Cincinnati Magazine - December 2025 Edition

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Let it Glow

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F ind a lower p rice in the U SA? We'll match it!

We’re framing our Cincinnati favorites the right way. Introducing 91 picture-perfect ways to enjoy the Queen City.

ALMOST FAMOUS P. 52

Ever since Elvis and The Beatles spawned an army of imitators, tribute bands have been popular. Why are they having a moment now like never before?

BY CEDRIC ROSE

BRIGHTENING OUR BLIND SPOTS P. 56

A new generation of Clovernook tech designers is transforming arts and education for the visually impaired.

BY LAURIE PIKE

INSPIRE. SUPPORT. ACT.

16 / CONTRIBUTORS

16 / LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FRONTLINES

19 / DISPATCH

Hamilton makes its return to the Queen City

20 / SPEAK EASY

Bill Baumann wants to maintain Memorial Hall

20 / ART

Wonder at the wildlife in Charley Harper works

22 / GIFT GUIDE

For all the different people in your life, from CM to you

24 / STYLE COUNSEL

Kayla Taylor loves colors, prints, and layers

26 / ON THE MARKET

A contemporary ranch in Covington

28 / DR. KNOW

Your QC questions answered

COLUMNS

30 / LIVING IN CIN

Cincy’s storied history with one-way streets BY JAY GILBERT

112 / CINCY OBSCURA

Art tours, but for babies BY CLAIRE LEFTON

DINE

90 / OFF THE MENU

The return of Island Frydays’s Leo Morgan

94 / TAKEOUT HERO

Alveo’s sizable sandwiches, Mariemont

94 / TABLESIDE

Gelato Festial World

Masters Finalist Maria Liliana Biondo

96 / BAR BITES

Wakatakas at Galaxie, Covington

99 / DINING OUT GUIDE

Greater Cincinnati restaurants: A selective list

ON THE COVER cover illustration by SALLY WAITE

Extra servings of our outstanding dining coverage.

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

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

Insight and analysis as the Bengals season wraps up.

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Faces of Cincinnati

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

Up for a Challenge?

The 2025 Cincinnati Gives Challenge launches December 1. Learn more about local nonprofi ts and visit cincinnatigives.org to support your favorite cause!

COMING IN JANUARY

Smart Guide to Local Schools

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

Top Lawyers

The 2025 Top Lawyers list recognizes legal excellence in our region in a variety of specialty fields.

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

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LINDNER CENTER OF HOPE

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513-536-4673

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Fox

DESIGN DIRECTOR Brittany Dexter

DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL OPERATIONS

Amanda Boyd Walters

SENIOR EDITOR

Aiesha D. Little

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Emma Balcom

DIGITAL EDITOR

Claire Lefton

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Brianna Connock

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Carrie Blackmore, Jay Gilbert, Lisa Murtha, Laurie Pike, John Stowell, Linda Vaccariello, Jenny Wohlfarth, J. Kevin Wolfe

EDITORIAL INTERNS Sharvaree Bhalerao, Piper Cannon, Christian Geary

DIGITAL INTERNS Kennedy Garmong, Claire Rempe

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Emi Villavicencio

ART DIRECTOR Stef Hadiwidjaja

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR Sophie Kallis

ADVERTISING DESIGNER Matthew Spoleti

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR & IT SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR Vu Luong

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Lance Adkins, Hailey Bollinger, Andrew Doench, Devyn Glista, HATSUE, Chris von Holle, Jeremy Kramer, Ryan Kurtz, Lars Leetaru, Marlene Rounds, Jonny Ruzzo, Dola Sun, Catherine Grace

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ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE

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VICE PRESIDENT OF EVENTS AND SPONSORSHIP SALES

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EVENTS ASSISTANT

Charlie Jaeb

BUSINESS

OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Missy Beiting

BUSINESS COORDINATOR Meredith Carroll

CIRCULATION

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Geralyn Wilson

CIRCULATION MANAGER Riley Meyers

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PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

OONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF MY JOB AT CINCINNATI MAGAZINE IS I OFTEN GET to represent us in public settings, from speaking at meetings to interacting with people at our events. The No. 1 reaction I get, by far, is how much readers love the photography, illustrations, and overall design of the print magazine. I honestly don’t get many complaints, other than the text being occasionally too small. I always appreciate the feedback, even though I can’t take credit for the design work. As a word person, I’m tempted to sometimes respond by asking, How about that headline pun in the David Pepper profile story? Luckily for everyone involved, I keep that to myself and instead smile and say, Thank you.

This month’s Best of the City section reminds me of how talented our design team is. The magazine has been doing annual “best of” picks since 1977, with a few gap years, so you can imagine we’ve tried just about every conceivable way to illustrate the theme on the cover and in the issue itself. The writing is easier to vary each year because our picks take a mostly “year in review” approach and so tend to be current and fresh.

Associate Editor Emma Balcom took on organizing the staff picks (91 total) this year for the first time, and she worked with Design Director Brittany Dexter on a museum theme presenting a display of staff picks as art pieces. Everyone on the design and editorial staffs contributed ideas and suggestions—another strength of the magazine, I think—and Brittany pulled together contributions from local photographers and freelance artists to create a fun art gallery look and feel. I love it, and I hope you do as well.

A secondary benefit of our designers’ talent is that it attracts creatives from all over who want to be associated with the magazine, which in turn helps raise the bar even higher. The contributing artists and writer featured on this page are publishing their first Cincinnati Magazine work in this issue.

Sorry to appear so self-congratulatory here, but I’m just a big fan of our design team. Almost as much as I’m a fan of puns.

JOHN FOX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CONTRIBUTORS

ELIZABETH A. LOWRY

A lifelong food lover who grew up around the restaurant business, writer Elizabeth A. Lowry covers two local chefs this month: Leo Morgan of Island Frydays, who’s bringing his beloved Jamaican food back to Cincinnati (page 90), and uGOgelato’s Maria Liliana Biondo, a Gelato Festival World Masters finalist (page 94). “I like to share what goes on behind the scenes,” she says. “I want readers to know how hard [chefs] work.”

Brazil-based artist Leandro Lassmar lets his identity shine in every illustration he makes. The vibrancy of his art has led him to do work not just as a freelance illustrator but for a video production company as well. For “Almost Famous” (page 52), Lassmar purposely didn’t model his illustration after one specific musical act—rather, readers can choose which band it most represents.

Sally Waite has always used art as a mode of communication. As the cover artist for Cincinnati Magazine’s 2025 Best of the City (page 36), Waite uses frames to quite literally “capture” the collective city favorites, adding warmth to the page with a retro color scheme and being mindful of the diversity of the Queen City. Three words she would use to describe her work? Personal, joyful, and diverse.

LEANDRO LASSMAR

SALLY WAITE

LLONNIS DEL TORO CINTRA | PHOTOGRAPHY: AARON M. CONWAY

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DISCOVER

AT CINCINNATI NATURE CENTER

DECEMBER 5–28 • 5:30–9 PM

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Enjoy nature-inspired light installations by regional artists, including seven BLINK artists—plus live music, holiday shopping, food and drinks, and activities for all ages!

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YOU’LL BE BACK

The powerhouse Broadway musical Hamilton makes its third appearance in Cincinnati this month. SARAH

McCOSHAM

WITH A SHARP STORY AND CATCHY SOUNDTRACK, HAMILTON IS A cultural phenomenon that opened up musical theater to the masses. Like other cultural touchpoints, there’s a distinct “before” and “after” for this modern musical that continues to be part of the zeitgeist a decade after its Broadway debut.

“Hamilton continues to resonate because it’s unlike anything we’d seen in musical theater,” says returning dance captain and swing Terrance Martin. “It blends powerful storytelling with dynamic movement, striking costume and set design, and a score, rooted in Black American culture, woven with hip-hop, R&B, and gospel music, making it feel timeless and fresh for everyone.”

For proof, just look at the numbers: For Hamilton’s first stint in Cincinnati in 2019, more than 60,000 tickets were available; at the end of an objectively awesome three-week run, just nine seats remained unsold. The musical also ran in 2022, with equal success, and for its third return (December 16 to January 4), it’s expected to sell out once again.

Genevieve Holt, Broadway Across America’s vice president, Midwest, says that with three weeks of Hamilton, CONTINUED ON P.

there are still plenty of seats available—but are going fast. There’s a lot of excitement about this show, she says, adding that the upcoming cast promises a wholly unique experience even for fans who’ve attended in the past.

“One of the wonderful things about Hamilton is that they don’t try to make a character look or sound exactly the same as the people who played it in the past,” says Holt. “Every actor gets to bring a bit of their own style to the performance. ”

The same delight is felt by the actors, says Martin. “I believe what makes Hamilton truly special is its layered artistry. Every time I get to watch or perform it, something new pops out or takes center stage. It feels like every creative element is in perfect sync—like the whole creative team finished each other’s sentences. That’s rare with shows. And that’s why it sticks with people all around the world.”

and impacting many lives around him— for better or worse.” To illustrate this, the actor shares one of his favorite moments, from Act Two, called “Hurricane”: “After being confronted by his peers, Hamilton reflects amid a storm of the people and furniture that depict some of the choices that shaped his life. The staging, lighting, and music create an unforgettable climax for me every single time. I feel like we all know a Hamilton.”

Be in the room where it happens. Hamilton is one of only two Broadway in Cincinnati shows that play for extra weeks.

If you’re new to musicals, you’ll be in good company in the audience…and definitely not the only one experiencing Hamilton for the first time. “Each time we welcome the show back, I see more kids attending,” says Holt. “Kids who weren’t even born when the show premiered 10-plus years ago will be at the Aronoff knowing every lyric, every song, every Schuyler sister dance step.”

There is a universality about Hamilton that makes it timeless, Martin adds.“At its core, it tells a deeply human, truly American story: a young immigrant chasing his legacy, navigating ambition at any cost,

There are currently four productions of Hamilton running simultaneously around the world: New York, London, a UK Tour, and a North American Tour. Between the cast, crew, musicians, and managers, there are nearly 85 people working backstage to make every single performance happen. The energy required for night-afternight shows is extraordinary. To ensure the cast stays healthy, a fulltime physical therapist travels with the company who is available before, during, and after each performance.

For Hamilton’s upcoming run in Cincinnati, Martin says he’s excited to visit the Queen City in the winter: “I’ve already got my food list ready—Nolia Kitchen, Boca, Saturday Morning Vibes Cereal Bar, and Café Mochiko are all musts. I’m also hoping to revisit the Cincinnati Zoo and check out Nostalgia Wine and Jazz Lounge.” (All excellent picks!) The actor adds that Cincinnati has always been one of his favorite cities on tour, and he can’t wait to experience it all over again. We can’t wait, either.

WONDER IN THE WOODS

Support the mission of the Cincinnati Nature Center by marveling at the woodland creatures depicted in wildlife art. Beginning December 11, Woodland Wonders features the illustrations of renowned local illustrator Charley Harper. cincynature.org ART

MEMORIALIZING MEMORIAL HALL

As chair emeritus of the Cincinnati Memorial Hall Society, Bill Baumann has been involved with fund-raising efforts for the maintenance and preservation of the iconic Queen City landmark for more than 13 years. After visiting the hall for the first time in 2009, Baumann was struck by both its beauty and disrepair.

From booking big name musicians to perform in its halls to raising millions of dollars for repair efforts, the head of the Society has since ensured that Memorial Hall will live on in splendor for years to come.

What did you think of Memorial Hall the first time you were inside? I remember walking up and taking a seat. I [thought], this can’t be. This is like a secret place. It’s like a time capsule. I just thought it was so beautiful inside and of the period. There were holes in the ceiling. It was not in very good shape at all.

Why is Memorial Hall important to you?

If we would be able to raise the funds to restore this building and modernize this building, this city would have a cultural district just by that. We began to talk to people

like the county [and] potential funders. We were not talking about restoring one building, we were talking about creating something much bigger, and I think people responded to that. Funders responded to things. What really saved this building is that it found a contemporary use and that contemporary use is that theater. There is the historical importance, architectural importance, the patriotic element of this building, and the contemporary use. I say that we’re in the second golden age.

What have been some of the successes in the past 12 years?

Number one is that we’ve developed a strong dedicated board, from six people to 30 people, of all ages and from all over the city. I put very high up the executive director, Cori Wolff. Definitely the partnership that has been developed with Hamilton County, 3CDC, and the residents of the city. This is a model of what can be accomplished. This has been more successful than we could have imagined.

—GARIN PIRNIA

READ A LONGER INTERVIEW WITH BILL AT CINCINNATIMAGAZINE. COM.

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Green thumb

C u s t o m P l a n t P o t s Custom Plant Pots

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Bookworm

B o ok Jo u r n a l Book Journal

With room for up to 50 entries, this book journal includes space to record your favorite page-turners with assorted checklists, reading notes, and in-depth reviews. $34.95, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, josephbeth.com

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Kayla Taylor

STYLE: Vintage/thrifty meets modern

OCCUPATION: Style and beauty content creator, styling team manager for Stitch Fix | @glowwithkayla__

How do vintage pieces inspire your style and content? I love taking secondhand finds and styling them. I love bold colors, structure, mixing prints, anything like that. [I love] to be able to show that you can easily weave unique vintage pieces into your wardrobe every day, outside of just trends. Who or what inspires your fashion taste? My grandmother, because she was the first person I saw who was extremely fashion-forward—she loved suits and loved anything with structure. Which piece in your closet do you love the most? It’s a houndstooth and plaid green blazer. I think it’s so significant because it reminds me of my grandmother. When you’re putting together an outfi what’s your starting point? I always start with my accessories. Accessories are my favorite thing to play with. Who are some of your style icons? My number one is Tracee Ellis Ross. Very chic, very bold, very effortless, like that girl. Lauryn Hill, she does a really nice job of mixing comfy with chic. She also has a really nice way of demonstrating street style, but also a feminine look. Rihanna, obviously. I want to pay homage to our girl, Diane Keaton. She was fully clothed, but she would serve a look. What advice would you give someone trying to find their style today? Don’t be so caught up on what people have told you to be. Learn how to break down those barriers, because you’re never going to be able to fully see your full potential if you’re so caught up on what the world is telling you to do and what people are telling you to do. You have to try every little thing in order to really figure out who you are. —PIPER CANNON

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MILLION-DOLLAR DWELLING

A CONTEMPORARY COVINGTON RANCH FEATURES THOUGHTFUL DESIGN, LUXURIOUS AMENITIES, AND SPECTACULAR SKYLINE VIEWS. —JEANA HARRIS

TTHE PHRASE “MILLION-DOLLAR VIEWS” IS SOMETIMES TOSSED AROUND too easily when describing a home’s enviable vantage point. But for 716 Western Ave., the description could not be more apt. From its hillside perch at the base of Devou Park, all the amenities of Covington are close by, while downtown Cincinnati is just a stone’s throw away.

Built in 2022, the ranch embraces a contemporary design, with dark painted brick and black trim windows. The front and garage doors pop against the moody palette with their woodgrain warmth. Their Mid-Century Modern style feels delightfully retro.

Inside, the open concept is light and bright, with sleek finishes throughout. “The seamless flow from the living space to the oversized deck makes it perfect for entertaining,” says listing agent Olivia Ruch.

Even with a generous footprint of more than 3,000 square feet, the home’s careful design ensures there are no bad views. “What truly sets

this property apart is the breathtaking view,” says Ruch. “From nearly every room, you can take in sweeping sights of Covington, Newport, and the Cincinnati skyline.”

There are two primary suites, one on the main level and one on the lower level, and each opens onto a deck overlooking the city. Because the lower-level deck is covered (and features a hot tub), it “creates a perfect retreat to enjoy the skyline year-round,” says Ruch. Another bedroom on the lower level brings the total to three, plus two full bathrooms and one half-bath.

The home’s layout, combined with its stellar sights, makes it perfectly suited for hosting. On one side of the kitchen, a built-in mini bar offers two wine fridges, open shelving, and counter prep space. Guests will enjoy additional rec space on the lower level, where the doors can be opened to connect with the covered deck. It’s a rare chance to combine milliondollar views with million-dollar living.

I collect old high-society “blue books” and recently got a Cincinnati one from 1919. Several pages have ads from the phone company that are really pushy, telling you to not gossip or talk too long, don’t abuse the operator, etc., or your phone could be confiscated! I’m sending you images of the pages.

—CINCINNATI HELL

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

in its infancy in 1919, one would think that the gentry listed in Mrs. Devereraux’s Blue Book of Cincinnati Society would, by definition, behave only with the finest of manners—holding the earpiece with their pinky extended, and needing no raps on the knuckles from the phone company. Apparently not.

The ads you’ve provided suggest a high-strung clientele in need of some chill. Answer the damn phone when it rings! But when you’re the one calling, don’t hang up too soon! And smile when you talk! And don’t talk too long, especially on a party line! (Do blue-book people stoop to having party lines?) And stop cursing out the operator, she’s got a hard enough job! We literally have the right to take your phone away if you don’t behave! Seems like some blue-blood Cincinnati blue-bookers used to work blue. Thanks for your gift.

In Westwood on Harrison Avenue, there are two old adjacent buildings that were going to become a pair of upscale restaurants. Big signs showed beautiful renderings. I looked forward to the grand openings, but now the big signs are gone. What is, or isn’t, happening there? —TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT

DEAR EAT:

DEAR HELL:

This is a first: Instead of the Doctor receiving a quirky question, he gets a ready-made quirky answer. Even the evidence is included. Merry Christmas, everyone! While it’s true that telephone etiquette was

The best laid plans sometimes lay about. They sometimes are ultimately laid to rest. How fitting, then, that a former funeral home might be the final resting place of near-deceased plans. Say a prayer for Westwood’s long-gone Bolton & Lunsford Funeral Home on Harrison Avenue, which consists of two conjoined historic buildings. The Doctor reported in September 2023 that they were going to transform into two upscale restaurants, but the City Planning Commission rejected the drawings, claiming that two large solariums envisioned for the front would obstruct the view of these “historic” buildings. All is not lost. While the Planning Commission forbids obstructing the view

of these buildings, they just might be OK with completely demolishing them and constructing an entirely new structure that “fits the character of Westwood’s Town Hall District.” At this point the Doctor must add that he received this information second-hand, and so events may not be as ridiculous as they seem. Then again, we are talking about city government, so...

The controversy over the height of proposed new buildings on Hyde Park Square reminded me of something. I once lived in the Al’aise Building on the corner and was told that an entire extra floor had been added there. Is that true, and if so, did people oppose it the way they do today? —A TALL TALE

DEAR TALL:

The only lingering controversy concerning your former residence is about how it’s spelled. Various stories about its architectural beauty have spelled it Al’aise , like you do, but also as A L’aise. Your preference is used most often, but perhaps that “Al” strikes some as looking suspiciously like a common steak sauce. Hyde Park can’t allow that!

As for the building growing an extra floor, that story is true. The Al’aise Building (we’ll go with that spelling) suff ered a massive fi re in 1927. While just about everything inside was destroyed, all the residents escaped. The most severe injury was suffered by Cincinnati’s Fire Chief, who was thrust down a marble staircase by an errant fireman’s hose. Fragging? We’ll never know.

The structure barely survived, and when it was rebuilt the half-story upper fl oor was increased to full size. No records indicate that anyone complained. Hey, almost one quarter of the Square’s stores and residences had been made vacant by the fire, so everyone was happy. Well, maybe not the Fire Chief.

MAKE GREAT GIFTS!

LIVING IN CIN

BY JAY GILBERT

One Way? No Way!

CINCINNATI’S ONE-WAY STREETS WERE A WELCOME SOLUTION, AND THEN THEY WEREN’T.

If you commute along Greenup Street or Scott Street in Covington, you may want to avoid this story. It will only increase your current anxiety. Both streets have recently switched from one-way to two-way traffic, so the stress is literally coming straight at you.

When Greenup and Scott first became one-way streets in 1954, it helped smooth out traffic flow, improve safety for pedestrians, and give a boost to the area’s economic activity. Changing it back to two-way, though, should definitely help smooth out traffic flow, improve safety for pedestrians, and give a boost to the area’s economic activity. I feel better already.

It is ever thus across Greater Cincinnati. Just as we skid back and forth electing our

political leaders, we randomly swap directions on our streets, never agreeing about which way works best. Cincinnati drivers have been jerked around like this ever since the first citywide crack at a one-way street grid in 1916. Again and again, we’ve been forced to go this way and then that. Or that way and then this. Or partially this and partially that, but only during certain hours of the day. And never on weekends. Or only on weekends. Repeat. Regret. Reroute.

That proposed 1916 ordinance included early versions of things we now take for granted, like bans on U-turns and time limits on parking. But by the time the ordinance finally passed, the one-way streets section had disappeared. Too many people hated the idea.

Police Chief William Copelan announced that he’d back the proposal only if every north/south street had total right of way top to bottom and every east/west street had stop signs at each intersection. If I’d been around back then, I would have sold tickets to see that.

They tried again in 1920, proposing a grid that looked much like the one we have today, with some differences. Streetcars, for instance, would run in the center both ways. Parking would be on the right side of one-way streets and on two-ways on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., but coal deliveries had to wait until 11 a.m.

Anyone trying to synchronize their pocket watch—while gazing at the tower clocks, which didn’t agree—also dealt with an additional and interesting situation: Cincinnati was in the midst of battling over what the hell time it was. For years the city was so desperate to get itself squeezed into the Eastern Time Zone (we were CST until 1927) that we started faking it.

City Council passed a “more daylight” law that added one hour to local clocks. That law was fighting its way to the Ohio Supreme Court just as these crazy parking rules were being tossed around. Excuse me, I want to park here. Do you have time to help me figure out the time?

THIS WOULD BE A GOOD TIME (HA!) TO recall several circumstances that made Cincinnati traffic infinitely worse a century ago. Major streets back then were half as wide as they are today and were clogged with horses and horse-drawn wagons. We

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have a streetcar today that sometimes gets in our way, but not hundreds of them running in both directions on fixed tracks along dozens of streets. We may grumble about driving on roads with speed bumps and bike lanes and potholes, but we don’t have to drive on cobblestones or gravel or just plain dirt.

So imagine everything I described above, and spice it up by peppering random people strolling between moving vehicles—maybe stopping to chat with friends—while carefully avoiding the horse shit.

The 1920 one-way plan failed, so another proposal was attempted in 1922. It went through two more years of negotia-

For instance, on April 8, 1924, Edward Baumgardner deliberately drove the wrong way on Main Street, was pulled over, refused to turn his vehicle around, and demanded to be arrested. As a member of the Main Street Merchants Association, he’d volunteered to be the designated poster boy for challenging the new one-way ordinance.

To his disappointment, he received only a citation, so Baumgardner skipped showing up at his court hearing. That worked, and out came the handcuffs. At his highly publicized trial, various people testifi ed that one-way streets had created dangerous speeders, impossible parking, and—most significantly—empty stores.

Also remember that, before the automobile, it was perfectly normal for pedestrians to wander into the street anywhere anytime. Jaywalking was not even a concept until laws against it began showing up in the early 1900s, with weak enforcement.

tions before becoming official, assigning various chunks of downtown street to go in one direction or another, or both. I will spare you the ordinance’s final dizzying details other than to point out that some people really hated it.

Even though Baumgardner lost his case and had to pay the fine, Main Street merchants kept fighting. By the 1930s they’d managed to restore two-way traffic along several blocks. More street victories and defeats continued into the 1940s. I’ve done us all a favor by not even mentioning how many of those battles and grand

plans included Cincinnati’s doomed subway. You’re welcome.

AMERICA’S VICTORY IN WORLD WAR II wasprobably the worst thing that ever happened to Cincinnati traffic. The boys came home, igniting an explosion of auto sales that coincided with a stampede to the suburbs. Downtown’s approaching decline wasn’t yet obvious, but the nightmare of getting there on city streets from places like Blue Ash and White Oak definitely was.

In response, City Hall created the Cincinnati Metropolitan Master Plan of 1948. Putting aside its horrors of obliterating entire neighborhoods—mostly majority Black ones—the plan helped develop our network of interstates and horizontal highways, which did noticeably improve the city’s overall driving experience.

What it missed, though, was addressing the neighborhood streets feeding into those highways and the downtown streets that were now overloaded with suburban

commuters. There was only one way to address the problem: one-ways! And after Cincinnati’s streetcars were retired and removed, a truly comprehensive one-way grid was implemented.

On July 13, 1952, our new downtown layout said Hello! and the city held its breath. Newspapers had printed maps. Extra cops were on duty. By dusk of that first day, downtown was still standing. Good job, everyone!

That first day, however, was a Sunday, and the following day would be the true test.

Monday saw thunderstorms, some bottlenecks, and a number of bus riders waiting at stops that no longer existed—but the overall assessment was that things went pretty smoothly.

As for neighborhood streets, they got scattershot attention over subsequent years. In 1964, for example, the McMillan and Taft/Calhoun street approaches to University of Cincinnati were targeted to become one-ways. Four years later it still hadn’t happened.

Then our brand-new Cincinnati Bengals started playing on Sundays at Nippert Stadium, and the one-ways miraculously appeared for just those games. They soon became permanent. Until 2012, that is, when portions of both streets returned to going both ways.

Ever thus. There’s the human tendency to get weary of a current system’s drawbacks and start feeling like those old drawbacks weren’t so bad. It’s ever thus here. Kind of like the recent trend to go back to buying vinyl records or to reconnect the landline.

There’s been talk in Cincinnati of turning Vine and Race streets downtown back into two-ways from the riverfront to Central Parkway. Retro moves have already happened in outer neighborhoods here and there, and they seem to have satisfied people living and working there.

Let’s make sure, though, to check back in 30 years. We’ll likely debate whether to switch directions yet again. Our roads go on forever, but they never stay the same.

The best of the city’s past, present and future.

Now carrying Stressless®!

BEST CITY

BY

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

of

the

We’re putting Cincinnati on a pedestal, featuring 91 ways to eat, shop, and live in the city.

CHEESE PULL

Carmelo’s Mozzarella

When you sit down at Carmelo’s, don’t skip the shareable mozzarella. Served with grilled focaccia and olive oil, this perfect dollop of cheese is plated to order and will require a fork and knife to enjoy. Dig in and get ready to see how far you can pull the cheesy goodness before you’re too hungry to wait any longer. • 434 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 287-4700, eatatcarmelos.com

VEGAN MILKSHAKES

Tickle Pickle

Those who are vegan or dairy free don’t have to go through life without the joy of a milkshake. Tickle Pickle’s milkshake menu can also be made using vegan ice cream. From the classic Vanilla Ice to the Flan Halen to the chocolatey Goobie Brother (most items on the menu are named after musical icons), just ask for the vegan alternative and get ready to enjoy. • 4176 Hamilton Ave., Northside, (513) 954-4003; 915 N. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas, (859) 815-8085, ordertickle.com

TATTOO SHOP

White Whale Tattoo

From fine line work to American traditional to black and grayscale and everything in between, the talented roster at this downtown studio is well-versed in any tattoo style you desire. They also happen to be artists, so consider commissioning their original works and flash pieces. Keep an eye out for guest artists and flash events for exclusive designs. • 722 Main St., downtown, whitewhaletattoo.com

RESURRECTION

Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club

Almost six years after being destroyed by a wayward barge in 2019, the floating club reopened in May, bringing tropical vibes and yacht rock back to this riverfront marina. The deck was one of the best riverboat-watching spots during America’s River Roots weekend in October. • 860 Elm St., Ludlow, (859) 581-7822, ludlow bromleyyachtclub.net

TREASURE TROVE OF WEIRD THINGS

Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub

You know you can take your hard-to-recycle plastics to the Hub, but did you know you can shop there, too? On the fourth floor, browse the selection of tile, fabrics, planters, office supplies, and more, priced by the pound (either 25 cents or $1, as well as specially marked items) or free. More people are recycling at the Hub, so your purchases can help it expand—and keep items out of the landfill. • 911 Evans St., Queensgate, (513) 629-9040, cintirrh.org

POOL PARTY

Adult Swim at Ziegler Pool

Who doesn’t love a good pool party? Especially when you don’t have to worry about watching the kids or getting splashed by them. On select days throughout the summer, the Ziegler Park Pool opens after hours for a 21+ bash with music and drinks. If you’re lucky, you can catch a performance from the Rhinestones synchronized swim team. • zieglerpark.org/feature/pool/information

Spruce Nail Shop

Spruce up your mani-pedi at Spruce, which mostly uses products that are free of toxic and harsh materials (you can only get regular or gel polish here). Appointments are organized into tiers based on the complexity of the nail art you want—feel free to get creative and book Tier 3 or go for a custom appointment. In addition to nails, Spruce also offers a variety of facial services—but remember that all services are by appointment only. • 905 E. McMillan St., East Walnut Hills, (513) 221-0074; 1818 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 8188749, sprucenailshop.com

NAIL SALON

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS

HorrorHound Weekend

These twice-annual horror conventions are the perfect opportunities to see your favorite stars all in one place. Meet-and-greets, photo-ops, and panels are filled with horror icons from both classic films and new cult hits. Past guests include Tobin Bell, Skeet Ulrich, Melissa Barrera, Linda Blair, Ti West, Robert Englund, Sam Raimi, Matthew Lillard, Cole Sprouse, Bruce Campbell, Michael Rooker, Giancarlo Esposito, and many more. • Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Rd., Sharonville, horrorhoundweekend.com

CHEESE CURDS

The Oak Tavern

Any sports bar worth its salt will have perfected its appetizer menu, and The Oak Tavern is no exception—especially when it comes to fried cheese curds. An order comes with a heaping pile of crispy creamy goodness. While you can pop a whole curd in your mouth, the real fun comes from the hot stretchy cheese pull. These babies are served up with a side of spicy jalapeño ranch for dipping, rounding out the dairy-packed experience. • 3089 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 321-6258, oaktavernoakley.com

SPECIALTY LATTES

Haven Café

The simple interior at this Oakley café is in stark contrast to the complex espresso and matcha lattes being whipped up behind the bar. Using only organic and housemade ingredients, Haven makes adventurous lattes for adventurous customers. Try the tiramisu latte, barista breakfast (latte topped with your choice of gluten free cereal), marshmallow matcha latte, or any of the rotating seasonal drinks. • 4409 Brazee St., Oakley, havencafespa.com

TIKI BAR

Tiki Tiki

Bang

Bang

When your bartender wears a captain’s hat and goes by “Skipper,” you know you’re in for a pleasure cruise. Cast away with cocktails like the Dole Whip Painkiller, a sweet and frosty rum concoction. Tiki masks on the walls, octopus tentacles crawling over the ceiling, and a wide variety of rums reinforce the vacation vibes. Through the month of December, the Sippin’ Santa pop-up takes over, bringing a tropical touch to your holiday.

• 965 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, (513) 5599500, bangbangtiki.com

THE FACES OF CINCINNATI

Introducing our favorite people, pets, and personas.

LOCAL RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE

FINALIST

LEXI LOVE

The Florence native skated her way into the hearts of Drag Race judges and audiences alike during season 17.

AMBASSADOR DUCK KIWI

The late Longbottom Bird rescue ambassador, a Peking duck, made the most out of life, becoming an artist and a TV personality.

SPORTS SIGNING EVANDER

FC Cincinnati signed the Brazilian midfielder back in February and he’s been making fútbol magic ever since.

SHOP CAT

CELEBRITY SHOUTOUT SARAH JESSICA PARKER

RISING POLITICIAN MAC

Cool stores deserve the coolest pets and the voids at Hierophany & Hedge do their jobs with pride.

The hometown favorite called Cincinnati a “very impressive, exciting city” on the Call Her Daddy podcast this summer.

The dog mayor of Norwood lifts the spirits of his constituency by promising to be the goodest boy.

GNOCCHI

Nicola’s Ristorante

A plate of gnocchi graces many Italian restaurant menus around town but when compared to Nicola’s version? Well, there is no comparison. Made fresh in-house daily, its slightly crispy potato exterior gives way to a pillowy texture that melts on the tongue, enhanced by a four-cheese fondue and Italian truffle shavings. No wonder it’s been on the menu since the restaurant’s early days. We can’t wait to have this delectable dish when Nicola’s moves downtown to the former Pigall’s space next year. • 1420 Sycamore St., Pendleton, (513) 721-6200, nicolasotr.com

MANGO LASSI

Krishna Indian Restaurant and Carry Out

This sweet and refreshing lassi is the perfect way to cool down from an extra spicy curry. What makes the drink at Krishna stand out? Fresh mangoes are blended with homemade yogurt, giving it an extra tang that compliments the fruit. Just to round out the flavor, the lassi is finished with a touch of sugar for a perfectly sweet and tart experience. • 313 Calhoun St., CUF, (513) 961-2878, krishnacarryoutcincy.com

LAMPSHADES

Palette Studios

PLANT NURSERY FOR EDIBLES GROWING VALUE NURSERY

SOCIAL MEDIA SENSATION

SOFTMAXPLUS

The Queen City has never needed a cynical, beer-guzzling clown more than right now.

BABY GORILLA

MBOKA JO

Gladys gave birth to a healthy baby boy in September, making him the 51st gorilla born at the Cincinnati Zoo. (Mboka means community or village, and Jo is for Gladys’s foster father Jomo.)

ALTERNATIVE NEWS SOURCE

HOOD NEWS 75 Lamenuel Scales (@hilariousscales on Instagram) offers us a funnier, laid-back approach to news in the tri-state.

Need the perfect shade to complement the powder room wallpaper? Or a replacement for grandma’s antique floor lamp? Palette Studios can help, whether there’s something in stock or you need a custom creation. The electricity magicians there can also rewire that old table lamp with a frayed cord or turn grandpa’s oil lamp into an electric light. The business has been around since 1912; longtime owner Sharon Denight, who helped restore Music Hall’s chandelier, passed away earlier this year. • 2501 Woodburn Ave., Walnut Hills, (513) 961-1316, palettestudios.com

CLEAN GIRL AESTHETIC

Skin by Brownlee & Co.

With the help of celebrities like Alicia Keyes and Pamela Anderson, a “no makeup” movement is slowly growing, and Sylvia Brownlee’s products are perfectly positioned to lead the charge. The local veteran esthetician has been helping individuals tackle their acne and hyperpigmentation issues with her Skin by Brownlee & Co. line for a decade. Earlier this year, she launched her Toned collection, focusing on creams and serums that brighten uneven skin tones and minimize dark spots over time. • skinbybrown leeandco.com

This perennial edible nursery grows foods you’d be hard-pressed to find at your everyday grocery store. Find goumi, aronia, and honey berries, pawpaws, persimmons, spice bush, chestnuts, and more at Growing Value’s expansive nursery. Just be sure to check its walk-in shopping hours or make an appointment for one-on-one help with plant selections before stopping by. • 411 Resor Ave., Clifton, (513) 259-3504, cincinnatiperma cultureinstitute. org/growing-valuenursery

FESTIVE COFFEE

Eggnog Cappuccino from Urbana Café

Urbana is helping customers get in the holiday spirit first thing in the morning with a simple yet delectable Eggnog Cappuccino. Just as the name implies, this drink is one of Urbana’s normal cappuccinos, but the steamed milk is combined with an Ohio-crafted eggnog from Hartzler Family Dairy. The nog brings an extra level of richness and creaminess that highlights the chocolate and caramel notes of the café’s signature espresso blend. Perfect for sipping on a chilly December day. • Multiple locations, urbanacafe.com

HOT DOG

Quite Frankly’s the Pumba

This next-level hot dog, which can only be found at the Quite Frankly food truck, may change your life. The quarter-pound beef frank is piled high with savory pulled pork, Carolina barbecue sauce, chopped onion, and homemade apple butter (yes, you read that right). This is a dog so good that it won second place in the entrée category of the 2023 and 2025 Taste of Cincinnati’s Best of Taste food truck competition. Follow @quitefranklyllc on Instagram to find the truck’s next stop. • (513) 289-7185 or (513) 515-5140, quitefranklyllc.weebly.com

GROCERY STORE

Dorothy Lane Market

Dorothy Lane Market’s highly anticipated Mason location opened its doors back in August to great fanfare, the first new store in 23 years and the first outside of its hometown stomping grounds of Dayton. One trip will tell you why it’s received so much attention. From the dry-aging chamber in the butcher shop to the gourmet cheese selection to the wine bar, everything gleams with the store equivalent of the new car smell. We get the feeling this will last long after the pomp and circumstance dies down. • 7200 Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 229-2500, dorothylane.com/locations/mason

MONTHLY JAM

Treasuretronics’s Synth Jam

Enter Treasuretronics on the first Friday night of each month and be transported back to a time when synthesizers were king. The store—which specializes in synthesizer keyboards, billing itself as the city’s “official KORG dealer”—encourages local synth artists, musicians, and other synthesists to bring their boards, drum machines, or modulars and jam out. To sign up for a performance, just call the store or stop by during business hours. • 3916 North Bend Rd., Cheviot, (513) 518-1271, treasuretronics.com

DECAF COFFEE

Coffee Emporium

Coffee Emporium sources its beans from familyowned farms across South America and Africa to curate its selection of richly flavored coffee grounds available to customers. To create its selection of decaf—available in most of the same flavors as its fully caffeinated counterpart—beans are repeatedly soaked in massive pools of water to remove caffeine before being roasted at Coffee Emporium’s roasting house in Over-the-Rhine. The result is a flavor profile just as delicious as your normal cup o’ joe. • 110 E. Central Pkwy., Over-the-Rhine, (514) 651-5483; 3316 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-5943; coffee-emporium.com

WRITERS GROUP

Cincinnati Writers Group

Your Great American Novel isn’t going to write itself, so start putting pen to paper with the Cincinnati Writers Group. Meeting twice a week in Clifton, CWG uses the “Pomodoro Technique,” which involves 20-minute writing sprints with five-minute breaks in between. The free meetup is for those who prefer a more communal writing experience as opposed to the tortured solitary one the art form is typically known for. Sign up for the newsletter to get all of the details about the group’s comings and goings. • halcarltonford. com/cincinnati-writers-group

SENSORY DEPRIVATION TANKS

Enhancing Your World

There are so few places where you can truly disconnect from the outside world and just be. Take an hour to reconnect with yourself, recenter your mind, and tune in to your body with a float session at Enhancing Your World in Newport (formerly Think Tank Flotation). Inside the tank everything is dark and warm. Magnesium sulfate—basically, extra strength Epsom salt—makes you extra buoyant, so you can float effortlessly and experience some real me time. • 521 Monmouth St., Newport, (859) 979-5505, enhancingyourworld.com

ANTIQUE CHIC

The

VINTAGE PURSES

SLOW RIDE

VINTAGE

There’s nothing better than a purse that your grandma would have had, and the vintage purse selection at Slow Ride Vintage is truly something special. If you’re in the market for a new (old) bag—whether it be designer, Coach, Prada, Dooney & Bourke, Y2K vibes, or something in between—stop in. While the bags never last long, there’s always something new coming in. Follow @slowridevintage on Instagram to see the shop’s latest finds. • 307 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue

VINTAGE

CASSETTES

FEEL IT

RECORD SHOP

Looking for an obscure old cassette? Feel It Record Shop probably has it on its wall filled with stacks upon stacks of vintage cassette tapes—some for as cheap as 99 cents. The collection comes from walk-ins (the store buys cassettes, LPs, CDs, and more), while others are found during the Feel It team’s travels in search of new inventory. • 356 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, (513) 291-3322, feelitrecordshop.com

CHARMS AND KEYCHAINS

DISCO TITS

VINTAGE

Bring that McDonald’s Happy Meal toy you got in 2004 over to Disco Tits Vintage and have owner Maria Johnson make it into

your next keychain. Don’t have one? That’s fine—you can also choose from the premade rows upon rows of purse charms and key chains available at the shop. From Littlest Pet Shop to Smurfs to Winnie the Pooh, your inner child will awaken as you peruse the selection. Follow @discotitsvintage to see the shop’s hours and inventory. • 2100

W. Eighth St., Lower Price Hill

VINTAGE BOOKS

CONVEYOR

BELT BOOKS

Check out thousands of used and vintage books at this Covington bookstore. Whether you’re looking for a specific rare find or a trendy classic, you’ll find something worth a read among the shelves and shelves of titles at Conveyor Belt Books. The shop specializes in books covering literature, poetry, art, essays, philosophy,

film, and music. If you have a book collection to sell or donate, you can bring them by for consideration. • 410 W. Pike St., Covington,(859) 360-2311, conveyorbeltbooks. com

PHYSICAL MEDIA

WELL MADE

VINTAGE

While there are racks and racks of affordable vintage clothes, don’t skip checking out the other items

at Well Made Vintage. From VHS tapes to video games to sports memorabilia and even unique wall art (almost everything you see hung up around the store is for sale) you’ll find the very best yard sale picks and throwback items here. • 341

W. Fourth St., downtown, (317) 430-4861, wellmadevtg.com

SIP AND SHOP

RIVERSIDE

ANTIQUE MALL

What’s better than having a drink while you shop vintage finds? Riverside Antique Mall and Swampwater Grill share a building, and visitors are invited to order a drink at the bar to enjoy as they wander the nearly 100 different booths in the 22,000-squarefoot space next door. • 3742 Kellogg Ave., East End, (513) 9962014, riversideanti quescincy.com

Movers Ultimate

Don’t get this local moving company confused with the 2022 comedy. Ranked the No. 1 moving company in the region by Local Movers, Movers Ultimate was founded by firefighter Ben Rood and real estate agent Eli Cupp and offers services transporting furniture and other belongings, conducting in-home moving, long-distance moves, and even junk removal. Further, each mover hired by the company has a minimum of 200 moves under their belt—so you know you’re dealing with the best of the best. • 3265 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 513-5859, moversultimate.com

PLACE TO ADOPT A CAT

Ohio Alley Resource

For more than 25 years, this nonprofit cat shelter does it all—bringing furry friends together with new owners, offering low-cost spay and neuter services for both pets and strays, and employing trap-neuter-return programs. In 2024 alone, Ohio Alley Resource adopted out more than 1,300 cats, from weeks-old kittens to sweet, aging seniors. Stop by to play, pet, and socialize the cats, or come to take advantage of OAR’s BOGO cat sales. • 5619 Orlando Pl., (513) 871-0185, ohioalleycat.org

NATIONAL EXPOSURE Freekbass on Fallon

When Jimmy Fallon did his semi-regular Tonight Show bit about lookalikes on September 29, one viewer sent in an image of Chris “Freekbass” Sherman from Cincinnati Magazine’s July story about the musician-turned-TikTok-star. Fallon got his audience chanting “Freekbass, Freekbass!” before dressing up like him to mirror one of Devyn Glista’s funky photos. Next step: A Tonight Show guest spot?

VEGAN SANDWICH

Harmony Plant Fare

This Findlay Market eatery has everything from dips and sauces to sweets, but the 100 percent plant-based sandwich menu steals the show. If you want something warm, try the Buffalo chicken ranch (soy curls, Buffalo sauce, cashew ranch, celery, red onion, and lettuce on Allez Bakery sourdough). Rather have a cold sandwich? Order the chickpea tu-no salad (smashed chickpea salad, lettuce, and tomato on Allez Bakery sourdough). • 1801 Race St., Over-theRhine, (513) 818-2839, harmonyplantfare.com

THIRD SPACE

The Magic Garden

Dedicated to connecting with the land through community building, The Magic Garden holds space for those seeking connection and creativity. With a team of volunteers, the space plays host to a number of community-centered activities and educational events, including clean-up days, garden and art workshops, clothing swaps, and growing vegetables and flowers in its 13 garden beds. • 236 Albion Place, Mt. Auburn, welcometoearthhouse.com/ themagicgarden

WALK-UP PIZZA

Guardia Pizza & Bar

If you’re hungry during an evening stroll or after a night out in Mt. Lookout Square, Guardia Pizza & Bar is the spot for a quick and easy bite. Walk up to the drive-thru style window right on the sidewalk for pizza-by-the-slice, taking your pick between cheese, pepperoni, New New York (featuring fragrant fresh basil) or burrata (complete with a giant, gooey ball of burrata cheese right on top). • 3200 Linwood Ave., Mt. Lookout, (513) 818-4900, guardiacincy.com

ASL CLASSES  ST. RITA SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF

Since 1915, St. Rita School for the Deaf has been serving children in our community. But did you know you can also learn ASL there? A nine-week session costs $100, and there are four experience levels. Instructors focus on real-world communication and are experienced teachers and translators. Winter session starts at the beginning of December, while spring classes start in March. • 1720 Glendale Milford Rd., Evendale, (513) 771-7600, srsdeaf.org

King Pigeon

This bar gives mixology a whole new meaning, using equipment more commonly found in a laboratory to make its unique beverages. Owner Nick Kallenberg deepens the flavors, textures, and appearances of his cocktails by using methods such as centrifugation (using a medical-grade centrifuge to clarify liquids), milk-washed clarification, cryo-concentration, and rapid-infusion for a menu unlike any other. Plus, the menu (which changes twice per year, once each for warm and cold weather) follows the story of a cute little pigeon’s adventures. • 2436 Gilbert Ave., East Walnut Hills, (513) 2213000, kingpigeoncinci.com

OLD WEST BAR

Annie Oakley’s

From the second you pass through swingin’ saloon doors, you’ll know this isn’t any ordinary bar. Annie Oakley’s is named after the sharpshooter herself with all the Wild West theming to go with it, like a bar riddled with bullets and engraved with a timeline of Oakley’s exploits, a player piano plonking out modern pop hits, historical photos lining the walls, and a menu full of whisky and tequila-based drinks. • 4016 Allston Rd., Oakley, (513) 531-2643, @annieoak leycincy on Instagram

TAXIDERMY

Hail Records & Oddities

If you’re looking for a one-stop-shop where you can pick up the newest indie vinyl and a stuffed peacock to mount on your wall, try Hail. Each room in the small Covington shop is lined with unique taxidermy pieces, all of which have names, and many of which are not for sale. The owners seek out these pieces through antique sellers and then decide which ones get a “NFS” tag based on how much they personally like them. So, while some may come and go, pieces like Totes Magoats, Berry the Bear, and Roarwee will always be around to help you pick out some records. • 720 Main St., Covington, (859) 261-0107, hailcincinnati.com

BUTCHER SHOP

Rekas Butchery & Delicatessen

Rekas is a descendant of the old-school delicatessens of yesteryear that once dotted Greater Cincinnati’s landscape. Owned by Shelbi and Ashley Nation, the joint is an offshoot of Wyoming Meat Market, where Shelbi learned the ropes of whole-animal butchery. She brings that knowledge to Rekas in the form of Angus porterhouse and Ohio-raised Wagyu rib eye, among other beautiful cuts of meat that you’ll drool over. And if you’re not into cooking at home, there’s an assortment of sandwiches, entrées, and sides to choose from, including two-baked potatoes and Wagyu roast beef sandos. • 401 Scott St., Covington, (859) 415-0091, instagram.com/rekas_butcher

KIDS ONLY

Greater Cincinnati has no lack of favorite ways to encourage children to get out, enjoy, and learn.

COMPETE

For more than 50 years, the Kids First Sports Center has helped shape healthy and responsible habits through participation in youth sports. Offering more than two dozen programs, including soccer, gymnastics, and martial arts, kids learn to understand the consequences of their actions—respectfully reveling in the pride of accomplishment and embracing the disappointment of loss.

• 7900 E. Kemper Rd., Sycamore Twp., (513) 489-7575, kidsfirst sports.com

PLAY

In August, Gorman Heritage Farm opened its Natural Playscape, turning traditional farm equipment and elements of nature into the ultimate playground. The new site features paths to run on, logs and tractor tires to climb, a play barn, arbor swing, and sensory and tasting gardens.

Admission to the farm is $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 3–17, and free for children under 3. • 10052 Reading Rd., Evendale, (513) 5636663, gormanfarm.org

READ

Every morning Monday through Saturday, Joseph-Beth’s storytimes draw in families with children for a fun and educational morning. At 10:30 a.m., the bookstore welcomes local or bestselling authors to read a children’s book to their audience of kiddos—often their recent releases—for a relaxing way to ease into the day. • 2692 Madison Rd., Norwood, (513) 396-8960, josephbeth.com

SWIM

In its four-day-a-week, one-on-one swim lessons, Swim Life of NKY ensures that children as young as six months old learn the proper survivalbased techniques to be able to respond safely in case of an accidental

fall. Once children are proficient in their survival swim skills and informed on water safety, instructors provide additional lessons to increase kids’ confidence, refine their technique, and instruct on competitive swim strokes. • 7333 Burlington Pike, Florence, (407) 8784352, myswimlife.com

EXPLORE

A former Green Township home has been transformed into the ultimate interactive bookstore for kids, where every nook and cranny has a surprise in store. While you peruse the selection at Snapdragon Books and Gifts, check behind cabinets for miniature scenes of stuffed toys reading their newest paperbacks, crawl through miniature doors from one room to another, and don’t forget to take a coin to offer to the giant green dragon in the basement. • 4471 Bridgetown Rd., Green Twp., (513) 574-0172

CHARCUTERIE BOARD

Vinology

What oenophiles might not expect from this wine and bottle shop is that its selection of charcuterie is just as pleasing as its drink menu. Choose your favorite meats and cheeses and you’ll receive a decadently arranged spread of assorted crackers, dried fruits, grapes, nuts, fig jam, and mustard. It’s the perfect mix and match—try a spread of jam on a water cracker, topped with a round of salami and a smear of brie. If you’re feeling extra hungry, order a tinned seafood spread or a side baguette served with imported French butter. • 3181 Linwood Ave., Mt. Lookout, (513) 376-9394, vinology.club

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Transform

The main mission here is providing head-to-toe wardrobes for trans and gender nonconforming youth. In addition to monthly support groups for trans kids and their parents and caregivers, expanded programming includes an array of game nights, crafting events, and more for kids and adults in the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Donate, volunteer, and support this organization and the services it provides—trans people are not the enemy. • 6839 Montgomery Rd., Kennedy Heights, transformcincy.org

DRY BAR

The Green Door

It may be a dry bar, but The Green Door still wants to give guests an experience they won’t forget. The elegant space offers equally elegant mocktails, concocted with cannabis-infused spirits in place of alcohol for a hangover-free night out. If you’re looking to avoid spirits altogether, order a mocktail made infusion-free— the drink will be just as delicious, and the vibes just as sweet. • 5 E. Eighth St., Covington, (859) 739-1117, enterthegreendoor.com

MONTHLY SPECIALS

Northside Yacht Club

Recently featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Northside Yacht Club has become a staple for its rotating monthly specials, including meals like the Nihilist roast beef sandwich dunked in au jus and served with three-cheese mornay, the pulled pork jalapeño popper grilled cheese, the tofu katsu sando served on the yacht club’s own house-baked milk bread, and the SkyRosa—a pepperoni pizza wrapped around a cheese coney. • 4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, (513) 541-0528, northsideyachtclub.com

INDIE TABLETOP RPGS

Woodburn Games

At this tiny game shop in East Walnut Hills, you’ll find titles like Psychic Trash Detectives, Thirsty Sword Lesbians, and Hamsters & Himbos: The Small Town Mystery of Unmatched Thiccness lining the tabletop RPG shelves right next to classics like Dungeons & Dragons. Woodburn seeks out unique games from Indie Press Revolution to serve the enthusiastic indie gaming customer base that even plays them in-store on occasion. • 2803 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, (513) 206-8776, woodburngames.com

UNCOMMON INSTRUMENT Cincinnati Washboards

While not based in the Queen City, this washboard-making company is its namesake. And don’t be fooled by its title—Cincinnati Washboards doesn’t make tools to wash clothes, either. Rather, they create washboards as instruments, complete with hotel call bells, small cymbals, jam blocks, and thimbles for your fingers to run down its crimped metal surface—perfect for a one-man jam sesh. • cincinnatiwashboards.com

BLUEGRASS JAM

Camp Springs Tavern

If you play or love listening to bluegrass in the Bluegrass State, stop by this cozy spot every other Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. Out in the country near Alexandria, the tavern has hosted events since opening in 1865, and they say, “It’s your time to make history.” Don’t be shy! • 7009 Stonehouse Rd., Melbourne, campspringstavern. com

PUMPKIN PICKING Irons Fruit Farm

When fall rolls around and it’s time to start decorating for Halloween and Thanksgiving, Irons Fruit Farm has your pumpkin needs covered. Take a hay wagon ride out to the pumpkin patch and pick until your heart’s content (pumpkins are priced by the pound; 59 cents per pound, to be exact) before returning to the main building for other goodies, like the crispest apple cider this side of Avalon. If your kids are too tiny for pumpkin patch hunting, grab a smaller pumpkin near the checkout and pretend they picked it themselves. • 1640 Stubbs Mills Rd., Lebanon, (513) 932-2853, ironsfruitfarm.org

PARKSIDE PASTRIES  Sebastian Bakehouse

The sweet and savory pastries at this small Blue Ash bakery look too perfect to be real: croissants with precise two-tone swirls; laminated layers stacked like paper in the bacon, egg, and cheese; or the shimmering glaze on a churro bite. Take a box of your favorites across the street to the Great Lawn at Summit Park, sit on one of the swings and marvel at the beauty in the details. • 10269 Summit Pkwy., Blue Ash, (513) 978-0022, sebastianbakehouse.com

HOME ORGANIZER

Organized by Wendy

As a lifelong neat-freak and natural organizer, Wendy Sauer has dedicated her career to helping others bring a sense of peace and calm to their own homes. She offers a three-step process involving consultation, customized design, and sorting services to not only create an organized space, but a system that you’ll be able to sustain long-term. Wendy also provides regular organizational tips on social media.

• (513) 702-4844, getorganizedbywendy.com

CRYSTAL SHOP THE CRYSTALARY

When she was 8, Mel Huffman collected her first rock, a Sulphur crystal, which was the beginning of a lifelong love affair that she would turn into a business nearly 30 years later. Huffman and her business partner Nancy Hartley Parsons operate The Crystalary, specializing in putting high-quality minerals and crystals in the hands of collectors. From a smoky quartz sourced from Switzerland to vintage pieces like Cordey China Company figurines, the fine mineral gallery will have something that suits your tastes. • 1030 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout, (513) 549-0887, thecrystalary.com

BIG MOMENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

It’s been a year of special events, important announcements, and high-profile projects.

MAYJUNJULAUGOCT SEP

CICADA SWARM

Greater Cincinnati witnessed the emergence of millions of seasonal cicadas across the region in May, and it didn’t take long for the noisy bugs to swarm in near plague-like proportions. One such swarm took Kings Island by storm in early June—circling the Eiffel Tower, chasing visitors across the park, and tempting prospective roller coaster riders to abandon their place in line to take cover.

NATURAL WINE BAR

Iris Read

WORLD CLASS VENUE

Cincinnati might have missed out on hosting the 2026 World Cup, but we did get to stage four matches in the Club World Cup in June at TQL Stadium. The event welcomed fans of German powerhouses Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund as well as teams from Austria, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and South Korea. Imagine all of the new chili evangelists around the globe!

CLOSET CLEANOUT

Collector, scholar, and art enthusiast Mary Baskett donated $5 million to the Cincinnati Art Museum in July to endow its curator of fashion arts and textiles position and create a gallery dedicated to fashion. During her time as a CAM curator herself and in the years since, Baskett became an expert in Japanese art and fashion, and she’s donating her personal collection as well.

If you’re looking to dabble in the natural wine world, Iris Read is the place for you. This natural wine shop and bar stocks the latest wines that you can purchase by the bottle or sip and enjoy at the bar. The weekly wine menu features new and freshly restocked wines. The bar offers a light food menu and regularly hosts a variety of pop-ups and food pairing nights, from smashburgers to tuna melts to focaccia. • 733 E. McMillan St., East Walnut Hills, (513) 493-2270, irisread.wine

NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUP

The Reds Community Fund organizes a community makeover each summer alongside partners like the Cincinnati Zoo and Procter & Gamble, sprucing up public areas, planting trees and flowers, and updating ballparks. The 2025 work focused on Walnut Hills at Bush Recreation Center, Frederick Douglas Elementary School, and Owl’s Nest Park. Talk about a team effort.

Dubai Chocolate Brownie from Cincy Café

This cozy Yemeni café on Short Vine offers one of the most decadent treats in town with its Dubai Chocolate Brownie. A rich chocolatey brownie is topped with a mix of pistachio cream and kadaifi, which then gets topped with a thick fudgy layer of chocolate frosting and crushed pistachios for a luxurious, wellrounded dessert. It’s so rich, you may need more than one sitting to finish it. • 2702 Short Vine St., Corryville, (513) 383-3000, @cincy.cafe on Instagram

SILVER LINING

Cincinnati didn’t get to host the Sundance Film Festival’s relocation, but again we snagged a nice consolation prize in September by welcoming Cineposium 2025, an annual industry conference from the Association of Film Commissioners International. George Clooney came home to star in conversation with Film Cincinnati CEO Kristen Schlotman.

OPENING NIGHT

The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati spent $51.5 million to renovate the historic Emery Theater, which had sat empty in Over-the-Rhine for decades after serving as home stage for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Children’s Theatre back in the day. Sporting state-of-the-art technology, new seating, and modern amenities, the Emery reopened October 10 with The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition

POCKETS

Frankie’s Sips & Savories

We dream about the housemade pitas at Frankie’s. Forget bland grocery store versions that crumble and split. These are sturdy but not too thick and come stuffed with your choice of filling—we’re partial to the falafel. Bright tahini sauce, crisp lettuce, crunchy pickles, and the hefty chickpea centerpiece gain a little heat from housemade shatta. Go for lunch next time you’re downtown and you’ll have sweet dreams too. • 14 Garfield Pl., downtown, (513) 996-0021, frankiessips.com

BROWNIE

BALLROOM

CincyVogue

No waltzes in this ballroom—at a CincyVogue ball, the fiercest in town strut and vogue down the runway for trophies, cash prizes, and titles for their houses. Competitors can battle it out in categories like Face, Realness, Fashion, Performance, and many more to infectious music and commentary by the emcees. Due to growing popularity, CincyVogue has also started hosting smaller and more regular vogue nights at Circuit Ultra Lounge. • @cincyvogue

EMPANADA

Ché

The mouthwatering empanadas at Argentinian restaurant Ché are thick and crispy pockets of dough, stuffed to the brim with savory filling, each stamped on top with its designated flavor. Take advantage of the three for $16 deal to get the most bang out of your buck, then make your pick of nine different flavors—we keep coming back for the jerk chicken, chicken salsa verde, and short rib—all served with a side of green chimichurri. • 1342 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 345-8838; 2038 Madison Rd., O’Bryonville, (513) 321-0863; checincinnati.com

MARTINI

Axe of Perun from Sudova

If you’re a fan of savory drinks, this perfectly salty and spicy take on a martini is a must-try. Vodka is infused with a jar of spicy pepperoncini in brine, mixed with dill pickle juice, Sudova’s top-secret olive brine, and a touch of vermouth, then topped with an olive and pickle for a mouth-watering finish. “It’s an ode to our old days at Wodka Bar,” says general manager Peyton Johnson. “This was a drink the staff and I would cook up at the end of the night while closing up and goofing around.” • 22 W. Court St., downtown, (513) 407-7974, sudovaoncourt.com

MATCHA Little Matcha

This popular matcha-forward café began as a pop-up, but found its permanent home in Covington in October. Little Matcha works directly with a small, family-owned farm in Shizuoka, Japan, to source the matcha used in its beverages. The menu, which changes every two weeks, features the OG Matcha latte (lightly sweetened with your choice of milk) as well as a variety of seasonal flavors (think strawberry, pumpkin, and ube). You can also try the hojicha and genmaicha lattes—but the matcha is the star of the show. • 332 Scott St., Covington, @littlematcha.cincy on Instagram

HAWAIIAN RESTAURANT

Onolicious Hawaii

This spot grew out of a stall in the now-defunct Oakley Kitchen Food Hall into its own brick-andmortar location, powered by a love for Hawaiian dishes that Vincente “Vinny” Benedett, his wife Elena, and cousin Keawe Miller spread infectiously across the city. Try the Shoyu chicken with its tenderly braised chicken thighs or the musubi, glazed and caramelized Spam wrapped in nori. Benedett, who learned to cook at luaus put on by Hawaiian family members in his hometown of San Francisco, brings that same laid-back west coast vibe to his food at Onolicious. • 1005 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 386-7404, onoliciousgrinds.com

JAPANESE HEAD SPA

The Men’s Salon & Spa

Offering a space for men to indulge in luxury grooming experiences, the Men’s Salon & Spa’s crown jewel is its Japanese Head Spa. The 30-minute treatment includes cleansing and exfoliating the scalp, using steam to open and clear out pores, and a scalp massage. Make it 60 minutes to add a facial and neck and shoulder massage, or 90 minutes for the ultimate relaxing experience—added aromatherapy, gua sha massage, and hot stones. • 11928 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Township, (513) 583-8400; 1018 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout, (513) 873-4833; thesalonformen.com

UNUSUAL DOUGHNUTS

Starlight Doughnut Lab

You’ve had a chocolate glazed doughnut before, but what about one stuffed with pimento cheese, dunked in a hot honey glaze and topped with Parmesan and crushed red peppers? If not, get to Starlight right away, where the pastries can be sweet or savory, made with processed, vegan brioche dough for the chewiest bite, and without limit to the flavor combos it’s willing to try. The doughnut lab features regulars like Butter & Salt and Everything But the Bagel, as well as a rotating monthly menu of unique flavors—our recent favorites are Hot Honey Gator Andouille and dirty chai coffee cake. • 4603 Carter Ave., Norwood, (513) 404-5694, starlightdoughnutlab.com

JAZZ MONDAYS

THE LOUNGE Mondays can be rough. Make yours a little smoother with some live jazz music at The Lounge. Every Monday, the friendly throwback bar hosts Monday Jazz beginning at 8 p.m., featuring some of the hottest musicians around. Enjoy the vibes in this historic building (originally Cincinnati’s first vaudeville and silent movie house in 1909), sip a cocktail, and make your Mondays a little bit better. • 3939 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, (513) 813-7469, theloungecincy.com

Hidden Chapter Bookstore

If you were imagining the perfect charming bookstore, you might include an attached café where browsers could get coffee, a small bar where readers could get shots of bourbon, and a passage between the shop’s two sides concealed behind a wardrobe. Luckily, you don’t have to imagine Hidden Chapter, which hides in plain sight in Ft. Thomas. The stock favors fiction, with an emphasis on romantasy, fantasy, mystery, horror, and thrillers. Pick your favorite, find a comfy perch, and create your own hiding place. • 118 N. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas, (859) 442-0118

COZY BOOKSTORE

COMIC BOOK SHOP

UP UP & AWAY

What’s better than a neighborhood comic book shop with Funko Pops, clothing, books, collectibles, manga, model kits, and online ordering?

Two shops in different parts of town!

Looking to declutter your storage bins? They’re always open to buying old comics. • 4016 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, (513) 661-6300; 9678 Kenwood Rd., Blue Ash, (513) 936-6300; upupand awaycomics.com

GETTING CRAFTY

Cincinnati

is a city for the arts—from visual art to fashion to music and more.

FASHION DESIGN SHOWCASE RECLAIMED RUNWAYS

Self-described as “an eclectic fusion of style, sound, and innovative fashion,” this runway series at Flora & Flair is where the city’s up-and-coming and avant-garde designers, stylists, and models showcase their work. Between collections, performers of all kinds take the stage, from indie musicians to drag clowns to local icon DJ Boywife. Any interested artist can apply to take part. • 1101 St. Gregory St., Mt. Adams, floraflaircincy.com

HIDDEN ART GALLERY THE BARN

Also known as the Woman’s Art Club Cultural Center, the studio/events space in Mariemont provides an opportunity for local amateur artists to have their pieces shown in curated exhibits. The Barn’s gallery spaces on the ground floor and in a repurposed hay loft offer rustic charm to compliment the works on display. Aspiring artists can also drop by for masterclasses and workshops. • 6980 Cambridge Ave., Mariemont, thebarnin mariemont.org

PUBLIC ART FOUNTAIN OF LOVE

This new Mercer Street mural by ArtWorks commemorates the 10th anniversary of the historic Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges. Aley Wild’s

design, portraying five queer couples embracing at Fountain Square, is inspired by the real-life couples who got married there immediately following the 2015 ruling. Plus, the mural directly faces the former home of Jim Obergefell himself, the local man responsible for the landmark decision legalizing marriage equality across the country. • 5 Mercer St., Over-the-Rhine

MONTHLY CERAMICS CLASS MIDWESTERN LESBIAN QUEER POTTERY WORKSHOP

Once a month, Queen City Clay hosts an evening ceramics workshop with queercentered event planner Midwestern Lesbian. Participants learn pottery techniques from QCC’s expert

instructors, then get to build a piece that will be glazed and fired to take home. The workshop rotates every other month between wheel-throwing and hand-building. Plus, it’s BYOB. • 2760 Highland Ave., Norwood, mid westernlesbian.com

MOST ANTICIPATED OPERA

BLACK OPERA PROJECT

The artform of opera has the reputation of being old and behind the times, but the Black Opera Project is working to change that. In the first-ever program of its kind, the BOP commissions new works from innovative Black voices in the classical music scene. Lalovavi, the Afrofuturistic epic written by Kevin Day and Tifara Brown and sung in English and

Black American indigenous language Tut, is the first piece from the Project to debut and will be performed in July 2026. • cincinnati opera.org/black-operaproject

REPURPOSED ART SUPPLIES

INDIGO HIPPO

Bargain-hunting artists know this nonprofit craft supply thrift shop in Over-the-Rhine has every art supply you could need, and even some you didn’t know you needed. Whether it’s yarn, frames, markers, sewing patterns, sketchbooks, or stickers, the Hippo will have you covered at unbeatably low prices. Don’t forget to give back and donate your own extra and repurposed art supplies to the shop, but check the donation guide online to make sure your materials

will be accepted. • 1334 Main St., Over-theRhine, indigohippo.org

JOANN’S REPLACEMENT

SILK ROAD

TEXTILES

Textile artists are still mourning the loss of Joann’s Fabrics, but luckily Silk Road Textiles is here to fill the void. This local shop has been a College Hill mainstay for more than 13 years and features a great selection of ethically-sourced fabrics from around the world that are perfect for both garment crafting and upholstery. The experts here can even get you started on your artistic journey with regular instore technique classes in sewing, quilting, crocheting, and more for all skill levels. • 6106 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, silkroadcincinnati. com

ALMoST

By CedRic roSe

This is Direct From Sweden, and they’ve literally arrived directly from Sweden, we’re told by faux “Agnetha” and “Anni-Frid,” who sport cute kitty dresses and Swedish accents. The ABBA tribute act’s “Benny” wears bell bottoms and a sequined cape. His name is actually Gary and, according to his LinkedIn profile, he’s from Nevada. Not that it matters.

“Are we ready to party?” the lead singers ask. Yes, we are. Direct From Sweden proceeds to play one ABBA hit after another. The audience, a mix of Boomers and college students, goes bonkers. We’re standing, clapping, and dancing in the aisles. My child hangs onto his seat, eyes moon-wide.

Like many Cincinnati live music venues these days, Ludlow Garage in Clifton

has a number of tribute acts on its concert calendar. On this fall evening they’re advertising upcoming shows by R.E.M. tribute band Dead Letter Office, Rush tribute Lotus Land, and Revisiting Creedence. An audience member behind me says he’s bought tickets to an upcoming Journey tribute called E5C4P3.

Rumours of Fleetwood Mac and Strange-

love: The Depeche Mode Experience played the Taft Theatre in recent months. Ten: A Tribute to Pearl Jam and The Four Horsemen, a Metallica tribute band, will perform at Bogart’s in January.

While tribute bands run the gamut from huge, globally-touring productions to regional homages, the acts and their fans have one main thing in common: love for music we all know well.

I used to see guitarist, teacher, and composer Brad Myers perform with Rays Music Exchange in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Filled with CCM music students, the band seemed like a musical time machine bent on deconstructing and reassembling soulful jazz, funk, and fusion. Myers still plays with Rays but also spends a lot of time leading Aja: A Tribute to Steely Dan.

When I reach out to get his take on the tribute band phenomenon, I don’t expect him to be quite so enthusiastic, given his wide range of musical tastes. “Actually, it’s a fairly big part of my life,” Myers says. “The trend is driven out of a need. If there’s still interest from die-hard fans in seeing a band’s music live and the original groups aren’t going to tour—because it’s no longer practical or age or death or whatever—tribute acts are filling a void.”

Aja has been around for two decades, playing live shows at Oakley’s 20th Century Theater and elsewhere. The band has built a good reputation for replicating original Steely Dan recordings, says Myers, as well as studying their live performances.

Rick Auhagen played with Aja for 20 years.“In my younger days, I was a bass player who sang and did the weekend bar band thing,” he says. The funny thing is he wasn’t much of a Steely Dan fan before answering a CityBeat ad from Aja searching for a vocalist.

Auhagen quickly became immersed in The Dan, partly because of “the pedigree of the people the band had put together,” he says. “For the first 10 or 12 years of its existence, Aja had some of the best players in town at each position in the band.” They even worked with famed drummer Bernard Purdie, who toured with the real Steely Dan and played on their cOntInuEd On PagE

A new generation of Clovernook tech designers is

HANDS ON The accessibility design team at standing from left seated) Brennen Kinch.

On a late September afternoon in the Dutch Room of Cincinnati Art Museum’s

Portrait of a Man in Armor.

Sara Birkofer, assistant director of gallery and accessibility programs, reads from a two-page description of the large oil painting from the early 1600s. “He is about human size, about the size a man would be, but he’s cut off at the legs,” she says. “The source of light is from his right, which casts a glare off the armor. The armor has black rivets and red trim scraps at his waist. The left hand clutches the handle of a sword secured in a holster. He stands upright as if confident and proud.”

David Grimes, the gray-haired member of the group, observes, “He sounds regal, like a lord or knight who’s high up in rank.” Adds Deanna Lewis, whose guide dog, a black Labrador retriever, sits at her feet, “Prominent in that era. A soldier going off to battle or just come back.”

Birkofer hands a replica helmet to Brian Anderson, third member of the tour, who wears red-tipped dreadlocks. He runs his hands over the narrow eye slits and rotating jaw. “Man, this is armor,” he says in his Southern accent, handing it to Grimes. “You’d have to be strong to be able to move in all this.”

The three aesthetes work at Clovernook Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Grimes is proofreading supervisor of Clovernook’s braille printing operation, the highest volume producer in the world. Lewis is a bindery associate, one of 25 or so blind or visually impaired (BVI) Clovernook staffers. Anderson is arts and advocacy content creator and cohosts the nonprofit’s bimonthly podcast

The trio knows the museum well thanks to frequent, tailored tours. This is where low- and no-vision visitors like them can access detailed braille descriptions of artworks, hear audio descriptions via QR codes on their smartphones, or experience them in person during guided programs. A decade ago, accessibility for BVI visitors largely meant touch tours of objects you

could hold. Paintings and photographs were off limits. Today, two-dimensional works are within reach.

Birkofer hands the group a tactile graphic of the painting, which is basically

an embossed design—this one on an 8-by11 sheet—conveying the painted image via raised lines, patterns, and textures. Background elements like a pillar or a curtain are simplified or removed so the main forms

Photography by Jenny Walters

THE FACE of NORTHERN KENTUCKY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

BE NKY Growth Partnership

Kimberly Rossetti, Vice President of Economic Development | Lee Crume, President & CEO | Cheryl Besl, Vice President of Marketing | Christine Russell, Executive Director, NKY Port Authority

BE NKY Growth Partnership attracts new business and elevates what’s already here to create innovative, forward-thinking, and attractive environments for companies and community success. Since its founding in 1987 as the economic development company for Boone, Kenton, and Campbell counties, BE NKY has led successful relocation or expansion efforts for 799 business projects, representing more than 77,036 primary industry jobs with a capital investment of nearly $10.2 billion. BE NKY serves Northern Kentucky so the community thrives through the creation of good jobs, a growing and diverse economy, and unparalleled education opportunities. Northern Kentucky’s strongest industry sectors are advanced manufacturing, information technology, supply chain, and life sciences. BE NKY works with community partners to attract, grow, and align our workforce with employers’ needs.

209 G REENUP ST., SUITE 400, COVINGTON, KY 41011, (888) 874-3365, HTTPS://BE-NKY.COM

THE FACE of ORTHOPAEDICS & SPORTS MEDICINE

Beacon Orthopaedics

Matthew Johansen, M.D. | Robert Rolf, M.D. | V. James Sammarco, M.D. | Andrew Islam, M.D. | Peter Cha, M.D. | Emily Dixon, D.O. | Adam Miller, M.D. | Michael Swank, M.D. | Matthew Langenderfer, M.D. Cincinnati trusts Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine for exceptional care. Recognized by Newsweek among the nation’s best for knee, hip, shoulder, foot and ankle surgery, sports medicine, and ambulatory surgery centers, Beacon sets the standard for advanced, patient-focused treatment.

From elite athletes to active families, our team helps every patient move better, feel stronger, and return to what they love. As partners to more than 40 local schools, colleges, and professional teams, including the Cincinnati Reds, Beacon physicians are on the sidelines and at the forefront of innovation, combining research, technology, and expertise for outstanding outcomes. Experience the Beacon Difference.

THE FACE of JOINT & SPINE CARE

The Christ Hospital Health Network

Top Row: Todd Kelley, M.D. | NaM.D.ar Kazemi, M.D. | Matthew Mangini, M.D. | Jeffrey Wu, M.D. | Jacob Gunzenhaeuser, M.D. | Patrick Kirk, M.D.

Bottom Row: Jared Crasto, M.D. | Noah Shaftel, M.D. | Marc Schneider, M.D. | Ryan Seal, M.D. | Michael Palmer, M.D. | Paul Favorito, M.D. | Robert Kulwin, M.D. | Dinesh Thawrani, M.D.

Recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s top orthopedic hospitals, The Christ Hospital sets the standard for outstanding orthopedic care. Nationally recognized surgeons perform more joint replacements and spine surgeries than any other health system in the region. The Christ Hospital Orthopedic Physicans are not just leaders in their field—they listen, they care, and they work with each patient to create a treatment plan that fits their life. With eight physician offices across the tri-state, including surgical centers in Liberty Township, Mt. Auburn, and Red Bank, they make expert care accessible from consultation through recovery. Utilizing the latest techniques, advanced technologies, and an innovative anesthesia program featuring non-opioid pain management, The Christ Hospital does everything it takes to support healing and restore mobility. Patients in Cincinnati and beyond trust its joint and spine experts to help them reclaim their lives. 2139 AUBURN AVE., CINCINNATI, OH 45219, (513) 957-2566, HTTP:// THECHRISTHOSPITAL.COM/FACES

THE FACE of EXECUTIVE SEARCH & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Gilman Partners

For more than 45 years, Gilman Partners has partnered with privately held, family-owned, and nonprofit organizations to find and develop the leaders who drive long-term success. With deep regional roots and national reach, the firm is uniquely positioned to help organizations attract top talent in areas such as executive leadership, finance, manufacturing and operations, HR, and the nonprofit sector. Its executive search practice helps clients find leaders they can’t afford to miss, while its flagship leadership development program, GP Elevate, develops leaders they can’t afford to lose. Each year, Gilman Partners places about 100 executives into senior-level roles and has guided more than 165 high-potential leaders through GP Elevate since 2020—strengthening leadership from the inside out across the region and beyond.

3960 RED BANK RD., SUITE 200, CINCINNATI, OH 45227, (513) 272- 2400, HTTPS:// GILMANPARTNERS.COM/

THE FACE of COSMETIC & MEDICAL DERMATOLOGY

Mona Dermatology

Dr. Mona Foad has been in private practice in Cincinnati as a board-certified dermatologist since 2002. Her vision for what healthcare should be came to life through her Kenwood-based practice, Mona Dermatology. Dr. Mona and her team of 45+ women care for patients through cosmetic, medical, and surgical dermatology. Dr. Mona’s impact has grown exponentially over the last 23 years, and allowed her to achieve several accolades, including 17 years as a Cincinnati Magazine Top Doctor and national trainer for Allergan (the maker of Botox and Juvederm). M ost recently, she was awarded the role of national MD Codes trainer. Mona Dermatology has also been named a top practice among plastic surgeons, cosmetic dermatologists, and medspas nationally in the “Allergan Top 50.” Dr. Mona grew up in Cincinnati and has made it her mission to help the community achieve healthy, beautiful skin, and to treat them as she would want her loved ones treated.

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

FACES

THE FACE of ROOFING

Ray St. Clair Roofing

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

3810 PORT UNION RD., FAIRFIELD, OH 45014, (513) 874-1234, WWW.RAYSTCLAIR.COM

THE FACE of GERONTOLOGY

Scripps

Gerontology Center at Miami University

Founded at Miami University in 1922, Scripps Gerontology Center is a highly respected source of top-quality research and innovative, proven programs to meet the unique needs of our aging society. As an Ohio Center of Excellence with 27 staff and 19 affiliated faculty research fellows, they do work that makes a positive difference in the lives of aging individuals, their families, and communities.

SCRIPPS GERONTOLOGY CENTER, 396 UPHAM HALL, 100 BISHOP CIRCLE, OXFORD, OH 45056, (513) 529-2914, WWW. SCRIPPSAGING.ORG

THE FACE of THE SURGEONISTA

The Surgeonista Cosmetic Surgery

Gina Maccarone, M.D., FACS, FAACS

Dr. Gina Maccarone has always been obsessed with art, beauty, and fashion. Superficial? Please. As The Surgeonista, she’s flipping the script on what it means to choose cosmetic surgery. This isn’t about vanity, it’s about power. That means owning your reflection, rewriting your story, and refusing to apologize for wanting to look as good as you feel. She believes beauty isn’t skin-deep. It’s within. When we invest in ourselves, inside and out, we show up differently. Stronger. Bolder. More unstoppable. A surgeon, wife, bonus mom, and unapologetic girly-girl, Dr. Maccarone brings fashion, sparkle, and a wink of rebellion into the OR...because confidence should come with a little edge. Her rule? Be fierce. Be original. Be whatever you want, just never basic. 4012 HARRISON AVE., CINCINNATI, OH 45211, (513) 400-4750, HTTPS:// THESURGEONISTA.COM

THE FACE of CITY OF MASON + OHIO LIFE SCIENCES

Mason Receives Ohio Life Sciences Highest Readiness Designation

Michele Blair | Jessica Johnson | Eddie Pauline

In 2025, Ohio Life Sciences Association (OLSA) designated the City of Mason as a Life Science Ready Community at the highest level—Premier. This designation reflects Mason’s long-standing commitment to growing bio companies through strategic infrastructure, proactive policy, workforce development, and public-private partnerships. There’s no greater example of this commitment to scale biohealth innovation than the newly expanded GeneSight genomics lab of Myriad Genetics. Located in the lower level of the Mason Municipal Center, this CLIA-certified lab was built to scale rapidly growing precision medicine technology and expand the Mason Biohub’s footprint to include competitive lab space. This work is part of an overall strategy to strengthen the City of Mason and Ohio’s position as a national leader in the life sciences industry.  IMAGINEMASON.ORG; LIFESCIENCES.WHYMASON.COM; OHIOLIFESCIENCES.ORG; MYRIAD.COM; GENESIGHT.COM

THE

FACE of

Mount Notre Dame

EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN THROUGH A LEGACY OF EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Front Row: Karen M. Day, Principal | Michelle L. Robinson, President | Back Row: Erin Satzger ’04, Board of Trustees Chair Elect | Cristina Seda-Hoelle ’92, Board of Trustees Immediate Past Chair | Kathy Kissel McQueen ’81, Board of Trustees Chair | Delaney ’28, Student | Kaylee ’28, Student | Jade ’28, Student | Glenda Figueiredo, Teacher | Kelly Cregan Enochs ’04, Teacher | Christine Terzuoli Minix ’05, Teacher

As the premier Catholic high school for young women, Mount Notre Dame has been dedicated to excellence in education and faith formation for more than 165 years. Students are supported by caring faculty and staff who inspire them to grow as learners, leaders, and women of faith. This legacy of Catholic education extends far beyond our campus, carried out by more than 11,000 alumnae worldwide who are transforming the world through their leadership and service. Many return to MND as educators, mentors, and board members, completing a powerful cycle where each generation of women uplifts the next. Rooted in the mission of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, MND continues to build a legacy of empowered leaders called to learn, live, lead, and serve.

Archbishop Moeller High School

THE FACE of THE LEADERS IN EDUCATING YOUNG MEN

Brock Grubert ’26 | Bruce Nelson, Math Teacher | Christine Brookbank, Ed.D., Provost | Jacob Krah ’26 | Kyle Borgemenke ’26 | Derek Williams ’91, Dean of Student Formation

For more than six decades, Archbishop Moeller High School has led the way in educating young men. Rooted in the Marianist tradition, Moeller forms faith-filled leaders through REALearning—Relational, Experiential, and Authentic learning. It’s our educational philosophy that goes beyond textbooks to engage the mind and heart, preparing remarkable men who build community, serve others, and lead with purpose, compassion, and confidence. Through Moeller’s unique House System, every student belongs to a brotherhood that fosters leadership, mentorship, and connection across all grade levels—an experience that makes Moeller more than a school; it’s a family. Behind every student’s success stands dedicated faculty and counselors committed to knowing each Man of Moeller personally, challenging him academically, and guiding him to discover the man he’s called to be.

THE FACE of INNOVATION IN EDUCATION

Saint Ursula Academy

Amber Grayson | Laura Roman | Laura Bubnick | Lelia Keefe Kramer | Kathy Restle | Kathy Hammond | Rachel Kemper

Saint Ursula Academy (SUA) is a leader in all-girls’ (9–12) Catholic education in Greater Cincinnati known for high academic achievement, whole-person programming, and support academically, socially, and spiritually. SUA took years to develop its new schedule, called EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE: LEARNING FOR THE REAL WORLD, with input from nationally recognized schedule experts.

SUA’s schedule provides an optimal learning framework for high academic achievement. The block format includes daily and weekly Wellness components and intensive mini-terms called MINIMESTERS that provide off-campus opportunities for real hands-on experiences that bring learning to life. These components are aligned with how students learn best, resulting in a schedule model that will position Saint Ursula students best for the future and set them apart in the college search process.

2025 FACES

THE FACE of SURGICAL EXCELLENCE

St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Peter Jernigan, M.D. | Brianne Nicholas, M.D. | Zachary Glenn, D.O. | Teena Nerwal, M.D.

At St. Elizabeth, we are proud to lead the region in advanced surgical care, offering cutting-edge robotic technology paired with the precision and compassion of our highly skilled surgical team. Our board-certified surgeons specialize in a wide range of procedures—from minimally invasive techniques to complex surgeries—delivering personalized care that prioritizes safety, comfort, and optimal outcomes. Whether you’re facing a routine procedure or a more advanced surgical need, our experts are committed to guiding you every step of the way with excellence and empathy. With locations across Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana, St. Elizabeth is your trusted partner in surgical health.

1 MEDICAL VILLAGE DR., EDGEWOOD, KY 41017, (800) 737-7900, WWW. STELIZABETH.COM/SURGERY

THE FACE of ALLGIRLS CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Ursuline Academy

Community Service Leadership Board (seated): Ava Lotterer ’27 | Addie Tent ’27 (standing): Elodie Abou-Khalil ’26 | Claire Farwig ’26 | Meredith Sicking ’26 | Kate Roberts ’27

For the bright, motivated girl focused on the future, Ursuline Academy is the trusted place to find her voice, shape her values, and forge her unique path. Founded in 1896 by the Ursulines of Brown County, Ursuline stands as the enduring symbol of all-girls Catholic education. Students embrace the Ursuline order’s commitment to service, seizing opportunities to not just learn about faith but live it. UA’s young women tackle real-world issues and fi nd creative ways to make a difference for others, donating 12,727 service hours last school year, all without a community service requirement. In a nurturing environment that encourages each girl to seek out challenges and become her version of best, Ursuline students grow into self-driven lifelong learners who lead with compassion and responsibility. Graduates emerge as highly skilled, open-minded women prepared for the changing world. We invite you to see all that Ursuline Academy has to offer. 5535 PFEIFFER RD., CINCINNATI, OH 45242, (513) 791-5791, WWW. URSULINEACADEMY.ORG

1974 album Pretzel Logic.

At 70 years old, Auhagen has retired from Aja to save his voice for another tribute act, Cincinnati Transit Authority, which plays the music of Chicago. “If you listen to Aja or Cincinnati Transit Authority and we’re doing it correctly, it takes you back to when you were younger and you used to listen to the records,” he says. “And spot-on renditions of the songs are what people appreciate. It’s a good time to be in a tribute band.”

Ticket prices for original acts have soared, even for bands that don’t have

est praise? Aren’t they helping the music outlive the musician?

Beth Harris is probably best known locally as one half of The Hiders, with Billy Alletzhauser. She’s performed and toured with Brian Olive and others and, when I reach her by telephone, just returned from touring with Heartless Bastards.

Harris met Myers a few years ago doing a Johnny Cash musical and recently joined Aja as an official backup singer after the previous singer moved to Scotland. She used to take issue with tribute bands, she says, “because that was the only way to make money as a musician. Audiences will pay money to hear other people’s music and don’t necessarily pay to hear original music, and for a long time I was focused only on playing my own music.”

But Harris finds that performing Steely Dan’s intricate songs has helped her build relationships with excellent singers and players who offered to play her music. “And that was the first time I’d had a band behind

“AJA IS A PRETTY SPECIAL BAND,” SAYS BETH HARRIS. “THE 10 PEOPLE ON THE STAGE GIG ALL THE TIME. THEY’RE JUST SO TALENTED, AND THEY JUST CAN’T NOT PLAY.”

many original members left. The real Chicago is down to just two original members, Auhagen says. “So if you’re a middle-income family, you can’t afford $125 for a nosebleed seat. But you can go see Cincinnati Transit Authority do it like Chicago did it back in their heyday.” And get close enough to feel that big horn section hit you right in the chest.

IT’S A BIT WEIRD THAT TRIBUTE ACTS often catch flack for being derivative and for cashing in on an earlier act’s fame, when all music and art builds on the work of those who came before. Elvis Presley and The Beatles interpreted and reimagined R&B songs and styles from Black American musicians, and almost every rock act since those days has built on The King and the Fab Four—yet Elvis and Beatles tribute acts are dismissed as “copycats.” Isn’t what tribute bands are doing, in a way, the high-

my songs,” she says, “so it’s really changed my mind about singing with a tribute band. Plus, Aja in particular is a pretty special thing. There are 10 people on the stage and most of them gig all the time. They’re so talented, and they just can’t not play. I get that, because I have to sing.”

Tribute bands can also become fertile ground for creative cross-pollination and for providing a place where young up-andcomers gain experience. Spencer Merk has made a name for himself as a composer and plays in a jazz band with his two brothers. When playing trombone in Cincinnati Transit Authority, Auhagen asked him whether the stuff Chicago did and still does is appealing to young horn players. “He basically told me that, because of their music’s complexity, he found it challenging and was incredibly into it.”

Merk says his time with the tribute band was one of his favorite formative

musical experiences in Cincinnati, “because the band was full of great musicians well-versed in all kinds of music, not just the music they were paying tribute to,” he says. “I learned a lot trying to fill the role of James Pankow [Chicago’s trombonist and songwriter].” Listen to Merk’s album Stories: Big and Small , and you get the sense that his research paid dividends in musicianship and eclecticism.

While tribute acts tap into a rich vein of nostalgia, the current boom in retro acts speaks to a hunger for live music in a world where digital streaming has disrupted the once-common experiences of concerts and full-length albums. Sure, tribute acts are riding waves of historic, multi-platinum record sales and surfing atop decades of heavy radio play that wore deep grooves into our hearts and memories. And there’s something a little through-the-lookingglass about how music that was once edgy, decadent, and generationally divisive now feels relatively wholesome and familyfriendly in the hands of an excellent tribute band.

You’ll see multi-generational families swaying side by side to tribute bands, as I did at the ABBA show: Boomer grandparents who swooned over The B eatles, their middle-aged offspring who made out to classic hits in their parents’ cars, and their kids, who know the tunes from digital streaming playlists. Tribute bands live in the gap between what was and what is and fill a yearning for the emotional release and sense of communion only a live concert can provide.

“You’ll drive 18 hours to Texas and load in instruments and amplifiers, and you twist your ankle or smash your fingers and your back aches and your knee hurts,” says Sean Perry, frontman of The Four Horsemen. “I’m 50 and still doing this like I’m 20 years old, but you have to play for the fans.”

Speaking over Zoom from his home office in Akron, Perry looks the part with headbanger hair and handlebar mustache. He exudes that calmness metalheads sometimes have that suggests they’ve burned up plenty of rage on the altar of heavy metal music.

“I was a huge fan of Metallica when I was a kid,” he says. “I had a broken childhood, a broken family, and I escaped that

through music. I’d put on the Sony Walkman headphones and go up in the attic so no one would bother me.”

Perry’s band plays material only from Metallica’s first five records, partly because he thinks they’re the best and partly because those records mean the most to him. “Metallica helped get me through some dark days,” he says. “If you’re going through life like that, letting the music be your best friend, you don’t want your music to be disrespected.”

Respect for the music and what it means for fans makes Perry, who used to play in a Cleveland-based semi-progressive metal band, a stickler for detail in the extreme. For many who come out to see The Four Horsemen, he says, the evening might be a rare chance to blow off steam. So Perry gets out there in the crowd, takes selfies, fist bumps with concertgoers, and hands out glow-bracelets to kids whose parents bought tickets to connect over the music they grew up enjoying.

If playing in a Metallica tribute act is already a little Bizarro-world, Perry, who actually credits Metallica with saving his life, recently started getting DMs from friends congratulating him on The Four Horsemen’s appearance in the forthcoming film documentary Metallica Saved My Life. He hasn’t seen it yet, and he’d forgotten about signing a release for the movie production company.

Perry isn’t alone in seeking a degree of professionalism through a tribute act. It’s a common path for veteran musicians who’ve done their time playing sweaty, late night bar shows and are ready to do something with a little more polish. “If you’re going to do anything in show business, you have to be able to give it a name so that you can market it and find an audience,” says Myers. “Being a tribute band is just one more category of something that people can do to find an audience.”

That recognition makes tribute acts good gigs for smaller theaters or rural towns that might not have the promotional game to attract an original act. And musicians get to play on better sound systems and charge a little more to audiences who come ready to really listen.

GREG TULLEY DOESN’T MISS PLAYING bar shows until 2 a.m., arriving home at 5,

then getting up to go to work. The retired urban planner strolls up to my table outside Roebling Books & Coffee in Newport, his neighborhood, looking equal parts rock star and consummate professional.

Tulley is the impresario, booking agent, chief instigator, and drummer behind The Eagles Project. He’s played in all types of bands. For years he drummed with the local cover band Rusty Griswolds, four members of whom joined him in The Eagles Project.

When I ask Dulley whether he or his bandmates feel the need to psych themselves up before shows in order to get into the headspace of the Eagles they impersonate, he laughs. The Eagles Project is not that kind of band. “I’m no Don Henley,” he says. “Our whole thing is: Close your eyes and see if you can tell the difference.” The people who come out to see The Eagles Project expect that Dulley and his seasoned musicians are up to the challenge of nailing those well-known hits. So, no pressure or anything. But get it right, and the payoff is an audience enraptured from the first few bars.

The idea hit Tulley while he was driving home from an Eagles concert in Louisville. “I thought it’d be kind of fun because I always liked the ’70s,” he says. He called up his Griswold bandmate Tim Keyes. “It came together really quick because people love the music,” says Tulley, “and the guys are very good at doing what they do.”

They’ve played to capacity crowds at summer festivals and municipal concert venues in Noblesville, Indiana; Rivers Edge in Hamilton; and the Blue Ash Concert Series. Their annual acoustic show, accompanied by strings, has filled Memorial Hall four years running.

And while presenting the music of one of the best-selling bands of the 1970s is an instant attraction, the band members’ overlapping fan bases help draw crowds as well. Brian Coleman and Rick Kern also play in the Judas Priest tribute band Rapid Fire. Kern, Keyes, and Coleman play in the classic rock cover band Black Bone Cat. Coleman does Acoustic Blue with his wife, and Greg Amburgy occasionally plays with blues band Gina and Johnny.

The Eagles Project’s setlists are anchored around songs that people know forwards and backwards, but Tulley says

there’s still room for improvisation, just as in the 1970s, when self-expression and a mixing of musical styles created a golden age for rock bands. And that mix of playing styles and backgrounds makes today a great time for live music, too.

“The beauty of a music scene like Cincinnati’s is that there’s really something for every interest,” says Myers. “If someone likes original singer-songwriter music, there are great examples of that here. There’s jazz, bluegrass, country, Afrobeat. There are original bands on small indie labels, and there are tribute bands. So it can all coexist.”

It’s Saturday night in Madisonville, and DJ Tobe Donohue is playing a mélange of hip-hop and classic rock on the turntables outside Element Eatery. I wonder what people staying in the nearby Summit Hotel must think of the music, the pyrotechnics, and the smoke drifting from the spotlit stage. After the DJ set, Zac Sweeney lays into the opening electric guitar refrain of Guns n Roses’“Sweet Child of Mine,” and Sugar Daddy kicks off a live show.

But everyone in that hotel knows exactly what’s going on, I realize. This is familiar and completely safe. It’s a Saturday night in America, and a band has taken the stage to fill the night with rock and roll.

Sugar Daddy is not a tribute band, but the musician I’m trying to talk to in their van, Scotty Wood, has played in plenty. He’s been Angus Young in an AC/DC tribute and Ace Frehley in a KISS tribute that includes two other members of Sugar Daddy. For a while he was in The Muscle Cars, a tribute to the band that gave the world “Just What I Needed.”

“I mean, who in their heart doesn’t love The Cars?” yells Wood as he walks up to the stage. “I just love music. And I love my friends. We just want to play gigs.”

New music is essential, but sometimes it’s challenging. You should make room in your listening life for new music and original artists. But the same is true of fun. And, right now, Sugar Daddy is on stage having immense, infectious fun.

It doesn’t matter, exactly, who the band is most nights or if they’re imitating musicians who reached their creative zenith 20, 30, or 50 years ago. Right now, what matters is the song and that we’re singing along.

collaborates with the Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony, and Playhouse in the Park, among others, to make our city a national leader in inclusive design and experience for low-vision patrons—not just in programming and intel but also in the design and manufacture of materials such as tactile graphics and 3D models. The people on this tour have had a hand in making that happen.

Birkofer reanimated the museum’s touch tours when she was hired in 2014. Her job title changed in 2019 to incorporate the word accessibility. “The cultural acces-

Clovernook’s Arts & Accessibility Initiative, launched in 2017, has delivered accessibility products to more than 200 arts and cultural institutions, most outside Cincinnati—including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and Carnegie Hall—and has grown into the world’s largest and most significant arts and culture program that provides accessible materials for the blind to museums and cultural spaces.

Worldwide expansion wasn’t the aim of the visionary women who founded Clovernook more than a century ago. But as trailblazers themselves, they would have cheered the evolution.

GEORGIA TRADER, WHO WAS BLIND, AND her younger sister Florence were from a prominent Xenia family that had connections to William Procter, son of the P&G cofounder. He funded their purchase of the 28-acre Clovernook farm in North College Hill in 1903 to transform it into the Clo-

“WE’RE TRYING TO NORMALIZE RESOURCES THAT WILL GIVE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED FOLKS THE SAME ACCESS TO CULTURE, NOT SOME LITTLE ADD-ON,” SAYS SAMUEL FOULKES.

sibility field is growing,” she says. “There’s a changing mindset. Museums are deciding, We need to talk more about accessibility and have somebody dedicated to that on staff.”

As soon as she dipped her toe into the world of accessibility, Birkofer found herself drawn in and inspired by the people and the possibilities. She has a child with a disability, which strengthened her passion but is not its only source. “Art is a human right” reads a coaster on her desk.

Soon after Birkofer started, Samuel Foulkes—then Clovernook’s director of braille production—cold-called her. A paradigm shift followed. The museum now looks to the nonprofit world and art enthusiasts like Grimes, Lewis, and Anderson for ongoing guidance. The partnership is quietly but powerfully transforming accessibility in arts and culture, not just here in Cincinnati but nationally and even internationally.

vernook Home and School for the Blind, the first such establishment for BVI women in Ohio. Braille, the raised-dot code that allows BVI people to read, was adopted in the 1920s, though the Trader sisters were teaching it decades earlier through the Cincinnati Library Society for the Blind. They provided free books and classes for blind residents and launched the first program of eye examinations for children in the city’s public schools.

With an annual budget close to $10 million, Clovernook employs 80 people full-time, with fully one-third of them BVI. It pumps out more than 30 million braille pages annually, from books and magazines to 240,000 McDonald’s menus. Like its fellow nonprofit Cincinnati Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CABVI), Clovernook also operates local programs such as adaptive sports, summer camps, and a no-cost pediatric low

vision clinic in partnership with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. CABVI offers local resources and assistance, while Clovernook’s purview is more global and focused on tangible products.

As the primary braille printer for the Library of Congress, Clovernook counts on federal contracts for the lion’s share of its mission-driven business. Though its presses continue to hum 40 hours a week, a chance opportunity in 2017 opened the door for a new kind of social enterprise: incubating tech-born accessibility products and solutions. Since braille readership of printed material has been in decline, the coincidental timing was auspicious.

The spark was simple: A small museum asked Clovernook for help with a show called Blind Spot: A Matter of Perception. At the Massillon Art & History Museum in northeast Ohio, the 2017 exhibition presented abstract paintings from the museum’s collection alongside new tactile versions. Intense colors became raised forms, brushwork was translated into edges, and spatial rhythms were represented by varied textures. An iPad app paired customcomposed audio to the art. Sighted visitors were invited to wear goggles that simulated low vision.

Foulkes said yes to the request without first running it by his higher-ups. “I asked for forgiveness, not permission,” he says, recalling that his wheelhouse at the time was squarely within the printing operation.

Clovernook created braille booklets, tactile maps, and accessible invitations for the exhibition and hosted an event for local BVI artists to create response artworks based on the pieces in the show, which were then incorporated as part of it.

Blind Spot won the Ohio Museum Association’s Best Exhibition Award. The prestigious accolade, in turn, led to grants to help create Clovernook’s Arts & Accessibility Initiative and a new title for Foulkes: director of braille printing and accessible innovation.

Clovernook’s design and production work has since blown up. For example, a small braille box surrounds a QR code on printed material to indicate where someone with low vision can click for audio content. This integration of access for the blind on something previously meant only

for the sighted is a key part of Clovernook’s focus on inclusiveness.

For Cincinnati Opera’s Afrofuturist show Lalovavi , part of its 2026 summer season, Clovernook made 3D-printed action figures and tactile graphics of some of the elaborate costumes. “The program is heading beyond just a braille version of something,” says Foulkes, who has worked at Clovernook since graduating from college in 2012. “The goal is to un-silo accessibility products and solutions.”

This change benefits sighted people, too, as audio descriptions of gallery and museum artworks are popular with all patrons. 3D and pedagogical models for kids that incorporate braille and tactile graphics invite shared play and learning. And who wouldn’t want to play with an action figure of Persephone from the world premiere of Lalovavi? “This is not, Oh, let the poor blind person get access to a museum,” says Foulkes. “We’re trying to push back and start normalizing resources that will give blind and visually impaired folks the same access to culture, not some little add-on.”

According to the National Library of Medicine as of 2017, an estimated 7.08 million Americans are blind or visually impaired, with the number expected to increase over time, particularly as people age. One in three Americans will experience some form of disability in their lifetime. As accessibility becomes a bigger priority worldwide—to Foulkes, it’s a civil right—3D printing has burst on the scene as a game-changer because it’s cheaper, faster, and more customizable than older fabrication methods. Tactile graphics are a big improvement as well, but purposedesigned objects that can be iterated with user feedback, printed inexpensively, disassembled, played with, and cleaned have transformed what’s possible.

From maps and landmarks to sculptures, animals, and anatomy, 3D models convey complex information quickly and effectively. In the children’s book Juniper and the Red Swoosh , which Clovernook produced in parallel braille and print versions so sighted and low-vision kids can read together, a coin-stealing creature is paired with a 3D-printed abacus that lets BVI readers calculate the loot.

This kind of 3D printing also allows for

self-determination in teaching materials among the institutions that use them. “I visited schools in Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania to see what the environment looked like and if they had materials,” says Foulkes. “Often they’d been sent materials from the U.S. that were not purposeful. It was random old books that were not culturally relevant, just extra stuff people had. There was a lack of any kind of kids books that children could connect with.”

For 3D printers, Clovernook designed models of local maps with gradient elevations and of heritage sites, such as Uganda’s Royal Tomb, that would be of interest in those classrooms. The printers are provided free of charge, and the designs are open-source and adaptable.

CLOVERNOOK’S NEW CEO, JENNIFER DuBois, is enthusiastic about the Arts & Accessibility Initiative and the nonprofit’s talented team. “I’ve been inspired by Boldly BVI,” she says, referring to Anderson’s podcast. “I’m focused on bold solutions to the complex challenges visually impaired folks face. They can lead bold, engaged lives.”

That type of engagement is evident in another gathering of Clovernook employees I observe. Grimes and several others gather around a table to check out the latest product in development: a 3D model of the solar system that’s about three feet long, a foot deep, and eight inches high. Nine planets click into place—or space, as it were—their names indicated in braille on a plastic platform. “Tactile design has many elements, and this is a good example,” says Brennen Kinch, Clovernook’s access tech and tactile graphics specialist. There’s a raised asteroid belt, bumps for moons, and grooved rays indicating orbit paths.

Kinch and Grimes could have only dreamed of such an interactive gewgaw when they were in grade school. “It would have been better for me, really cool, to have 3D models like this,” says Kinch. Grimes adds, “We had a model of the solar system in eighth grade, but I only got to touch it one time.”

One of the most telling aspects of the solar system model is also one of its smallest. The pegs at the bottom of each detachable planet have a unique shape, allowing you to find a planet’s location in the lineup

by matching it to the hole it slots into. After the design firm Form5 created the model in partnership with Clovernook, the Arts & Accessibility Initiative solicited feedback from a sample of end users.

“In a survey I did, someone said that what was referred to as an ‘oval’ did not feel oval to them,” says Blue Adams, copywriter and narrative specialist, who composes descriptions and teaching guides for the models. The oval in question was the peg connecting Uranus to the platform. “They thought an oval should be an elongated circle rounded on all sides, and this one was more like a rectangle with rounded small ends.”

That hair-splitting distinction—and the need to fix it—revealed just a piece of the unseen work behind accessible 3D design. It also underscored how a blind person’s tactile understanding can diverge from a sighted person’s visual assumptions and how a tiny difference can reshape comprehension.

At a nearby desk, Foulkes is plowing through e-mails between trips—just back from the International Conference on the Inclusive Museum in Spain, heading next to a book fair in Nairobi, Kenya. He swivels to say, “Fairly unique here is that all products and services are inclusively designed and prioritized,” meaning that BVI people are involved in every step. It sounds obvious, but in the field it’s a still new concept—yet another practice Clovernook is helping standardize.

The youth of the Arts & Accessibility team shouldn’t be underestimated. Foulkes and Anderson are just 35 years old. Adams and Senior Additive Design Engineer and Makerspace Manager Quentin Roa, sighted members of the team, are under 25. And Kinch, 27, is a tech-savvy BVI dreamer who demands a more inclusive future. He can’t see through the new Meta Ray Ban Display eyeglasses he just acquired, for instance, but utilizes them for hands-free use of the video recorder on his phone.

“I want GoodMaps to work with Meta to incorporate indoor GPS into the glasses,” he says, “so I can walk into a building and get to the exact room I need to.” He folds the glasses and puts them away. “As of right now, there’s not even a braille sign for the bathroom at the YMCA I go to.”

TWO-HAND SANDO

The La Alveo, like all of the sandwiches at Mariemont’s Alveo Sandwich Shop, is a handful... two, in fact. This one is made with mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio creama, and arugula.

ISLAND FRYDAYS RETURNS P. 90 HUGE SANDWICHES IN MARIEMONT P. 94

GELATO MASTER Q&A P. 94

FLATBREAD TACOS P. 96

Welcome Back

Leo

Morgan returns to the Queen City with a new vision for Island Frydays.

—ELIZABETH A. LOWRY

YOU CAN HEAR THE JOY IN LEO MORgan’s voice when talks about his Jamaican food trailer Island Frydays. More importantly, you can taste it in the care he and his chefs take when making each dish. It extends to his community, showing up in the way he makes sure no one goes hungry. So when he closed his Corryville restaurant last December, you may have noticed a little joy left with him. But lucky for us, Morgan has decided to give Cincinnati another chance.

Thanks to patrons who kept in touch and outreach led by Emmanuel Karikari, CEO of the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC), plans are in the works to reopen Island Frydays in brick-and-mortar form in College Hill next year. It’s a homecoming of sorts for someone who spent nearly 16 years feeding the city before his departure last year.

Morgan arrived in the Queen City in 2005 on a football scholarship at the University of Cincinnati. Like a lot of college students, he found himself wondering what to do with the rest of his life after graduation.

In addition to his day job at a bank, he decided to make all Fridays on campus “Island Frydays.” He cooked the Caribbean food of his youth on a sidewalk grill at his apartment and sold it to teammates and neighbors. Hundreds of people stood in line for the makeshift pop-up shop every week for the first three weeks. By the fourth week, Morgan found his original location on Short Vine.

The brightly painted yellow-and-green brick building saw its fair share of wellknown patrons, including rapper Rick Ross, visiting NFL teams, and Guy Fi -

eri, who brought his Food Network show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on location in 2014. The restaurant went on to appear on three different Triple D episodes, catapulting Island Frydays to even greater popularity, with a line forming out the door starting at 11 a.m. most days.

Ironically, it was this intense demand that triggered the restaurant’s slow demise. The infrastructure couldn’t keep up. “I found myself having to do a lot of structural work to the building [as a renter] and it was tapping into my profits,” Morgan recalls. “It was not made for the type of pressure we were bringing to it.”

While he was struggling to keep Island Frydays open, Morgan was also experimenting with the idea of a food trailer as a way to keep feeding his fans. Based on prior success at Taste of Cincinnati, he figured he could be successful attending all of the larger local functions and festivals. “My idea was to use the building on Short Vine as a mothership of sorts and pull up and load the trailer and go wherever I wanted,” he says.

In late 2019, Morgan took a trip to visit family in Lakeland, Florida, while his trailer was being finished. Once it was completed and his food license approved, he decided to stay in Florida and start a catering company, while leaving his head chef to manage the carry-out window back at Island Frydays. (As luck would have it, he’d changed the restaurant to carry-out-only right before COVID hit, which helped it remain open through the pandemic.)

Despite the success of the pick-up window, the five years he spent catering in Florida and driving back and forth to Cincinnati to make sure both businesses were running well, plus the upkeep of the rented space, took its toll.

Morgan didn’t want to keep pouring more money into a building that wasn’t his and decided to stay put in Florida, ultimately shuttering the Corryville spot in 2024. However, out of sight didn’t translate to out of mind.

“The phones never stopped ringing, and the e-mails never CONTINUED ON P. 92

ISLAND VIBES

Island

Frydays is back in the Queen City, trading in its Corryville digs for a food trailer in College Hill. The menu is full of the old favorites, including jerk chicken, oxtails, and plantains as well as Jamaican beverages, like ginger beer and Ting.

Every day...

stopped coming,” he says. “Every day I was in Florida I always knew [Cincinnati] was my foundation.”

It was CHCURC’s Karikari who finally convinced Morgan to come back to town. In January, Karikari reached out on Instagram, and the two started discussing the challenges of running a restaurant, leading to months of conversations. “[I] told him we have something great going on in College Hill and he’d be an asset to the community as he’s loved by many, many people,” he says.

...brings new opportunities.

Eventually he convinced Morgan to bring his trailer to town in May for a 10day pop-up shop that coincided with a College Hill event. “From the day we opened the traffic was non-stop,” Morgan recalls. “People said they’d never seen the plaza packed like that before—constantly crowded for days, two-hour waits in the rain, no complaints. Afterward, I went back to Florida, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I missed the support and my friends and family and people that love me, so I decided to come back, and it’s been beautiful.”

Now, the Island Frydays food trailer is posted up at the College Hill Plaza on Fridays and Saturdays, with other days reserved for its catering business and special events.

During negotiations, Morgan asked Karikari the most important question of all: What do you like about my food?

“My wife worked at UC, and she’d pick up Island Frydays for dinner,” says Karikari. “A lot of the menu items are the same as we have in [my home country] Ghana, so I talked about his food and how I can relate to it. It’s also his sense of community—the way he uses food to build community that also attracted me to him. I’ve seen him give the unhoused a whole plate. You want those people around. It’s more than his food. It’s the impact [he’ll have] on this community for many, many years to come.”

The two are in the process of finalizing Morgan’s new commercial space, which he plans to open in 2026. “I love Cincinnati,” Morgan says. “And I believe Cincinnati loves us, too.”

The ’Wich Way

MARIEMONT RESIDENTS HAVE LONG PINED FOR A TAKE-OUT SANDWICH SHOP TO COMplete their quaint, European-esque village. Alveo has exceeded those deli dreams. In a corner spot on the square’s main drag, the joint venture between Parisian Pantry Co. and Sebastian Bakehouse has been an immediate hit. But don’t let the lunch hour lines scare you off. The wait is well worth it. Here, everything hinges on the bread. Baked in-house daily, the rustic schiacciatta (a cousin of focaccia) is at once crispy and chewy, subtly seasoned—the perfect anchor to every sandwich. With just seven sandwiches, the menu is slim, but far from simple. These two-handed sandwiches are big enough to share, but you won’t want to.

La Rustica, for example, combines layers of soft prosciutto with a sweet black truffle honey glaze and a creamy ricotta spread. L’Alveo’s nutty pistachio crema is buried between crunchy arugula, stracciatella, and smooth slices of mortadella. For something tangier, try La Classica with its tomato conserva and zesty lemon oil. Complete the meal with an Italian Aranciata soda, sea salt chips sourced from Spain, and a chunky chocolate chip cookie that will make you forget your name.

Take it all to go, or savor it inside at one of the sleek, white tables. Minimal decor, light-drenched windows, and a few pops of plants and pottery give it a Scandinavian sophistication. In warmer weather, a handful of red bistro tables offer al fresco dining. —ELIZABETH MILLER WOOD

MARIA LILIANA BIONDO

THE OWNER OF UGOGELATO heads to Italy next year for the Gelato Festival World Masters.

Why gelato? Gelato has been a part of my life since I was a child. I grew up immersed in the craft, watching and learning not just the techniques, but also the passion behind it.

You clinched a spot in the Gelato Festival World Masters North America Finals in Los Angeles in September. Tell us about it. I went to Chicago in 2022 and qualified, then advanced to the American semi-final in Los Angeles [in 2023] and most recently, the American finals in Los Angeles last summer, where we won a silver medal and qualified to compete in Italy.

How did you develop your awardwinning flavor? When I was experimenting for the competition I tried making MandorLand with regular milk and I didn’t like it because I felt like the milk was covering the delicate flavors of the almond, and then I thought, Let’s make it water-based, and it was a completely different experience—very light, very delicate.

What do people get wrong about gelato? It’s not ice cream. In gelato, we use milk or water, and ice cream uses heavy cream, that’s why [for some] it’s harder to digest.

What’s next for uGO? Educating customers about how good gelato is versus ice cream, then making it available to everyone.

– ELIZABETH A LOWRY

FYI, ugogelato.com

Alveo, 6816 Wooster Pike, Mariemont, (513) 5087729, eatatalveo.com

Taka Time

AFTER A NIGHT OF DRINKING AND cavorting, nothing tastes quite like a bit of greasy fast food.

But why not up your late-night postclubbing snack game with a wakataka from Galaxie? The Louisville-based bar opened an offshoot in Covington last December, bringing its themed dance nights and specialty flatbread tacos to Northern Kentucky. Soak up the booze with these tacos made with fluffy slices of pita bread and creative ingredient combos.

You can choose from eight wakataka options as well as a few salad options in the form of Greek and avocado chicken. For the veg heads (those with gluten allergies can substitute the pita for tortilla shells), there’s a spinach saag and crispy potato wakataka, its spinach, potatoes, and green curry punched up by feta and ginger so that it has enough flavor to fool you into not noticing you’re missing a protein. If you want more of a surf-and-turf vibe, try the shrimp and chorizo version, and get your taste buds popping with its aioli, pickled red onion, and pico. The thick and tangy sauce in the hoisin BBQ wakataka makes it one of the favorites. The grilled chicken is covered in it along with seed spice and pickled onion making for a smoky zing.

Potato lovers won’t feel left out in the cold with Galaxie’s selection of loaded fries (known as “Vader fries”). You can snag some of the same flavors that you get on the wakatakas—burger, shrimp, chimichurri—without the pita. Don’t forget to drop by during “Taka Tuesdays” and get your wakatakas for only five bucks each. With today’s prices, this deal is, ahem, out of this world.

—AIESHA D. LITTLE

Galaxie, 815 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 446-2865, galaxiebar.com/covington

From an intimate date night for two to private celebrations for 100 guests, Vista at Lytle Park is the premier winter gathering spot. Enjoy the warmth of our glassenclosed space or cozy up in one of the city’s exclusive Alpen Globes while savoring delectable bites and inventive cocktails. For private event inquiries, contact our sales team — and reserve your Alpen Globe on OpenTable by searching Vista at Lytle Park.

311 Pike Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 621-4500 www.vistaatlytlepark.com

DINING GUIDE

CINCINNATI MAGAZINE’S dining guide is compiled by our editors as a service to our readers. The magazine accepts no advertising or other consideration in exchange for a restaurant listing. The editors may add or delete restaurants based on their judgment. Because of space limitations, all

of the guide’s restaurants may not be included. Many restaurants have changing seasonal menus; dishes listed here are examples of the type of cuisine available and may not be on the menu when you visit.

To update listings, e-mail: cmletters@cincinnati magazine.com

AMERICAN

ALARA

With two floors and more than 8,000 square feet, Alara is massive but intimate. The dim lighting, hanging plants, purple drapes, and muted music all create an atmosphere of subdued sophistication to accompany its New American menu. Like lots of local restaurants at this price point, this place takes farm-to-table dining seriously. Local and regional producers play a large role in shaping the restaurant’s seasonal offerings (which are on glorious display in the spiced oil, fried chickpeas, black garlic molasses, Fresno chiles, pickled carrots, and dill of the smoked carrot hummus) while larger dishes lend a certain “family style” air to the dining experience. The lobster and pea carbonara offers generous enough portions of both the seafood and the pasta to make sharing an option, but like with the chicken Milanese—a light, rustic, and lemony dish that ate like a biergarten schnitzel—you might want to keep it all to yourself. 5410 Medpace Way, Madisonville, (513) 2725315, alaracincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

BROWN DOG CAFÉ

If you haven’t had a plate of Shawn McCoy’s design set in front of you, it’s about time. Many of the menu’s dishes show his knack for the plate as a palette. A trio of duck breast, lamb chop, and demi haute chocolate boar is a standout. The eye for detail and contrasts of colors and textures belongs to someone who cares for food.

1000 Summit Place, Blue Ash, (513) 794-1610, thebrowndogcafe.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sat. MCC, DS. $$$

EMBERS

The menu here is built for celebration: poshly priced steak and sushi selections are meant to suit every special occasion. Appetizers are both classic (shrimp cocktail) and Asian-inspired (shrimp tempura); fashionable ingredients are name-checked (micro-greens and truffles); a prominent sushi section (nigiri, sashimi, and rolls) precedes a list of archetypal salads; Kobe beef on sushi rolls sidles up to steaks of prime; non-steak entrées

MEAN BREAD

South Carolinabased Vicious Biscuit has plans to open its first tri-state location soon. Known for its made-from-scratch biscuits and Southern-style comfort food, the restaurant is setting up shop in the former MOD Pizza at 7240 Outfitters Way in Liberty Township. viciousbiscuit.com

KEY: No checks unless specified.

AE American Express, DC Diners Club

DS Discover, MC MasterCard, V Visa

MCC Major credit cards: AE, MC, V

$ = Under $15

$$ = Up to $30

$$$ = Up to $49

$$$$ = $50 and up

(Chilean sea bass or Dover sole with haricots verts and almondine) make for high-style alternative selections. Talk about a party. 8170 Montgomery Rd., Madeira, (513) 9848090, embersrestaurant.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$$

Top 10 IVORY HOUSE

The menu here generally doesn’t reinvent dishes or introduce outlandish flavors, but simply pays attention to enough little things to make the results unusually good. All steaks are premium and hand-selected, the star player being the Japanese A5 Wagyu. The Ultimate Surf & Turf is a date night favorite with a 34-ounce Angus Tomahawk, four shrimp, four scallops and two lobster tails. Bluefin tuna steak is complemented by cilantro lime rice, a vegetable medley, chimichurri, and a soy ginger vinaigrette. Confit duck leg, an Ivory House specialty, is served with parsnip mash, confit beets, and berry gastrique. The cocktails are ones you’ve probably seen before, but everything—from the Death Valley Farm Old Fashioned to the Best West Lemon Drop—has an extra dash of liveliness from a house-made element, like the rosemary syrup. 2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood, (513) 3890175, ivoryhousecincy.com. Dinner seven days, brunch Sun. MCC. DC. $$$

QUATMAN CAFÉ

The quintessential neighborhood dive, Quatman’s sits in the shadow of the Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, serving up a classic bar burger. Look elsewhere if you like your burger with exotic toppings: This half-pound of grilled beef is served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. Sometimes cheese. The no-frills theme is straightforward and appealing. A menu of standard sandwich fare and smooth mock turtle soup; beer on tap or soda in cans (no wine or liquor); and plenty of kitsch is served daily. Peppered with regulars, families, and political discussions, Quatman’s is far from fancy, but it’s fun, fast, and delicious. 2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood, (513) 7314370; 224 W. Main St., Mason, (513) 229-0222, quatmancafe.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $

THE SCHOOLHOUSE RESTAURANT

An old flag stands in one corner and pictures of Abe Lincoln and the first George W. hang on the wall of this Civil War–era schoolhouse. The daily menu of familiar Midwestern comfort fare is written on the original chalkboard. Once you order from a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to your high school lunch lady, the elevated lazy Susan in the center of the table begins to fill up with individual bowls and baskets of cornbread, slaw, salad, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and vegetables. The deal here is quantity. More mashed potatoes with your fried chicken? More cornbread with your baked ham? You don’t even have to raise your hand.

8031 Glendale-Milford Rd., Camp Dennison, (513) 831-5753, theschoolhousecincinnati.com. Lunch Thurs, Fri & Sun, dinner Thurs–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

SUGAR N’ SPICE

This Paddock Hills diner, with other locations in Over-the-Rhine and Blue Ash, has been dishing up wispy-thin pancakes and football-sized omelettes to Cincinnatians since FDR was signing new deals. Breakfast and lunch offerings mix old-hat classics like corned beef hash and basic burgers with funky iterations that draw on ethnic ingredients such as chorizo. Get here early if you don’t want to stand in line.

4381 Reading Rd., Paddock Hills, (513) 2423521; 1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 762-0390; 10275 Summit Pkwy., Blue Ash, (513) 447-6453, eatsugarnspice.com. Breakfast and lunch seven days. MCC. $

TRIO

Trio is nothing if not a crowd-pleaser. Whether you’re in the mood for a Mediterranean-style pizza or filet mignon (with a baked potato and compound herb butter), the menu is broad enough to offer something for everyone. It may lack a cohesive point of view, but with the number of regulars who come in seven nights a week, variety is Trio’s ace in the hole. A simple Margherita pizza with Roma tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, and mozzarella delivered a fine balance of crunchy crust, soft cheese, and sweet, roasted tomatoes. Paired with a glass of pinot noir, it made a perfect light meal. The service is friendly enough for a casual neighborhood joint but comes with white table= Named a

cloth attentiveness and knowledge. Combine that with the consistency in the kitchen, and Trio is a safe bet.

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

BARBECUE

BEE’S

BARBEQUE

You’ll want to get to Bee’s early if you want to avoid the line of friendly regulars. The restaurant’s smoker churns out a variety of meats—including brisket, pulled pork, rib tips, turkey breast, and two kinds of sausage—so it’s easy to see why they keep coming back. If you enjoy the spicy grease that oozes out of a good chorizo, you’ll love the Cincinnati Hot Link, which tastes like the delicious love child of a chorizo and a hot mett. Word to the wise: Bee’s opens at 11 a.m. and closes when they run out of meat. Understandably, this doesn’t take long.

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

ELI’S BBQ

Elias Leisring started building his pulled pork reputation under canopies at Findlay Market and Fountain Square in 2011. Leisring’s proper little ’cue shack along the river serves up ribs that are speaking-in-tongues good, some of the zazziest jalapeño cheese grits north of the Mason-

Dixon line, and browned mashed potatoes that would make any short-order cook diner-proud. The small no-frills restaurant—packed cheek-by-jowl most nights—feels like it’s been there a lifetime, with customers dropping vinyl on the turntable, dogs romping in the side yard, and picnic tables crowded with diners. The hooch is bring-your-own, and the barbecue is bona fide.

3313 Riverside Dr., East End, (513) 533-1957; 133 West Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 533-1957, ext. 2, elisbarbeque.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $

WALT’S HITCHING POST

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

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

CAJUN/ CARIBBEAN

BREWRIVER CREOLE

More than 800 miles from New Orleans, this may be as close as you can get to the real deal here in your own backyard. The menu fully leans into Chef Michael Shields’s penchant for cuisine from the Crescent City. His six years of train-

ing under NOLA’s own Emeril Lagasse comes through in a scratch kitchen menu that spans a range of the city’s classics. The enormous shrimp and oyster po’boys—the former protein fried in a light and crispy beer batter and the latter in a hearty cornmeal breading—are served on fluffy French bread loaves and dressed with lightly spicy rémoulades. The jambalaya packs all the heat of a late summer day in the French Quarter without masking a hint of its satisfying flavors. Paired with a Sazerac and nightly live jazz, you may just feel tempted to start a second line.

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

SWAMPWATER GRILL

At first blush, this place is a dive where homesick Cajuns can find a good pile of jambalaya. But thoughtful details like draft Abita beer and char-grilled Gulf Coast oysters on the half shell signal its ambition. Bayou standards like jambalaya, gumbo, and fried seafood also make an appearance. But the extensive menu also features amped-up pub-style items for those who may be squeamish about crawfish tails (which can be added to just about anything on the menu). You’ll also find a roundup of oyster, shrimp, catfish, and alligator po’boys, as well as a selection of hardwood-smoked meats.

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

KNOTTY PINE ON THE BAYOU

The Pine serves some of the best Louisiana home-style food you’ll find this far north of New Orleans. Taste the fried catfish filets with their peppery crust, or the garlic sauteed shrimp with smoky greens on the side, and you’ll understand why it’s called soul food. Between March and June, it’s crawfish season. Get them boiled and heaped high on a platter or in a superb crawfish etouffee. But the rockin’ gumbo—a thick, murky brew of andouille sausage, chicken,

and vegetables—serves the best roundhouse punch all year round. As soon as you inhale the bouquet and take that first bite, you realize why Cajun-style food is considered a high art form and a serious pleasure. And you’ll start planning your return trip.

6302 Licking Pke., Cold Spring, (859) 781-2200, theknottypineonthebayou.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

CHINESE

AMERASIA

A sense of energetic fun defines this tiny Chinese spot with a robust beer list. The glossy paper menu depicts Master Chef Rich Chu as a “Kung Food” master fighting the evil fast-food villain with dishes like “fly rice,” “Brocco-Lee,” and “Big Bird’s Nest.” Freshness rules. Potstickers, dumplings, and wontons are hand shaped. The Dragon’s Breath wontons will invade your dreams. Seasoned ground pork, onion, and cilantro meatballs are wrapped in egg dough, wok simmered, and topped with thick, spicy red pepper sauce and fresh cilantro. Noodles are clearly Chef Chu’s specialty, with zonxon (a tangle of thin noodles, finely chopped pork, and mushrooms cloaked in spicy dark sauce and crowned with peanuts and cilantro) and Matt Chu’s Special (shaved rice noodles, fried chicken, and seasonal vegetables in gingery white sauce) topping the menu’s flavor charts. 521 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 261-6121, kungfood. online. Lunch and dinner Mon–Fri, dinner Sat. MCC. $

GREAT TANG

Although the menu features classic dishes in every style, the specialty at Great Tang is the refined coastal cuisine of Zhejiang. If you like spice, you can get still the Sichuanese and Hunanese classics. One dish will hint at the surprises

in store for people who are mainly used to Chinese takeout: the lovely Xian cold noodle. The dish is exquisitely layered: the creamy and nutty undertone of sesame paste, mixed with notes of tang and spice, topped with the bright pop of cilantro. The combination of textures is also delightful, with crunches of cucumber and sprouted mung and the softness of the flat noodles. Be as brave as you are in the mood to be. Ask for some suggestions and prepare to be astonished. 7340 Kingsgate Way, West Chester, (513) 847-6097, greattangohio.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Mon, dim sum Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$

ORIENTAL WOK

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

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

THE PACIFIC KITCHEN

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

of star anise, bean paste, and soy within the re-sealed cavity, and the crispy convection oven finish. Dolsot bibimbap had plenty of crispy rice at the bottom of the stone bowl, and the accompanying banchan were soothing yet flavorful. Even dishes like a Malaysian goat stew resonated with rich, original flavors.

8300 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, (513) 898-1833, thepacific.kitchen. Lunch and dinner Mon & Wed–Sun, dim sum lunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$

SICHUAN BISTRO

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

7888 S. Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 770-3123, sichuanbistro.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

UNCLE YIP’S

Long before sushi somehow un-disgusted itself to the Western World, China had houses of dim sum. Uncle Yip’s valiantly upholds that tradition in Evendale. This is a traditional dim sum house with all manner of exotic dumplings, including shark fin or beef tripe with ginger and onion. As for the seafood part of the restaurant’s full name, Uncle

AIR ITALIA

The owners of Mt. Lookout Italian restaurant VV The Italian Experience plan to open an outpost inside of Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport early next year. The eatery, which opened its original location in 2023, will focus on sandwiches, salads, and more as well as an expanded wine list. vvitalian.com

Yip has most everything the sea has to offer. The menu has more than 160 items, so you’ll find a range of favorites, from moo goo gai pan to rock salt frog legs.

10736 Reading Rd., Evendale, (513) 733-8484, uncleyips.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, discount for cash. $$

ECLECTIC

ABIGAIL STREET

Top 10

Most people who’ve eaten at Abigail Street have favorite dishes that they order every visit: the Moroccan spiced broccoli, for example, or the mussels charmoula, with its perfect balance of saffron, creaminess, and tomatoey acidity. Many of the new items on the menu have the same perfected feeling as these classics. Working within a loose framework of Middle Eastern and North African flavors, Abigail Street has never fallen into a routine that would sap its energy. Offerings like the lamb spaghetti with grana padano feel just as accomplished as old favorites like the falafel. The restaurant is always watching for what works and what will truly satisfy, ready to sacrifice the superficially interesting in favor of the essential.

1214 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 4214040, abigailstreet.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

THE APERTURE

After several pandemic-related setbacks, Chef/ Owner Jordan Anthony-Brown opened his world fusion restaurant in Walnut Hills’s historic Paramount Square Building. And it was worth the wait. The seasonal menu draws on flavors from across the globe with subtle touches, such as its scallop crudo. The sublime charred carrots are served with Middle Eastern spice blends like dukkah and ras el hanout as well as mint and crumbles of lamb merguez sausage. It’s a dish that perfectly encapsulates The Aperture’s commitment to serving substantial versions of traditionally lighter fare. At heart, The Aperture is a neighborhood restaurant, albeit one that’s bound to bring people in from all over.

900 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, (513) 8721970, theaperturecinci.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

Top 10

BOCA

With its grand staircase, chandelier, and floor-to-ceiling draperies, Boca has an atmosphere of grandeur and refinement. There is a sense of drama not only in the decor but in everything it serves. In some dishes, there is a painterly sense of contrast and surprise, like the maple tuile served with the maple mascarpone cheesecake. In others, there is a dramatic suspense, like the whole egg yolk quivering in the center of the beef tartare waiting to be broken. While staying mostly grounded in the fundamentals of Italian and French cuisine, Boca has an air of international sophistication that sets its food apart with extraordinary creativity and flair.

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

CHÉ

This spot draws on authentic Argentine recipes, including the empanadas. Choose from a dozen different crispy, perfectly cinched dough pockets, with fillings ranging from traditional (a mixture of cumin-spiced beef, hard-boiled egg, and olives) to experimental (mushrooms, feta, green onion, and mozzarella). There are also six different dipping sauces to choose from, but you need not stray from the house chimichurri.

1342 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine; 2038 Madison Rd., O’Bryonville, (513) 345-8838,

checincinnati.com. Dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. V, MCC, DC, AMEX. $$

FIVE KITCHEN & BAR

The fifth venture from Anthony Sitek and wife Haley Nutter-Sitek’s Crown Restaurant Group, Five on Vine achieves excitement through comfort food with meticulous attention to detail: the meat is butchered in-house, the bread and pasta are made from scratch, and the bacon is house-cured. Thick, cleanly acidic fried green tomatoes make an appearance, as does a bountiful cioppino, a tomato-based seafood stew created by Italian American fisherman in San Francisco. Some of the dishes are pulled straight from Sitek’s own childhood, in New Jersey. “Gracie’s Meatballs,” named in honor of his grandmother, use her unique blend of raisins and pine nuts. 1324 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4301, fiveonvine.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$

THE GREEN LINE KITCHEN & COCKTAILS

Named after the historic trolley line that used to run between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, this restaurant combines quality American food with charm and history. Meals feel like homemade Sunday dinners, and with a menu bursting with steaks, seafood, and pasta, there’s something to make everyone’s weekend. The half-roasted chicken appears exactly as promised, with a breast, wing, thigh, and drumstick cooked as one large piece. On the cocktails side, even the designated driver has options beyond iced tea. Nonalcoholic choices range from beer and wine to original mocktails, like the Strawberry Ginger (strawberry puree, fresh strawberries, fresh basil, and ginger beer). 425 N. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas, (859) 757-4580, greenlinerestaurant.com. Dinner Tues-Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$

MELT REVIVAL

In this Northside sandwich joint, the restaurant’s name pretty much dictates what you should get. Diners have their choice of sandwiches, including the vegetarian cheesesteak—seitan (a meat substitute) topped with roasted onions, peppers, and provolone—and The Gobbler, turkey burger served with curried aioli, red cabbage slaw, pickled red onions, and arugula. For those who require meat in their meals, try the verde chicken flatbread: juicy pieces of chicken intermingle with pesto, zucchini, and provolone. Not sure you’ll want a whole sandwich? Try a half-sandwich with a halfsalad or half-soup order—a popular selection with the lunch crowd.

4100 Hamilton Ave., Northside, (513) 8188951, meltrevival.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tues—Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $

Top 10 MITA’S

It’s fitting that Chef/Owner Jose Salazar named this restaurant after his grandmother, because there is something deeply homey about the food at Mita’s. With a focus on Spanish and Latin-American tapas, it always feels, in the best possible way, like elevated home cooking. Its sophistication is modestly concealed. The flavors are bold and direct, like the spicy freshness of the ceviche de camarones with poached gulf shrimp, sour orange, fava beans, and jalapeños. The tacos de lengua, which come in pairs, are made with beef tongue, watermelon pico de gallo, watermelon radish, salsa roja, and mint, and are served on housemade corn tortillas. But what mainly comes through is the warm-hearted affection a grandmother might have put into a meal for a beloved grandson. It’s the kind of big hug everyone needs from time to time.

501 Race St., downtown, (513) 421-6482, mitas.co. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$$

NOLIA

Chef/Owner Jeffery Harris, a New Orleans native,

prepares the cuisine of his beloved city with sophistication and flair, drawing on all the influences that have contributed to the cuisine of the Big Easy—from West African to French to Japanese to Haitian. The menu changes seasonally, with almost a complete overhaul each time. If classic New Orleans dishes do show up on the menu, they’re likely to get delightfully unexpected touches. The smoked chicken, for example, comes with peach Alabama barbecue sauce, greens, mirliton, and charred peach. It’s exquisitely prepared food served in a funky, laid-back atmosphere.

1405 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 384-3597, noliakitchen.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC,DC. $$$

RUTH’S PARKSIDE CAFÉ

The spiritual successor of Mullane’s Parkside Café, Ruth’s brings back the vegetable-forward menu with a few concessions to contemporary tastes. Dinner options now include steaks and heavier entrées. But the stir-fries, beans and rice, pasta, and the traditional option to add a protein to an entrée (tofu, tempeh, chicken, or local chorizo) for an upcharge are all old standards. While dishes are generally hearty, they are rarely too rich, leaving room to freely consider dessert. There is a small selection of baked goods, including a gooey butter cake, homemade fruit pies, and Madisono’s Gelato.

1550 Blue Rock St., Northside, (513) 542-7884, ruthscafe.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$

SUDOVA

Sarah Dworak packed a lot into her latest venture. She began introducing fresh takes on eastern European cuisine to the dining scene via the now-defunct Wodka Bar, and while everyone loved its pierogi window, Dworak wanted to offer more. Sudova gives her the literal space to spread her wings with far more seating and a built-out kitchen. Recipes for the halushki (caramelized cabbage and onion, brown butter, and Linnea’s spaetzle), holubsti (stuffed cabbage rolls and tomato sauce), and rye varenyky (potato, sauerkraut, caramelized onion, and dill sour cream) come straight from Dworak’s baba and they are the jewels in the restaurant’s crown. Most small plates arrive dressed in herbs from Dark Wood Farm and culinary flower petals, deepening the illusion that you’ve stopped for dinner at some grandmother’s cottage deep in the woods, and she’s just picked something fresh from the garden. You should feel grateful that you don’t have to go over the hills and through the woods to get it.

22 W. Court St., downtown, (513) 407-7974, sudovaoncourt.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$$

TASTE OF BELGIUM

Jean-François Flechet’s waffle empire grew from a back counter of Madison’s grocery at Findlay Market to multiple full-service sit-down spots. There’s more on the menu than the authentic Belgian treat, though it would be a crime to miss the chicken and waffles: a dense, yeasty waffle topped with a succulent buttermilk fried chicken breast, Frank’s hot sauce, and maple syrup. There are also frites, of course, and Brussels sprouts— served with pancetta and sherry vinaigrette—plus a gem of a Bolognese. And let’s not forget the beer. Six rotating taps offer some of the best the Belgians brew, not to mention those made in town. 16 W. Freedom Way, downtown, (513) 3965800, and other locations, authenticwaffle. com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tues–Sun, breakfast and lunch Mon, brunch Sun. MCC, DS. $$

20 BRIX

This restaurant mixes Mediterranean influences with homespun choices, and he comes up with some marvelous food. Lamb meatballs with

CROWNRESTAURANTGROUP

With a focus on authenticity and style, Crown Restaurant Group seamlessly entwines the familiar and the exhilarating to craft menus of New American allure. Our commitment seeks out the perfect balance between cherished classics and bold new expeditions, and each dish emerges as a testament to our pursuit of elevated dining experiences. At Crown Restaurant Group, culinary innovation meets approachable sophistication, and every element takes tradition to the next level.

Welookforward toservingyou,

melted onions and romesco sauce are sweet and peppery, and their simplicity partners well with a lush Zinfandel. The excellent wine list, arranged by flavor profiles within the varietals, features dozens of varieties by the glass in five-ounce or two-ounce pours, which makes it easy to try several.

101 Main St., Milford, (513) 831-2749, 20brix.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$

TERANGA

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

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

WILDWEED

Before it opened as a restaurant, Wildweed developed a loyal fan base through the hundreds of pasta pop-ups that Chefs David and Lydia Jackman held around the city. Even today, it retains some of the freewheeling quality from its pop-up era with a palpable sense of restlessness in the food. Part of the menu changes from week to week, based on what’s available in the woods and from local farms. What makes Wildweed a place to return is its sense of adventure. This place is always pushing itself to try something different.

1301 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4274, wildweed-restaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

YUCA

Yuca is in The Fairfield’s former space, retaining much of the same modern, airy, and inviting café vibes with a neighborhood feel, but boasting a menu certainly worth a commute. In the mood for a hearty breakfast? Indulge in the Fat Zach, a heaping corn gordita packed to the brim with chicken, chorizo, and scrambled egg, served with avocado, pineapple pico, and sweet and spicy potatoes. There’s a full drink menu ranging from coffee to Bloody Marys—or a selection of margaritas and palomas if you’re looking to stick around.

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

FRENCH

CHEZ RENÉE FRENCH BISTROT

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

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

COLETTE

At this “mostly French” restaurant, which occupies the former Zula space across from Washington Park, Chef Danny Combs has built a more laid-back home for his focused, pristine cooking. While there is classic bistro fare, like steak frites, on the concentrated menu, there are also less familiar but equally classic French dishes, like the poulet frit a la moutarde (chicken with Dijon and crème fraîche) and the tagliolini aux champignons (egg yolk pasta with ragout and Parmesan). One can turn to the extensive drink menu (also “mostly French”) to find a wine or cocktail to go with any dish on offer. Like Zula, Colette would function just fine as a wine and cocktail bar, though we can’t imagine coming to a place this good and not eating something.

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

Top 10 LE BAR A BOEUF

If it’s been a couple of years since you’ve been to Le Bar a Boeuf—the late Jean-Robert de Cavel’s fun-yet-refined French bistro located on the first floor of the Edgecliff Private Residences in East Walnut Hills—it may be time for a revisit. The formerly burger-centric menu now approaches the full repertoire of bistro classics. The menu reads like a greatest hits list of bistro fare, with escargot, beef tartare, duck leg confit, steak frites, and French onion soup all making appearances. As France’s influence on American fine dining has waned, it’s refreshing to see a restaurant committed to not only preserving the French classics but reinvigorating them.

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

LUCA BISTRO

This unabashedly French restaurant, with its French posters, bright red outer paneling, and chalkboard menu proclaiming its specials to passersby, fits into its Mt. Adams environs so perfectly that it’s hard to imagine Hatch Street without it. That, combined with warm service, timeless French fare, and relaxed joie de vivre makes this a true neighborhood establishment. Chef Frederic Maniet grew up in the south of France and has done an excellent job transporting his native cuisine to a quiet corner of Cincinnati. These are the dishes that culinary Francophiles often crave, prepared in a straightforward, time-honored way. The Bouchées à la Reine, a buttery, flaky puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms, peas, Gruyère cheese, and béchamel sauce, is so warm and comforting it makes chicken pot pie seem aloof by comparison. It’s a warm, gentle reminder that French food can be convivial and affordable. 934 Hatch St., Mt. Adams, (513) 621-5822, lucabistro. com. Breakfast and lunch Tues–Sun, dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

INDIAN

AMMA’S KITCHEN

Muthu Kumar Muthiah serves traditional southern Indian and Indo-Chinese vegetarian cuisine, but with a sizable Orthodox Jewish community nearby, Muthiah saw an opportunity: If he was going to cook vegetarian, why not also make it kosher? Muthiah prepares every item—from the addictively crunchy gobhi Manchurian, a spicy Chinese cauliflower dish, to the lemon pickle, tamarind, and mint sauces—entirely from scratch under the careful eye of Rabbi Michoel Stern. Always 80 percent vegan, the daily lunch buffet is 100 percent animal-product-free on Wednesdays. Tuck into a warm and savory channa masala (spiced chickpeas) or malai kofta (vegetable dumplings in tomato sauce) from the curry menu. Or tear into a crispy, two-foot diameter dosa (chickpea flour crepe) stuffed with spiced onions and potatoes.

7633 Reading Rd., Roselawn, (513) 821-2021, cincinnati. ammaskitchen.com. Lunch buffet (all vegan on Wed) and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $

BRIJ MOHAN

Order at the counter the way you might at a fast food joint, except the shakes come in mango and there’s no supersizing your mint lassi. The saag, full of cream in most northern Indian restaurants, is as intensely flavored as collard greens

in the Deep South—real Punjabi soul food. Tarka dal is spectacular here, the black lentils smoky from charred tomatoes and onions, and the pani puri, hollow fried shells into which you spoon a peppery cold broth, burst with tart cool crunch. Follow the spice with soothing ras malai, freshly made cheese simmered in thick almond-flavored milk, cooled and sprinkled with crushed pistachios.

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

ITALIAN

A TAVOLA

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

7022 Miami Ave., Madeira, (513) 272-0192, atavolapizza.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. V, DC, MS, AMEX. $

AL-POSTO

Al-Posto is an upscale southern Italian spot that reflects the same commitment to quality ingredients and delicate preparation that made its predecessor Dear such a gem. Appetizers include classic sharables like marinated olives (prepared with orange zest, rosemary, and Calabrian chile) and burrata with grilled focaccia, but it’s the pasta (which can be ordered as an entrée or a first course) that’s not to be missed. We recommend the cacio e pepe, a seemingly simple dish comprised of bucatini (similar to spaghetti, but thicker), black pepper, and a sharp pecorino Toscano. Since you’re probably wondering, “Al-Posto” roughly translates to “at the spot.” Located in the middle of Hyde Park Square, this eatery seems poised to become the culinary focal point of the neighborhood.

2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-2710, al-posto.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DC, DS. $$

FORNO

Cristian Pietoso’s second restaurant has all the bones of an upscale eatery, but the menu is infused with enough Italian soul to make nonna proud. In most instances, raving about a side of creamed corn wouldn’t bode well for the rest of the menu. Here, that side dish—kernels swimming in a pool of truffle-laced heavy cream that demands sopping up—is evidence that each component is purpose-driven. The “bone-in” pork chop Milanese, and the tagliatelle Bolognese with traditional beef and veal sauce are examples of the elevated, adventurous comfort food that Pietoso strives for.

3514 Erie Ave., East Hyde Park, (513) 818-8720, fornoosteriabar.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$

Top 10 NICOLA’S

Chef/Restaurateur Cristian Pietoso carries on the legacy of his father, Nicola, as the elder Pietoso’s Over-the-Rhine eatery celebrated 25 years in business in 2021. You can still get the old Italian classics, and they’ll be as good as ever, but the rest of the menu has blossomed into a freewheeling tour of modern American cuisine. Any establishment paying this level of attention to detail—from the aged balsamic and lavender honey on the Italian cheese board to the staff’s wine knowledge—is going to put out special meals. Order an old favorite, by all means, but make sure you try something new, too.

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

PADRINO

Billed as “Italian comfort food,” this sister restaurant to 20

Brix offers the classics (like lasagna and chicken carbonara) plus hoagies and meatball sliders, an impressive wine list, seasonal martinis, and a decadent signature appetizer—garlic knots, doughy buns smothered in olive oil and garlic. Best of all, Barraco’s pizza sauce, which is comprised of roasted tomatoes and basil, is so garden-fresh that one can’t help but wonder: If this is real pizza, what have we been eating all these years?

111 Main St., Milford, (513) 965-0100; 14 N. Grand Ave. Ft Thomas, (859) 957-4082, padrinoitalian.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

PEPP & DOLORES

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

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

PRIMAVISTA

Besides offering the old-world flavors of Italy, Primavista also serves up a specialty no other restaurant can match: a bird’s eye view of Cincinnati from the west side. The kitchen is equally comfortable with northern and southern regional specialties. Among the classics, nothing is more restorative than the pasta e fagioli, a hearty soup of cannellini, ditali pasta, and bacon. Most of the pastas are cooked just a degree more mellow than al dente so that they soak up the fragrant tomato basil or satiny cream sauces. On the desserts side, you’ll be hard-pressed to decide between the housemade tiramisu or bread pudding with caramel sauce, marsala-soaked raisins, and cream.

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

Top 10 SOTTO

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

118 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 822-5154, sottocincinnati.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$

SUBITO

Focusing on Northern Italian cuisine, Subito carves out its own worthwhile place in the landscape. Most of the items on the menu—from pizza to various pastas—will be familiar, but there are delightful surprises, like the smoked grape crostini. This zingy dish is served with herb whipped goat cheese, apple, pecan, and maple agrodolce. Everything at Subito is done with intelligence and a light touch. 311 Pike St., downtown, (513) 579-3860, thelytleparkhotel.com/dining/subito. Breakfast and lunch seven days, dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$

VIA VITE

Via Vite serves up crowd-pleasing entrées—including the Pietoso family Bolognese, over tagliatelle—right on Foun-

tain Square. This is where small touches add sophistication. Golf-ball-sized veal meatballs are heavy with lemon zest, an over-the-top comfort dish. The same applies to the risotto frutti di mare, its soffritto, shrimp, lobster, mussels, and Boston bay clams creates a nice back-and-forth between vegetal and briny flavors. Braised lamb shank over polenta is a workhorse, and the flavorful Faroe Island salmon with roasted carrot puree, caramelized Brussel sprouts, and truffled brown butter balsamic vinaigrette is a delight.

520 Vine St., downtown, (513) 721-8483, viaviterestaurant.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$$

JAPANESE

ANDO

You don’t go just anywhere to dine on uni sashimi (sea urchin) or tanshio (thinly sliced charcoal-grilled beef tongue). And when it’s on the menu, don’t overlook the buttery amberjack collar marinated in a Japanese citrus infused soy sauce and grilled over charcoal. Noodles are also well represented, with udon, soba, or ramen options available. Owners Ken and Keiko Ando always have something new, be it kamo negi maki (grilled duck breast stuffed with organic green onions) or a chocolate crepe and matcha parfait, delicacies that you’ll be hard-pressed to find in anywhere else, so dont’ forget to check out the specials.

11255 Reed Hartman Hwy., Blue Ash, (513) 954-0041, andojapaneserestaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DS. $$$

BARU

Baru, the sleek izakaya in the former MidiCi space, prioritizes bar dining, which is meant to be enjoyed alongside its eclectic drinks list. The menu is broken down into sushi, “small plates,” “plates,” sides, and ishiyaki. Baru’s sushi offerings are varied but concise, featuring a trio of ahi tuna, spicy tuna, and escolar, as well as a lobster nigiri. If sushi gets the party going, the theatrical ishiyaki kicks it into high gear. The term refers to dishes that diners grill tableside on a hot stone, such as the Wagyu New York strip. For all its convivial buzz, Baru is also a spot where solo diners can enjoy a few peaceful bar-side bites. The Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna from the small plates section brought the same level of freshness and quality as the rest of the menu. Sometimes it pays to dine alone.

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

KIKI

Your best bet here is to share plates or simply order too much. Start with the edamame and the chicken karaage. The selection of sauces (from tare to ponzu to chili oil) makes each dish better. And, of course, the ramen is the main reason for visiting. The shio features pork belly and tea-marinated soft-boiled egg, but the kimchi subs in tofu and its namesake cabbage for the meat. Be sure to try something from the sushi bar which offers nigiri, sashimi, and roll options.

358 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, (513) 706-8902, kikicincinnati. com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

KYOTO

Owner Jason Shi seems to know everybody’s name as he chats up diners, guiding them through the extensive sushi and sashimi menu. Four young sushi chefs, all part of Shi’s family, work at light speed behind the bar, a choreography backlit by rows of gleaming liquor bottles. Dinner proceeds with glorious chaos as a feisty Carla Tortelli–like server delivers one dish after another—combination of crab, fish, shrimp, scallop, and vegetable tempuras, a volcanic tower of chopped fatty tuna hidden inside overlapping layers of thin avocado slices, crispy chicken katsu with a mayo sauce,, and delicate slices of a samurai roll—all between shots of chilled sake.

12082 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Twp., (513) 583-8897, kyotousa.m988.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

ZUNDO RAMEN & DONBURI

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

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

220 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 975-0706, zundootr.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

KOREAN

RIVERSIDE KOREAN RESTAURANT

Come for the jham bong—a seafood soup with flour noodles in a spicy broth with pork, shrimp, squid, mussels, and vegetables. Revered for its medicinal properties, the dinnersized soup will leave your eyes glistening and your brow beaded with sweat. It’s a detox for your overindulgence, rejuvenation for when you’re feeling under the weather. Expect crowds on weekends. Expect too, that dozens of them have come for dolsot bibimbap, the hot stone pots filled with layers of rice, vegetables, meat or tofu, egg, and chili paste. Characterized by its electric color and addictive flavors, Riverside Korean’s version is a captivating bowl of heaven. 512 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 291-1484, riversidekoreanrestaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

MEDITERRANEAN

ANDY’S MEDITERRANEAN GRILLE

In this lively joint with a burnished summer lodge interior of wood and stone, even the food is unrestrained: rough-cut chunks of charbroiled beef tenderloin, big slices of onion and green pepper turned sweet and wet in the heat, skewers of marinated and charbroiled chicken perched on rice too generous for its plate.

906 Nassau St., Walnut Hills, (513) 281-9791, andyskabob.com. Lunch Mon–Sat, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

CAFÉ MEDITERRANEAN

Chef-driven Middle Eastern cuisine leans heavily on Turkish tradition here. The baba ghanoush uses seared eggplant, which adds a pleasant smokiness to the final product. Börek is described as a “Turkish Egg Roll,” wrapping feta and fresh and dried herbs into phyllo dough and frying it lightly to brittle flakiness. While there is a smooth, simple hummus on the menu, you should go for the classic sucuklu hummus, which is spiked with sujuk, a common beef sausage popular all over the Middle East.

3520 Erie Ave., East Hyde Park, (513) 871-8714, mediterranean-cafe.com. Lunch Mon–Sat, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

FILLO

This modern Greek restaurant has a menu composed of mezedes, the small, shareable plates that serve as the binder to a great Greek meal. Take the saganaki, for example. True to Greek tradition, Fillo’s version is served without a tableside flambé. But what the dish lacks in spectacle, it makes up for in spectacular flavor. The layering of ingredients and flavors defines Fillo’s most filling entrée: moussaka. The classic dish appears on several local Mediterranean menus, but for pure comfort, Fillo’s combination of eggplant, potato, tomato-y beef ragu sauce, and béchamel can’t be beat.

1505 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 873-1995, fillomoderngreek.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$

standards, like cheeseburgers, chili five ways, and breakfast anytime, but they also make some Greek pastries in-house, like spanakopita and baklava.

3414 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, (513) 662-8080. Breakfast and lunch seven days, dinner Tues–Fri. MCC. $

Top10

PHOENICIAN TAVERNA

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

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

SANTORINI

Steak, eggs, and homefries. Jumbo haddock sandwich with Greek fries. Chocolate chip hotcakes with bacon. Notice something wrong with this menu? Chicken Philly cheese steak sandwich with Olympic onion rings. Yep, it’s obvious: What’s wrong with this menu is that there’s nothing wrong with this menu. Greek feta cheese omelette with a side of ham. It’s been owned by the same family for more than 30 years. Santorini has diner

SEBASTIAN’S

Watch the rotating wheels of beef and lamb, and you understand how Greek food has escaped the American tendency to appropriate foreign cuisines. Sebastian’s specializes in gyros, shaved off the stick, wrapped in thick griddle pita with onions and tomatoes, and served with cool tzatziki sauce. Whether you’re having a crisp Greek salad with house-made dressing, triangles of spanakopita, or simply the best walnut and honey baklava this side of the Atlantic, they never misses a beat, turning more covers in the tiny restaurant on one Saturday afternoon than some restaurants do in an entire weekend.

5209 Glenway Ave., Price Hill, (513) 471-2100, sebastiansgyros.com. Brunch, lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. DS. $

MEXICAN

MAZUNTE

Mazunte runs a culinary full-court press, switching up specials to keep both regulars and staff engaged. Pork tamales arrive swaddled in a banana leaf, the shredded pork filling steeped in a sauce fiery with guajillo and ancho chilies yet foiled by the calming sweetness of raisins. The fried fish tacos are finished with a citrusy red and white cabbage slaw that complements the accompanying mango-

habañero salsa. With this level of authentic yet fastpaced execution, a slightly greasy pozole can be easily forgiven. Don’t miss the Mexican Coke, the margaritas, or the non-alcoholic horchata.

5207 Madison Rd., Madisonville, (513) 7850000, mazuntetacos.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $

NADA

The brains behind Boca deliver authentic, contemporary, high-quality Mexican fare downtown. You’ll find a concise menu, including tacos, salads and sides, large plates, and desserts. The Pork Al Pastor tacos, zesty with salsa verde and sweet with grilled pineapple, are definite crowdpleasers. If you’re biased against Brussels sprouts, Nada just might convert you. The crispy sprouts, served with chipotle honey and candied ancho pepitas, are a deliciously intriguing starter.

600 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 721-6232, eatdrinknada.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

TAQUERIA MERCADO

On a Saturday night, Taqueria Mercado is a lively fiesta, with seemingly half of the local Hispanic community guzzling margaritas and cervezas or carrying out sacks of burritos and carnitas tacos—pork tenderized by a long simmer, its edges frizzled and crispy. The Mercado’s strip mall interior, splashed with a large, colorful mural, is equally energetic: the bustling semi-open kitchen; a busy counter that handles a constant stream of take-out orders; a clamorous, convivial chatter in Spanish and English. Try camarones a la plancha, 12 chubby grilled shrimp tangled with grilled onions (be sure to specify if you like your onions well done). The starchiness of the rice absorbs the caramelized onion juice, offset by the crunch of lettuce, buttery

DOUGH REDO

Several Greater Cincinnati Bruegger’s Bagels locations have been marked for reopening as Einstein Bros. Bagels. The Madeira Crossing spot at 7005 Miami Ave. opened in October and the Clifton location at 3317 Clifton Ave. opened in November. The first 50 customers received a free bagel topped with an Einstein Bros. signature cream cheese shmear every week for a whole year. locations.einstein bros.com/us/oh/ cincinnati

Fritz illustration courtesy of Loren Long.

slices of avocado, and the cool-hot pico de gallo. A shrimp quesadilla paired with one of their cheap and potent margaritas is worth the drive alone.

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

SEAFOOD

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S

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

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

STEAKS

CARLO & JOHNNY

The stars of the menu are 12 delectable steaks that could

sway the vegi-curious to recommit. Not sure which to choose? If you prefer brawny flavor over buttery texture, go for one of the three bone-in rib cuts. Or if it’s that meltin-your-mouth experience that raises your serotonin levels, C&J features several tenderloin cuts, including the premium six-ounce Wagyu filet. There are the usual suspects of seafood, pork chops, et al, for non-beef alternatives.

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

JEFF RUBY’S

Filled most nights with local scenesters and power brokers (and those who think they are), everything in this urban steakhouse is generous—from the portions to the expert service. Waiters deliver two-fisted martinis and mounds of greens dressed in thin vinaigrettes or thick, creamy emulsions. An occasional salmon or sea bass appears, and there’s a small but decent assortment of land fare. But most customers are there for the slabs of beef (dry aged USDA prime). The best of these is Jeff Ruby’s Cowboy, 22 ounces of 70-day dry-aged bone-in rib eye. This is steak tailor-made for movers and shakers.

505 Vine St., downtown, (513) 784-1200, jeffruby.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DC. $$$$

Top 10

LOSANTI

A bit more upscale than its sister restaurant, Crown Republic Gastropub, Losanti is also more conservative in its offerings. Service is friendly and informal, and though the meal feels like a special occasion, prices and atmosphere are right for, say, a date, rather than a wedding anniversary. The filet mignon, rib eye, and New York strip are cut to order for each table (there are a few available weights for each). The steaks themselves are totally irreproachable, perfectly seasoned, cooked to precisely the right point. Losanti even makes the steakhouse sides a little special. Sweet and smoky caramelized onions are folded into the mashed potatoes, a nice dusting of truffles wakes up the mac and cheese, and the sweet

corn is at least freshly cut off the cob and recalls elote with lime and chile.

1401 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4213, losantiotr.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

Top 10

THE PRECINCT

Part of the appeal of the Ruby restaurants is their ability to deliver deep, comfort-food satisfaction. And the steaks. The meat is tender with a rich mineral flavor, and the signature seasoning provided a nice crunch, not to mention blazing heat. The supporting cast is strong—the basket of warm Sixteen Bricks bread with a mushroom truffle butter, the addictive baked macaroni and cheese, the creamy garlic mashed potatoes, the crisptender asparagus with roasted garlic and lemon vinaigrette—and dinner ends on a sweet note with a piece of Ruby family recipe cheesecake. Neither cloyingly sweet nor overwhelmingly creamy, it’s a lovely slice of restraint.

311 Delta Ave., Columbia-Tusculum, (513) 321-5454, jeffruby.com/precinct. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$$

TONY’S

He is a captivating presence, Tony Ricci. Best known for his 30 years in fine dining—including the Jeff Ruby empire while managing the venerable Precinct—Ricci has built a life in the hospitality industry. Much of Tony’s menu is right out of a steakhouse playbook: tiger shrimp and king crab legs from the raw bar; Greek and Caesar salads; sides of creamed spinach, mac-and-cheese, asparagus, and sautéed mushrooms; toppings of roasted garlic or Gorgonzola butters to accompany your center cut of filet mignon. There are boutique touches, though, that make it stand out—a garlic herb aioli with the calamari, steak tartare torch-kissed and topped with a poached egg, a superb rack of lamb with balsamic and lemon gastrique and served with traditional ratatouille.

12110 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Township, (513) 6778669, tonysofcincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$$

• We are a community of prayer and worship.

• Continuing Faith Education opportunities are available for all parishioners.

• Several Parish Service Organizations allow opportunities to engage individual interests.

• Our parish is actively involved in our community.

Guardian Angels Parish

6531 Beechmont Avenue • Cincinnati, OH 45230 (513) 231-7440 • www.gaparish.org

GREEN PAPAYA

Inside this simple dining room, replete with soothing browns and greens and handsome, dark wood furniture, it takes time to sort through the many curries and chef’s specialties, not to mention the wide variety of sushi on the something-for-everyone menu. Have the staff—friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable—help you. When the food arrives, you’ll need only a deep inhale to know you made the right choice. The Green Papaya sushi rolls are as delicious as they look, with a manic swirl of spicy mayo and bits of crabstick and crispy tempura batter scattered atop the spicy tuna, mango, cream cheese, and shrimp tempura sushi—all rolled in a vivid green soybean wrap. 2942 Wasson Rd., Oakley, (513) 731-0107; 4002 Plainville Rd., Mariemont, (513) 272-8424, greenpapayacincinnati.com. Lunch and dinner seven days (Oakley), Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat (Mariemont). MCC. $$

TEAK SUSHI & THAI

Owner Chanaka De Lanerolle has said that he decided to bring back Teak’s take on Thai food because of the renewed vibrancy in Over-the-Rhine, which he compared to the energy he felt in Mt. Adams during his time there. But for all of the hype around the restaurant’s re-emergence on the scene, it’s probably best to consider it a reimagining rather than a reopening. While long-time favorites show up on the menu, prepared by many of the same kitchen staff members from Mt. Adams, some adaptations have been made to better meet expectations of modern diners. Letting go of preconceived notions about Teak will serve you well. With a two-sided, standalone sushi menu and a wide variety of main plates ranging from small bites to signature dishes,

you have plenty of room to craft your own dining experience. 1200 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-8325 ; 110 S. Second St., Loveland, (513) 583-8325, teakotr.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

THAI NAMTIP

Classic Thai comfort food on the west side from chef/owner Tussanee Leach, who grew up with galangal on her tongue and sriracha sauce in her veins. Her curries reign: pale yellow sweetened with coconut milk and poured over tender chicken breast and chunks of boiled pineapple; red curry the color of new brick, tasting of earth at first bite, then the sharply verdant Thai basil leaves, followed by a distant heat. Tom Kha Gai soup defines the complex interplay of flavors in Thai food: astringent lemongrass gives way to pepper, then Makrut lime, shot through with the gingery, herbaceous galangal, all yielding to the taunting sweetness of coconut. Even the simple skewers of chicken satay with Thai peanut sauce are dulcified by honey and dirtied up by a smoky grill.

5461 North Bend Rd., Monfort Heights, (513) 481-3360, thainamtip.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MC, V. $

WILD GINGER

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

3655 Edwards Rd., Hyde Park, (513) 533-9500, wildgingeroh.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

e Queen’s Lace transforms dress shopping into a joyful, pampered experience. Located in Cincinnati's Reading Bridal district, this mom-centric boutique provides personal stylists, free appointments with over 700 elegant dress options in a relaxing environment tailored just for mothers and grandmothers

320b West Benson St., Cincinnati, Ohio https://thequeenslace.com

VIETNAMESE

PHO LANG THANG

Owners Duy and Bao Nguyen and David Le have created a greatest hits playlist of Vietnamese cuisine: elegant, brothy pho made from poultry, beef, or vegan stocks poured over rice noodles and adrift with slices of onions, meats, or vegetables (the vegan pho chay is by far the most flavorful); fresh julienned vegetables, crunchy sprouts, and herbs served over vermicelli rice noodles (again, the vegan version, bun chay, is the standout); and bánh mì. Be sure to end with a cup of Vietnamese coffee.

1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 376-9177, pholangthang.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS, DC. $$

CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, (ISSN 0746-8 210), December 2025, Volume 59, Number 3. Published monthly ($19.95 for 12 issues annually) at 221 E. Fourth St., Ste. 130, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-4300. Copyright © 2025 by Cincinnati Magazine LLC, a subsidiary of Hour Media Group, 5750 New King Dr., Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted without permission. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, and artwork should be accompanied by SASE for return. The magazine cannot be held responsible for loss. For subscription orders, address changes or renewals, write to CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071, or call 1-866-660-6247. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send forms 3579 to CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071. If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

THE QUEEN’S LACE

Baby Geniuses

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF WANDERING THE CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM’S GALLERIES ON A FRIday afternoon only to come across an army of infants, don’t panic—they’re also enjoying the art. You’ve just stumbled onto one of the museum’s special baby tours. “These tours started around 11 years ago,” says Sara Birkofer, CAM’s assistant director of gallery and accessibility programs. “We thought that it would be a great way to bring a new demographic—ages 0 to 2—but also new moms into our building and make them feel comfortable. And hopefully those babies will become lifelong learners as part of their museum experience.” On these free 40-minute tours, docents bring the guests to a couple of different rooms and give them a theme like “Shiny Shapes” or “Animal Friends” to identify in the artworks. “It’s very silly and fun and exploratory,” says Birkofer. “We kind of let the babies and caregivers loose and let them explore with the loose prompts to help them be guided.” Registration slots fill up fast, so CAM has been adding more infant programming to help kids grow a love of art from a young age. —CLAIRE LEFTON

YOU PAY $4,000 or $300,000 for a Face Lift?

ACCORDING TO RECENT SURVEYS, there is a huge variationin face lift costs. According to Dr. Mark Mandell-Brown, who has performed face lifts for 35 years on over 2,000 patients, the price does not equal quality. "Even in conservative Cincinnati, face lifts can range from $8,000 to $40,000.”

What? $40K for a Face Lift?

Dr. Mandell-Brown who performs "Natural Look" cosmetic surgery individualizes his face lift

procedure, Cincinnati's Top Voted Plastic Surgeon stated. "Currently, ‘Deep Plane Facelift’ is the social media darling,'' Dr. Mandell-Brown stated. “Patients requesting it,” says Sharon Sweitzer, manager at Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center.

However, Dr. Mandell-Brown individualizes his approach for the patient needs. He performs a "Quick Face Lift" under local anesthesia, as well as "Mid Face Lift," a "Natural Lift" and a "Deep Plane Face Lift." The Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center face lifts range from $6,500 to $20,000 including anesthesia, operating room and surgeon fees.

When asked why he doesn't charge the most in Cincinnati, Dr. Mandell-Brown replied, "I guess we could based on my experience, having taught face lift surgery at University of San Diego, Louisiana

“We want our patients to look

State University, St. Louis University, and Surgery Centers in Miami and Las Vegas to plastic surgeons." He just completed his second "Face Lift " book chapter for a textbook for plastic surgeons. “It is important to not make the fees cost prohibitive for the average consumer,” he added.

"I’ve performed face lift surgery on billionaires, teachers, homemakers, business leaders and I don’t overcharge for my services. I treat everyone the same and I want my fees to be fair," Dr Mandell-Brown concluded. “Just look at some of the outcomes of Hollywood stars who pay fortunes and turn out with facial distortion. That’s not what we are after--we

Deep Plane Face Lift for Washington DC patient who traveled to Cincinnati for Dr. Mandell-Brown’s expertise.

Patient with left upper eyelid, both lower eyelids and Natural Face Lift surgery

A Quantum Leap

MIAMI LAUNCHES CUTTING-EDGE QUANTUM COMPUTING PROGRAM

Join a new generation of innovators

Miami University’s Bachelor of Science in Quantum Computing — developed in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic — is the first program of its kind in Ohio, and the only one in the nation focused on software development and applications of quantum systems. This interdisciplinary degree is designed to revolutionize industries and scientific discovery, addressing the pressing need for skilled professionals to advance sectors such as healthcare, material science, finance, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.

IBM Quantum System One at Cleveland Clinic Courtesy of Cleveland Clinic