage of its burger of the month sales to help feed those experiencing homelessness. 4767 Creek Road, Blue Ash, sammyscbb.com. — WILLIAM MEYER

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No.9

See veggie burger list.

Arthur’s (TIE) From several name changes to the fall of the Soviet Union and a fire in 2013, Arthur’s has been through it all. The cafe’s history began in 1947 when it opened as the Allen E. Bradford Restaurant before becoming Apke’s Grill, then Art’s and finally Arthur’s in the 1970s. A popular choice here is the Boursin Burger, which features boursin cheese blended with herbs and garlic, topped with lettuce and tomato. For vegheads, the cafe also has a black bean burger, a vegetarian patty made in house with black beans, corn and bread crumbs and served with lettuce, tomato and sliced pickles. On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, it’s “Burger Madness”: For less than $10, you can top an original Arthur’s burger (a half-pound of seasoned lean meat), a Sally burger (five ounces of lean

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ground beef), a black bean burger or a turkey burger with whatever the hell you want for no extra charge — well, with two caveats: you must limit yourself to six cheeses and gourmet toppings (fried egg, avocado, boursin, et al) are excluded from the deal. If you’re smart, you’ll ask for a side of pink salsa (salsa, sour cream and a splash of mayo) to dip your fries. 3516 Edwards Road, Hyde Park; 8221 Beechmont Ave., Anderson, arthurscincinnati.com. — WM

No.8

Street Chef Brigade Open since 2015, Street Chef Brigade is a favorite Cincy burger destination because of its “edgy comfort food,” says owner Shaun Hart. This burger joint on wheels — parked outside of the Streetside Brewery taproom for lunch, dinner and late-night — is renowned for its Street Chef burger. Made with beef and topped with American cheese, pickles, lettuce, tomato, onions, mustard and Wham Sauce (which Hart describes as a “smokey thousand island flavor”), it is a customer must-have. 4003 Eastern Ave., Columbia

Tusculum, streetchefbrigade.com. — GRACE DEARING

No.7

The Turf Club The Turf Club (no longer associated with former owner Terry) is a quirky, neon-lit burger joint in Linwood that whips up big build-your-own burgers. With 8.5 ounces of meat on a Sixteen Bricks bun, there’s plenty of room to personalize your burger with any combination of 13 cheeses, 13 specialty sauces and 14 toppings, ranging from sharp cheddar and bacon to a lump crab and lobster cake and mango curry. Of course, no burger is complete without a solid side, and at The Turf Club, burgers come with your choice of chips, onion rings, asparagus, duck-fat fries, mac and cheese or fried corn. 4618 Eastern Ave., Linwood, turfclubcincy.com. — WM

No.6

Tickle Pickle See veggie burger list.

Flipdaddy's. | PROVIDED

No.5

Quatman Cafe This no-frills grill has been serving Norwood patrons since 1966, when it was founded by high school buddies Albert “Albo” Imm and Ken Talmage. Their half-pound burgers are the epitome of simple: no special spice mix, standard 80:20 meat to fat ratio, served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle on a plain old paper plate. Current owner Matt Imm says what makes them stand out is the fresh, local ingredients (everything but the tomatoes and lettuce are purchased from Cincinnati companies). Fans of the burger especially love dining on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, when $8 will get you a cheeseburger, fries or onion rings and a soda or draft beer. It’s hard to go wrong with that, but if you want to change it up, Quatman also sells some grub you don’t find very often — fancy a bowl of mock turtle soup? Quatman also has a second location in Mason. 2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood; 224 W. Main St., Mason, quatmancafe.com. — STAFF

No.4

Flipdaddy’s Celebrating a decade in business, local chain Flipdaddy’s is a self-proclaimed “brilliant burger and craft beer bar.” Their custom patties are a blend of fresh short rib, brisket and beef chuck, with bread and buns from local Klosterman

Baking Co. Menu names are punny with signature options including the Chuck Norris, topped with Roundhouse Kick sauce, fire-roasted green chili and jalapeño compote; the Mac Daddy, with grilled macaroni and cheese and bacon on a pretzel bun; and the Chilly Willy, smothered with amber-beer-infused homemade chili, cheddar cheese, onion straws and yellow mustard. Speaking of beer, Braxton makes both the Flipdaddy’s amber and lager and the rest of the taps are dedicated to mostly local crafts. 7453 Wooster Pike, Mariemont; 12071 Mason Montgomery Road, Symmes Township; 165 Parkway Pavilion, Newport, flipdaddys.com. — STAFF

No.3

Zip’s Cafe Open since 1926, Zip’s is an East Side institution and a must-try Cincy burger destination because of its “classic American favorites, like cheeseburgers and French fries, and friendly service,” says owner Mike Burke. With a dark wood-paneled interior reminiscent of its earliest days in business — and a toy train that travels along the ceiling — they are renowned for their Zipburger. Made with fresh ground beef from AvrilBleh Meat Market, this one-third pound patty is flame-broiled to a juicy medium well and topped with the condiments of your liking. If that doesn’t sate your appetite, try the Girth burger — named by former Bengals punter Pat McInally. It takes your classic Zipburger up a

Nation Kitchen & Bar. | HAILEY BOLLINGER

notch by topping it with a split, grilled Avril-Bleh mettwurst. 1036 Delta Ave., Mount Lookout, zipscafe.com. — GD

No.2 Roney’s

Opened in 1969 in Union Township as part of the Roy Rogers chain of fast food eateries, Roney’s (as the restaurant came to be called after Roy’s dissolved) closed its original location in 2012. The restaurant and drive-thru reopened in Milford in 2015 and Cincinnatians rejoiced for the return of the classic menu and iconic neon sign. With a diverse offering of comfort food — roast beef, burgers and fried chicken — Roney’s is unique in comparison to other burger joints across the city for its toppings bar, says Noah Loftspring, the owner’s son. Roney’s burgers come plain but you can head to the bar to add your own lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion and condiments (including a cult-favorite barbecue sauce). They are renowned for their Lucky R burger: a quarter pound of beef topped with a slice of ham and served on a sesame seed bun. While the inside of the eatery is currently closed because of COVID19, you can ask for the burger fixings of your choice at the drive-thru window. 314 Chamber Drive, Milford, facebook. com/roneysrestaurant. — GD

No.1

Nation Kitchen & Bar Nation has been an anchor in the Overthe-Rhine/Pendleton burger scene since 2015 with its inviting atmosphere and simple and delicious menu. Operated by Hickory Wald Hospitality, their second location is set to open in Westwood later this year. Nation is one of the top-voted burgers destinations the city for two main reasons: 1) the toppings are straightforward, with only one or two extra ingredients in addition to the standard LTOP (aka lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle), keeping the burgers approachable. 2) Nation’s signature double-stacked thin patty allows for double the cheese (aka double the goodness). The most popular burger on the menu is a tie between The Nation Burger (smoked cheddar, whiskey barbecue sauce, onion straws and horseradish aioli) and the Whiskey Bacon (cheddar, bacon, barbecue and apple slaw). Their house veggie burger, known as the Spicy Black Bean, is made with “every vegetable they have in the kitchen and then some,” mixed with tofu, black beans and panko breadcrumbs, and stands out with the splash of Sriracha it gets before hitting the grill. It was voted the No. 2 veggie burger in Cincinnati by CityBeat readers, but Hickory Wald partner Aaron Kohlhepp says they’re gunning for the throne next year. 1200 Broadway St., Pendleton, nationkitchenandbar.com. — OLIVE COLLINS NIESZ

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Top 10 Best

No.10

Veggie Burgers No.8

Taste of Belgium With five locations in Cincinnati (one coming soon to Kenwood) and one in Northern Kentucky, Taste of Belgium has been a local favorite since 2007 for its “traditional Belgian-American hybrid menu,” says Bailey Herth, general manager of the Over-theRhine location. They are renowned for their veggie burger, made with a housemade black bean, corn and jalapeno base, which is then topped with pepper jack cheese, spinach, onions and tomato. Opt to jazz up your burger by substituting a Belgian waffle for the bun. Multiple locations including 1135 Vine St., Over-theRhine, authenticwaffle.com. — GD

No.9

Arthur’s

Maplewood Kitchen and Bar (TIE) Maplewood serves up dishes and ingredients that would be right at home on the West Coast: cold-pressed juices, superfood salads, egg-white omelets and somewhat nutritious cocktails. Helmed by Thunderdome, the same team behind the No. 4 veggie burger at Krueger’s, the Maplewood veggie burger offers a different, nonfried take on a meatless sandwich. A housemade black-bean patty is topped with Havarti cheese, avocado, lemoncaper Dijonnaise and mixed greens on a Sixteen Bricks sesame bun. Note: Maplewood is keeping its doors closed for the time being — for dine-in and carry-out — as a result of COVID-19. 525 Race St., Downtown, maplewoodkitchenandbar.com. — STAFF

See overall burger list.

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Krueger's Tavern. | HAILEY BOLLINGER

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No.8

The Pony (TIE) This neighborhood bar on Main Street in Over-the-Rhine has a Cheers-type vibe offering menu of comforting pub grub with an elevated slant. Everything’s available for carry-out right now, including signature cocktails, like the Pony Express (basically grape vodka and lemonade), bottles of wine, draft beer and their ever-popular wings. Their veggie burger is a meatless take on a classic featuring a Beyond patty topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and mayo. If you want meat, switch out the Beyond Burger for a fresh-ground Avril-Bleh one — same toppings. 1346 Main St., Overthe-Rhine, searchable on Facebook. — MAIJA ZUMMO

No.7

S.W. Clyborne Co. Provision & Spirits

Open since 2018, Clyborne brings a bit of the hip big city to the suburbs with its steampunk accents, unisex bathrooms and gluten-free laden menu. With a modern American and seasonal spin, they don’t consider themselves a “burger joint” by any means, but that doesn’t mean their made-from-scratch burgers — both veggie and non — aren’t top 10 worthy. The signature Clyborne Burger is double stacked 5-ounce patties, topped with white American cheese, Clyborne’s “signature sauce,” shredded lettuce, tomatoes and housemade pickles, served on a toasty potato bun. Their vegan-friendly Mushroom Lentil Burger stands out from other veggie burgers because of its ability to hold itself together (veggie burgers often have a tendency to fall apart). Topped with roasted mushrooms, black beluga lentils, lettuce, pickled onion and Sriracha aioli, this burger will make even the most passionate meat-eater’s mouth water. 5948 Snider Road, Mason, clybornes.com. — OCN

ESSEN. | SAVANA WILLHOITE

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No.6

Tickle Pickle. | HAILEY BOLLINGER

Tickle Pickle Earth-conscious, locally sourced Rock & Roll burgers are exactly the kind of thing one would expect to find in Northside. And Tickle Pickle happens to serve just that. Their burgers are named for famous musicians, like the Nom Petty (a beef patty with mushrooms, Swiss cheese and mayo) and Meatallica (a beef burger with mayo, American cheese, bacon and egg with the option to add goetta). Vegetarians can opt for a Buns N Roses (a housemade vegan black bean burger on a vegan bun topped with ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle) or a When Buns Cry (a mushroom cap topped with balsamic, spinach, tomato and caramelized onion on a pretzel bun). Or sub in a plant-based Impossible Burger on any meaty menu creation. They’re also known for their thick and creamy vegan milkshakes. 4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside, ordertickle.com. — STAFF

No.5

Rollin’ Bowls Monica Meier’s vegan food truck Rollin’ Bowls serves plant-based

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cuisine out of a banana-colored bus. Meier quit her job heading up the CDL program at Gateway Community & Technical College in Florence, Kentucky to focus on serving wholesome meals to Greater Cincinnati and “letting the goodness roll.” While the meals coming out of the bus window change depending on seasonal sourcing availability and the crowd she’s serving, she says it’s unlikely she’d serve salad at a brewery — but she likes experimenting with more “offthe-wall options” where they apply. Meier serves bowls, quesadillas and tacos, soups and sandwiches, including Beyond Burgers. A recent menu iteration included two Beyond sliders topped with vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and housemade spicy mayo on an everything bun. Find where Rollin’ Bowls will be next at facebook.com/rollinbowlstruck. — SAMI STEWART

No.4

Krueger’s Tavern One of Thunderdome Restaurant Group’s handful of restaurants in Overthe-Rhine, Krueger’s Tavern has been a Vine Street staple for just over five years. The eatery boasts a cozy and laid-back atmosphere, complete with ’90s tunes

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on the radio and comfort food on the menu: a millennial’s dream. The most popular burger is the signature Krueger Burger: two patties topped with American cheese, shredded lettuce, onion, house pickles, Dijonnaise and “Special Sauce,” all piled on a challah bun. Their eye-catching and super crunchy veggie burger is bright red and delicious, made from red and golden beets, differing from the standard black bean or chickpea recipes of other standard options. Topped with pesto mayo, mixed greens and pickles on a challah bun, they say that “even if you are not someone who likes veggie burgers, this burger is so unique and flavorful that you will end up craving it.” 1211 Vine St., Over-theRhine, kruegerstavern.com. — OCN

No.3 ESSEN

ESSEN has been one of Over-theRhine’s vegan hotspots for grab-andgo eats since opening in 2018. Their menu feels like comfort food, but with an upscale and modern tweak — 100% locally sourced, of course. Chef Yasel Lopez says that the ESSEN Burger is unique because he doesn’t try to force it to taste like something it isn’t. “My veggie burger is made with mushrooms and beans. I don’t try to mock

the flavor that mother nature gave us,” he says. “She’s the artist, I’m just a vessel behind her. She gave us beautiful mushrooms, so I try to elevate them with technique and complex recipes.” The patty is finished with a tomato jam, spicy mayo and spinach, a creation that Lopez says took 11 months to perfect. The goal of ESSEN is to bring healthy and affordable food to the neighborhood, and Lopez has made sure that it is delicious, too. 1 Findlay St., Over-the-Rhine, essenkitchen.com. — OCN

No.2

Nation Kitchen & Bar

No. 1

See overall burger list.

Fork & Greens Covington vegan comfort food destination Fork & Greens is currently taking some time off. As per a recent Facebook post, “Unfortunately, due to the extended presence of Covid-19 and the huge uncertainty of operations, we have decided to forego our plans to open in 2020. We are not ceasing operations, just pausing our plans and search for a location this current year.” — MZ

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Favorite

New Spots Delwood Nestled at the intersection of Delta and Linwood avenues in Mount Lookout Square, Delwood is a family-friendly Peruvian-inspired gastropub from owner Trevor Snowden, formerly of the Thunderdome Restaurant Group. Snowden comes by his Latin American inspiration honestly; his mother is Peruvian and that country’s recipes and ingredients infuse the menu with an uncommon flair. The Delwood Burger comes topped with salsa criolla (a sort of vinegary red onion and pepper mixture), avocado and Peruvian huancaina sauce made from aji Amarillo chile peppers and cream. It’s slightly spicy and served on a standard bun. For something more traditional, there’s also a double cheeseburger with cheese, pickle and special sauce. Instead of french fries, try the yuca fries or tostones (twice fried plantains) and keep an eye on the drink menu for an equally transportive experience with options running the gamut from a caipirinha and pisco sour to a paloma. 3204 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout, delwoodcincy.com. — MZ

Fifty West Burger Bar Opened in April in the middle of the pandemic, people have been flocking to Fifty West’s new 1950s root beer stand-inspired burger bar. “It’s been absolutely insane,” says owner Bobby Slattery, “and so, so good.”The brewery spent around 10 years planning and building the Burger Bar. It’s connected to Fifty West’s sprawling campus, which now has a tent-covered beer garden with spaced-apart tables in addition to its existing beach volleyball courts. The menu features bread-and-butter diner specialties like classic cheeseburgers, flat-top hot dogs and loaded crinkle

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cut fries, but there are also 12 specialty burgers named for the 12 states that U.S. Route 50 runs through. They’re loaded with ingredients inspired by each state, including Cincinnati-style chili, tartar sauce from Maryland, apple butter from West Virginia and smoky barbecue sauce from Kansas. 7605 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township, fiftywestbrew.com. — ERIN COUCH

Goose & Elder Chef Jose Salazar opened Goose & Elder, a sort of comfort food destination with self-described “Midcentury grandma” décor, adjacent to Findlay Market last year. Though it feels more casual or at least more affordable than Salazar’s other eateries, Goose & Elder’s menu is just as creative, boasting fun takes on easy eats. A fried bologna sandwich comes topped with American cheese, pickles, coleslaw, an over-easy egg and potato chips; and retro cocktails like the Harvey Wallbanger and White Russian add a fun twist. Don’t sleep on the Royale Goose burger, featuring grass-fed beef, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and Dijonnaise on a sesame bun. Goose & Elder also does an awesome veggie burger, made of falafel and topped with haloumi cheese, tomato, onion, za’atar mayo and lettuce. A side of crinkle cut fries is a must. 1800 Race St., Over-theRhine, gooseandelder.com. — MZ

The Governor Brothers Paul Barraco, who has served as executive chef a Milford’s 20 Brix for more than a decade, and Neil Barraco, specializing in front of house management at its sister restaurant Padrino, opened a classic diner with a modern twist in downtown Milford in January. The mission of the Governor is to

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offer the perks of fine dining — locally procured meat and produce, a menu made from scratch, a carefully designed cocktail list — at a medium price point in a laid-back environment. The menu features cuisine with accents of Asian and classic Americana, like a crab rangoon croque madame, vegan goetta “fromlette” or short rib grilled cheese. Their Governor Burger features grilled sweet onion, dill pickle, American cheese and maple thousand island dressing on a “fry” bun. 231 Main St., Milford, governordiner.com. — OCN

Wunderbar Covington’s Wunderbar is a Bavarianinspired restaurant and bar that has become a neighborhood favorite since opening in 2012 — but we’re labeling them as “new” here because they recently closed and reopened after a partnership dissolved. The eatery — which typically doubles as a music venue in non-COVID times — offers a menu of sausages, giant pretzels, pierogies and generously sized burgers, with plenty of German beers to wash it all down. Their roughly 10-ounce burger patties come nestled between salty pretzel buns and feature special toppings such as the bacon and cheddar or mushroom and Swiss. Another favorite is the Guac-a-Jack. Owner Nathan Chambers says that nearly everything on the menu is made in house, and ingredients are sourced from either their garden, a CSA they work with or from Kroger. Chambers says he strives to find the “best quality for the best price, so we can keep our menu affordable for everyone.” Their cozy string-lit patio features plenty of picnic tables and a cute view of the backyard garden. It feels like home, but better. 1132 Lee St., Covington, searchable on Facebook. — HAILEY BOLLINGER

Delwood. | BRITTANY THORNTON

Goose & Elder. | HAILEY BOLLINGER Fifty West Burger Bar. | SAVANA WILLHOITE

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Readers' Choice

Gordo's Pub & Grill. | HAILEY BOLLINGER

Best Neighborhood Burger Spots DOWNTOWN/OTR

2. Bru Burger Bar

1. Nation Kitchen & Bar

1200 Broadway St., Pendleton, nationkitchenandbar.com

1211 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, kruegerstavern.com

3. Arnold’s Bar & Grill

1. Herb & Thelma’s Tavern 718 Pike St., Covington, herbandthelmas.com

165 Pavilion Parkway, Newport, flipdaddys.com

2. Arthur’s

’BURBS

2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood, quatmancafe.com

2. Tickle Pickle

4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside, ordertickle.com

3. Gordo’s Pub & Grill

4328 Montgomery Road, Norwood, 513-351-1999

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3908 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, maurys-steakhouse.com

3. Maury’s Tiny Cove

1. Quatman Café

NORTHERN KENTUCKY

1036 Delta Ave., Mount Lookout, zipscafe.com

1. Zip’s Café

CENTRAL

210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, arnoldsbarandgrill.com

chandlersburgerbistro.com

279 Buttermilk Pike, Fort Mitchell, bruburgerbar.com

3. Flipdaddy’s

2. Krueger’s Tavern

EAST SIDE

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3516 Edwards Road, Hyde Park, arthurscincinnati.com

3. Five Guys

2743 Edmondson Road, Rookwood, fiveguys.com

WEST SIDE

1. Incline Public House

2601 W. Eighth St., East Price Hill, inclinepublichouse.com

2. Chandler’s Burger Bistro 6135 Cleves Warsaw Pike, Delhi,

1. Quatman Café

224 W. Main St., Mason, quatmancafe.com

2. Sammy’s Craft Burgers & Beer

4767 Creek Road, Blue Ash, sammyscbb.com

3. Flipdaddy’s

7453 Wooster Pike, Mariemont, flipdaddys.com

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urge b 6 $

rs from 50+ restaurants

AUGUST 17-23, 2020 B R O U G H T TO YO U B Y :

WWW.CINCINNATIBURGERWEEK.COM I N P A RT N E RS H I P W I T H O H I O B U R G E R W E E K : 5 C I T I ES · $ 6 B U R G E RS · 7 D A YS A U G U S T, 2 0 2 0

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AGAVE AND RYE O The Easy Rider

(2) smashed burger patties, Sweet & Spicy Bacon, Queso, Tobacco Onions, A&R Agave & Chili BBQ Jam, Brioche Bun, Pickles. The Happy Elote (2 Epic Tacos) Seasoned beef, roasted street corn, Tajin, cotija, aged white cheddar cheese and serrano aioli.

ANDERSON TOWNSHIP PUB

The Pub Special

Fresh ground beef patty, topped with Braxton infused beer cheese, fried banana peppers, and grilled jalapenos. Served on a toasted pretzel bun.

BANGIN BURGERS

“Bangin” Parmesan Garlic Burger

100% pure ground beef, harvati cheese, bacon strips, topped Parmesan Garlic dressing, garden selection of your choice, served on soft bun. “Bangin” Hawhyan Burger 100% pure ground beef, grilled pineapples, raw red onion, topped with Hawaiian dressing, Garden selection of your choice, served on a soft bun. “Bangin” Portabella Fresh hand picked mushroom cap, grilled onions, provolone, topped with ketch, must, mayo, garden selection of your choice, served on a soft bun.

BARLEYCORN’S O Double beef patties, double cheese, homemade BBQ sauce and hand breaded onion straws on a brioche bun.

Brown Dog Burger Freshly ground angus chuck

with fontina cheese, bacon jam, and apple slaw on a brioche bun.

burger, topped with house-made corn salsa, queso fresco, lettuce, and smokey chipotle aioli.

cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce, and a golden fried onion ring.

BUFFALO BOB’S

BBQ Pork Belly Burger Pub burger topped

with pork belly that is seasoned with our own BBQ dusting, fire grilled and drizzled with a BBQ Bourbon glaze. Served with lettuce and tomato on a brioche bun.

BURGERFI

O The Smokey All American 100% natural

COPPIN’S

BUTLER’S PANTRY

Steak Burger with Pimento Cheese, red onion,

Le Alpine Juicy Beef Burger with swiss cheese, caramelized onions, & mushroom demi glaze.

Le Gene Kelly Juicy Beef Burger with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, & red onion

GAME ON!

inside and our westside wildfire dry rub mixed in. Ghost pepper Cheese, Red Onions, Lettuce & Tomato. The Burrow Burger Ground beef patty topped with chili, onions & shredded cheese.

GOLD STAR

(31 LOCATIONS)

DRAFT BAR & GRILLE Spicy Bacon Ranch An 8 oz patty on a toasted Brioche bun, topped with smoke bacon, beer battered fresh Jalapenos, shredded lettuce and house made ranch. Squeezey Cheesy Two 4 oz patties stuffed with cheddar jack cheese on a toasted brioche bun with smoked bacon and a fried egg.

Fresh Beef Burger, American Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickle, and Mayo on a Toasted Bun. Level up and make it a Double B for $2 more! Daily Secret Burger Shhhhhh Secret Burger! Giddy up y’all we’re doing it again this year! Back by popular demand...Daily Secret Burger announced each morning on Facebook and Instagram!

ERIC’S BAY VIEW GRILL

side of french fries and a drink for just $6. Our burgers include the Chili Burger, the Classic Burger, the Cheeseburger and the Bacon Cheeseburger.

GOOSE AND ELDER

Goose & Elder Burger Grass-fed burger,

American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, dijonaisse, sesame seed bun.

GRANDVIEW TAVERN

O Black and Blue Burger 6 oz. blackened burger topped with blue cheese, baby lettuce, balsamic vinaigrette, and crispy fried onions on a toasted bun.

HANGOVER EASY

O Double HOE Burger All Ohio beef, double patty,

double cheese, with tomato and onion and Hoe sauce on a martins potato roll.

O Spicy Pepper Jelly and Miso Peanut Butter Slaw Burger Served on a brioche bun

HIGHGRAIN BREWING with French fries.

HOUSE OF ORANGE

HoO Burger

Our delicious, prime grade,locally-sourced, farm-to-table burger, served on our house-made buns, made fresh every morning, and then topped with shredded lettuce and our new Signature Sauce. Served with a side of fries.

J TAPS

Big J Burger Fresh handmade patty with American cheese, tomatoes, onions, mayonnaise, and lettuce on a toasted bun.

ham, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato & onion.

FLIPDADDY’S

Original Flipdaddy’s Our Classic, Fresh,

bacon, onion straws, and root beer bbq mayo.

CAMP WASHINGTON CHILI

Bacon Cheeseburger 1/3 pound all beef

patty topped with your choice of cheese (American, Swiss, Provolone, or Pepperjack), crispy bacon, tomato, lettuce, mayo, pickle, and onion served on a grilled bun.

Any Single Burger Enjoy any single burger with a

The Big E Signature house blend burger with shaved

double angus beef featuring American and white cheddar cheese, smokey bacon aioli, Braxton Garage Beer glazed onions, and kosher pickles.

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Buffalo Burger Our grilled hand-pattied burger, breaded, deep fried and served with your choice of our homemade wing sauce on a brioche bun. Topped with a buffalo chicken wing, onion ring and ranch dressing. Served with Saratoga chips.

Basic B Burger Keeping it classic with our 1/4 lb

The Bullseye Burger Topped with American

Triple Steakburger Three steakburger patties (YES, we said THREE), Three slices of American Cheese, mustard, onion & pickles on a toasted bun.

Charlie Hustle Ground beef patty with jalapenos

DUNLAP CAFÉ

BUCKETHEAD’S

FREDDY’S

CLUBHOUSE SPORTS GRILLE WEST CHESTER

with hickory-smoked bacon, jalapeño-green tomato jam, Parmesan-garlic mayo and iceberg slaw on a warm buttertoasted bun.

BRU-lote Burger Our 1/4 pound signature blend

smoked applewood bacon, habanero apricot jelly, and peanut butter.

FRENCHIE FRESH BURGER BAR

DRAKE’S Drake’s BLT Burger A fresh, never frozen patty

The Uncle Jimmy 7oz Ohio grass-fed beef patty,

Three tasty all beef slider style burgers featuring the Classic Champion Slider (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle & chipotle mayo), Southwest Slider (jalapeno, Pico de Gallo, pepper jack cheese & sriracha mayo) and Buckeye Slider (sauteed mushrooms & onions and honey Dijon. served on rye bread). Empress Chili Burger 1/3 juicy hand crafted all beef burger topped with Cincinnati’s Famous Original Empress Chili, finely shredded cheddar cheese, diced onion, and yellow mustard

cheese, roasted tomato-garlic aioli, topped with shredded potatoes tossed in duck fat, served on a brioche bun.

A half-pound angus beef burger with pepper jack cheese, jalapeno poppers, chipotle ranch, bacon, jalapenos, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and onion.

O Taste of Champions Big Bite Trio

CHAMPIONS GRILLE

A Ducking Good Burger Ground beef, fontina

Must be 21+ Please drink responsibly

BRU BURGER

hand pattied burger on a Servatii bun. Served with Mozzarella cheese and topped with Banana peppers, homemade marinara sauce, and Garlic Romano Seasoning.

DESHA’S O

Enjoy a Braxton, receive an extra stamp!

BROWN DOG CAFÉ

Chandler’s Italian Burger Our never frozen

smoked Gouda, jalapeño citrus slaw on a house made potato bun.

BRAXTON BREWING CO.

Blondie’s Burger

FLIPSIDE

Coppin’s Burger Pork & beef patty, avocado aioli,

Double BBQ Burger

BLONDIE’S SPORTS BAR

CHANDLER’S BURGER BISTRO

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Proprietary Burger Patty topped with Garden Fresh Lettuce, Tomato, Onion and Pickle. Customize Your Burger for only $1 per Topping from the Toppings list. Jive Turkey Juicy Turkey Burger smothered in Roasted Red Peppers, topped with Provolone Cheese and Homemade Remoulade Sauce. Bean Me Up Scotty Our Tasty, Black Bean and Veggie Patty topped with Pepper Jack Cheese, Tortilla Strips and Salsa. Swap the Bun for a Lettuce Wrap if you wish!

JACK DANIEL’S™ COCKTAIL

Enjoy a Jack Daniel’s™ special, receive an extra stamp! Must be 21+ Please drink responsibly

BURGER WEE = BRAXTON SPECIAL = JACK DANIEL’S SPECIAL O = OUTDOOR SEATING

KEYSTONE BAR & GRILL

MALONEY’S PUB

with a signature blend of seasoned ground beef, bacon, caramelized onions, and chipotle béchamel on a challah bun. Maple Bacon Donut Burger Featuring Holtman’s maple iced donut with a signature blend of seasoned ground beef, bourbon-glazed bacon, caramelized onions, and American cheese.

seasoned to perfection with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and mayo. Served on a pretzel bun.

O Keystone Burger Our Keystone Burger is made

Maloney’s Burger 1/2lb. beef hand patty burger

MECKLENBURG GARDENS

gravy, crispy onions, and toasted 16 Bricks bread.

The Reuben Burger Handmade Beef Patty with Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, Swiss Cheese, and 1000 Island on a Rye Bun. Served with Housemade Saratoga Chips. The Mecklenburger Handmade Beef Patty with Lettuce, Onion, Tomato, Pickle, and American Cheese on a White Bun. Served with Housemade Saratoga Chips. The Garden Burger Plant-based Beyond Burger Patty with Swiss Cheese, Garlic Aioli, Fresh Spinach, and Sauteed Mushroom & Onions on a White Bun. Served with Housemade Saratoga Chips

KITCHEN 1883- UNION

MITA’S

KITCHEN 1883 ANDERSON

Farmers Market Burger Tomato jam, lemon

arugula, 3 cheese sauce and onion straws.

KITCHEN 1883- OTR

The Day After Burger Mashed potatoes, brown

Grilled Bacon Cheddar Meatloaf Burger BBQ sauce, crispy fried onions on a brioche bun.

LADDER 19

O Ragin’ Cajun Two quarter pound burgers topped with grilled onions and mushrooms, swiss cheese and our cajun aioli served on a buttered and toasted locally sourced kaiser bun. Beer Cheese & Bacon Two quarter pound burgers topped with bacon, fried onion straws and beer cheese on a buttered and toasted pretzel bun.

LIBBY’S SOUTHERN COMFORT Libby Burger Chargrilled burger, house smoked

chicken, bourbon onion jam, American cheese, and Alabama white BBQ.

LOCAL POST

O Local Post Burger 1/4 pound all beef smash

burger topped with american cheese, onion, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle and our house made garlic aioli on a Sixteen Bricks Challah bun served with fresh seasoned chips.

LOUVINO

O LouVino Burger House made bun, fried green

tomato, pimento cheese, lettuce, pickle.

Bocadillos de Hamburguesa (2) Two beef sliders, mahon cheese, pickles, crispy serrano ham, aoili, brioche bun.

MOERLEIN LAGER HOUSE

Boursin Burger Boursin cheese, candied red onion, sautéed wild mushrooms, black pepper aioli. Swiss Bliss Burger Horseradish sweet pickle relish, creamed Swiss cheese, sauce fontana. Three Cheese Garlic Burger Mozzarella, Swiss and American cheeses with roasted garlic and truffle aioli.

MURRAY’S WINGS PUB & GRILL

OASIS CRAFT BURGERS & BREWS

The Oasis Burger Hearty, seasoned, hand

MAC SHACK

OVERLOOK KITCHEN + BAR

= GLUTEN FREE SUBSTITUTE = TAKE OUT AVAILABLE = VEGGIE SUBSTITUTE

Sammy’s Bourbon Burger Our handcrafted & locally sourced signature blend burger patty topped with bourbon sauce, fried onion straws, swiss cheese, mayo, field greens & fresh tomato. O My Big Fat Greek Burger 1/2 pound burger

SLATT’S PUB

on a brioche bun topped with greek pulled pork, whipped feta cheese with tomato and olives, tsaziki sauce, and pita fries

STREET CITY PUB O

The Burger Roll Certified angus beef patty roll stuffed with UrbanStead Cheese Curds, on a pretzel bun, topped with sautéed onion, bacon, Sriracha mayo, and fried jalapeños.

STREETCHEF BRIGADE

O Belgian-American Burger Inspired by the

THE BIRCH IN TERRACE PARK

The Alex Burger 5oz patty cooked medium topped with goat cheese, pineapple pepper chutney, shredded lettuce and honey curry mayo on a brioche bun.

THE PUB CRESTVIEW Makers Mark Gouda Mac Burger Beef patty, Maker’s Mark BBQ sauce, and gouda mac and cheese on a brioche bun.

THE PUB ROOKWOOD O

The Rarebit Burger Beef patty, bacon, lettuce, pickled onion, pickles, and Rarebit cheese sauce.

TRES BELLE CAKES O

Summit Burger Fontina, House Pickles, Tomato

Beignet Sliders One fluffy berry filled beignet

Chutney, Red Onion, Lettuce, Summit Sauce, Sesame Seed Bun.

bun with edible rainbow sugar cookie dough patty and one decadent Nutella filled beignet bun with edible chocolate brownie cookie dough patty.

PRESS ON MONMOUTH

TRIO BISTRO

Breakfast Burger Single patty-fried egg-greensmaple mustard sauce-sixteen bricks brioche.

PRIME CINCINNATI O

R WEEK KEY:

legendary Belgian Bicky, the Belgian-American is a ground beef burger on a sesame bun, with American cheese, Belgian special sauce, and iceberg lettuce, topped with fried onions.

OTR Chili Burger Our classic single beef cheeseburger served smash style on a sesame seed bun, topped with lettuce, onion, tomato, and mayo.

pepperoni, provolone, fresh basil & pizza sauce on a brioche bun.

SAMMY’S CRAFT BUTGERS AND BEER

cheese, sautéed onions and peppers, guacamole, fresh jalapeños, and pico de gallo, on a Challah bun.

One Eyed Jack Hand formed Luken meat all beef patty with lettuce, tomato, Monterey Jack cheese, and barbecue sauce on a kaiser bun.

Pizza Burger 1/2 lb. all-beef burger with sliced

Salazar Burger Grass fed beef patty, aged cheddar, bacon and tomato on a ‘Kaiser Jose’ bun.

TASTE OF BELGIUM

O Fajita Burger Two burger patties, pepper jack

OTR CHILI

MACKENZIE RIVER

SALAZAR

NATION KITCHEN & BAR

LUDLOW GARAGE

ground beef, diced tomatoes, shredded cheddar cheese, French fries, ketchup, and pickles.

BBQ Brisket Burger 7 oz Black Angus Beef patty with Beef Brisket, Bacon, Onion Straws, and Bourbon Sriracha BBQ sauce on a brioche bun. Bacon Mushroom Burger 7 oz Black Angus Beef patty with bacon, sautéed mushrooms and swiss cheese on a brioche bun.

Angus Beef patty topped with melted provolone cheese, crisp applewood bacon and our Signature Bourbon Sauce, complete with lettuce , tomato, onion on a grilled sesame seed bun.

with spiked Jack Daniel’s Whiskey pickles, shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese and homemade Yum Yum sauce on a toasted brioche roll. Topped with two beer-battered onion rings.

Cheeseburger in Paradise Mac + Cheese Classic mac + cheese mixed with seasoned

StreetChef Burger All beef patty with mustard, onions, lettuce, American cheese, and wham sauce on a grilled bun. Black and Blue Burger Blacked all beef patty with onions, lettuce, garlic mayo, applewood bacon and blue cheese sauce.

Bourbon Bacon Burger Our 1/3lb Certified

pressed patty with American cheese, the Garden (lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions) with house made garlic aioli on a knotted bun. The Midwest Bacon Burger Hearty, seasoned, hand pressed patty with cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, BBQ sauce and an onion ring on a knotted bun.

LUCKY DOG GRILLE Yum Yum Burger 1/3 lb. freshly ground burger

RJ CINEMA DISTILLERY & TAPROOM

Jack Burger 6oz Prime Burger, Arugula, Aged

Cheddar, Bourbon Bacon Jam, Bacon, Truffle Aioli, Brioche Bun

RICK’S TAVERN & GRILLE

Rick’s Tavern Burger 6oz of fresh ground beef with melted cheddar cheese, then piled high with lettuce, tomato, pickle and our crispy onion straws. Served with our house-made steak sauce on a toasted bun.

Classic Diner Double Two flat top pressed patties, Cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, comeback sauce.

O The Our Burger 1/3 beef patty, Government

WAHLBURGERS

cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and our signature housemade Wahlsauce.

WILD EGGS O

Wild & Spicy Poblano Cheeseburger

Enjoy the spicy splendor of a half-pound fresh premium angus beef burger topped with poblano pepper and pico de gallo with chipotle mayonnaise and pepper jack cheese. Our original creation is showcased on a flavorful brioche bun and topped with seasoned crispy tortilla strips.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Gee Horton at work on his portrait of Peter H. Clark at The Mercantile Library P H OTO : M AC K E N Z I E M A N L E Y

Portrait of the Artist The Mercantile Library’s artist-in-residence Gee Horton showcases Black beauty through his hyperrealistic art BY M AC K E N Z I E M A N L E Y

t’s a Wednesday afternoon in early July at downtown’s Mercantile Library. Light slinks in from tall arched windows and stretches along the space’s hardwood floors, casting dreamy warmth onto its many bookshelves. Highlighted by one slice of sun is Gee Horton, the Mercantile’s current artist-in-residence. Stationed in the left corner of the library, a large easel sits before him. The canvas depicts an in-progress, hyperrealistic portrait of Black abolitionist, writer, educator and famed Cincinnatian Peter H. Clark — the Mercantile’s first Black member. Horton began work on the 6-foot piece, which was commissioned by the library, in late 2019. He predicts that he’ll be finished by October of this year. Though tentative, his residency has been extended into 2021. (Patrons can find Horton working on Clark’s portrait every Wednesday at the Mercantile from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)

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From the entryway, as Horton works, one can see the steady gaze of his subject peeking above him. Rendered in black and white using graphite and charcoal pencils — Horton’s medium of choice — he trains his eyes on the portrait. “I think there’s just a love-hate relationship I have with my work. I’m so obsessed with the process of working on it that I don’t see what (others) may see when (they) look at it,” Horton says. “I think that’s what excites me about the type of art that I do — I know how I’m going to get there, but the journey of getting there is such a challenge.” Prior to the pandemic, Horton brought the portrait to the library once a month. When the Mercantile closed its doors in mid-March, the piece was taken back to Horton’s home studio — where it stayed until the first Wednesday in June. After reaching out to the Mercantile’s Executive Director John Faherty and Literary Programs &

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Marketing Manager Amy Hunter, the work has since resided at the library, where it will remain permanently. As the afternoon shifts during the interview, sunlight and shadow filter through the 11th-floor space and hit the portrait in different ways. He moves back from the drawing, standing at a distance. Certain details, he remarks, are lost when not up close; he wants to sharpen them. “That’s a beautiful thing about the residency,” Horton says. “It’s like the piece is coming alive and the environment is affecting how you create it, how you approach it, how you finish and how you execute it.” Horton is self-trained. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, he found his way into the Cincinnati art scene around three years ago. Along with his Mercantile residency, he also serves on the board of ArtWorks and is a co-host of the Urban Consulate. He first came to the Greater Cincinnati area while pursuing a psychology degree at Thomas More University. After receiving a Master’s of Social Work at the University of Louisville, he reconnected with the Queen City when he took a job as Xavier University’s assistant women’s basketball coach. His need for a creative outlet initially came in the form of painting. But when he reconnected with graphite and charcoal, he says it was like unlocking a superpower. After researching other

photorealistic artists’ techniques and honing his talents, he grew into the path he’s currently on, one that has led him to pursue his craft full-time. His move to being a full-time artist is recent. Prior, he woke up most mornings at 4 a.m., a time set aside solely for his art. The rest of his days were spent juggling a nine-to-five job, being a dad and roles at other organizations. When COVID-19 restrictions led the Mercantile to close its doors for social distancing, Horton saw a positive: it would give him the ability to spend “unlimited” time with the Clark piece. “As the world was changing, so was my own world. Looking back, and I say this with the sincerest sympathy, (the) coronavirus has really devastated everything you can think of,” Horton says. “I’ve been trying my best to look at the bright side. And it’s pointing me directly to my art.” Near his work station, a large print from his Coming of Age series awaits pick-up. Pre-social-distancing, Horton and I discussed the same piece — “Me Against the World” — in mid-February at BlaCk Coffee Lounge, where it was displayed along with several of Horton’s works, including “The Butterfly Effect,” a portrait of Muhammad Ali, and “Mortal Man,” another work in Coming of Age inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly. In collaboration with photographer

Jason Carter, the series is autobiographical and navigates experiences of Black adolescence. (Carter takes photographs in coordination with Horton, who then translates them into black-and-white drawings.) His nephew from Louisville acts as the series’ model, a stand-in for Horton’s younger self. “Coming of Age is all Gee Horton at The Mercantile Library about adolescence and P H OTO : M AC K E N Z I E M A N L E Y social development and retelling it from Radical Life of Peter H. Clark. After a place of an adolescent’s need for reaching out to Taylor, Horton was able love, attention, self-worth and the to discuss Clark’s life and work with her. complexity of being a teenager,” Horton Born in Cincinnati in 1829, Clark said in the previous interview. “You’re held many titles in his life. Known not having folks who really understand as America’s first Black socialist, he the struggle because I think it’s such a ran for congress under the Socialist critical age (where) you can go left or Labor Party of America in 1878. In his you can go right. In American culture lifetime, he also worked under both the we really don’t cultivate that time Republican and Democratic parties. period.” “He was fearless. He took no shit,” He references various indigenous Horton says. “He was a man of his word. African cultural ceremonies in which He was a complex man. Some people teenagers transcend from childhood to liked him and some people really adulthood. It’s a communal expression: didn’t. But he was unapologetic in his the society and individual merging to approach and was an advocate for what recognize the change. he believed in. That type of bravery — I Horton has woven an homage to admire that.” these ceremonies in his series via the His namesake is carried by Hyde recurring element of white tribal paint Park’s Clark Montessori High School. — an external acknowledgement of this And for good reason: He became the transformation — which line and dot first president of the segregated Gaines the subject’s face. High School in 1866 and, while there, Horton recently diverged from his founded a union for Black educators. hyperrealistic approach while working But his 1882 move to the then more alongside over 70 artists on creating conservative Democratic Party lost him the Black Lives Matter mural in front of much support; four years later he was Cincinnati City Hall on Plum Street. He fired by the school board over politics. steered the letter “L,” choosing to fill it He’d later move to St. Louis, where he with the words of Harlem Renaissance died in 1925. giant Langston Hughes’ 1926 poem “I, Horton says that, less than two Too.” Backdropped by black, it sprawls centuries ago, he wouldn’t have been across the pavement in red, yellow and allowed inside the Mercantile as a Black green. man. Now, the space is like a second “When you read the poem, it’s home to him. beautiful,” Horton says. “Because I “I feel connected to (Clark) because think it talks about how beautiful it is he paved the way and god knows what to be Black and still not be seen for just kind of challenges he went through how beautiful you are.” when he was becoming the first African Showcasing the beauty of the Black American member,” Horton says. “So community is a mission of Horton’s — for me to be the first African American one that he says was reconfirmed by the resident, I feel like this is a second pandemic. While there are moments home. Even when I’m done (with the in an individual’s life that they have residency).” little control over, he says “everything And Clark, too, has found his home happening right now” has validated his within the Mercantile, his portrait soon efforts. to hang among its hushed walls. When first embarking on the Peter H. Clark portrait, and doing initial research, Horton says he was excited Learn more about Gee Horton because he realized how important and his art at geehorton.com. The Clark was to Cincinnati. He references Mercantile Library is located at 414 historian Nikki M. Taylor’s biography Walnut St., 11th Floor, Downtown. America’s First Black Socialist: The More info: mercantilelibrary.com.

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ONSTAGE

Three Theaters Delay Their Seasons Until Winter BY R I C K P E N D E R

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!) at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company P H O T O : C I N C I N N AT I S H A K E S P E A R E C O M PA N Y

The “new normal” of everyday life is requiring a lot of adjustment: baseball games with no fans, restaurants with lots of space between tables, masks being worn everywhere. The same goes — and is perhaps even more complicated — for theaters dealing with the details of admitting audiences to see live performances. Rather than go at this task separately, three of Cincinnati’s professional theaters and their artistic directors — Blake Robison at the Playhouse in the Park, D. Lynn Meyers at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati and Brian Isaac Phillips at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company — have collaborated to share plans for their coming seasons. Due to concerns for the safety of audiences, performers and backstage workers, all three will delay their season starts to late 2020 or early 2021. The three theaters are working together to present consistent and more or less parallel opening plans. They will follow the same COVID-19 safety measures, including intense cleaning, reduced audience capacity and other protocols. Each production will run longer since keeping theatergoers socially distanced means fewer seats can be made available. Specifics are still in the works, awaiting further guidelines from the state of Ohio and CDC. “I know everyone has questions. We don’t have all the answers, but we have ideas,” the Cincy Shakes’ Phillips says. Ensemble Theatre’s Meyers underscores, “We’ll pull everyone together to be sure we’re being safe for cast and crew. We even have to think

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about our box office team (who interact with the public). The staff is my family, and we have to protect them.”

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Robison plans to start the season with a solo-rendition of A Christmas Carol (Dec. 1-27). A pair of actors, not yet announced, will alternate bringing “a little bit of holiday cheer and avoiding theatrical coal in everyone’s stockings.” The Playhouse production typically offered for nearly three decades “would not be possible with 28 actors onstage and nearly as many backstage.” (He intends for the annual large-cast staging to return in 2021.) Kicking off with a one-man show allows time to figure things out. In January, the Playhouse will stage its previously announced world premiere, The West End (Jan. 16-Feb. 14), by Cincinnati native Keith Josef Adkins about residents living in the urban neighborhood. It will be followed by the beloved beauty parlor celebration of female friendship, Steel Magnolias (Feb. 27-March 28), then a biting comedy, Jocelyn Bioh’s School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play (April 10-May 9), set in Ghana. The mainstage season wraps up with the classic mystery, Murder on the Orient Express (May 22-June 20). The Shelterhouse season begins with Becoming Dr. Ruth (Jan. 9-March 7), a solo portrait of America’s favorite sex therapist. CONTINUES ON PAGE 40

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FROM PAGE 38

The cast of Pipeline at Ensemble Theatre P H O T O : R YA N K U R T Z

Another small-scale production, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (March 20-May 16) about Jazz singer Billie Holiday is next. A warm comedy about an Irish-Catholic family, Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (May 29-July 25), rounds out the season on the smaller Playhouse stage.

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

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Following its presentation of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!) (Nov. 19-Dec. 27), the hilarious send-up of beloved holiday classics, the theater company has lined up three productions of their mainstay: Shakespeare. Hamlet (Jan. 15-Feb. 21), featuring company favorite Sara Clark in the title role, is first. The romantic tragedy of Romeo and Juliet (March 5-April 11) comes after, then a rollicking rendition of The Comedy of Errors (April 23-May 23). The season concludes with Kate Hamill’s spirited adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (June 4-July 3), a March 2020 production cut short by the pandemic. Phillips says Cincy Shakes will look to its local company of actors and rely less on performers from other cities. “We’ll do our best to produce these plays with less risk and exposure,” he says. He adds that a single set might work: In Shakespeare’s time, a fixed stage was the norm. Anticipating that performances for school groups will likely be reduced, Phillips believes the company might be in a position to add some evening performances. He also points out that runs will be longer, in some cases six or seven weeks, to counterbalance the reduced seating capacity to about 30 percent.

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Cincinnati Ensemble Theatre’s usual holiday show, a non-traditional fairy tale musical, was too risky for a large cast and crew to perform, especially with boisterous singing. The previously announced Sleeping Beauty will likely return in 2021. So they’ll open their season with Dominique Morisseau’s Obie Awardwinning play, Pipeline, in January. Ensemble’s March production was stopped in its tracks the day after its opening night. “I wanted to start with an important work, so Pipeline was perfect, made even more so by this international awakening of concern about racism,” Meyers says. She is reassembling the cast from March, and the set is still in place on Ensemble’s stage. The show, a portrait of a Black family striving to keep their teenage son safe, resonates powerfully with the concerns advanced by the Black Lives Matter movement. Meyers is planning an early August announcement of three more productions embracing the ongoing spirit of social consciousness that audiences have come to expect from Ensemble Theatre. These shows will likely run for five weeks and could possibly be extended. Various online programming is also under consideration, such as ETC’s annual special event, Expectations of Christmas, offered every December. The Playhouse’s Robison sums up what he, Meyers and Phillips have aimed for with their coordinated effort: “Our ability as a community to enjoy live performances again rests in our own hands. We have to be disciplined and do the right thing to make this kind of performance possible.” More details about each of these theater’s seasons can be found at cincyplay.com, cincyshakes.com and ensemblecincinnati.org.

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CLASSICAL

Morris Robinson on Being Black in Opera BY A N N E A R E N ST E I N

Morris Robinson in Cincinnati Opera’s 2015 production of Verdi’s Il Trovatore P H OTO : P H I L I P G RO S H O N G

When Morris Robinson sings, his powerful, velvety bass can shake the floorboards. But last month, Robinson made a statement that resonated even more powerfully. At a panel discussion on Black opera singers’ experiences convened by the LA Opera and hosted by mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, Robinson stated that in his 20-year career, he’d never been hired, conducted or directed by a Black person. The comment quickly went viral. “It became famous because a lot of companies heard it and said, ‘Holy shit, he’s right,’” Robinson says, speaking via Zoom from his home in Atlanta. Since his debut with Boston Lyric Opera in 1999, Robinson has performed with major companies and orchestras in the United States and Europe and made his debut at La Scala in Milan in 2016. He’s appeared frequently with the Cincinnati Opera and sang the role of Porgy in Porgy and Bess here last summer. But performing in prestigious venues to critical acclaim doesn’t dispel the constant burden of navigating the world while Black. Robinson takes an active role in addressing the inequities in the opera and Classical music worlds, and for the past three years, he has done that as Cincinnati Opera’s Artistic Advisor. The position was created by the company’s former general manager Patty Beggs, a passionate advocate for community engagement. Robinson serves as a company representative, a regular participant in Opera Goes to Church and in many other community programs.

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“Before COVID, I was out in the community, giving master classes, speaking at churches and community centers, and listening to folks’ comments,” Robinson says. He also participates in artistic advisory committee meetings, offering perspectives on productions, titles and especially artists of color. “Morris alerts us to young singers who may not even have management,” Cincinnati Opera’s Artistic Director Evans Mirageas wrote in an email. “Many of them have appeared in recent seasons.” But Robinson notes that many opera companies use Black singers as a bandaid to cover up deeper racial disparities. “The real work is a top-down business. We need singers on the stage, but we also need people in the offices and the audiences,” he says. “It’s about our lives mattering. It’s about our representation mattering. It’s about getting a fair shot.” Robinson names several Black conductors with impressive credentials who get overlooked for opera gigs. When it comes to filling administrative posts, Robinson says that companies need to think outside the box. “When I hear people say there are no Black people in the pool, my response is maybe we need to try other pools,” he says. “Why can’t we go to the top business schools and say we’re recruiting some of the top minds in business to come here?” Greater representation must extend to board membership and donors, and is crucial to uprooting racist mindsets, an issue made painfully clear in the same panel discussion.

Tenor Russell Thomas recounted an incident at a 2015 Cincinnati Opera donor event where a white donor made a racist comment directed at him and Robinson. The incident also went viral, including a mention in The New York Times. Cincinnati Opera officials, previously unaware of the event, posted Cincinnati Opera’s 2019 production of Porgy and Bess a statement on the P H OTO : P H I L I P G RO S H O N G company’s website, saying, in part: Robinson debuted with Cincinnati “Racism has no place at Cincinnati Opera in 2009, singing the ominous Opera, and we are grateful to these Grand Inquisitor in Verdi’s Don Carlo. artists for their honesty and willingness The following year, he made a to share their experiences. Cincinnati brilliant 180 and stole the show as Opera strives to be a place where the slyly comic Night Watchman diverse perspectives are celebrated in Wagner’s five-hour epic Die — from the boardroom to the stage. Meistersinger. We also know we have more to do to He was scheduled to be part of make this possible. We look forward Cincinnati Opera’s centennial season, to continuing our collaborations with singing Ramfis in Aida. But despite artists, creators, and partners from cancellations because of COVID-19, communities of color and to advancing Robinson is busier than ever. our work toward becoming a more He performed as part of Nicole inclusive, more representative, and Heaston’s Purple Robe Song Series actively anti-racist organization.” and most recently with the Motherless “My agent asked me why I didn’t Child/8:46 Project, both of which can tell her about this and I told her that be seen on Facebook. it happens more often than not,” Within days of George Floyd’s murder Robinson says. in late May, Robinson was barraged with Robinson calls this the dual existence calls and emails from arts organizations Black Americans navigate daily. “Even requesting assistance in crafting at this point in my career, I’m still position statements and how to create aware that I’m a 6-foot-3, 290-pound an inclusive organization. And he’s Black man and if I’m talking to a white enrolled in Cornell University’s Diversity colleague in a corner, I need to turn and Inclusion Certificate program. my body out so that everyone can see “I always thought I’d end up in what I’m doing,” he says. “It’s part of the academics, but it looks like I’ll go into paranoia that Black people carry with administration,” Robinson says. “Right them. And then we still have to go out now, I just want to sing.” and perform.” Robinson will continue as Cincinnati Robinson’s opera career began Opera’s Artistic Advisor, “funding when he was 30, although he sang in allowing,” says Mirageas. It is a his father’s church and in Atlanta’s position that takes on urgency as performing arts high school’s choruses. arts institutions confront a lack of He played football for The Citadel and representation that extends from anticipated a career in the pros. presenters to board members and That didn’t happen but Robinson donors. determined that “if I was ever again in When I ask Robinson for his a position to do something great, I was response to postings of support from going to be great at it.” corporations and nonprofits including He pivoted, starting a career in the tech arts organizations, he smiles ruefully. industry as a sales manager. He sang with “We’re pessimistically optimistic the Choral Arts Society of Washington because we ask ourselves how long this and in 1999, he was recruited by Boston momentum will last,” Robinson says. University’s Opera Institute. “We just want to be represented, across He worked with vocal and diction the board.” coaches to prepare to audition for one of 12 slots. He was accepted and gave up a high-paying job with benefits, You can watch the LA Opera’s “Lift including a company car. Within a year, Every Voice” panel discussion on he made his professional debut as the LA Opera’s YouTube channel. Learn King in Verdi’s Aida. more about the Cincinnati Opera at It was the first opera he ever saw. cincinnatiopera.org.

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FOOD & DRINK

Inside Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge P H OTO : H A I L E Y B O L L I N G E R

A Good Vintage Over-the-Rhine’s 1940s-inspired Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge promises to bring something special back to the city while supporting minority winemakers from all over the world BY K AT R I N A E R E S M A N

espite the unusual circumstances of this year, Tammie Scott has been hard at work. She’s putting the finishing touches on her new Over-the-Rhine bar, Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge, which will feature bottles from women and minority winemakers, as well as eight wines on tap, live music, a limited selection of spirits and beer, and small plates from local businesses. Operations at Nostalgia should begin this August, starting with small, private events and carry-out until it’s safe to open in full swing. Scott has been gradually developing her plans for Nostalgia for five years now, using her own engagement with wine culture to conceptualize what kind of experience she wants to offer. While in grad school for business at Howard University in Washington, D.C., the Cincinnati native frequented

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a handful of Jazz and wine bars that encouraged a more accessible approach to wine tasting. “As I got older, I wasn’t as intimidated by wine culture anymore,” Scott says. “It’s just if you like it or if you don’t like it.” That accessibility is one of the main ideas behind Nostalgia. The bar aims to make wine feel more inclusive — and not just through less intimidating ordering. A big part of Scott’s plan is to offer a menu featuring wines made by women, and specifically Black women. “There are winemakers out here who look like me,” she says. “And typically when we think of winemakers, that’s not the first picture that might come into our heads.” A recent article by The Guardian’s wine writer Fiona Beckett states that only about 0.01% of the wine produced in the U.S. is Black owned.

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And according to a survey from Santa Clara University, just 10% of the lead winemakers in California were female as of 2018. Scott says that minority winemakers are a growing part of the industry, and she intends to be there to support their development. One of the challenges that comes with showcasing more diverse winemakers has to do with distribution. It’s taken some effort to get distributors to carry the wines she wants to bring in, wines that she finds by research or through the guidance of her on-staff wine educator, Desiree Harrison-Brown. As soon as Nostalgia opens, they plan to host a series where winemakers will come in and discuss how they got into the wine business, and how their process works. In Scott’s experience, hearing the process is part of what draws people closer to the wine — it provides a connection with the winemakers beyond a label on a bottle, and gets people engaged with the wine on a personal level instead of just trying to find the right tasting notes. “Being able to connect people with the actual winemakers is important to me,” Scott says. Live music is another part of the Nostalgia package. Scott wants the bar and lounge to be a place where people can gather in an inclusive environment, where the focus is on enjoying wine and music with friends. Some of her

favorite wine bars back in D.C. hosted music nights, but a lot of her inspiration actually comes from within our city limits. “My grandmother used to tell us all stories about the Cotton Club back in the ’40s,” Scott says. The Cotton Club — named after the Cotton Club Jazz club in Harlem — was located in the Sterling Hotel in Cincinnati’s West End. It was a hot spot for Jazz, hosting artists like Duke Ellington and Sarah Vaughan. At the time, it was the only integrated nightclub in Cincinnati. “It was really the only place where people of all walks of life could get together and find a commonality in their love for hearing some live music and coming to have a good time with some friends,” Scott says. Hearing stories about old Jazz clubs like the Cotton Club and the Blue Wisp gave Scott a desire to bring that back to Cincinnati. Scott felt she’d had a taste of something similar in D.C., but she wanted her native city to have that again, too. “I’m a very nostalgic person,” she says. “I’m very young but I have the oldest soul. (Nostalgia is) a way for me to bridge the gap between good times that my grandmother used to have and good times that I had experienced in D.C.” That’s where the name of the bar originates — a longing to recreate the types of experiences her grandmother

Tammie Scott P H OTO : H A I L E Y B O L L I N G E R

and others had at these old-school clubs. And Scott worked with designers to build a space that reflects that spirit, what she defines as “dark, moody and classy.” Once they’re open, Nostalgia will host live music each night of business, Wednesdays through Sundays. Scott has brought her brother — a recent University of Cincinnati CollegeConservatory of Music Master’s graduate in Jazz Studies — on board as the music programming manager. They’re planning to host Jazz nights on Thursdays and Sundays, with Soul and R&B on Fridays and Saturdays. Wednesday nights will be Wine Down Wednesdays, with Soul-inspired DJ sets from DJ Prymtime. It’s a weekly tradition that’s already thriving on Nostalgia’s Instagram Live. Scott has been keeping the Nostalgia social media platforms busy and engaging ahead of the official opening. In addition to the live DJ Prymtime sets every Wednesday, the Instagram Live feed occasionally hosts winemakers sharing their stories. In June, they did a live chat with Ntsiki Biyela, South Africa’s first Black female winemaker, who runs Aslina Wines. Next, they hosted a discussion with Rawnica Dillingham, the regional

rep for Uncle Nearest Whiskey — a company named after a slave who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey. Scott does her best to showcase the brands they will carry, along with minority-owned brands that she wants support, but that don’t have the distribution to make it to Nostalgia yet. Neither the challenges of COVID19, nor the usual trials that come with opening a business, seem to deter her. She already has private events on the books, like small engagement parties and birthday celebrations, and will soon offer social-distancing friendly carry-out options, including both wine bottles and pre-packaged charcuterie from The Rhined. More local food options are in the works, and carry-out wine will be available even after the bar is open for regular business. Nostalgia promises to bring something special back to Cincinnati, while supporting minority winemakers from all over the world. Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge is located at 1432 Vine St., Overthe-Rhine. Follow Nostalgia for updates and virtual engagements at Facebook.com/NostalgiaOTR or on Instagram @nostalgiaotr.

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THE DISH

Westwood’s New Upscale Ivory House Offers Carry-Out-Friendly Chef-Driven Cuisine R E V I E W BY L E Y L A S H O KO O H E

and a paw paw dressing, it was perfect for a summer night. The grilled peaches were my favorite; the tomatoes were slightly more squishy than charred, but they were juicy and sweet. “Our housemade cheese is that balance of smoke, fresh and really awesome cheese,” Adkins says. It’s made in a three-day process that includes housemade rennet, vinegar, buttermilk, local heavy cream and salt. The Appalachian shrimp and grits ($15), listed under the “Small Plates and Soups” portion of the dinner menu, features a massive 5-ounce Australian coldwater prawn. The cornbread gremolata and country ham gravy it came bathed in was rich and filling, with a smattering of smoked pork belly bits.

anything that has a lot of fat or flavor, balancing that back out with acidic flavors.” With that in mind, the ham and bean agnolotti ($16) hearkens back to Adkins’ Sunday family dinners. Featuring thick agnolotti (aka filled pasta squares), peas and country ham, I was fondly reminded of my own family meals; namely my mother’s classic split-pea soup. My friend ordered the BBQ Louie’d Quail ($21) as her entrée. It featured a beautifully dressed quail and a tiny fried quail egg. I devoured the Beeler Belly and Tenderloin ($25) — the absolute last, satisfying word in melty porky belly. There’s a $99, 34-ounce Tomahawk steak on the menu, too, among other entrees and small plates.

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I can’t wait for the day I’ll get to eat inside Ivory House, a new upscale-yetapproachable restaurant in Westwood. When it comes to dining inside establishments during the apocalypse that is 2020, to each their own (please wear a mask according to health guidelines and tip at least 20%). But I’ve laid out clear rules for myself: If I eat at a restaurant, it must be outside, and honestly, I’d rather not. In the meantime, though, carry-out is fair game. Named in honor of James N. Gamble, the last mayor of Westwood before the West Side was annexed to the City of Cincinnati (and the inventor of Ivory Soap), Ivory House is nestled on Harrison Avenue, close to several other main street businesses that have cropped up recently. Ivory House proprietors Frank Eversole and Rick Pouliot have been involved in the growth of the neighborhood through their property group, EP Investments, since 2009, redeveloping several homes, focusing the bulk of their energy on the Town Hall District and stabilizing that area with increased economic inflow. “We just felt we needed something a little more upscale,” says Eversole. “(Ivory House is) still kind of casual. At the end of the day, it’s just a beautiful environment with very approachable dishes that people can come and enjoy in the neighborhood.” Opening a restaurant during a global pandemic might seem daunting, but if anything, the ability to adapt the dining

room to social distancing regulations before it opened proved a blessing. Capacity was reduced inside, and an outdoor patio is in the works. Self-described as “familiar food, elevated,” the menu features a fresh take on nostalgic-feeling dishes. Executive chef Dana Adkins, most recently of the Thunderdome Restaurant Group, came on board earlier this year, bringing with him an invigorating vision that reimagines well-known dishes and familiarizes unconventional and surprising ingredients. “Rick and Frank wanted to allow myself and our team to bring our vision to life. That’s what’s beautiful about this relationship,” Adkins says. “We approached them about how we wanted to be mindfully sourcing and supporting partners. There was one vision Frank did express that I really wanted to see — that was to really embrace the grill. And that’s why we’ve found fun ways (to incorporate) smoke and grill.” The massive tote bag I picked up for carry-out was still warm, with more than a hint of that smoke and grill wafting through the neat plastic containers. I ordered the greatest hits from the menu for a nice Saturday night with a good friend, socially distanced on her spacious — and outdoor — porch. We started our al fresco dinner with the grilled peaches and tomatoes ($8). Accompanied by housemade cottage cheese, sturdy sprigs of local greens

Beeler Belly and Tenderloin for carry-out P H OTO : H A I L E Y B O L L I N G E R

“(Our seafood is) Marine Stewardship Council certified. We care about sustainability with our produce; we want to care about that on the seafood end as well,” says Adkins, who also previously worked at Carriage House Farm, one of Ivory House’s many local partners. Others include Sixteen Bricks Artisan Bakehouse, Waterfields, Urban Stead Cheese, MadHouse Vinegar Co., Lamp Post Cheese, Origin Milk Company, O2 Urban Farms, Madisono’s Gelato and Anson Mills. “There’s not a single thing we do not pickle and process and ferment in house currently,” Adkins says. “What we want to do, if you are working with something that’s rich, like pork, or

Custom gelatos created for Ivory House by Madisono’s rounded out our meal. The buttermilk and the goat cheese and smoked honey were both great, but the buttermilk was my favorite. Brunch service began the first weekend of August, and Ivory House just started a wine locker program, a fun way to further customize meals. There’s also a thoughtful list of specialty cocktails, a robust lunch menu and catering options. Ivory House is located at 2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood. More info, online ordering and dine-in reservations at ivoryhousecincy.com.

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THE DISH

Covington’s The Standard Has Transformed a Historic Garage into a Colorful Restaurant and Bar BY H A I L E Y B O L L I N G E R

The Standard is located in an old garage and filling station in Covington

Interior seating

P H O T O : S AVA N A W I L L H O I T E

The dynamic duo behind popular Covington dining and drinking destinations Otto’s, Frida and Larry’s have opened their most recent project, The Standard, breathing life into a familiar corner in the neighborhood. Owners Paul Weckman and Emily Wolff have been MainStrasse Village residents for 17 years, and opened their first restaurant in the neighborhood, Otto’s, in 2003 when they were just 22 years old. They later opened Mexican eatery Frida in 2015 and a dive bar called Larry’s last year. “We love being able to walk from restaurant to restaurant on a busy night. It allows us to easily check in with our staff and say hello to our neighbors. There truly is a village feel here in Covington,” Wolff said in an email interview. Wolff says that when the opportunity to embark on a new journey to transform the former garage and filling station on the corner of Fifth and Main streets presented itself, they were all in. “The garage has been an integral part of the area since the 1930s. Butch Ostendorf recalls helping his mother run the shop while his father was away at war. He continued working there until his retirement in 2015,” Wolff says. Ostendorf’s memories and the stories he shared with them about the space played a significant role in the eatery’s overall design vision and menu,

according to Wolff. “Like the elephants... One day while chatting during construction, Butch told us a story about the day he got a call to come change out a U-Haul trailer on the cut in the hill. The caller said the trailer was swerving all over the interstate and they needed a new one. When he got to the spot on the side of the road, he opened the trailer and a huge elephant walked out. I immediately knew I wanted to keep that playful, unexpected vibe alive in The Standard today — both through the design and the food,” Wolff says. The Standard’s food menu features bright and playful flavors that complement the warmer season. For example, The Shop Bowl is made with chilled rice noodles, fresh veggies and house-smoked meats of your choosing, in addition to several vegetarian options like the Village Veggie Roti. Popular cocktails like the U-Haul and Hot Rod are on-brand with the establishment’s overall theme. Wolff says folks have been loving their bourbon slushee, which features Ostendorf’s late wife Marge’s recipe. “When you enter the space you will see a large mural created in honor of the past stories this garage holds. It includes images of Butch, Marge and his righthand man, Lee Barnes,” says Wolff. The Standard has both indoor and outdoor seating, with plenty of patio

Mural featuring former garage owner Butch Ostendorf P H O T O : S AVA N A W I L L H O I T E

space beneath the garage’s canopies and beyond to spread out and socially distance. “Paul and I feel very honored to be able to take this old garage and create this new magical restaurant space. We

look forward to the new stories The Standard will someday be able to tell.” The Standard is located at 434 Main St., Covington. More info: facebook. com/thestandardcov.

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MUSIC

Girls Rock Cincinnati’s virtual camp P H OTO : M A R LO SA L E M

Virtual Reality Four Greater Cincinnati music festivals and organizations embrace live streaming and digital connection in the age of COVID-19 BY K AT R I N A E R E S M A N

he music industry is far from normal right now — festivals, tours and gatherings of all kinds are at a standstill. And yet, some creatives and organizers are pioneering through the unknown, finding ways to make the most of a virtual landscape. Four local organizations — Nelsonville Music Festival, Girls Rock Cincinnati, MYCincinnati and Thrive Stream — have worked to embrace virtual events. One Zoom meeting, YouTube video or Facebook Live at a time, these groups are setting an example for artists and organizers who want to carry on, socialdistancing style.

Nelsonville Music Festival Last year in early June, music and art fans were gathering in Nelsonville, Ohio for the 15th-annual Nelsonville Music Festival (NMF). The event is a production of Stuart’s Opera House, a nonprofit performing arts center in

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southeast Ohio that hosts concerts throughout the year, as well as a number of music and arts education programs. In June of this year, however, the festival grounds were empty and the staff was deciding how and when to go virtual. “Clearly there was a need for art and music amid a global pandemic,” says Chloe Musick, the marketing and PR director for Stuart’s Opera House. “It’s pretty obvious that people are wanting something to fill the void.” This year’s event will be held Aug. 21-22 on the NMF YouTube channel. The stream is free but there will be links to donate and purchase merch. All proceeds from NMF go toward Stuart’s Opera House and its Arts Education Program. Most of the programs they offer are free, including the popular Afterschool Music Program, where kids come to Stuart’s to learn how to play instruments. “They’re placed into bands, and the

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culmination of their experiences is performing at the Nelsonville Music Festival,” Musick says. Hosting NMF 2020 virtually gives Stuart’s Opera House a chance to draw attention to their mission, and to raise some of the funding they’ll miss out on from the absence of this year’s live event. In order to make this a viable option, they called upon the generosity of NMF alumni and friends. “We were looking for artists who were ultimately willing to donate their time and their music,” Musick says. “It’s out of the goodness of their heart, which has been humbling and inspiring.” Headliners this year include Caamp, Mandolin Orange and Shovels & Rope, with locals Ernie Johnson From Detroit and Leggy, plus the kids from Stuart’s Afterschool Music Program. Get more details at nelsonvillefest.org.

Girls Rock Cincinnati Music education is also at the center of Girls Rock Cincinnati, another group which found a way to take this year’s event to the virtual stage. Girls Rock Cincinnati is a week-long music and arts summer camp for girls and gender variant youth founded by Marlo Salem. Girls Rock held their inaugural camp last August, and just completed their second camp virtually. “(Providing) free, high-quality,

engaging, collaborative programming to the young people in our community is really crucial,” Salem says, “so there’s no way that we were going to stop doing it.” In order to make the camp work in a virtual format, the organizers had to rethink the entire camp model. Playing in sync as a group over video chat isn’t feasible, so the standard format was out of the question. Instead of forming bands, writing and practicing songs together, and doing an in-person performance, the organizers decided to shift to a condensed, project-based model. Flexibility and willingness to abandon old expectations was key to making the virtual camp work. Exchanging ideas with other organizers was also essential. Girls Rock Cincinnati is modeled after the international Girls Rock Camp Alliance. With the global threat of COVID-19, organizers across the world were sharing ideas for digital camps. The leadership behind Girls Rock were pleasantly surprised by how engaged their campers were with the virtual format. “They seemed almost more excited than in person,” Salem says with a laugh. They explain that during inperson camp, the campers would need most of the week to get over initial shyness. “When you have to be in a room with a bunch of new people and in a space (you’ve) never been to before, it’s

really nerve-racking.” Girls Rock Cincinnati has finished their camp for the year, but the culmination of their hard work has yet to debut. You can watch the campers perform their collaborative camp song in a pre-recorded video at 7 p.m. Aug. 15. Follow Girls Rock Cincinnati on Facebook (facebook.com/girlsrockcinci) and Instagram (@girlsrockcinci) to learn where to stream the video, and more about upcoming events.

MYCincinnati Like the Girls Rock camp, MYCincinnati youth orchestra is modeled after a global organization — Venezuela’s El Sistema, a music education and social outreach program for children. Taylor Eggers helps organize Girls Rock and works as a teaching artist for MYCincinnati. According to Eggers, MYCincinnati didn’t miss a beat in the transition to virtual. “Once COVID-19 hit, we took about a week off to develop a plan and then immediately switched it to online teaching,” Eggers says. “Every teacher in the world right now is coming together and spreading their ideas. It’s a totally new way of teaching.” Each year, the Price Hill Creative Community Festival pairs its artists-inresidence with MYCincinnati musicians for special collaborations. “Instead of canceling (the artist-inresidence program), we just decided to have them resubmit proposals for virtual collaboration, and all of them were really incredible,” says Salem from Girls Rock, who also works as Artistic Programs Coordinator at MYCincinnati. They note that the virtual format allowed MYCincinnati musicians to get more time with the artists, and to collaborate with students from El Sistemainspired programs around the country. The MYCincinnati musicians finished their collaborations with the PHCCF artists-in-residence for a virtual festival that happened July 22-25. If you missed it, don’t sweat. Another advantage to the virtual scene is the ability to archive what creatives are doing at this time. Get more details at mycincinnatiorchestra.org or creativecommunityfestival.org.

Thrive Stream Jordan Tuss is one of four organizers behind Thrive Stream. Unlike the rest of these organizations, Thrive Stream was created directly in response to COVID19 as a way to bring together the Cincinnati community while providing a safe, accessible space for expression. Tuss says that people from all across the country tuned in to watch their first streaming event in May — about 13,000 viewers total. That first Thrive Stream

featured live music, art instruction, a cooking class, cocktail tips and kidfriendly performances. “We’ve helped people realize it’s a lot easier to go live,” Tuss says. “I have noticed that the people who are on the bills end up doing more live stuff after they do a Thrive Stream.” Subsequent streams have continued to feature live music and interactives like cocktail classes for both entertainment and to raise funds for local causes. For example, on Aug. 8, a concert on the CincyMusic Facebook page benefitted Over-the-Rhine’s Elementz youth urban arts center. Follow CincyMusic (facebook.com/ cincymusic.com) — as well as collaborators Ladywood, Grrl + Weapon and No Standing Only Dancing — on social media for info on upcoming Thrive Stream events.

Comfort of Home Intimacy, comfort, accessibility — all of these things get amplified on a virtual platform. Streaming performances also allow artists to reach the entire internetconnected world. “(Virtual events) can give smaller artists a chance to be seen and heard,” Stuart’s Opera House’s Musick says. “And, on the other end, it makes larger artists more accessible.” Tuss says it also puts artists in a unique position to connect with their viewers more directly. As fans tune in or engage through comments, their name is tied to the video. This adds more intimacy on both ends. “You’re not just a name in the crowd anymore screaming at the stage,” Tuss says. Viewers are presumably more attentive without the distraction that comes with being in a crowd, and a captive audience makes it easier for organizations and performers to draw attention to their purpose or mission. For instance, anyone tuning in to watch NMF 2020 will learn about their cause. That’s information that might go unnoticed in the flurry of a live festival. “We’re going to have introductions where we thank sponsors and the artists for supporting,” Musick says. In between sets, they’ll have a chance to share the NMF and Stuart’s Opera House mission and guide viewers to the donation and merch links. Fans of live music may lament its absence from life as we currently know it, but the virtual scene definitely has something to offer, too — as long as you’re willing to be flexible and play with the format. “I think it’s about really distilling why you’re doing what you’re doing,” Salem says. “It’s OK for that reason to be because we’re having fun. It’s more than OK.”

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Coverage Areas

PUZZLE AC R O S S

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Audley to Release Sophomore Album â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ROYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BY G R AC E D E A R I N G , C IT Y B E AT STA F F

Cincinnati-based musician Johnny Audley Glover, known as Audley to his fans, has announced heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be releasing his sophomore album, ROY, on all streaming platforms Sept. 4. The album, which has been in the works since November 2019, is a fluid shift between R&B and Hip Hop. Audley says the catchy, melodically driven tracks were influenced by emotional Funk combined with ROY album cover electronic sounds to P H OTO : H U E S P H OTO G R A P H Y / / G E M : N O R A M O L I N A RO create a conglomerate of genres which have a long-term fight for me, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry inspired him in the past. about how people (perceive) the shift of Taking notes from photos and my (social media) pages.â&#x20AC;? cinema, fashion and graphic designers, This is a sentiment that rings true Audley wrote poetry which eventually through ROY as well. Audley hopes the developed into the lyrics for ROY. album will help listeners understand â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like I see the most around me that everyone moves at different speeds and within me that I ever have in my in all aspects of their lives, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s OK. entire life and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m trying to speak that â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want people to hear this album and truth,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This album is really a hear how free I am in the songs and testament to the chapter of my life where understand that the only way I could I was in a really strange place...and I have done that was by slowing down,â&#x20AC;? just started listening not only to whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was running so fast to a point around me, but what is inside of me.â&#x20AC;? where I was burning the candle from a Audley adds that ROY is a creative million different ends and I got burnt collaboration with multiple Cincinnatiout. I want people to understand that based producers including internetboy, if you have an inkling that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re stuck, Devin Burgess, Stallitix, SmokeFace you have to do something about it.â&#x20AC;? and GrandAce. Studio sessions were The first single off ROY will be completed with Columbus-based Chris released on Aug. 14, followed by a Dickerson back in January, but Audley second single release on Aug. 28 prior chose to hold off on releasing the to the album drop. album for a variety of reasons â&#x20AC;&#x201D; priIn 2018, Audley released his first marily the current state of society. album, Pink â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a bold and accomThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic plished work that found him showalso presented unforeseen circumcasing his vocal and writing skills on stances throughout the recording material that danced between the process, but Audley says he was able to boundaries of Funk, Pop, R&B and Hip use his time in self-quarantine to polish Hop with compelling results. the album even further. In a review of the album then, CityAs a social justice advocate, Audley Beat Music Editor Mike Breen wrote, says he felt called to push back the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Like the most recent funkadelic work release date of ROY due to the recent of Childish Gambino, Pink also moves Black Lives Matter protests around the away from a strictly Hip Hop format, country. He says he felt like his energy exploding like a Technicolor dreamcoat was meant to be used to support the threaded with elements of Neo Soul movement instead. and modern/classic R&B and Pop.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I still have slight hesitancy to put it Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll just have to wait to hear what out right now because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still so this next chapter brings. much work to be done (for Black Lives Matter), but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve hit this revelation that I cannot control how people perceive Stay up to date with my actions,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As long as I know Audleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s releases at Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing the work, and I know that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soundcloud.com/audleycantrap.

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