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Inside Ripple Wine Bar
PHOTOS: HAILEY BOLLINGER
Ripple Wine Bar Brings Approachable Ripple Wine Bar Brings Approachable
Elegance to Covington Elegance to Covington CityBeat’s dining critic Pama Mitchell explores the small but CityBeat’s dining critic Pama Mitchell explores the small but mighty menu at Ripple Wine Bar. mighty menu at Ripple Wine Bar. REVIEW BY PAMA MITCHELL
REVIEW BY PAMA MITCHELL
Tucked along a row of storefronts on Pike Street in Covington, Ripple Wine Bar has such an unassuming presence that you could easily miss it. I discovered it only last winter, and after a quick stop for wine and appetizers at the bar I became an instant fan. Recently, I returned with several friends to experience a full evening of the place’s food and drink.
Wine bars seem to be having a moment in Greater Cincinnati these days, with two new ones opening this summer in East Walnut Hills (Symposium) and O’Bryonville (Annata). Ripple opened three years ago — less than one year before COVID-19 brought our dining scene to a crashing halt.
In early 2021 after vaccination e orts made guests feel comfortable enough to resume in-person dining, Ripple’s owners made some
personnel changes and forged ahead. Now it’s thriving as a semi-casual, cozy and very fun place to enjoy excellent wines, refreshing cocktails and quite a few tasty dishes. e food comes out of a “kitchen” that seems way too small to produce everything on the menu: more than 25 appetizers, entrees and sides along with charcuterie boards and several desserts. I put “kitchen” in quotes because the food-prep space is nothing more than an open area at the front of the bar where a couple of cooks work with incredible e ciency to feed everyone. A sta er described the space as “just barely big enough for three people to work in.” e same e cient use of space applies to the dining areas in what has to be the smallest building on the block. ere’s an upstairs dining room that can seat up to 30 patrons, with bar seating at ground level for another 18. A couple of sidewalk tables add a bit more capacity. Reservations are a must, even for the bar seats and especially during the weekend. Not all establishments calling themselves wine bars are as wineT ucked along a row of storefronts on Pike Street in Covington, Ripple Wine Bar has savvy and devoted to quality as the folks at Ripple are. One of the personnel changes in 2021 was to hire sommelier and general manager Gabriella such an unassuming presence that DiVincenzo. She and owners Matthew you could easily miss it. I discovered and Kathleen Haws have created a it only last winter, and after a quick wine selection that will please just stop for wine and appetizers at the bar about any palate and fall within most I became an instant fan. Recently, I budgets. Next door, they’ve added a small retail shop where you can
returned with several friends to experience a full evening of the place’s food and drink.
Wine bars seem to be having a moment in Greater Cincinnati these days, with two new ones opening this summer in East Walnut Hills (Symposium) and O’Bryonville (Annata). Ripple opened three years ago — less than one year before COVID-19 brought our dining scene to a crashing halt.
In early 2021 after vaccination e orts made guests feel comfortable enough to resume in-person dining, Ripple’s owners made some personnel changes and forged ahead. Now it’s thriving as a semi-casual, cozy and very fun place to enjoy excellent wines, refreshing cocktails and quite a few tasty dishes. e food comes out of a “kitchen” that seems way too small to produce everything on the menu: more than 25 appetizers, entrees and sides along with charcuterie boards and several desserts. I put “kitchen” in quotes because the food-prep space is nothing more than an open area at the front of the bar where a couple of cooks work with incredible e ciency to feed everyone. A sta er described the space as “just barely big enough for three people to work in.” e same e cient use of space applies to the dining areas in what has to be the smallest building on the block. ere’s an upstairs dining room that can seat up to 30 patrons, with bar seating at ground level for another 18. A couple of sidewalk tables add a bit more capacity. Reservations are a must, even for the bar seats and especially during the weekend.
Not all establishments calling themselves wine bars are as winesavvy and devoted to quality as the folks at Ripple are. One of the personnel changes in 2021 was to hire sommelier and general manager Gabriella DiVincenzo. She and owners Matthew and Kathleen Haws have created a wine selection that will please just about any palate and fall within most budgets. Next door, they’ve added a small retail shop where you can
purchase bottles of anything on Ripple’s list along with other carefully curated wines. e team also has a wine club that hosts special dinners and tastings, mostly on Sundays when Ripple is closed. e restaurant’s wine list changes marginally every couple of months while remaining consistent in its balance of a few dozen red wines, a handful of sparklers, a few rosés and 14-15 whites. Most of these are served from a state-of-the-art Cruvinet system that keeps open bottles from being oxygenated so that the last serving tastes as good as when the bottle is just opened. ere’s a nice variety of prices, and you can order almost any wine by the half glass as well as by the glass or bottle. Some of the selections are more than what I’d usually spend for a bottle and it’s a treat to be able to try a glass or half-glass of wines that go for $70 or more. On my recent visit, I loved every sip of the Albert Boxler Alsatian white blend with our appetizers, followed by a luscious Girard petit sirah from Napa that went wonderfully with my entrée.
If you don’t know much about wine and aren’t sure where to start, just ask for guidance. DiVincenzo says that while wine can be intimidating to the uninitiated, she has great con dence in the sta ’s ability to demystify the experience.
“Of the many restaurants I’ve worked at, I’m most proud of the sta at Ripple and how they make [understanding wine] easy for the guests,” she says.
But before you sip anything, be sure to take in the funky-cool way the Haws have rebuilt and decorated the place. eir work started in 2018 with a demolition and gut job on a building that is over 100 years old.
“We wanted to keep as much of the space in its original form as we could,” says Kathleen Haws. “But we also wanted to modernize the interior and use the space as e ciently as possible.”
She and her husband scrutinized historic photographs of the building to help achieve that blend of old and new. ey refurbished existing porcelain tiles on the outside of the building and tore out interior walls to expose original brickwork. After getting the electric and plumbing up to current building code standards, they consulted with the design rm Orleans Development to nish the interior. ey chose blackand-white hexagon shaped tiles for ooring, harkening back to photos from the 1890s when Pike Street was a busy commercial area.
Local artist Jon Flannery created cartoon-like murals for several walls, blending with the black and white color palette that Haws says supported their goal of making wine approachable and fun. e white paint on interior walls helps make the small space seem larger, while the rope lighting and butcher block bar adds modern elements to the historic space. e result is a super-contemporary, urban ambiance that would t comfortably into a groovy Brooklyn or Denver neighborhood.
What should you eat? You might start with something like tru e popcorn, a charcuterie board or the scrumptious shrimp nachos. Beef Wellington popovers — with a lling of braised beef short rib, mushroom duxelles and
purchase bottles of anything on Ripple’s list along with other carefully curated wines. e team also has a wine club that hosts special dinners and tastings, mostly on Sundays when Ripple is closed. e restaurant’s wine list changes marginally every couple of months while remaining consistent in its balance of a few dozen red wines, a handful of sparklers, a few rosés and 14-15 whites. Most of these are served from a state-of-the-art Cruvinet system that keeps open bottles from being oxygenated so that the last serving tastes as good as when the bottle is just opened. ere’s a nice variety of prices, and you can order almost any wine by the half glass as well as by the glass or bottle. Some of the selections are more than what I’d usually spend for a bottle and it’s a treat to be able to try a glass or half-glass of wines that go for $70 or more. On my recent visit, I loved every sip of the Albert Boxler Alsatian white blend with our appetizers, followed by a luscious Girard petit sirah from Napa that went wonderfully with my entrée.
If you don’t know much about wine pecorino cheese — can sell out early and aren’t sure where to start, just ask because they are so delicious. for guidance. DiVincenzo says that ere are a couple of salads, three while wine can be intimidating to the atbreads and a half dozen entrées. We uninitiated, she has great con dence especially liked the scallops and a let in the sta ’s ability to demystify the mignon with potatoes and an excel-experience. lent chimichurri sauce. Entrée portions
“Of the many restaurants I’ve worked aren’t large, but you won’t go away at, I’m most proud of the sta at Ripple hungry if you partake of some of the and how they make [understanding appetizers and salads. wine] easy for the guests,” she says. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with
But before you sip anything, be sure a slice of house-made salted caramel to take in the funky-cool way the Haws cheesecake and perhaps an “after-have rebuilt and decorated the place. party” glass of port, Madeira, sherry or eir work started in 2018 with a demo- dessert wine. lition and gut job on a building that is over 100 years old.
“We wanted to keep as much of the space in its original form as we could,” says Kathleen Haws. “But we also wanted to modernize the interior and use the space as e ciently as possible.” She and her husband scrutinized historic photographs of the building to help achieve that blend of old and new. ey refurbished existing porcelain tiles on the outside of the building and tore out interior walls to expose original brickwork. After getting the electric and plumbing up to current building code standards, they consulted with the design rm Orleans Development to nish the interior. ey chose blackand-white hexagon shaped tiles for ooring, harkening back to photos from the 1890s when Pike Street was a busy commercial area. Local artist Jon Flannery created cartoon-like murals for several walls, blending with the black and white color palette that Haws says supported their goal of making wine approachable and fun. e white paint on interior walls helps make the small space seem larger, while the rope lighting and butcher block bar adds modern elements to the historic space. e result is a super-contemporary, urban ambiance that would t comfortably into a groovy Brooklyn or Denver neighborhood. What should you eat? You might start with something like tru e popcorn, a charcuterie board or the scrumptious shrimp nachos. Beef Wellington popovers — with a lling of braised beef short rib, mushroom duxelles and pecorino cheese — can sell out early because they are so delicious. ere are a couple of salads, three atbreads and a half dozen entrées. We especially liked the scallops and a let mignon with potatoes and an excellent chimichurri sauce. Entrée portions aren’t large, but you won’t go away hungry if you partake of some of the appetizers and salads. For dessert, you can’t go wrong with a slice of house-made salted caramel cheesecake and perhaps an “afterparty” glass of port, Madeira, sherry or dessert wine.
Clockwise from top-left: Beef Wellington popovers; a charcuterie board with a variety of meats and cheeses; Ripple’s bar; shrimp nachos
PHOTOS: HAILEY BOLLINGER Clockwise from top-left: Beef Wellington popovers; a charcuterie board with a variety of meats and cheeses; Ripple’s bar; shrimp nachos
PHOTOS: HAILEY BOLLINGER
Ripple Wine Bar,
Ripple Wine Bar, 4 W. Pike St., Covington. 4 W. Pike St., Covington. Info: ripplewinebar.com. Info: ripplewinebar.com.
Findlay Market’s Sen by Kiki Makes Waves BY SEAN M. PETERS
BY SEAN M. PETERS
Findlay Market’s new seafood hookup is a real catch.
Sen by Kiki o ers sh and other aquatic cuisine, including freshly shucked oysters ready to enjoy right at the market with all the xings.
Owner/chef Hideki “Kiki” Harada says Findlay Market has been extremely welcoming, even throwing his new stand a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening June 30.
“It’s more than I expected,” Harada says. “It’s been really cool.”
People often ask Harada what “Sen” means. It translates to “fresh” in Japanese, but some dedicated fans of Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki’s lms have found a connection with the names of both of Harada’s restaurants, Sen and Kiki College Hill. Sen is the protagonist in 2001’s Academy Awardwinning Spirited Away, while Kiki is the title character in the 1989 animated lm Kiki’s Delivery Service.
“A couple of kids came up, they asked, ‘Is that why they’re called that?’” Harada says. “It’s coincidental. Great lms, though. I’m a huge fan.”
Calling his stand the equivalent of the word “fresh” is quite important, though. Freshness is key when buying seafood, which means Harada works hard to guarantee he sells only the nest available. Sen by Kiki also o ers other dishes prepared in-house, such as kimchi, roe and smoked trout dip.
With all this fresh sh, many people immediately consider using it for sushi. Harada has some tips for home cooks looking to make their own rolls at home, including the ideal sushi-grade sh for beginners (his sta can help choose items and think through options).
“Salmon is the most forgiving,” Harada says. “I always call salmon ‘the omelet of the sea’ because you can really butcher it, but it’s also kind of easy to cover up your errors. Because of all the fat on salmon, with no real sinew, you can cut against the grain, or you can go with the grain. ere’s really no wrong way to eat salmon.”
When cutting sushi-grade sh at home, Harada says fewer accidents happen when using sharp knives. When a blade is dull, more force is exerted to make a cut, and that’s when a cook can lose control of the blade and become more open to injury.
“Don’t saw at the sh,” Harada says. “Slice. Slicing is one direction – typically toward you, not away.”
Fish used in quality sushi may seem mysterious to the uninitiated: what does sushi-grade mean? Is sushi-grade sh better than others? Harada, who’s been serving sushi-grade sh for years, has the answer.
“Sushi-grade sh is a process,” Harada says. “We’ve invested in a cryo freezer that takes everything down to -40 F. Per the health department, in the state of Ohio you have to freeze [ sh] for a certain time in order to kill o any parasites.”
A regular freezer will do, he explains, but the sh freezes inappropriately and bleeds moisture, meaning all that good avor just seeps away. With a traditional freezer, sh should be frozen for around 72 hours, while sh in a cryo freezer like Harada’s only needs to freeze for 15-17 hours.
“We try to get everything whole,” Harada says of the sh he purchases for the stand. “We process everything in-house, so then we take a portion of it and put it in the super freezer so we can label it sushi-grade. en we can take the consumer in the right direction when they ask for it.”
For those obsessed with oysters, Sen by Kiki will become a new favorite spot
Findlay Market’s new seafood hookup is a real catch.
Sen by Kiki o ers sh and other aquatic cuisine, including freshly shucked oysters ready to enjoy right at the market with all the xings.
Owner/chef Hideki “Kiki” Harada says Findlay Market has been extremely welcoming, even throwing his new stand a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the grand opening June 30.
“It’s more than I expected,” Harada says. “It’s been really cool.”
People often ask Harada what “Sen” means. It translates to “fresh” in Japanese, but some dedicated fans of Japanese animation legend Hayao Miyazaki’s lms have found a connection with the names of both of Harada’s restaurants, Sen and Kiki College Hill. Sen is the protagonist in 2001’s Academy Awardwinning Spirited Away, while Kiki is the title character in the 1989 animated lm Kiki’s Delivery Service.
“A couple of kids came up, they asked, ‘Is that why they’re called that?’” Harada says. “It’s coincidental. Great lms, though. I’m a huge fan.”
Calling his stand the equivalent of the word “fresh” is quite important, though. Freshness is key when buying seafood, which means Harada works hard to guarantee he sells only the nest available. Sen by Kiki also o ers other dishes prepared in-house, such as kimchi, roe and smoked trout dip.
With all this fresh sh, many people immediately consider using it for sushi. Harada has some tips for home cooks looking to make their own rolls at home, including the ideal sushi-grade sh for beginners (his sta can help choose items and think through options).
“Salmon is the most forgiving,” Harada says. “I always call salmon ‘the omelet of the sea’ because you can really butcher it, but it’s also kind of easy to cover up your errors. Because of all the fat on salmon, with no real sinew, you can cut against the grain, or you can go with the grain. ere’s really no wrong way to eat salmon.” When cutting sushi-grade sh at home, Harada says fewer accidents happen when using sharp knives. When a blade is dull, more force is exerted to make a cut, and that’s when a cook can lose control of the blade and become more open to injury. “Don’t saw at the sh,” Harada says. “Slice. Slicing is one direction – typically toward you, not away.” Fish used in quality sushi may seem at Findlay Market. e stand has been keeping a variety of mollusks available to buy individually or by the bucket. As of press time, Sen by Kiki is stocked with trout, tuna, bronzino, local tilapia, marinated and ready-to-grill octopus, bay scallop, mussels, giant prawn and more. ere also are convenient light bites ready to go along with, of course, whole sh. mysterious to the uninitiated: what does sushi-grade mean? Is sushi-grade sh better than others? Harada, who’s been serving sushi-grade sh for years, has the answer. “Sushi-grade sh is a process,” Harada says. “We’ve invested in a cryo freezer that takes everything down to -40 F. Per the health department, in the state of Ohio you have to freeze [ sh] for a certain time in order to kill o any parasites.” A regular freezer will do, he explains, but the sh freezes inappropriately and bleeds moisture, meaning all that good avor just seeps away. With a traditional freezer, sh should be frozen for around 72 hours, while sh in a cryo freezer like Harada’s only needs to freeze for 15-17 hours. “We try to get everything whole,” Harada says of the sh he purchases for the stand. “We process everything in-house, so then we take a portion of it and put it in the super freezer so we can label it sushi-grade. en we can take the consumer in the right direction when they ask for it.” For those obsessed with oysters, Sen by Kiki will become a new favorite spot at Findlay Market. e stand has been keeping a variety of mollusks available to buy individually or by the bucket. As of press time, Sen by Kiki is stocked with trout, tuna, bronzino, local tilapia, marinated and ready-to-grill octopus, bay scallop, mussels, giant prawn and more. ere also are convenient light bites ready to go along with, of course, whole sh.
Sen by Kiki is, indeed, “fresh.”
PHOTOS: MAGGY MCDONEL Sen by Kiki is, indeed, “fresh.”
PHOTOS: MAGGY MCDONEL
Sen by Kiki, Findlay Market, Sen by Kiki, Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, ndlaymarket.org/merchant/senbykiki. ndlaymarket.org/merchant/senbykiki.
