Cincinnati Magazine - September 2025 Edition

New Transparent Medical Pricing

Whether you’re paying with your in-network insurance or taking advantage of our new transparent self-pay pricing, Mona Dermatology has you covered!

Choose What’s Right For You

Mona Dermatology still accepts a wide variety of insurance plans and encourages patients to use their in-network insurance for medical visits, if desired. However, the number of patients wishing to pay out of pocket has grown in recent years, and in response, Mona Dermatology has improved our self-pay pricing to be more affordable and transparent.

“My mission has always been to care for our patients in the way I would want my loved ones to be treated. It’s no secret that insurance coverage has become increasingly confusing to navigate; sometimes it can limit our patients’ access to care. I always want our practice to be a place that everyone can achieve healthy, beautiful skin—and now it’s possible whether going through traditional insurance makes sense for you or not.”

—Dr. Mona S.

Foad

To find out if Mona Dermatology is in-network with your insurance provider, call your insurance provider and ask if Mona Foad is in network. If she is covered under your plan, you will be able to see any provider at Mona Dermatology.

To learn more about transparent self-pay pricing, visit monadermatology.com/medical-pricing.

*If you have a biopsy or surgery, you will receive a separate pathology bill from our pathology provider. If you have a blood draw, you will receive a separate bill from the lab. These prices are not included in Mona Dermatology’s office fees that are shown at right. Items notated with an asterisk may incur these additional fees.

Overview of New Transparent Self-Pay Pricing

•Established Patient Visit: $110

•New Patient Visit: $150

•Pre-Cancers:

•$150 for 1-14 spots

•$200 for 15+ spots

•Warts:

•$150 for 1-14 spots

•$200 for 15+ spots

•Biopsy*:

•$120 for 1st spot

•$50 for each additional

Medical Dermatology 101

Wondering why you might want to visit a dermatologist? These are the top 5 skin concerns treated at Mona Dermatology’s Kenwood-based office.

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer can affect individuals at any age and with any skin type or demographic background. Between 5-6 million people are diagnosed with skin cancers every year! Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, with 3 million cases diagnosed every year in the U.S. Precancers, or actinic keratoses, are even more common. Early diagnosis is key! We recommend yearly complete skin exams to check for suspicious moles or other spots. You should also complete monthly self-exams using the “ABCDE” method to monitor your own skin. In addition to identifying potentially harmful spots, Mona Dermatology can also perform a biopsy to confirm if skin cancer is present or not and treat cancerous lesions through traditional surgery or Mohs surgery. Mona Dermatology also offers at-home and in-office options for treating actinic keratoses (precancers).

Acne

Acne can affect people of all ages and can be caused by many factors, including genetics, hormonal changes, bacteria, oil production, and stress. Mona Dermatology takes a comprehensive approach to treating acne by looking at everything from your skin care routine to medical treatment options as well as clinically-proven treatments including facials, chemical peels, laser and light treatments, and more.

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is a chronic, non-contagious skin condition that is genetic. It can be worsened by stress, certain medications, infections, cold and dry winter weather, and lack of sunlight. Psoriasis varies in severity from very mild, where one may not even realize that they have it, to severe, where large amounts of the skin are affected. Treatment options include

topical creams, oral medications, UV therapy, and injectable biologics that target psoriasis at a cellular level.

Rashes

Your skin is looking itchy, red, or blistering: sometimes it may seem out of nowhere, or it may be a recurring problem. There are more types of rashes than can be listed, and even more reasons why they may be occurring, which makes diagnosis and treatment challenging. That’s why seeking help from a dermatologist is the best way to tackle a rash! Whether it’s a contact allergy, such as poison ivy, or a chronic condition like eczema, a dermatologist can help identify the source of your skin irritation and help recommend products or medications to soothe your skin.

Warts

Warts are small skin growths caused by a viral infection (human papillomavirus, or HPV). They can appear on various parts of the body, including the hands, feet, face, and genitals. While most warts are harmless and may eventually resolve on their own, some can be persistent, cause discomfort, or may increase risk of localized skin cancer. Warts are contagious and can spread through contact with the skin or infected surfaces. Mona Dermatology offers many treatment options for warts. Your provider can treat your warts in the office professionally using cryotherapy (freezing), electrocautery (burning), lasers or injectable medications. They can also recommend over-the-counter treatment to use at home.

Easy Online Scheduling

Schedule medical and cosmetic appointments online and see last-minute openings in real time!

Whether you're seeking dermatologic care for a concerning spot, a rash, or acne, scheduling an appointment with the dermatologist has never been easier. Mona Dermatology’s online booking tool allows you to see appointment openings in real-time and schedule as soon as 24 hours in advance (if available). They also have implemented a new digital waitlist tool, which gives you the option to receive a text notification if a sooner appointment time opens up. You can confirm your new time right from your phone, no need to call the office! Visit monadermatology.com to schedule now.

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GOING WILD: THE ZOO AT 150

Exploring the flora, fauna, and faces that have made the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden a beloved and groundbreaking institution for more than a century.

IN THE BLINK OF AI P. 50

Artificial intelligence has swept into our daily lives. Can we afford to ignore it any longer?

BY CARRIE BLACKMORE

THE TIN MAN FOLLOWS HIS HEART P. 54

A 4-year-old’s innocent question sent photographer Keith Klenowski on a mission to revive tintype photography.

BY BRIANNA CONNOCK

10 / CONTRIBUTORS

10 / LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FRONTLINES

17 / DISPATCH

Turning around the Bengals defense

18 / SPEAK EASY

The national premiere of Mythic

18 / POP LIFE

CAM’s rediscovered East Asian art

20 / STYLE COUNSEL

Mandy Lehman loves a statement piece

22 / ON THE MARKET

A modern home for a modern family

24 / HOMEGROWN

The precision of making chain mail

26 / HIGH PROFILE

Jack Brennan’s new coming out story

28 / DR. KNOW

Your QC questions answered

COLUMNS

30 / WELCOME TO MIDDLHOOD

AI can’t (and won’t) replace honest writers BY

JUDI KETTLER

112 / OBSCURA

The recovery of the Benedict Nature Preserve BY

CLAIRE LEFTON

DINE

94 / DINING OUT

British-Indian-inspired cuisine at Marigold, downtown

96 / SNACK TIME

Sugar High Vegan’s plantbased pastries

98 / HIGH SPIRITS

Cannabis-infused mocktails at The Green Door, Covington

98 / TABLESIDE

Nick Greenberg’s foodie-inspired book, The Culinary Caper

100 / DINING GUIDE

Greater Cincinnati restaurants: A selective list

ON THE COVER illustration by

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 on the Reds, Bengals, and FC Cincinnati.

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Slice Night

Join Cincinnati Magazine for a pizza tasting event benefitting cancer research for the UC Cancer Center.

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School Profi les

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

Health Watch Innovations

Innovative treatments and new technologies from local health care systems.

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Cincy A&E

Find out what’s happening in our city’s arts scene with this exclusive guide.

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IT’S FUNNY HOW ADULTS TURN BACK INTO CHILDREN WHEN IT COMES TO ANImals. The toughest, most serious-minded people will babble baby talk around their dog or cat and roll around on the ground and smother them with hugs and kisses. I’ve never seen our art and editorial staff so excited as when I arranged a behind-the-scenes tour for us at the Cincinnati Zoo to prepare for this month’s “Going Wild: The Zoo at 150” (page 34). It was like we somehow moved Christmas morning up six months.

Over the past couple of months as we put these stories and photographs together, I asked my colleagues why they were so pumped to be around the zoo animals, and I always got some version of I don’t know. I’ve always loved animals. My contribution was interviewing Cincinnati Zoo Director Thane Maynard, so I asked him why we feel attached to animals. He responded with a more thoughtful and nuanced version of I don’t know, we just do.

Maynard, who’s been at the zoo for 48 years, believes humans are born with an innate connection to animals because our ancestors lived in the wild for hundreds of thousands of years. It’s kind of like my cats, who were removed from their mother at just a few months but still hunt down moles and mice and present them at our front door. No one taught them to do it, they just do.

Children just naturally love dogs and cats and going to the zoo. Maynard says as we get older we learn to avoid or be scared of spiders, snakes, and potentially harmful animals, but we’re born with curiosity about the new world around us. He recalls his own childhood in Florida, where he and his friends were constantly outside exploring.

Maynard also talks about how live animal encounters at the zoo are invaluable IRL experiences for kids raised with smart phones and social media. You can feed the giraffes and walk with kangaroos and penguins at the Cincinnati Zoo, besides just observing the animals feeding, grooming, and hanging out. Seeing Fiona in person is way more fascinating than watching videos of her on Instagram. Why? I don’t know. Find out for yourself.

JOHN FOX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ROBERT WEINTRAUB

The first football game that writer, author, and TV producer Robert Weintraub remembers watching in its entirety was between the Bengals and the New York Jets; from then on, he was hooked on the Cincinnati team. As Cincinnati Magazine’s Bengals columnist, Weintraub chatted with new defensive coordinator Al Golden about his plans to turn that unit around (page 15). “[I hope that he can] turn the defense into a unit that the opposing offense doesn’t snicker at every time they walk onto the field,” he says.

As the senior art director at Cincinnati Magazine, it’s a given that Emi Villavicencio loves art. She also loves animals. And last year, when she learned of the Cincinnati Zoo’s upcoming 150th anniversary, she knew she wanted to see a cover dedicated to it. As design lead for “Going Wild: The Zoo at 150” (page 34), Villavicencio has loved bringing her vision to life, from layout sketch to the zoo photoshoot, and meeting so many zoo employees and animals along the way.

Vy Pham loves to experiment with different styles, methods, and mediums in her photography. A constant in her work, however, is her ability to capture the small but meaningful details of an environment. This is what she aimed to achieve when shooting jewelers (page 22) and bakers (page 96) for this month’s issue, to honor the passion behind these businesses. “My goal was to celebrate their work and find a way to tell a story through the images,” says Pham.

VY PHAM

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GOLDEN BOY

Al Golden is tasked with transforming the Bengals’ defense—and he’s not afraid to make some changes. ROBERT WEINTRAUB

AL GOLDEN, THE NEW DEFENSIVE coordinator for the Bengals and just about the most important person in town this fall, never really left Cincinnati. The team’s linebackers coach during the Super Bowl run in 2021 was hired to become DC at Notre Dame. But his family stayed here.

So when the Bengals fired Lou Anarumo after a disastrous 2024 defensive performance, the team turned to Golden. He was so excited about his new gig that he got in his car at 5 a.m. in South Bend, Indiana, and drove straight to Paycor Stadium to watch the entire 2024 season.

“There are only 32 of these jobs,” Golden says, “and I had a great experience last time, so it was an easy decision to return.”

Things will be different this time around. Golden has become a figure of outsized significance for an assistant coach. The Bengals are squarely in franchise quarterback Joe Burrow’s prime, paying him and his elite wide receivers (Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins) the riches of Croesus. All eyes in Cincinnati (and nationally) are on the new defensive coordinator, who has a remit to ensure his unit carries some of the water and the CONTINUED ON P. 18

team’s fate doesn’t rely entirely upon Burrow’s magic right arm. Golden is expected to transform the defense from horrid to, at worst, average, despite precious few personnel changes made to the unit this offseason.

Golden insists he doesn’t feel any pressure. “I immerse myself in the work,” he says. “Just ignore the outside noise. If we improve collectively then we are in control of our destiny.”

The recent shortcomings on defense aren’t for lack of commitment. Cincinnati employs several highly drafted defenders who haven’t broken through. Some regressed badly in 2024. Golden, a collegiate head coach at Temple and Miami who was renowned at Notre Dame for “player development,” is specifically tasked with getting those young, talented players to reach their potential.

in a Super Bowl and a college National Championship game in the last three years (losing both, but still). Though he spent the last three seasons calling plays at the highest collegiate level, Golden has never done so in the NFL. He dismisses any concerns. Having Burrow & Co. on his side will make things different from calling defenses in South Bend, where the Irish played a conservative, ball-control offense.

The Battle of Ohio Catch the Bengals’ first regular season game at the Cleveland Browns on September 7.

In 2024, Anarumo’s complex schemes seemed to baffle his own players rather than enemy offenses. Golden’s goal is to keep things simpler, so the players can play fast and not get bogged down. At the same time, he’s aggressively coaching his charges to play multiple positions, seemingly a recipe for confusion. So how to square that circle?

PREMIER PRODUCTION

Going into his 14th season at the Cincinnati Playhouse as producing artistic director, Blake Robison worked alongside Tony Award–winning director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall, who has taken the reins of the U.S. premiere of Mythic. The original Greek mythology/poprock fantasy musical makes its American debut in Cincinnati on September 20.

“Player development” can be interpreted in many ways. To Golden, it means “holding players accountable, giving them the fundamentals, learning materials, and quality control to set a standard for individual achievement.”

Despite the dearth of new faces, Golden likes what he has in terms of personnel. “I’m excited about this group. It’s under the radar. We signed back some free agents [B.J. Hill and Joseph Ossai, among others], and we get several players back who weren’t healthy in 2024 [a large group that includes veteran linebacker Logan Wilson].”

Golden is the rare coach to have been

“It’s a delicate line,” Golden concedes. “You need smart, versatile players to play fast…but you also need to play on the baseline, hit it above the net and keep the unforced errors away. It’s easy for coaches to get caught up in the tyranny of comfort. I want this guy to play outside corner only. That’s not realistic in our business.”

Failure is not an option for Golden and the Bengals. Fortunately for fans, the coach isn’t shying away from his mission. “I’m not scared of the challenge,” he says. “When you are through growing or developing, you are close to being through [in your career]. I’m still trying to improve. This move has already made me a better coach.”

UNCOVERING ANCIENT ART

Opening September 19, Rediscovered Treasures at the Cincinnati Art Museum showcases 60 East Asian artworks from the museum’s collection. New research and conservation allows these works to be placed in their proper context. cincinnatiartmuseum.org

The national premiere of Mythic is happening at the Playhouse. What can you tell us about it? This [musical] rides a really fun line that you’re starting to see, which are contemporary pop musicals that appeal to both an older generation who love going to the theater and a younger generation who are attracted by the pop music and the content. It’s an original story based on the Greek gods to explain the evolution of Persephone as someone who is a wannabe Olympian and finds her heart and her true place down with Hades. It’s like if you took the historical pop musical Six and Percy Jackson and smashed them together.

Mythic was a huge success when it toured through Montreal and

London. Is it going to find that same success in the U.S.? We think that our production here in Cincinnati is the launching pad for its journey to Broadway. There’s a brand new director and design team of Broadway A-listers to bring it to life. Kathleen Marshall is directing and choreographing the show. She is a threetime Tony Award–winning director and choreographer. We’ve got the set designer from Hamilton, the lighting designer from Wicked, the costume designer from Anastasia.

The Playhouse claims that the Rouse Theater attracts nationally acclaimed artists, and obviously this crew proves that to be true. What is it about the theater? The theater was designed to have the same specs as most of the theaters on Broadway, and we did that very deliberately. You have to have a facility that is close enough to the theater it’s going to land in eventually that the design makes sense, that they don’t have to go back and start from square one when they get to New York.

—EMMA BALCOM

READ A LONGER INTERVIEW WITH BLAKE AT CINCINNATIMAGAZINE. COM

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Mandy Lehman

OCCUPATION: Founder/owner of MANMAN Studios

STYLE: Eclectic, bold, colorful

Is there a link between your creative expression at MANMAN Studios and your stylistic expression? The thing I’m known for in graphic design and interior design is that I don’t have a specific style. Having to do something different every time is what’s fun to me. Fashion is the same thing. How do you build an outfit? I always start with a challenge to myself. Not too long ago, I made myself go through each piece in my closet and make an outfit with each that really excites me. What are your wardrobe essentials? I’m really into mesh right now. I love mesh long sleeve shirts, I love the mock collars, I love full dresses. I like that material because it layers so well. When shopping for clothing, what do you look for? I’m always looking for something that’s really going to be able to be added to any outfit and make it pop. Usually that means it’s colorful or has a lot of texture or has a shape that’s different. How important is accessorizing to you? If you just put on the dress and the shoes, even if they’re the coolest dress and shoes, you’re missing the important parts that make that outfit truly unique to you. Do you have any fashion don’ts? Don’t tell yourself that you can’t pull something off. I don’t believe it’s true. It makes a big difference to have things fit you correctly, so even my cheaper clothes I’ll have tailored. Getting things tailored to your body makes them look more expensive and just look better on you. What are your favorite stores and brands? I shop a lot of Anthropologie, Free People, Madewell, which are staples. I also love AKIRA, Cider, LaLa. I do Nuuly. I mostly shop through Instagram. —EMMA BALCOM

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CINCINNATI BAKE-OFF

Professional and amateur bakers compete, and you’re invited to join us as we announce the winners and sample sweet and savory treats from local bakeries and our sponsors in a celebration of baked goodness!

Tuesday, October 7

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6–8:30 p.m. Cintas Center 1624 Musketeer Dr.

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FOR THE MODERN FAMILY

A STANDOUT HOME FROM 1938 WAS DESIGNED WITH THE FUTURE IN MIND. —JEANA HARRIS

IIF UNIQUE REAL ESTATE IS YOUR AIM, THIS GREEN TOWNSHIP ESTATE IS your game. Built in 1938, the home’s architecture was dubbed “modernistic” by local newspapers and “admirably suited to the needs of the modern family.” It was designed and built by Leo J. Stalf, a general contractor, entrepreneur, and antique collector.

Though the home has since been wrapped in cedar shakes, it was originally all concrete, a detail that undoubtedly enhanced the public’s futuristic perception. The choice of material may have been unusual at the time, but the benefits touted to the community were numerous. Well-insulated, eight-inch-thick concrete walls would offer fire protection, termite resistance, fewer moisture issues, and even sound dampening.

While the home itself offers plenty of architectural interest, the lot is one that simply can’t be missed.“The real treasure is the parklike yard and setting,” says listing agent Ed Ferrall. Sitting on nearly one-and-a-half acres, the property is perfectly picturesque. There’s a sense of storybook charm that begins the moment you cross over a

rustic stone bridge and follow the driveway up to the house. Two large ponds, surrounded by mature trees, invoke feelings of serenity. The home is wholly immersed in its natural surroundings, and the effect is deeply peaceful.

Inside, the aesthetic leans 1970s time capsule. (Don’t miss the delightfully vintage plumbing fixtures in peachy hues and petal pinks.) With four bedrooms, three full bathrooms, and two halfbaths across 2,340 square feet, the possibilities for updating are endless.

For those who love to entertain, it’s a property that knows how to party. A large heated pool includes a slide, ample deck space, and a separate pool house. Inside the pool house, guests will enjoy a kitchenette, fireplace, and adjoining bathhouse with bathroom and dressing rooms.

Stalf’s design was a head-turner in its day, and it continues to have that effect 87 years later. From the architecture to the abundance of wildlife, “It’s pretty magnificent,” Ferrall says.

RING LEADER

CHAIN MAIL JEWELRY PROVIDES A MEDITATIVE RELEASE FOR THIS NORTH AVONDALE MAKER. —JACLYN YOUHANA GARVER

MMAKING CHAIN MAIL IS A TEDIOUS PROCESS; IT involves taking jump rings as small as three millimeters, twisting them just so to open them up, then locking them around other rings. The work is detailed. Precise. And Shannon Leonard loves it.

They’re the artist behind Shenanigan Silver, a jewelry business that specializes in chain mail earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. Shoppers can purchase pieces on Instagram and at markets, and eventually, Leonard hopes to make Shenanigan Silver their fulltime gig, selling pieces in storefronts.

Leonard, who lives in North Avondale, was always a crafty kid, making friendship and Rainbow Loom bracelets. They discovered metalwork in high school at Lakota East. A couple years ago, they ventured into making chain mail. The technique uses small metal jump rings interlocked together to form intricate patterns. Historically, it was used as Medieval armor in Europe,

lightweight and flexible enough to ensure mobility but sturdy enough to protect.

Those benefits translate to jewelry, too. Despite the amount of metal Leonard uses on a piece—about 35 jump rings linked together for a single two-inch dangle earring—the jewelry is often lightweight. When the rings get bulkier and the designs less complex, the pieces gain more heft.

“[Feedback has been] really positive, which has been really cool and affirming. Sharing my work and putting myself out there has been a fear of mine for a while,” Leonard says. “It’s been really cool to see feedback from people and feel this is professional and worth something.”

A favorite piece so far has been a commission: A coworker had Leonard make a choker necklace as a gift for a sibling. The jewelry incorporated a piece of vertebrae in the middle, which necessitated a search into the preservation of various resins. Leonard found a resin used by museums and fossil collectors to strengthen or preserve bones—they enjoyed the research process and working with the chemicals.

In general, though, the benefit of making chain mail lies in its meditative aspects. “Working with my hands always really gets me out of my head and into my body,” Leonard says,“focusing on one thing and not anything I’m worrying about. It’s so repetitive and usually a very long process. It’s something I can dive into for a long time and focus on only that.”

1: Shannon Leonard in their home studio.

2: Leonard putting together chain mail.

3: Chain mail jewelry made by Leonard.

SECRET STYLES

Former Bengals exec Jack Brennan came out as a cross-dresser in 2021, but his new memoir tells the rest of the story.

—JASON COHEN

ACK BRENNAN

is not the first person connected to the National Football League to shave his legs and put on women’s clothing. In 1974, New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath famously wore pantyhose—but only for a Hanes Beautymist TV commercial. Whereas for Brennan, red lipstick, Jessica Simpson brand pumps, and two waist-cincher corsets are just part of who he’s always been. In secret.

A former Cincinnati Post and Cincinnati Enquirer sportswriter who later spent more than 20 years as PR director for the Cincinnati Bengals, Brennan didn’t come out as a cross-dresser until a 2021 interview with The Athletic. Now, he’s telling all in his new memoir, Football Sissy (Belt Publishing).

It is unique both because of Brennan’s time spent in the super-masculine, conformist world of football— the NFL is barely a place for independent thinking, let alone unconventional gender expression or sexuality—and because of his particular LGBTQ+ identity.

“I don’t identify as gay,” Brennan says. “I do identify as queer.” He’s a cross-dresser, not a drag queen, nor is his experience the same as a trans or non-binary person. “I never felt I was born in the wrong

body. I just wanted to wear the wrong clothes. And not all the time, but regularly.”

Brennan stayed closeted for many years, while navigating a bumpy don’t-askdon’t-tell arrangement with his wife. The book’s opening scene foreshadows a close call of his secret getting out to others, including the Cincinnati Police Department.

At the same time, during all those years, he almost never had an issue trying on clothes in women’s dressing rooms at department stores or using the women’s restroom at his trusted local bar when out “en femme.”

The book also features

what amounts to practical cross-dressing advice and style tips on everything from eye makeup to the use of breast forms as a way to provide additional insight and illumination into Brennan’s life.

A good memoir has to be forthcoming. Once Brennan had an editorial team, he was pushed to share even more, including a deeper dive into the sense of fantasy and thrill he gets from dressing. The book is not especially racy, nor at all prurient, but “they said you gotta let it all hang out and just be as honest as you can be,” Brennan says. “Like, ‘C’mon, give me some more.

Dig some stuff out!’ And I was like, ‘Oh all right. I’ll write about that too.’”

There are a few dramatic or explicit anecdotes that Brennan concedes might give some of his family members pause, including a few moments not included in earlier drafts (most of them have read the book).

But that’s not necessarily specific to him being queer.

“Nobody likes to think about what their parents or their grandparents have done in very personal times,” he says. “But I don’t have any question that that my family will all be supportive.”

Brennan has already done the hard part: coming

out to his friends and relatives privately, and going public via The Athletic. He did that interview in part to catch the eye of editors and book agents. “Also, it just seemed like the right thing to do,” he says.

“It’s not going to cause a revolution, but I hope that the story can do its one little part, just like every other person to come out has done their one little part, to spike misunderstanding and prejudice.

“I found through this process that when you are not afraid to be open and vulnerable with people, they respond in kind, many, many times.”

Come Out and Support a Great Cause!

Register now for our Pickleball Fundraiser on Saturday, October 4th at the Pickle Lodge in West Chester

Greater Cincinnati which pays for the mental health therapy of children up to age 25 who cannot afford this therapy!! In just 6 months this last school year, we were all the schools in the Greater Cincinnati area and help these children become mentally healthy adults!!

The Pickleball Social runs from 11-5 and is in a ladder style format so all skill levels

Testimonial from partner social worker!

“I wanted to let you know that I just spoke with the Mom of the student who has been waiting for therapy since the start of the year due to cost. She called to express her gratitude and relief for the assistance.

As someone who refers families, I also want to thank you for making the process so quick and seamless.” — local childhood (K-2) and elementary (3-6) school social worker.

I love the scenes of Union Terminal in the new Superman movie! I also know that George Reeves from the original TV series had Cincinnati connections, but the stories I find are all wildly contradictory. Especially some weird Spring Grove Cemetery legends. What’s the truth?

—GREAT GEORGE’S GHOST

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

statements we can make is that his ties to Cincinnati were meager at best. His first wife was from here, but they met, married, and divorced in California long before his TV fame.

Reeves’s most extended stay in Cincinnati was about four months in 1959, as a corpse. His mother, doubting the Los Angeles coroner’s ruling that he’d committed suicide, sent his body here for a second autopsy. She planned to then bury him in a family crypt at Spring Grove Cemetery but there was no room, so the body languished in a vault until it was returned to California.

Rumors that Reeves’s remains remain here are false. However, his story does confirm one thing absolutely: Your identity can be made completely unrecognizable by wearing glasses.

Your July Sandwiches issue was delicious, except for one thing. Izzy’s Deli claims to have “The World’s Greatest Reubens,” but the very fact that a Reuben has cheese means it isn’t kosher! Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan, but how can a kosher deli like Izzy’s serve Reuben sandwiches? —YOU DON’T LOOK JEWISH

DEAR DON’T:

Since 1901, David Kadetz proudly described his restaurant as “strictly kosher in every detail.” When David’s son Izzy inherited the business in 1931, he continued that tradition (pronounced tra-diSHUUNN!) until he couldn’t. The restaurant had become popular with a general public who didn’t care about such exacting practices, so Izzy’s has been “kosher-style” since the 1970s. Still, some boundaries hold: No fried shrimp, no BLTs, and hamburgers are called Izzy Burgers, keeping the letters h-a-m off of the menu.

DEAR GHOST:

It is easier to guess how Superman hides his business suit in his cape than it is to verify anything about actor George Reeves. The man who portrayed early television’s Man of Steel led a sad and blurry life. His birth, death, and even afterlife are in dispute. One of the few firm

A major kosher violation is to combine meat with dairy. Therefore, the worst crime you can commit against a sandwich is to put cheese on it. For the serious shomer kashrut, a Reuben sandwich is—poor choice of words here—a cardinal

sin. Izzy’s resisted breaching this one boundary for a long time, but just as Hanukkah in the U.S. is now a time of gift-giving, “kosher-style” restaurants now routinely serve cheese on sandwiches.

Izzy’s not only brags about its Reubens, but their menu seems to offer cheese on just about everything. Not on their famous pickles, however. See? Boundaries!

In the CVG Airport’s subway tunnel, the video screen showing the wait times for the next train now includes a person using sign language. Why? What’s the point of a video with sign language when all the information is showing right there in big text already?

—TRAIN SPOTS

DEAR SPOTS:

The words you are reading right now are in a language we call English or, as the British call it, “that American Abomination.” Blind and visionimpaired people often read our abominable words in Braille, which uses raised characters that represent each English letter and word. But American Sign Language (ASL) does not really mirror official Abominable English. A person who grows up with ASL as their primary language is not necessarily fluent in reading English. (Let’s be honest: Neither are many who can see and hear just fine.)

At the CVG Transit Tunnel (its official name), the ASL videos assist those who may have trouble with the texts. But they communicate more than just Next train in two minutes . The signers are also giving information about the various terminals, about which airlines are at which stops, warnings about those damn doors closing on your luggage, etc. The videos explain all the stuff you and I normally hear being spoken by the employees who are laying in the ceiling of each subway car. It’s a tough job.

WELCOME TO MIDDLEHOOD

BY JUDI KETTELER

AI and Me and Us

AI IS TRYING TO DISRUPT MY WRITING CAREER, BUT IT CAN’T TOUCH MY COMMUNITY OF WRITERS.

SSOME DAYS, I SIT IN MY HOME OFFICE AND TRY TO COME UP WITH A LIST OF THINGS AI CAN’T do yet. It feels like the list is getting shorter and shorter.

It can already do almost everything I do as a writer: generate story ideas, write headlines, organize notes, and edit. It can write articles, ads, proposals, e-mails, and entire web pages. It can even write novels. Sure, they’re weird, but they’re out there. It could probably write this column. (Not to worry, you’re stuck with human me for now.)

At first, generative AI—that’s the kind of artificial intelligence that takes what you’ve fed it and generates something back—seemed like a bunch of people talking, and I assumed I didn’t have to pay very much attention. The writing it produced didn’t sound human. It always felt artificial, like cherry flavoring.

But over the past few years, AI learned how to be an actual cherry. If it used to produce

usable writing two out of 10 times, now it’s usable writing eight out of 10 times. Which is why I feel like it’s a ticking clock, counting down on my career and all the tasks and projects people will no longer need to hire me, a freelance writer, to do.

I use AI tools myself, and then I wonder if I’m working myself out of a job by doing that. Like, when I’m struggling to explain a strained hamstring after having already written seven other articles about orthopedic injuries, it helps to see how ChatGPT or Claude describe the condition. I view AI as a tool for providing suggestions, not for producing finished products to turn in. But it’s naïve to think that’s how most people view it.

I keep reading think pieces about AI, talking about what it means for writing and publishing. One piece discussed the fear some writers now have of sounding too much like AI and how writers will start trying to distinguish themselves from AI in ways that make their writing worse. There’s also a constantly changing legal landscape, with new lawsuits daily about copyright and what large language models (LLMs) can use to train themselves.

I can’t keep track of what’s happening. Does someone owe me money for using my books to train ChatGPT? Send the check, please!

In the meantime, I was assigned to write a piece for a think tank client about the AI race between the U.S. and China and how the next 10 years will basically decide the fate of the world and how AI is used. (Fun fact: I used AI to help research and organize the story.) In a nutshell, the only way the U.S. and our democratic values (I mean, it’s debatable how intact those values are right now…) can win is if we relax regulations (goodbye, planet!) and make it easier to build enough data centers here to handle AI’s significant power requirements. Otherwise, China basically owns the future. We need to win, except what does winning mean?

MY FIRST CAREER REINVENTION WAS after the recession of 2008. I’d spent the early 2000s acquiring bylines in national magazines. I wrote pieces about fitness for health magazines and produced stories about homes and backyards for Better Homes and Gardens and all their specialty

publications.

There was so much money flowing! I was literally living my dream. And then, in the space of a year, most of my editors were laid off and the magazines I’d relied on for income started shrinking their issues or shutting down altogether.

I hired a business coach and worked to re-focus my business where the money was: helping companies with things like web copywriting, speechwriting, video scripts, and blog posts. Things hummed along for several years, until I grew tired of everything feeling so piecemeal. I needed a specialty area where I could claim expertise and charge more. I found that hospitals and health systems wanted help reimagining their web content to fit the consumerfriendly platforms everyone was moving toward.

Around 2016, I started offering content strategy and invested in learning best practices around healthcare web writing and user experience (UX). This type of

web writing is a specific skill set, quite different from writing meandering columns about midlife in Cincinnati. You have to distill everything down to the simplest explanation in a factual but empathetic tone. It involves constantly translating medical jargon while optimizing for SEO and talking about why this hospital or that practice is the best place to go in ways that are easy to understand.

I’m really good at it. You know who else is? If you’ve read an AI Overview of a health condition—and at this point, everyone who uses Google to search for anything healthrelated has—you already know the answer. Basically, what I’ve spent the last decade helping hospitals do now happens instantly in one search.

IN A WAY, THE RISE OF AI IS JUST one more rung on the ladder of human progress, like the steam engine, electricity, and the internet itself. I can’t help but think about a story my mom tells about her

grandfather, Jesse Cook, who was born in 1875 and boarded the horses that pulled beer carts.

It seems like a very specific business, and my mom isn’t sure if he was also a blacksmith or had some other trade. She just knows he had a stable in what we now call the West End, and at some point after my mom’s father, Edwin, was born in 1901, Jesse realized the horse and cart business was dying because of automobiles.

He set about converting his space to a garage, and teenage Edwin—who dropped out of high school shortly before graduation—helped him. I think about these two, father and son, seeing the future and knowing they had to adapt. A true tale of Industrial Revolution reinvention. It should inspire me!

The problem, my mom’s story goes, was that they didn’t properly calculate the height of new-fangled delivery trucks to fit in their renovated garage. I don’t know

if they didn’t measure properly or if the trucks didn’t exist yet and they didn’t understand their actual size. Either way, they’d already built out the space and it was too late to change. The horses were gone, the trucks wouldn’t fit, and the plan stalled. My mom isn’t certain, but she thinks they rented out the space. Eventually, the city bought the land.

This story of failed reinvention has left me trying to download some kind of message from the Cook boys. Some piece of advice or insight that might help me as I consider my next steps. Maybe it’s just, Granddaughter, remember to measure twice and cut once. But as I crane my neck, listening to their whispers, I think the message is actually about community.

I imagine that Jesse and Edwin’s community was hyperlocal, relegated to a few blocks. Family, friends, and neighbors was the circle for most people back then.

Sure, newspapers told you what was happening in the world, but information

was filtered, centralized, and distributed. It didn’t move with the speed of people. I wonder who they shared their plans with? Did they get feedback? Did it fail because they didn’t talk to the right people? Because they didn’t have access to the stories of stable-to-garage successes in Detroit and New Jersey and Iowa and Atlanta? Could the right virtual roundtable on transforming your horse cart business into a truck business have made the difference?

I’m thinking about this because, for me, community with other writers is the only way to navigate this situation. Every day, I read posts on social media and professional networking platforms where writers talk about how they’re adapting to AI. How they’re pivoting or rethinking. Sometimes they’re just ranting, but in those rants are seeds of ideas. There’s a sense that we’re in it together. That we are connection machines and word people who will always find the way.

Yes, we’ll have to adapt, because humans have never not had to adapt. I guess what I’m trying to say is I’ve created a career that isn’t just full of words. It’s also full of people. And I’m counting on that making the difference.

Also this: When my great-grandfather sold his garage and land, it created a small inheritance the grandchildren ultimately received in the early 1950s. It’s why my parents had a down payment in 1958 for a modest ranch house on Birchwood Drive. That was the house where I became a writer, “publishing” my first magazine at 8, appropriately called On Birchwood Drive. It’s the same house where my mom, now 90, still lives.

It all turned into something else, which is what always happens.

AI has learned how to write good sentences. But LLMs haven’t yet mastered twists of fate, which means my career has life in it yet. I will, however, make sure to keep measuring the ceiling.

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SLOW AND STEADY THE GALAPAGOS TORTOISE IS THE LARGEST TORTOISE IN THE WORLD, AND CAN GROW UP TO SIX FEET IN LENGTH.

Going

The Zoo at 150

Exploring the flora, fauna, and faces that have made the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden a beloved and groundbreaking institution for more than a century.

BY EMMA BALCOM, CARRIE BLACKMORE, BRIANNA CONNOCK, JOHN FOX, MOLLY FRANCIS, GREG HAND, KAITLYN KIEPERT, CLAIRE LEFTON, MAX NEWMAN, ELLA RINEHARD, AND AMANDA BOYD WALTERS

150 Years of Zoo History

1931: WE LOVE SUSIE

SEPTEMBER 18, 1875:

The Zoological Society of Cincinnati officially opens, becoming the second oldest zoo in North America.

Susie, a trained gorilla who became the zoo’s unofficial mascot until her death in 1947, arrived in the U.S. as a passenger on the GrafZeppelin. Over the years, the great ape became a popular attraction, selling “signatures,” riding around in a donkey cart, donning athletic gear for baseball and football season, and dining at a table with her keeper. Susie died in 1947.

1940: IN THE RING

1875:

Shortly after the Zoo’s opening, a six-foot alligator escapes its enclosure and takes refuge in Swan Lake. Sol Stephan was paid $25 for its recapture days later.

1930s:

The zoo hires German architect Carl Hagenbeck, who transforms the zoo by creating larger outdoor exhibits and more exhibits without bars.

Throughout the 1940s, the zoo entertained visitors by pitting trainer Howland Kirby against “Kayo” Rodney the kangaroo. In 1940, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals ruled that Rodney could continue to spar with Kirby because their boxing act involved no cruelty. Although the zoo claimed the boxing matches “relaxed” Rodney, and that Rodney eagerly anticipated these bouts, public outcry eventually ended the pugilistic routine.

MARCH 28, 1990:

Laurie Stober loses half her right arm to Icee the polar bear, an incident that saw the zoo cited for OSHA violations and embroiled in multiple lawsuits from the keepers involved.

1995:

The zoo is the site of the world’s first in vitro gorilla pregnancy.

1881: DINNERTIME DRAMA

In the early years, a top attraction at the Cincinnati Zoo was watching the snakes and reptiles being served live rabbits, rats, or squirrels. So popular was feeding time that the zoo published the schedule in its advertisements. In 1881, a local squirrel, plopped as a meal into a rattlesnake cage, turned tables and, after furious combat, killed its would-be devourer.

1922: A NIGHT TO FORGET

The zoo closed to the public for one evening to host Cincinnati’s largest assembly of the Ku Klux Klan to date, with thousands of robed members in attendance and 460 initiates welcomed into the organization. Although a Klan representative refused to divulge the location of its nocturnal assembly and the zoo did not officially disclose the private party that reserved its facility that night, several newspaper reporters ferreted out the truth.

OCTOBER 1961:

Beauty the chimpanzee creates about 100 finger paintings to be displayed and sold at the Bianchini Gallery in New York.

1889:

The first giraffe born in the Western Hemisphere was born at the zoo.

FEBRUARY 21, 1918:

The world’s last surviving Carolina parakeet, Incas, dies at the zoo.

1965:

SOPRANOS PULL RANK

For half a century, the zoo was home to Cincinnati Opera. At times, the on-stage artists harmonized with screeching peacocks and trumpeting elephants. Performers had to dress and put on makeup in tents near the stage, except for the star soprano. She was assigned the only dressing room in the building, where philanthropist J. Ralph Corbett had an air-conditioner installed for Beverly Sills.

1982:

The zoo hosts its first annual PNC Festival of Lights.

Ed Maruska retires from the Cincinnati Zoo with the honorary title of director emeritus.

2001:

The zoo is the site of the first Sumatran rhino birth under human care within the prior 112 years.

JUNE 2024:

After two decades flying above Great American Ball Park before home games, Sam the bald eagle makes his final appearance at a Reds game due to eyesight issues.

1982:

The zoo successfully utilizes cryogenics—the freezing of embryos, eggs, and semen for safekeeping—and becomes the third U.S. zoo to practice

2024:

The zoo opens the Harry and Linda Fath Elephant Trek, a five-acre habitat and its largest to-date.

THE CINCINNATI ZOO HAS HAD ITS SHARE OF UPS AND DOWNS OVER THE LAST CENTURY-PLUS. —GREG HAND, MOLLY FRANCIS, AND KAITLYN KIEPERT

1981:

1968:

The Goetz Animal Health Center is constructed.

1890: EXECUTING AN ELEPHANT

The zoo brought in a firing squad to execute a cantankerous elephant named Old Chief. Retired from the Robinson Circus where he had killed his keeper, Chief’s tantrums threatened animals and personnel, so directors signed his death warrant. A single marksman proved unable to bring down the elephant, so the zoo recruited a squad of four, who fired multiple volleys until he finally succumbed. Cincinnati’s Palace Hotel served elephant steaks that night.

SEPTEMBER 1, 1914:

Martha, the last surviving Passenger Pigeon, passes away at the Cincinnati Zoo, leaving the species extinct.

1968:

Ed Maruska becomes director of the Cincinnati Zoo at age 34—younger than most directors of major zoos.

The Carl H. Lindner Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW) opens, the first establishment of its kind devoted to plant and animal conservation alike.

1896: HUMANS ON DISPLAY

Under contract with the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, the zoo received 89 Sicangu Sioux men, women, and children and put them on display for three months. They set up a village within the zoo and lived, according to advertisements, their normal life, giving “a rare opportunity of showing the character and mode of life of the Indian tribes.”

1897: BLOODY BUTCHERS’ DAY

As part of the annual Butchers’ Day at the zoo, local meat cutters competed to determine who could kill, skin, and dress a bull of no less than 1,400 pounds. Although the animals were killed on stage, a curtain was closed at the fatal moment, yet drawn back to provide a clear view of beheading, skinning, and dressing the fresh beef. The animal contestants were served at a grand barbecue later in the day.

JANUARY 23, 1970:

Sam is the first gorilla born at the zoo. A second gorilla, Samantha, is born eight days later.

1970s:

AUGUST 5, 1978:

World of the Insect opens. It’s the first building in a U.S. zoo that only exhibits insects.

JULY 27, 2007:

Thane Maynard is named the zoo’s executive director.

2011:

The largest publicly accessible urban solar array in the U.S. is constructed.

JANUARY 2024:

The first western lowland gorilla to be habituated while in the wild, a gorilla named Kingo, dies at the zoo.

JULY 2023:

The zoo becomes the first in the world to earn the highest level (IV) of accreditation by the ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program.

Newsweekmagazine names the zoo the “Sexiest Zoo” due to its unmatched success in birthing gorillas, rhinos, white tigers, and other exotic and rare species.

1976:

The Cincinnati Zoo Academy was founded as a supplementary education program for high school juniors and seniors interested in becoming zookeepers.

MAY 28, 2016:

Harambe was shot and killed by a zoo worker after a 3-year-old climbed into the outdoor gorilla habitat and was grabbed, dragged, and thrown by the gorilla. Overwhelmed with negative reaction, the zoo had to disable its social media accounts for a time.

JUNE 21, 1974:

The zoo’s first three white tigers are born.

MARCH 2023:

A wild cat is rescued from its owner after testing positive for exposure to cocaine.

“Cocaine Cat” is sent to the zoo for recovery, and trends following the release of the movie CocaineBear.

AUGUST 2020:

The zoo’s Roo Valley opens its gates, inviting visitors to experience kangaroos and small blue penguins in an open habitat and even check out the view from the Kanga’ Klimb ropes course.

THANE MAYNARD IS

Wild at Heart

It isn’t true that Thane Maynard joined the Cincinnati Zoo’s staff after its 1875 launch. It just feels that way given how closely he’s associated with the institution internally and with the public.

Maynard was hired in the Cincinnati Zoo’s education department in 1977 and later served as director of education, appearing with animals on national TV and launching The 90-Second Naturalist radio program on WXVU-FM. He’s served as zoo director since 2007 and recently co-wrote a book on animal preservation with Jane Goodall. –JOHN FOX

YOU WANT THE COMMUNITY TO FEEL OWNERSHIP OF THE CINCINNATI ZOO, BUT THEN SOMETIMES PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL A BIT TOO MUCH OWNERSHIP. DOES THAT CREATE ISSUES? People love the zoo, and they love certain animals and naturally wish we had more. As we’ve grown over the last decade, we had a big campaign called More Home to Roam that added more space for the elephants and the penguins and others. But in the short run that meant we no longer had space for some of our animals. Right now, we don’t have sea lions or polar bears, and the reason is those areas weren’t big enough for up-to-modern-standards exhibits. Where the sea lions were is now an Aplus African penguin exhibit, and where the polar bears were will be a new exhibit for sea otters. I talk with people who tell me, “Hey, bring back the sea lions and the polar bears.” We’re working on it.

DO ZOO PATRONS THINK YOU’RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK? We’re very fortunate to have a huge membership base. More than 70,000 families in the tri-state belong to the zoo and come regularly. We have tremendous visitation, almost 2

million people a year. And almost all those folks come because they’re really delighted by our animals and what we’re doing.

Once in a while you’ll run into someone who just doesn’t like zoos. And if that happens, we have a standing offer to say, “Come on over, we’ll show you what we do.” I’ve found a lot of times that if some-

HE’S AN ANIMAL THANE MAYNARD POSES WITH LITTLE BLUE PENGUINS (THIS PAGE); MAYNARD RECORDS THE 90-SECOND NATURALIST AT WVXU. HE’S ALSO WRITTEN A BOOK ABOUT FIONA (OPPOSITE PAGE).

one says, “I’m an animal rights activist, I don’t like cages, I don’t like the zoo,” you realize they haven’t been to the zoo in 25 years. A modern zoo is very different from the zoo I showed up at in the 1970s. We have spacious exhibits that give animals their best life. What that means is that we’re full of endangered animals who are

having a hard time out in nature.

Almost always, those people who come and they aren’t a zoo believer, just an hour later they say, “Man, I didn’t know you had a major conservation program or a fulltime high school that’s part of Cincinnati Public Schools. I didn’t know you have a big reproductive research program or a

botanical garden.” We do a lot more than just house Fiona the hippo. Though she is our superstar.

LET’S GO BACK 150 YEARS. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CINCINNATI ZOO IN 1875? We’re in the very same 67-acre park we were back then.

During the Victorian era up until the 1910s, there weren’t any cars, so the zoo was all for people and animals. And then from about 1920 to 1950 they paved over almost a third of the zoo just to get people in here. Our big leap forward in the past decade has been to push all those cars out to off-site parking.

Looking back, there wasn’t a lot shaking in Cincinnati in the 1870s. If you think of a family wanting to do something together on a Sunday, what were they going to do? There was no electricity, no amusements, nothing really to speak of other than just going outside in a park. And there weren’t that many parks yet.

The zoo experience was very formal compared to today, even on a Sunday afternoon. CONTINUED ON PAGE 88

ZOO BY THE NUMBERS

VIBURNUMS

Height of the tallest animal, Fenn the giraffe.

Age of the Red Elm in the Asian Waterfall Garden and the Shumard Oak behind the Welcome Center in Vine Street Village.

Weight of Donni the cheetah, the largest cheetah in the country.

The zoo is home to a single female Aardwolf, Chipo.

Greatest # of plants in one species in the botanical garden’s collection.

Age of the oldest animal at the zoo, Mai Thai the elephant.

Plant People

THE CINCINNATI ZOO’S BOTANICAL GARDENS ARE LITERALLY ONE-OF-A-KIND.

Steve Foltz can name every plant in the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens. Over the course of our interview, sitting on a bench between the Galapagos tortoises and the Reptile House, he pointed out and identified each in the vicinity—oakleaf hydrangeas, weeping katsura, and blue salvia, to name a few. After more than 38 years working at the zoo, it comes easy to Foltz, the director of horticulture.

The Cincinnati Zoo is one massive botanical garden with various groves, plant shows, floral displays, and more within its grounds. The 15-person botanical team and its volunteers plant more than 5,000 perennials and shrubs, 60,000 annuals, and 120,000 tulips every year. To accomplish such a feat, the zoo owns a nursery on more-than-600-acre Bowyer Farm in Warren County to grow most of its flora, as well as nearly 10,000 trees, all of which make up animal habitats and gardens.

Landscaping these spaces at the zoo first requires trees, then screening to obscure buildings and fence lines from view. “After that, it’s beauty,” says Foltz. And what makes a habitat beautiful? At the zoo, it’s about making visitors feel like they’re in the wild with the animal, which means finding native plants that mimic what you would see in its country of origin.

Take Elephant Trek: “It’s Asian Indian. When you think of that area, you’re thinking more tropical-looking, and obviously we can grow very few tropicals here,” says Foltz. “What we try to do is get things like bigleaf magnolia, which is native to Ohio and is the largest leaf plant in the U.S. We use it like it’s tropical, so we put in hundreds … look at all the bamboo, the catalpa in the right spots, which looks like a teak tree in India.” In comparison, African habitats use more grasses and fine-textured plants, while North American ones feature woodland trees like sugar maples, oaks, and hollies.

The botanical gardens are about more than just beauty, though—science takes place among the trees and flowers every day. The zoo runs trials with a variety of plants to record what pests and pollinators they attract as part of its Annual Trials Program and various pollinator initiatives. The findings are sent to nurseries, businesses, and homeowners across the country for industry and public use so people can make the most informed choices about what plants they want in their landscaping.

“We watch pollinators on what’s blooming, and that’s how we found a rare northern golden bumblebee on two of our plants,” says Foltz. “We probably wouldn’t have found it if we weren’t looking at what’s visiting. So those plants have a little bit more importance to us.”

Its multifaceted approach to horticulture is what earned the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens a level IV accreditation by ArbNet and the Morton Arboretum—the only arboretum within a zoo to do so in the world. And having such a diverse array of plant material at all times means that the zoo doesn’t have to use insecticides to maintain its lush oasis.

“There are so many flowering plants that they are controlling our [pest] populations, and that’s a strategy that homeowners can use,” says Foltz.

“That’s kind of the message, that having that mix of planting layers helps incorporate wildlife habitat in the urban landscape.”

Right as he says so, a hummingbird flies over our heads and sticks its beak into a nearby flower, the blue salvia. Passersby cry out and stop to take pictures. “This is planting with a purpose,” says Foltz. “Some people say annuals are a waste of time. Well, that hummingbird sure liked that annual, and we sure got excited to see it. Those are the things that we, as an institution, want to share with our community.”

WHAT'S THAT SMELL?

The Cincinnati Zoo’s corpse flower (nicknamed Morticia) was gifted by the Chicago Botanic Garden in 2019 to live in the Discovery Forest. Native to the jungles of Sumatra, Indonesia, the rare and massive flower is said to smell like “sweaty feet, Limburger cheese, and garlic” when it blooms.

In an animal sanctuary on the Indonesian island of Sumatra lives a horde of Sumatran rhinos. Ten strong, they represent about one-tenth of what’s left of their species.

Two of those rhinos are brothers: Andalas and Harapan. They were named at the Cincinnati Zoo, born into the hands of Terri Roth (above, with Andalas in 2001 and in the lab, below), director of the Zoo’s Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW). Andalas’s birth in 2001 marked the first Sumatran rhino calf born successfully in captivity in 112 years—a major step for the dwindling species.

“Thank goodness we figured it out when we did,” says Roth. “In the 1990s, there were all kinds of critics out there who said [a rhino breeding program] was a waste of time. Now pretty much all the conservationists are on the same page, agreeing that we must

Saving Species with

CREW HAS BEEN MOVING THE NEEDLE FOR ENDANGERED PLANTS AND ANIMALS SINCE 1981. —CARRIE BLACKMORE

capture what few rhinos are left, bring them all in, and breed them.”

The situation remains dire, but Andalas and Harapan offer a glimmer of hope, Roth says. Andalas has sired three rhinos, two of which have had calves of their own. Harapan successfully sired his first calf, a male, in 2023.

What began with a microscope in a small room of the old Elephant House in 1981 has become a world-renowned center recognized for its role in the conservation not just of rhinos, but many species of plants and animals.

Roth joined as director in 1996. By then, assisted reproduction had become common with domestic and agricultural species in the U.S. Wildlife scientists like Roth had begun dreaming about adapting the science to the endangered species they were desperately trying to save. Leaders at CREW decided some decades back not to spread the center too thin so they established four signature projects: rhinos, imperiled cats, exceptional plants, and polar bears.

Led by Dr. Lindsey Vansandt, the imperiled cats project has pioneered new methods of freezing semen and artificially inseminating multiple cat species, assisting the propagation of ocelots, jaguars, tigers, sand cats, Pallas’s cats, and more.

Exceptional plants cannot be conserved through conventional seed banking methods. That project is led by Director of Plant Research Valerie Pence, who developed protocols for growing threatened species in leaf and root tissue cultures, cryopreserving the samples in case of extinction, but also for use in restoration projects. CREW has its own cryobiobank, Roth says, which today contains samples of roughly 90 animal species and 250 plant species.

Polar bears became a project in 2008. Since then, CREW has strived to determine why polar bears reproduce so poorly in many zoos and, increasingly, in the wild. Everything on the front end can appear to be working, Roth says. Fertile mates, doing the deed, but no cubs. While the zoo no longer has polar bears, the program works closely with field researchers in the Arctic, focusing on finding a way to test for pregnancy, which has proven to be very difficult.

“We have looked at all the hormones that we could, and we can’t distinguish between the truly pregnant and the pseudo-pregnant animals,” Roth says. But it’s important to keep trying, she says. As the polar bears lose their icy habitat and with it their main food source, seals, the polar bears in captivity are currently the species’ insurance against extinction.

ZOO BABIES

It’s no daycare, butthere are still tons

of baby animals atthe Cincinnati Zoo. Here’s a look at the zoo’s class of ’25.

Asian Small-Clawed Otters Ripple, Splash, Puddles, and Scuttle

Age: 4 months

Hognose Snake Morty

Age: 1

Cheetahs Zola, Lulu, and Kiara

Age: 10 months

Okapi Mokonzi

Age: Almost 2

Little Blue Penguins Pickles, Beets, and Kimchi

Lesser Kudu Maple Age: 11 months

Two-Toed Sloth Juno

Age: 2

Striped Skunks Glacier and Marshmallow

Age: Glacier, 1; Marshmallow, 1 month

Bat-Eared Fox Kal

Age: 1

COMING SOON!

Bonobo Daisy

Age: 1

Age: Pickles, 11 months; Beets, 10 months; Kimchi, 10 months

Cape Porcupine Violet

Age: 1

In April, western lowland gorilla Gladys was found to be pregnant. The baby is expected to arrive in September or October and will be the first baby gorilla at the zoo in 10 years.

Getting Some R&R

EXPLORING A FEW OF THE CINCINNATI ZOO’S MANY WILDLIFE RESCUE AND REHABILITATION PROGRAMS.

Most people think of the Cincinnati Zoo as simply a place that houses animals. Behind the scenes, though, hundreds of people are part of ongoing wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and repopulation efforts.

MANATEE RESCUE AND REHABILITATION PARTNERSHIP

Since 1999, the Cincinnati Zoo has been an active participant in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership (MRP). In fact, Manatee Springs was built specifically for the program and was one of only two facilities outside of Florida to participate until 2021. (The Columbus Zoo was the other.)

All manatees at the zoo are temporary guests. When the MRP fi sized orphan calves in Floridian waters, they’re sent to an in-state critical care facility before making the trip to Cincinnati in custom-built containers via DHL plane for rehabilitation.

“When we get them, they’re youngsters who have just finished being bottle fed and they’re not big enough,” says Kim Scott, the zoo’s curator of mammals. “One of the release requirements is that they have to be at least 600 pounds—when we get them, they can be anywhere from 200 to 300 pounds.”

After a year of feeding and monitoring, the gentle giants are flown back to their native waters, where they’re tagged and re-

leased. As of this month, 32 manatees have been rehabbed by the Cincinnati Zoo. You can follow the releasees online and maybe even run into them in the wild.

USFWS PARTNERSHIP AND AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE REINTRODUCTION PROGRAM

To stop the spread of the exotic pet trade, USFWS has been partnering with the zoo to take in trafficked animals confiscated at CVG and the Louisville airport. Some of these contraband creatures can be seen by visitors—like the Hercules beetles, Indian

PHOTOGRAPH (EAGLE) BY LISA HUBBARD

—CLAIRE LEFTON

star tortoises, and armadillo lizards. According to Winton Ray, curator of ectotherms, mantises are the animals they get most often.

Ray and the World of the Insect team also work with nonprofit safari park The Wilds to repopulate and reestablish the American burying beetle population of Ohio— the zoo has a lab specially dedicated to the care and breeding of these beetles.

“We go to Nebraska every June and collect them and then we’re breeding them two to three times over the course of the next 12 months,” says Ray. “[On June 17,] we released more than 400 American burying beetles that were bred at the Cincinnati Zoo onto The Wilds property…it’s really special when you get to do conservation essentially in your own backyard.”

BALD EAGLES

Since the 1970s, the zoo has been working with the USFWS to help with the rescue and conservation of bald eagles—including housing a few. The open-topped habitat was built specially for eagles with wing injuries that would make it difficult to survive in the wild.

Outside the habitat, the zoo has been a supporter and partner of RAPTOR Inc., a local nonprofit dedicated to the conservation of raptors and other birds of prey for more than 15 years. Luckily, there is less work to do in the preservation of the species as bald eagle populations have steadily increased over the last 40 years—thanks to the hard work of conservation groups like the zoo.

“In 1979, when they were on the endangered species list, there were only four recorded nests in Ohio,” says Jenny Gainer, curator of birds and African animals. “Currently, there are 946 active nests, and it was a huge collaborative effort. Back in the ’70s and ’80s, we bred bald eagles for that release program, and it’s just a cool story that we don’t have to do that any longer.”

BORN TO BE Mild

Through the Cincinnati Zoo’s preferred method of training—a process called operant conditioning—Eunice Framm, senior keeper of barnyard animals, has taught pigs to bowl, goats to paint, and red pandas to receive vaccines. —EMMA BALCOM

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO CARE FOR THE ANIMALS EVERY DAY? Our priority is making sure everyone is healthy. We do a lot of training to learn different vet behaviors, so we work hard training our animals to voluntarily participate in all those things. Outside of that, one thing we do a lot of is guest interactions. We train different animals to do different behaviors that they would naturally do, but in a fun setting. It’s all about making sure they have the best care and allowing them to demonstrate natural behaviors through different positive reinforcement training.

YOU TRAIN YOUR ANIMALS THROUGH A SYSTEM CALLED OPERANT CONDITIONING. HOW DOES THAT WORK? That term essentially means learning that the behavior is influenced by its consequences. [Take] the injection training with our red pandas—it’s all about small steps. Get them used to coming into a chute, give them lots of apples. Now let’s see if they’ll have a seat in the chute, lots of apples. Then we would build on that, making sure not to move forward until they’re really comfortable with the last step. Then it was a soft touch. The next time, we use a mist bottle to give them novel sensations. Then over time, we used a blunt needle to make sure they were really used to that.

WITH KEEPERS THAT WORK WITH MORE DANGEROUS ANIMALS LIKE LIONS, HOW DOES RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WORK? We work with protected contact. That means there’s always going to be a barrier. You’re going to be doing lots of feeding, but always through a protected contact barrier, and your animals learn to trust that coming up, it’s always going to get treats. Our large cats are trained for different injections, which looks just like how we train our domestics.

Greenest Zoo in America

You Don’t Get Called the For Nothin’

SUSTAINABILITY, WITH A FLAIR FOR PRACTICALITY AND A BREAK-THE-RULES MENTALITY. —CARRIE BLACKMORE

On one of Mark Fisher’s first days working at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2005, he opened the zoo’s water bill.

“Holy smokes,” Fisher says, recalling the shock 20 years ago. “The thing was $60,000.” His job description hadn’t come with any goals for sustainability, he says, and back then the zoo hadn’t made any measurable efforts to conserve natural resources, but he decided that would be a good place to start.

Fisher first tracked down the zoo’s janitors, plumbers, and any other frontline

The zoo announced hippo Fiona’s premature birth in 2017 on social media, sharing videos of zoo specialists administering constant care to save her life.

The #TeamFiona campaign gained traction online and the zoo was awarded the

2018 Excellence in Marketing Award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

With more than 10 gardens and a vast array of native and exotic plants , the zoo’s botanical gardens have been consistently

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW

From giraffe births to Fiona the hippo, the Cincinnati Zoo has had its fair share of first, lasts, and bests in the past 150 years.

—KAITLYN KIEPERT

voted into one of the top two categories nationwide by USA Today’s 10Best for the last four years.

Martha, the world’s last Passenger Pigeon , passed away in an aviary cage at the zoo in 1914.

The Cincinnati Zoo Academy was founded in 1975 to offer high school juniors and seniors full-time, hands-on experience at the zoo twice a week during the school year to gain career-building skills caring for plants and animals.

Built in Walnut Hills in 1804, the Kemper Log House is one of Cincinnati’s two oldest buildings and was rescued from demolition by its relocation to the zoo in 1913.

With more than four million holiday lights, the PNC Festival of Lights has been named America’s “Best Zoo Lights” by USA Today’s 10Best for the past seven years, and is one of the tri-state’s longest-running holiday events.

BEING GREEN ELEPHANT TREK’S POOLS ARE FILLED WITH RECYCLED RAINWATER (BELOW). THE ZOO USES HYDROPONICS TO GROW ITS PRODUCE (OPPOSITE).

workers that could speak to the zoo’s water usage for plants, animals, employees, and visitors.

“We started getting their ideas, their input, and began making significant adjustments to our systems,” Fisher says. “Our efforts were never about being the Greenest Zoo in America—and that’s not why we do it today—our whole effort started, and is [still] about, doing things better, being smarter, less wasteful, more efficient, safer, all those things.”

Today, the zoo gets its green title for all sorts of projects: transitioning all its facilities to LED lighting, composting

herbivores’ organic waste and food waste, building all new projects to (at minimum)

LEED Gold standards, partnering with local farmers and regional food providers, and growing food for the animals.

“It was about being better with everything we do,” Fisher says. “The way we manage our facilities, the way we manage our trash, the way we treat our neighbors. Whatever it is: How do we do this better?”

Efficiencies created savings, and over the last two decades, Fisher has been able to reduce the zoo’s utility bills from 10 percent of its annual operating budget to just 1

percent, with sustainability projects saving more than $30 million to date. The only reason they’ve been so successful, Fisher says, is because his bosses recognized the importance of reinvesting those savings.

“To this day, it’s been 20 years of: Save it. Spend it,” Fisher says. “Reinvesting in infrastructure is as important as anything we do, because if we have weak infrastructure, we have a weak organization.”

Savings and early successes gave Fisher and the zoo the credibility to take on bigger, bolder projects through the years, like the zoo’s 1.5 million-gallon rainwater catchment system and its solar arrays, which can produce 4.5 megawatts of power (the equivalent of powering 4,500 residential homes), Fisher says.

He argues the boldest moves, as important as on-site conservation work is, are the efforts to be a good neighbor. In the last few years, the zoo has helped secure and deploy solar panels to social service agencies around Cincinnati including Talbert House, and last year built a one-acre garden for Rockdale Academy, a Cincinnati Public School.

“I just think it’s our duty—taking our talents and our resources outside of our fence to help people,” Fisher says. “It has been the most satisfying part of this journey, and we take it very seriously.”

In 2000, the zoo became the first in the country to collect giant jumping sticks from the wild and breed them, and was awarded the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’s prestigious Edward H. Bean Award 15 years later. The award recognizes a significant zoo propagation effort that clearly enhances the conservation of a species.

The City Barn, once a stable for trolley horses, is now the site of 18 Charley Harper murals painted by a team of three

professional artists and eight youth apprentices from ArtWorks.

Built in 1875, the Reptile House is the oldest building in an American zoo , and was originally the Monkey House until 1951.

The zoo has incorporated sustainability into its daily operations for more than 25 years, earning the ongoing title of the “Greenest Zoo in America” since 2010.

The zoo is well-known for its successful history of 17 total giraffe births , but its first in 1889 made it the site of the first giraffe birth in a Western Hemisphere zoo.

By 1990, the zoo was so well-known for its success in breeding endangered animal species that when then-President George H.W. Bush was gifted a male Komodo dragon named Naga by the president of Indonesia, he donated it to the Cincinnati Zoo. Naga fathered 32 offspring.

BUGGING Out

Bug enthusiasts will be pleased to know that World of the Insect isn’t just one of the best bug houses in the country, but also the first built in the U.S. Some of the nation’s most passionate entomologists make their way to Cincinnati to care for the animals and work in the insect lab, including Kelli Walker (right), senior keeper at World of the Insect. —CLAIRE LEFTON

WHAT IS IT ABOUT INVERTEBRATES THAT DREW YOU IN? It’s the biggest group of animals on the planet. There’s always something to learn. There are always new animals to work with and they might be animals we’ve never seen before. It’s a challenge to figure out how to take care of them, how to raise them, how to just keep them alive.

HOW DOES FEEDING WORK? Everything has a feeding schedule, so not every thing necessarily gets fed every day, but they always have food in there with them. We plan it out so certain things will get fed on certain days. Tarantulas, for example, only get fed once a week. Every Sunday I do that. And then anything that’s a leaf eater—stick insects, leafcutter ants, things like that—do get food daily, so I have to go out and I have to cut plants. Luckily, I can cut things around the zoo, everything that they eat.

the day. When we go in the back, we all split up into our own aisles and that’s what we really focus on throughout the day.

WHAT DOES THE AVERAGE DAY LOOK LIKE? Typically, we’re out in the lobby for the first two hours in the morning, and then we’re all behind the scenes for the rest of

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT WORLD OF THE INSECT? Insects are

very underestimated. We always try and encourage people to come through our building and ask questions that they have and let them know insects are very, very important to every ecosystem that they’re in. Our world would be a very different place without them.

HACKING YOUR ZOO EXPERIENCE

Tips and tricks from Kate Rechtsteiner, director of visitor experience and self-proclaimed animal keeper of the people, on how to maximize your zoo visit.

—BRIANNA CONNOCK

TICKET DEALS

Arrive after 3 p.m. for twilight ticket pricing. Order your tickets online to see pricing by day and book ahead for better deals.

AVOID THE CROWD

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the slowest zoo days. Come on a rainy or cold day for a less crowded experience or attend an after-hours zoo event for a more relaxed setting.

DON’T SKIP SNACKS

Try out the funnel fries, popcorn, or soft pretzels with cheese (a zoo-wide favorite).

Dippin’ Dots are a hit for kids.

ANIMAL ACTIVITY

Animals are most visible early in the day during the summer months.

LIGHTING UP

Come to the Festival of Lights early to see the animals, then stay for the lights.

USE THE APP

The zoo app allows you to check for closures, find the animal show times for the day, order food, and more.

MAP IT OUT

Stroller-pushers: After entering the zoo, turn right and start in Africa to avoid climbing the steeper hills.

LUNCHTIME

Basecamp Café’s line looks daunting but moves fast. Order ahead online at Hops to avoid waiting in line at all.

PARK IT

If the Vine Street lot is full, the zoo also has lots on Euclid and Erkenbrecher avenues.

Meet Yasmine, a youth development expert at the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati. She recently gave me some advice when I asked, “How do I deal with an unruly kid?” Yasmine politely instructed me to first “reframe unruly as a signal, not a trait” and suggested that I instead ask, “What unmet need might this behavior be expressing? Is this a trauma response, a bid for connection, or a reaction to unclear expectations?”

The adept answer didn’t come from someone inside a local YMCA branch. Yasmine isn’t human—she’s artificial intelligence. More specifically, she’s an AI agent built inside ChatGPT.

Yasmine went on to encourage me to integrate practices that could help the child learn self-awareness, self-management, and relationship-building skills. She then offered to design me a lesson plan or answer follow-up questions.

“I was using ChatGPT and immediately began to see its extraordinary capacity to help individuals do their work,” says Jorge Perez, president and CEO of the Greater Cincinnati YMCA system and the human who created Yasmine. “There are about 15,000 youth development leaders in this country who work at the YMCA. All of a sudden, they have a leader that can answer questions like, How do I design a STEM program for seventh grade girls? Or I’m about to talk to parents and I want to encourage them to be great parents to their children. What can I tell them? Yasmine has all the knowledge and is available 24/7.”

Today, the entire YMCA organization across the U.S. and Canada is using Yasmine and 15 other “AI advisors” built here in Cincinnati. There’s Morgan in marketing, Frankie in finance, Harmony in human resources, and so on, each trained at a master’s degree level in their specialty and capable of taking up to 150,000 queries simultaneously and delivering an answer in seconds.

“We’re not using AI to find a way to replace people but really to empower them to supercharge their ability and add it to their toolbox,” says Perez. “The Y’s mission is to help people achieve, relate, and belong. AI could become an extension to that strategy, and I believe we have an opportunity to scale our assistance to levels that seemed impossible before.”

Artificial intelligence has been around for some time but is now barreling into our daily lives with great speed. Less than three years after the public release of ChatGPT, organizations like the YMCA, businesses large and small, government agencies, and everyday people are embracing AI tools across the globe.

When it comes to AI, the stakes couldn’t be higher—the future of humanity is on the table. While the opportunities appear endless, with some believing AI can cure cancer or solve world hunger, the risks are infinite as well, including the spread of misinformation, destruction of jobs, and even the replacement or destruction of humans entirely.

At its core, artificial intelligence is technology that “enables computers and machines to simulate human learning, comprehension, problem solving, decision making, creativity, and autonomy,” according to IBM. Technology has been evolving for centuries to make AI possible, and you’re using it today if you speak to Alexa or Siri, ask a chatbot a question on a website, or choose from your personalized list of shows and movies on Netflix.

These days, AI tools can analyze and interpret data; generate human-like text and create images, videos, and music; transcribe, translate, and synthesize speech in a multitude of languages and accents; predict trends; and write code. It can control robots doing manufacturing jobs and operate self-driving vehicles and drones. If you know very little about how it works, just understand that it’s totally different from a search engine like Google.

The field is evolving fast, says Kendra Ramirez, cofounder of CincyAI for Humans, a 1,500-member group that meets monthly at the University of Cincinnati. She encourages everyone to begin building an understanding of AI in order to take advantage of its opportunities and avoid its snares.

“In every technology shift, it’s women, minorities, small businesses, and nonprofits that get left behind,” says Ramirez. “I feel passionately that AI democratizes that trend, because anyone can use it. There’s a huge assumption that you have to be technical to use AI. But if you can speak or type, you can use it.”

Ramirez and Perez are part of a growing community of AI adopters here in Cincinnati pushing for the region to become a leader in responsible or ethical AI. “What’s at stake isn’t just jobs or industries, it’s trust and human potential,” Ramirez says. “AI has the power to amplify the best in us or, if misused, accelerate the gaps. That’s why it’s so important for everyday people, not just technologists, to be in these conversations.”

Back in October 1950, the English mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing posed the question Can machines think? in his paper, “Computing Machinery and Intelligence,” published in the academic journal Mind. He laid out what became known as the Turing Test, which involved an interrogator asking the same set of questions to a human and a computer program. If the interrogator couldn’t discern which party supplied which answers, the computer would be considered as thinking.

This test kickstarted research and development into “thinking machines,” and six years later John McCarthy, a professor at Dartmouth College, chose the phrase “artificial intelligence” when putting together a summer workshop to clarify and develop ideas around the technology. His workshop is widely considered the founding moment for AI.

By the 1960s and early 1970s, an artificially intelligent program had passed the freshman calculus final at MIT. Other

computer programs could play and win games like checkers and chess. Interest and funding waned from the mid-1970s through the early 1990s, as advancements in AI stalled and computer scientists began to wonder whether the technology could improve.

Interest returned by the 2000s as computing capabilities advanced, and the goal of AI research shifted away from creating a multipurpose, fully intelligent machine to specific tools that could solve specific problems.

Today, AI is solving problems all over, says Ramirez, who started dabbling in AI about seven years ago and has tested more than 100 different AI tools. Her digital and AI agency helps small- to medium-sized businesses and nonprofits with AI education, readiness, strategy, implementation, policy creation, and training, as well as how to create an internal AI Task Force or AI Council to keep up with AI’s constant evolution.

“I started CONTINUED ON PAGE 89

by BRIANNA CONNOCK

photographs by ANDREW DOENCH

THe TIn man FOllOws HIs heaRt

A 4-year-old’s innocent question sent photographer Keith Klenowksi on a mission to revive tintype photography.

In 2015, as Keith Klenowski snapped photos of his daughter, the 4-year-old asked what turned out to be a loaded question: “Dad, what are you doing?”

Klenowski looked down at the iPhone in his hand. “What am I doing?” he thought to himself, as memories of photo albums packed full of his childhood in the 1980s came flooding back to him.

“I take all of these photos, and they just sit on my phone,” he says. “I don’t even print them off. It’s such a different world from when I grew up.”

The era of physical photos is gone, and Klenowski, a digital photographer with more than 20 years of experience, knows it. His daughter’s question made him think back to what he calls a “life-changing” Intro to Photography course he took at Xavier University.

As a psychology major in his senior year in 2001, Klenowski didn’t anticipate that he’d swing in a completely new direction. “I was lucky to get into this hot elective class that kids loved to take,” he says. “I didn’t get in at

first, but when the class was supposed to start, I ended up showing the professor where the classroom was. He allowed me to be in the class, and it changed the course of my life.”

After graduating with his psychology degree, Klenowski attended community college to get an associate’s degree in photography and began his career. He mostly focused on film photography and spent time in the darkroom, as digital photography wasn’t popular yet. “I loved seeing a picture come up in the chemicals on a piece of paper,” he says. “It’s magical.”

Reliving his early photography experiences thanks to his daughter’s prompt, Klenowski recalled a specific form of photography he learned about in those classes: tintypes. Invented in the 1850s, tintype photography captured much of American history during the Civil War and the decades that followed.

Because the image is developed on a tin plate, photos captured with this method can be preserved for much longer than

"we LivE iN a wOrlD wHerE

photos on paper. Their permanent nature, as well as the unusual physical process of developing them, piqued Klenowski’s curiosity in 2015.

He sought out others who were interested in tintype photography. From Pittsburgh to the Carolinas, he began emailing people who were already involved in the art to ask how he should even start. “The

biggest hurdle in my mind was knowing that I was going to put a lot of money into it and not see a return right away,” says Klenowski.

He sourced the required historical camera from eBay, had a dark box created for the developing process, and purchased the necessary chemicals, which he says was the most expensive part. “There is a steep learning curve,” he says. “You basically spend $250 on all the chemicals for this process and flush them down the toilet the first two times that you do it.”

Here’s how it works: A 4-by-5-inch tin plate is dipped into collodion, a flammable chemical, and then into a box of silver nitrate. Klenowski poses his subject and adjusts the lightning. The plate is in-

serted into the camera, he uncovers the lens, and three or four huge lights “pop” on the subject (leaving them blinking for a few minutes). The plate is exposed, then removed from the camera and developed, the image emerging almost magically on the tin plate.

The process is extremely touchy; even the amount of humidity in the air can impact

tintype photo results. Small changes in lighting or exposure time can sway the results too.

“Almost every single photo you’ve seen from the Civil War was taken as a tin plate,” says Klenowski. “So imagine someone being on a battlefield coming off to the side and sitting for 10 to 15 seconds for a portrait. It’s just mind blowing. It’s crazy to think that those finished photos are still around today.”

Because of the delicate process, it took him seven years or more to feel comfortable offering his tintype services to anyone outside of family and close friends. “We live in a world where we’re afraid to show our mistakes,” he says. “I didn’t believe in myself. Now I’ve learned that the mistakes are just as meaningful as a perfectly exposed and developed plate. The whole act of creating with my

hands still speaks to me. Every time I make a plate, whether it’s a success or not, I love it.”

Having a tintype portrait taken is much slower process than snapping one with a digital camera, and as someone who offers both services, Klenowski appreciates the connection he makes with subjects through the tintype process. “With a digital camera, I can take 100 photos of you and Photoshop it to make

you look the prettiest,” he says. “But this method captures who you really are at that moment in time, warts and all.”

With new well-earned confidence, Klenowski now offers portraits through open studio times via his Instagram (@queencitytin) and plans to host pop-ups at local events. Additionally, drawing from his career experience as a music photographer, he’s building a portfolio of tintypes of

touring musicians and hopes to continue to photograph them as they come through Cincinnati.

“Getting back to my daughter’s philosophical question of ‘what am I doing,’ these are plates that a family would hand down to the children and grandchildren,” he says. “We live in a world where we take photos of everything, so it grounded me and reminded me to slow down. Certain images should mean something.”

1 KLENOWSKI USES A TRADITIONAL, CIVIL WAR–ERA CAMERA THAT HE SOURCED ON EBAY.

2 TO START THE PROCESS, THE 4X5 TIN PLATE IS EVENLY COATED IN COLLODION— A VISCOUS CHEMICAL. AT THIS POINT, THE PLATE IS BLACK IN COLOR.

3 THE COLLODIONCOVERED PLATE THEN TAKES A 3-MINUTE SILVER BATH IN THE DARK BOX, WHERE THE COLLODION COLLECTS ALL OF THE SILVER NITRATE. ONCE THIS STEP IS COMPLETED, THE PLATE IS NOW SILVER IN COLOR AND IS READY TO CAPTURE A PHOTO.

4 WHILE THE PLATE IS IN THE SILVER BATH, KLENOWSKI POSES THE SUBJECT. WHEN THE PLATE IS READY, HE PUTS IT INTO THE HOLDER THAT THEN GOES INTO THE CAMERA. THERE IT WILL BE EXPOSED AND CAPTURE AN IMAGE.

5 AFTER THE EXPOSURE, THE PLATE GOES THROUGH THE DEVELOPING PROCESS: IT FIRST GOES INTO THE DEVELOPER FOR 30 SECONDS, THEN INTO THE FIXER WHERE THE IMAGE IS MADE STABLE. BEFORE GIVING THE PLATE TO THE SUBJECT, IT’S RINSED AND COATED IN VARNISH.

Slice Night is a joyful tradition that brings our community together through great food, fun, and a shared commitment to advancing the fight against cancer.

Your support of this fantastic event helps the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center drive cancer discoveries, deliver innovative research to our patients, and raise the level of cancer care across our region.

Funds from Slice Night continue to make state-of-the art, multidisciplinary care accessible to our patients and allow us to invest in cutting-edge cancer screening and lab technology, educational programs and more comfortable and supportive healing spaces.

Thanks to your continued generosity, we’re making real progress in the fight against cancer together. I look forward to celebrating the 12th annual Slice Night with you.

Outdoor dining, meet strength and style.

Dine dependably anywhere you eat with the Chinet® brand.

he family of Greg Lawton established the Gregory E. Lawton Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund at the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center in 2024 to advance research with the goal of improving patient outcomes. The gift honors the memory of the former Cincinnati resident and Procter & Gamble vice president. The Lawtons are grateful for the care Greg received following his pancreatic cancer diagnosis, specifically, an early-phase clinical study credited with extending his life.

While pancreatic cancer is not the most common type of cancer in the Greater Cincinnati area, it is the deadliest. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), in the 10 counties that account for 80

percent of patients at the Cancer Center, pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate among common cancers.

Nationally, the NCI reports that more than 67,000 Americans will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2025. It ranks as the third leading cause of cancer death in both women and men. The Cancer Center is trying to change that grim statistic by connecting researchers and clinicians to translate basic science findings to the bedside more quickly, so patients have more treatment options available to combat this disease.

“Our family had 18 glorious months CONTINUED ON P. 62

GREG LAWTON

post-treatment that a lot of people don’t get,” says Anna Lawton, Greg’s wife. “We really hope, going forward, that more people get at least that. They gave Greg a very slim chance of making it two years and he lived over the two-year mark.”

This gratitude inspired Anna and her son, Nate Lawton, also a former Cincinnati resident and the chief business development officer at Chipotle, to support the Cancer Center. As the region’s only academic health system offering phase 1 (first in-human) clinical trials, the Cancer Center gives patients access to new therapies unavailable elsewhere. These breakthrough treatments provide better outcomes and the promise of more second chances.

The Gregory E. Lawton Pancreatic Research Fund: Provides necessary resources to basic and clinical researchers to explore novel, untested ideas, bringing pancreatic cancer-specific studies to the next level of progress.

Allows scientists to leverage research findings into applications for larger federal grants.

Fosters cross-disciplinary collaboration with in-

ternal and external partners so clinician-researchers can quickly translate findings into new therapies to improve patient outcomes.

Offers pancreatic cancer research opportunities for University of Cincinnati students.

“It was a great privilege to know Greg and care for him during his cancer journey,” says Jordan Kharofa, M.D., a UC Health physician and professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the UC College of Medicine. “He was a thoughtful individual and single-minded in lifting others. His family’s generous investment mirrors this focus and will impact our research capabilities to fight this deadly disease.”

Establishing a fund at the Cancer Center honors Greg’s memory, his intentional approach to life and his personal philanthropy. A compassionate individual, he invested in people as a mentor and friend and made many decisions based on how he could help others. During his professional career in the consumer products industry, he served on the boards of many nonprofit organizations.

Greg’s legacy continues through his family’s investment in the Cancer Center, a commitment that promises to benefit patients for many years.

“My Dad’s philosophy was making an impact and investing in people,” says Nate. “We want to honor that by investing in the talented team of clinician scientists at UC aiming to help find better outcomes for those with pancreatic cancer.”

The Cancer Center has earned a national reputation for its expertise in pancreatic cancer research and clinical care. Its leading researchers regularly initiate or participate in national clinical trials, including most recently being the first Midwestern site to join in the mRNA pancreatic cancer vaccine trial.

“The Lawton family’s philanthropic support directly impacts our community as it allows us to advance clinical research and increase treatment options for our patients,” says Syed Ahmad, M.D., University of Cincinnati Cancer Center interim director and professor in the Department of Surgery at the UC College of Medicine. “We’re incredibly grateful for this tremendous gift.”

Visit foundation.uc.edu/cancer to learn how you can support the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center.

A History Of Doing Good

We consider Cincinnati the best place to live, work and celebrate life. Committed to doing good for our community, we play an active role in preserving its traditions, helping businesses thrive, enriching cultural experiences and supporting its people in many ways. Our strong belief in giving back is deeply rooted in who we are and all we do.

westernsouthern.com

The Seven Hills School

Walk & Talk Group Tours: Pre-K through Kindergarten: Sept. 16–Nov. 13 on most Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays • Grades 1–5: Oct. 14 & 15 • Grades 6–12: Sept. 24, Oct. 16, Oct. 29, Nov. 18, & Jan. 15

Questions & Conversations Virtual Admission Events: Pre-K through Grade 5: Oct. 22 • Grades 6–12: Oct. 29 & Jan. 22

Seven Hills is the top ranked Cincinnati private school for students who know their students well and students who feel supported to take risks and discover who they are.

Engaging Hearts, Minds, & the Community

Each day, our learners experience a range of dynamic, exciting activities designed to engage the heart, the mind, and the community. Over time, students explore every aspect of themselves; they learn who they are, what they love, and what they may want to do with their lives. And, in the end, students are ready to explore engaged young people.

Our Teachers Are the Difference

Trained in some of the nation’s best universities and recruited from all over the country, Seven Hills teachers are experts in their subjects and the grade levels they teach. In an environment that encourages students to take risks, Seven Hills students gain more from their time at Seven Hills—supported along the way by their innovative teachers.

Affordable, Flexible Tuition

Seven Hills is committed to providing access to as many students as possible. As part of our Affordability Initiative, we offer two options, the Flexible Tuition Program and Seven Hills Scholar Awards, both designed to provide families from many walks of life the advantage of a Seven Hills education.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1906 GRADES SERVED: Pre-K (2-year-olds) through Grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 1,001 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 9:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes, Doherty Campus (Grades 1–5); no, Hillsdale Campus (2-year-olds through Grade 12) TUITION: $9,310–$34,690 TOP AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Ranked No. 1 Private College Prep High School in Greater Cincinnati seven years: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 • Ranked No. 1 Private K–12 School in Greater Cincinnati six years: 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025 • Ranked No. 2 Private K–12 School in Ohio for 2025 • 19% of the Class of 2025 have been recognized by the National Merit Scholarship Program • 226 Scholastic Art & Writing Awards in 2025 • Advanced Placement School Honor Roll with Platinum Distinction

Hillsdale Campus, 5400 Red Bank Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45227 • Doherty Campus, 2726 Johnstone Pl., Cincinnati, OH 45206 • (513) 728-2400 • www.7hills.org

Bethany School

Open House: Sunday, November 9, 2025, 2–4 p.m.

Bethany School is a warm and diverse community that has served Ohio families for over 125 years. We believe in the joy of learning. Our small class sizes and curriculum spark curiosity, encourage play, and make discovery an exciting journey. Our graduates continue to experience academic success in Cincinnati’s premier high schools.

Bethany School’s students experience a vibrant array of activities including and community service. Our beautiful,

an eco-friendly learning space where your child can grow and create wonderful memories. Choose Bethany School for your child’s enriching educational journey.

“The small class sizes & caring faculty created a positive environment for my kids and the focus on academics, spiritual/ character development, and diversity helped them grow into the amazing people they were created to be.” - Bethany Parent Bethany School: Empowering students to thrive in a diverse world.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1898 GRADES SERVED: K–8 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 184 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 6:1 UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes

555 Albion Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45246 • (513) 771-7462 • www.bethanyschool.org

Bishop Fenwick High School

Open House: Sunday, October 19, 2025, 1–4 p.m.

Bishop Fenwick High School is a Catholic, co-educational high school conveniently located on State Route 122 just minutes from I-75 and State Route 741 on 66 beautiful acres. The Fenwick experience—challenging classes, diverse activities, competitive sports, and creative arts—prepares students for future success.

Fenwick’s rigorous college prep curriculum offers a variety of courses, including AP and CCP courses, Engineering and IT programs, and a wide variety of noteworthy electives. Preparation for college and

the world beyond is also demonstrated through Fenwick’s unique block scheduling and innovative Flock Block program. Fenwick encourages all students tothing they enjoy, including athletics, arts, service, and STEM. Fenwick students are ready to boldly live their calling, as they go forth to love God and serve him present in others. Come experience Fenwick for yourself—we’re much closer than you think!

12:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: $13,800 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: The Class of 2025 received over $18 million in scholarship dollars. • Three students named National Merit Commended Students. • 19 AP Scholars, 12 AP Scholars with Distinction and 16 AP Scholars with Honor.

State Route 122, Franklin, OH 45005 • (513) 423-0723 • www.fenwickfalcons.org

Children’s Meeting House Montessori School

Nestled on more than seven acres just outside historic Loveland, Children’s Meeting House seeks to foster the development of the whole child by implementing the philosophy, practices, and curriculum of Dr. Maria Montessori. Children are empowered to learn and develop at a pace inspired by their own instinctive love of discovery. From preschool through eighth grade, students are guided, challenged, and prepared for their futures using au-

thentic Montessori lessons and materials. Enriched by abundant natural woodlands and working gardens, CMH fosters a high level of academic success within an outdoor setting few schools in Cincinnati can match.

Experience Children’s Meeting House

ilies—and our students—are passionate about our school. Come see where learning happens, naturally.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1972 GRADES SERVED: Preschool–grade 8 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 180 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 12:1 UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: $9,000–$14,500 TOP AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Member of the American Montessori Society and the Cincinnati Montessori Society • Voted Best Preschool by the readers of Cincinnati Family Magazine • Voted Hulafrog’s Most Loved K–8 Private School •927 O’Bannonville Rd., Loveland, OH 45140 • (513) 683-4757 • www.cmhschool.com

Cincinnati Country Day School

Apply for admission and tuition aid/scholarship consideration by December 1. Call today to arrange a personalized tour and meeting with our admission staff.

Every day we connect students both academically and personally. Whether in the classroom or on our 60-acre campus, students are known, nurtured, and inspired through innovate learning, independent thinking, and self-discovery.

We are one community united to help grow students, ages 18 months to 18 years. We provide students with an exemplary,

character-driven, and challenging academic experience that will guide them to the be the future leaders of the next generation. We in the next phase of their lives and bettering a dynamic world.

Every day brings new experiences, adventures, opportunities, friendships, and successes.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1926 GRADES SERVED: Early childhood (18 months)–grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 865 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 9:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes, K–grade 4; dress code grades 5–12 TUITION: $9,560–$33,540 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: A Top Private High School, K–12 School, and High School for STEM by Niche for 2025 • No. 1 Cincinnati area high school for sending students to Harvard, Princeton, and MIT (PolarisList) • $6.3 million awarded in grants and scholarships to 58 members of the class of 2025 • Award-winning 2024 Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam • “Platinum with Access” 2024 AP School Honor Roll by College Board • National Merit Recipients, Scholars, and Scholarship winners • Scholastic Art and Writing Award winners • Students matriculate to top colleges nationally and internationally • $6.5 million awarded in need– and merit–based assistance to students in kindergarden through grade 12. 6905 Given Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45243 • (513) 979-0220 • www.countryday.net

Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy

Open House: Sunday, November 8, 2025, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. In-person tours and shadow visits are also available. Learn more at chca-oh.org/visit-us

Every student is uniquely created with God-given gifts. At CHCA, our world-class, Christ-centered education offers more op-

and pursue their passions so they can make an impact wherever they go. Four campuses spanning northern and downtown Cincinnati challenge learners to seek excellence in

all things: From preschool to senior year, students experience high levels of engagement through innovative programming, hands-on learning, and unique academic environments that nurture hearts and challenge minds. By approaching education holistically, we graduate young adults ready to be a beacon in our city and world.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1989 GRADES SERVED: Pre-K 2–Grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 1,315 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes, through Grade 6 TUITION: $4,275–$22,575 TOP AWARDS/ RECOGNITIONS: Ranked the No. 1 Best Christian High School in the state of Ohio by Niche. • 12 students named Finalists or Commended Students by National Merit Scholarship Corporation. • State and conference champions across multiple sports. • Only school in the city offering an Entrepreneurship & Sustainability program with student-run businesses, multiple learning gardens, a 4,000-square-foot greenhouse, and a nationally recognized teaching kitchen.

Pre-K 2–Grade 3: Edyth B. Lindner Campus, 11312 Snider Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249 • Grades 4–8: Founders’ Campus, 11300 Snider Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249 • Grades 9–12: Martha S. Lindner Campus, 11525 Snider Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249 • Downtown Cincinnati Pre-K 3/4–Grade 6: Otto Armleder Memorial Education Campus, 140 W. Ninth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 • (513) 247-0900 • chca-oh.org

Cincinnati Waldorf School

Open House: Saturday, November 8, 2025, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.

There is something different about the Cincinnati Waldorf School. You see it in a high school student who looks you in the self-knowledge. You feel it when a grade school student steps to the chalkboard to answer a math question, composed because she has the full and caring support of the teacher and her classmates. You hear it in the joyful laughter of a kindergartener who is helping a friend climb a tree.

We offer an education that is creative, rigorous, and based on human connection. Our highly-trained faculty teach the

right things at the right time and discover the unique spark in each individual—the things that inspire a love of learning, goodness, and the world. Purposeful play in our early childhood classrooms builds the foundation for the social, emotional, and intellectual capacities to come. Together, students and teachers explore the intersection of mathematics, sciences, humanities, art, and each student’s place in the social and natural world.

Come for a visit or drop a line. When you dig deeper, you’ll discover what makes our school extraordinary.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1973 GRADES SERVED: Preschool–Grade 12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 285

STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 10:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: Varies by program TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Voted “Best Private School” in 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021, and 2020 by CityBeat readers 6743 Chestnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45227 • (513) 541-0220 • www.cincinnatiwaldorfschool.org

Elder High School

Open House: Thursday, November 13, 2025, 4–8 p.m.

Shadow Days for the 2025–2026 school year for current 8th grade boys and prospective transfer students: September 12, 19, 26; October 1, 3, 8, 10, 24; November 5, 25; December 5; January 9

Success Starts Here.

Success has a starting point. At Elder High School, it begins the moment a young man walks through our doors. With a legacy of academic excellence, a challenging college-prep curriculum, and a deeply rooted sense of brotherhood, Elder equips young men to thrive at toptier universities and beyond. Our graduates

to business, engineering, and the arts. What truly sets Elder apart is the lifelong connection our students build—with each other, with our faculty, and with a global network of alumni who open doors and offer support every step of the way. It all begins here—with purpose, with pride, and

comes next.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1922 GRADES SERVED: 9–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 856 STUDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 13:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: $15,400 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: The Elder News Network (ENN) has won two Ohio Valley Emmy awards: one in 2023 for the Elder vs. Moeller basketball broadcast by Greg Carlton, Will Summers, and Collin Carrithers—which ranked in the Top Five nationally for high school broadcasts—and another in 2024 for Sam Jones’ Elder Football Playoffs hype video. 3900 Vincent Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45205 • (513) 921-3744 • www.elderhs.org

Great Oaks Career Campuses

Great Oaks is a public career-technical in southwest Ohio.

Each year, thousands of area high school students prepare for a career at a Great Oaks Career Campus—Diamond Oaks in Dent, Laurel Oaks in Wilmington, Live Oaks in Milford, or Scarlet Oaks in Sharonville.

care to high-tech manufacturing to cy-

bersecurity to construction trades, culinary arts, agriculture, cosmetology, and programs on campus as well as satellite school districts.

Career training, ESOL, HSE, and personal enrichment programs are also available for adults.

Partnerships with local business, education, and community agencies help shape the programs offered.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1970 GRADES SERVED: 11–12 and adults on campus; middle and high school satellite programs in partner schools CURRENT ENROLLMENT: Around 3,000 students on campus; over 18,000 in 100+ satellite programs throughout 36 school districts UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: Tuition is free for high school students; adult program tuition varies TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS:

standards • 2025 Teacher Educator of the Year Award • 2025 Ohio ACTE Outstanding School Board Member Award • 2025 Carl Perkins Community Service Award • Ohio ACTE 2025 Business Image Award • Students consistently place in national skills competitions

110 Great Oaks Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45241 • (513) 771-8840 • www.greatoaks.com

IDEA Greater Cincinnati

Personal tours available by appointment. Please call (513) 570-1683 to schedule.

IDEA Public Schools – Greater Cincinnati offers tuition-free, nationally ranked charter schools in Cincinnati’s Price Hill and Valley View neighborhoods, serving over 1,000 K–11 students with a strong college-prep focus. Through personalized learning, small group instruction, and daily technology access, IDEA ensures each scholar masters core academics at their pace and level. Expert teachers partner with families to cultivate character, track progress, and adjust instruction so every student thrives in and beyond the classroom. Since launching, nearly 100% of IDEA graduates have been

admitted to college nationwide.

ment opportunities including STEM, arts,ativity. IDEA’s commitment goes beyond academics. We focus on the whole child, including emotional development, leadership skills, and a strong support system. With a nurturing environment and high expectations, we prepare students not only for college but for life.

Join our growing community and discover what’s possible for your child’s future!

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 2022 GRADES SERVED: K–11 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 1,000 UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: Free TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Ohio State Report Card 3.5 Stars • Awarded one of America’s Healthiest Schools • For the last 18 years, IDEA has sent nearly 100% of its graduates to college and remains on track to uphold that legacy • Free transportation, breakfast, and lunch provided for all students. 2700 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45204 • (513) 914-1759 • https://ideapublicschools.org/regions/greater-cincinnati

Archbishop Moeller High School

Open House: Sunday, November 2, 2025

High School Placement Test: Saturday, November 22, 2025

Application Due: Monday, November 24, 2025

At Archbishop Moeller High School, a Catholic school in the Marianist tradition, we know young men learn differently. Our educational philosophy of REALearning— Relational. Experiential. Authentic.— challenges our students to think critically, act purposefully, and grow authentically. in the community, Moeller prepares young men to lead with integrity, empathy, and

strength. Our nationally-recognized House System and signature academic programs— Chaminade Global Scholars, Mercalde Family Student-Run Endowment, molecular biology research, entrepreneurship, prototyping, and multimedia production— enrich students’ understanding and empower them to be confident, adaptive change makers. This is what makes Moeller the leader in educating young men.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1960 GRADES SERVED: 9–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 915 ST UDENT/FACULTY RATIO: 12:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: $18,900 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: 2024 Advanced Placement ® Program (AP ®) School Honor Roll Platinum Distinction • Member of the International Boys’ School Coalition • 40 State Championships 9001 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242 • (513) 791-1680 • www.moeller.org

Saint Ursula Academy

Open House: Sunday, November 9, 2025, 1–4 p.m. Check in at main entrance; registration encouraged at www.saintursula.org

Saint Ursula Academy (SUA) is a top-rated high school for girls (9–12) in Greater Cincinnati. SUA is a leader in girls’ Catholic education since 1910 with vibrant college-preparatory programming that devel-

community honors the power of authentic sisterhood.

Saint Ursula is known for academic excellence, whole-person formation, innovation, welcoming environment, service, and student success with proven results. Our

voice, and to give her the courage to sing. Graduates are women of faith, integrity, and courage ready to make a positive impact in the world.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1910 GRADES SERVED: Girls 9–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 655 STUDENT/ FACULTY RATIO: 13:1 GRADUATION RATE: 100% UNIFORMS REQUIRED? Yes TUITION: $16,950 TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Cincy Magazine, Ohio Success Award Winner 2020–2025, Readers’ Choice for Best Private School in Cincinnati Family Magazine for 2024 1339 E. McMillan St., Cincinnati, OH 45206 • (513) 961-3410 • www.saintursula.org

Seton High School

Open House: Wednesday, November 12, 2025, 4–8 p.m. Pre-registration required.

In the tradition of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and founded by the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Seton High School develops a diverse population of young women for a life of faith, service, and leadership and engages them in achieving academic excellence in a college-preparatory environment.

Our strong Catholic faith is intertwined in every aspect of the school. The young women at Seton High School are challenged to be critical thinkers in an individualized, supportive, and experiential learning

environment. Seton offers an Honors Program, a variety of both AP and dual college credit courses, and an inclusive and collaborative support services program. Our students are leaders in the classroom, on activities, on stage, and in their communities. The mission and values of Seton High School, strong academics, and a true sense of spirit and sisterhood are why thousands of young women have chosen to become a Seton Saint.

THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1927 GRADES SERVED: 9–12 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: 729 STUDENT/ FACULTY RATIO: 18:1 TUITION: $13,200 (plus $1,800 in fees) TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: 99% of graduates go on to pursue a four-year postsecondary education with 80% of students receiving college scholarships. • Students have the exclusive opportunities to take part in the Seton-TriHealth Summer Internship and also take a 3-credit hour MSJU Nursing Course.

• • House System as its form of student government.

3901 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45205 • (513) 471-2600 • www.setoncincinnati.org

Springer School and Center

Contact us today to arrange a personal tour or register for an open house.

At Springer, students with ADHD, dyslexia and executive function challenges learn skills and strategies to achieve their goals. Students tackle rigorous academics in our supportive, specialized environment staffed by educators who specialize in learning differences.

Students in Lower School (grades 1–5), Middle School (grades 6–8), and High School learn in small classes and participate in co-curriculars and extracurriculars

in the arts, sciences, and athletics. In our community, student trajectories change as our young people build an academic and social foundation. Building on strengths and tackling challenges with the right tools, students establish a roadmap to a successful adulthood.

dent, empathetic leaders prepared for college, career, and life beyond. THE STATS YEAR FOUNDED: 1971 GRADES SERVED: 1–11 CURRENT ENROLLMENT: About 225 STUDENT/ FACULTY RATIO: 6:1 UNIFORMS REQUIRED? No TUITION: admissions to learn more. TOP AWARDS/RECOGNITIONS: Accredited by Independent Schools Association of the Central States, Springer is a Jon Peterson Scholarship provider. • Educators are trained in the Wilson Reading Program. • International Dyslexia Association Accreditation Plus. 2121 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45208 • (513) 871-6080 • www.springer-LD.org

Our cardiac surgery program is leading the region with minimally invasive techniques that mean smaller incisions, faster recovery and better outcomes. Powered by our new 3D 4K endoscope, our surgeons see the heart in extraordinary detail — allowing for unmatched precision and care.

This is next-generation heart surgery, delivered by the trusted hands of our nationally recognized cardiac team — right here in Northern Kentucky. If you or a loved one are facing heart surgery, ensure you’re choosing the most advanced care available. Choose the future. Choose better outcomes. Choose St. Elizabeth.

Call (859) 301-9010 to request a cardiac surgery consultation.

HEALTH WATCH 2025 HEALTH CARE INNOVATIONS

The Forefront of Surgical Innovation

At St. Elizabeth, Mario Castillo-Sang, M.D., transforms cardiac surgery through cutting-edge 3D endoscope technology.

Heart surgery is rapidly changing and St. Elizabeth Healthcare is leading the way. Using a state-of-the-art 3D 4K endoscope to provide a high-definition, magnified view of the heart allows St. Elizabeth cardiothoracic surgeon Mario Castillo-Sang, M.D., to perform truly minimally invasive surgeries with a new level of precision. St. Elizabeth is one of only two health systems in the country to have this technology and Castillo-Sang is one of a very small group of surgeons in the U.S. who have mastered totally endoscopic surgical techniques. Conditions that previously could only be treated through a traditional sternotomy, which opens the chest, can now be treated with smaller incisions and the use of cameras. The clarity of the imaging is so sharp and clear, Castillo-Sang says, “it almost feels like cheating.”

3D technology is changing the game

As you might imagine, it’s not easy to maneuver a 12-inch instrument with a needle at the end during surgery. It takes practice. The 3D 4K endoscopic technology makes it easier for a surgeon to measure distances visually while maintaining the haptic feedback in the hands that tissues transmit through the instruments, all while remaining next to the patient undergoing a complex open-heart operation.

“This makes for a more efficient and more effective operation,” adds Castillo-Sang. It also means fewer surgical adjustments, less time under anesthesia, and smoother recoveries for patients.

Expanding what’s possible with totally endoscopic cardiac surgery (TECS)

Totally endoscopic cardiac surgery allows surgeons to perform major procedures through incisions about the size of a coin. TECS is often called the Swiss Army knife of heart surgery because it can treat everything from valve disease to cardiac tumors—without opening the chest. The new 3D 4K technology optimizes surgery even further, providing a more precise way to treat conditions like mitral annular calcification (MAC). “MAC turns out to [be] very common in our region,” says Castillo-Sang. The condition typically appears in patients age 70 or older. It occurs when calcium starts to deposit on the mitral valve, which controls blood flow between the left atrium and the left ventricle. It’s similar to how rust spreads on a car door. At first, it’s small and localized, but over time the rust can spread and compromise the entire door. If you try to break off the rust without proper care, you might destroy the door entirely. “The same [principle] applies to MAC,” says Castillo-Sang.

“Removing it aimlessly may result in the heart suffering a perforation which is nearly [always] fatal.” Heart surgeons can address MAC using ultrasonic energy to pulverize the calcium, but that has typically required a high-risk open-chest procedure. Using TECS revolutionizes patient care and improves surgical success.

Many more patients are eligible for treatment

For patients with severe or complex medical conditions, a sternotomy is out of the question. Castillo-Sang says many of the endoscopic surgeries performed at St . Elizabeth are for patients previously turned down by other medical centers. “We have successfully operated on patients with prior open-heart surgery, severe calcium on the mitral valve, cardiogenic shock, and other severe accompanying medical problems,” he says. “We have also repaired mitral valves endoscopically in patients that would have otherwise been replaced at other facilities.”

As technology evolves, Castillo-Sang predicts that more and more surgeons will move away from the sternotomy and opt for imaging platforms with 3D and virtual reality components. Ultimately, though, it’s the human behind the tools that matters most, he says. “Surgery is still much of an art. Two people can play the exact same notes on a violin, a piano, or a guitar and one produces music and the other may sound mechanical. After all, electronics malfunction, endoscopes can get blurry,” he says. “It is the surgeon and the surgical team that will bring excellent results for patients. We are working on helping the future generation of endoscopic surgeons at St. Elizabeth.”

This September, St. Elizabeth Healthcare is hosting the 2025 Endoscopic Cardiac Surgeons Club annual meeting at the St. Elizabeth Training and Education Center (SETEC) in Erlanger. This event brings the world’s leading experts in minimally invasive heart surgery to Northern Kentucky to learn more about the latest innovations in endoscopic cardiac surgery.

Local Experts Lead the Way

Cutting-edge procedures and tools that give patients in our region the best care possible.

Wherescience fiction envisions humans and machines at odds, Cincinnati’s health institutions are leveraging advanced software, machinery, and programming to better serve patients.

Mercy Health, for example, brings empathy to technology. Named after the founding Sister of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine is a new custom AI tool crafted by real orthopaedic doctors for Mercy Health patients.

“I’ve spent my life in technology development, and I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” says Mark Townsend, M.D., Mercy Health’s chief clinical digital ventures officer. “Catherine is a digital assistant that is with the patient step by step. The spark for its was really a conversation about the digital front door as a way for patients to access care.”

The smart chat application provides insights, answers questions, and generally helps educate patients so they are better informed when making decisions with their doctors. Ankit Bansal, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon with Mercy Health who specializes in hip, knee, and shoulder reconstruction, is one of Catherine’s fact-checkers. He ensures that any clinical information the application provides is coherent, accurate, and up-to-date.

“I became involved at the point where Catherine’s responses were being vetted,” Bansal says. “I was a member of a team of doctors responsible for

care,” Bansal says. “With the platform’s improvements in mobile usability and user experience, we can ensure seamless access, regardless of where patients are, ultimately leading to a more successful treatment journey.”

Catherine is already hard at work, but it’s still growing. The framework and approach will be adapted to other healthcare services down the line. The team wants to expand educational features as they become available, and AI learning will streamline the process further with personalized and preemptive interactions.

“Our ongoing improvements focus on ensuring that the user experience evolves in tandem with emerging technology,” Bansal says. “Catherine

Catherine is a new custom AI tool crafted for Mercy Health patients.

confirming response accuracy and completeness. I have also been an active user of Catherine and have already seen its early evolution.”

This is not ChatGPT in a lab coat. Mercy’s AI is unique. It isn’t an offthe-shelf solution with a few tweaks, and it doesn’t need the internet to find answers.

“Catherine essentially uses a custom, secure library of information to assist patients throughout Cincinnati,” Townsend says. “It’s a bigger investment, and it’s more costly to do it that way, but it certainly meets the criterion of our health system relative to the job and our principles.” This means Catherine doesn’t even have access to answers, data, or concepts outside of those tailored by Mercy’s developers. Patients can rest assured that answers come from a trustworthy source, and there are real doctors involved at every point.

The technology represents more than mere convenience for patients, though. It can play an active role in securing better, more efficient treatment.

“One important aspect to highlight is the collaborative nature of Catherine’s approach. It not only empowers patients but also assists physicians by providing them with better-informed patients who can engage more effectively in their

encourages proactive involvement in health management and reinforces the physician-patient partnership, leading to better outcomes and experiences for both.”

Artificial intelligence isn’t the only trending tech topic with a practical role in medicine. 3D printing has brought many fascinating things into the world, and The Christ Hospital is pushing its potential. Robert Kulwin, M.D., performed what appears to be a first-of-its-kind procedure by combining a 3D printed talus bone replacement with a triple arthrodesis procedure.

This is not the first 3D cobalt chrome talus implant. However, until now, the cutting-edge procedure has been restricted to patients without deformities or secondary conditions in their foot, ankle, or lower leg. The ankle is a delicate mechanism, and anything that could put additional stress on the new joint jeopardizes the procedure’s success.

“The project found me,” Kulwin says. The patient came to him for a second opinion. Her talus, the central ankle bone, was dead, and she had a severe case of flatfoot. Her doctor had recommended amputation or a talus replacement using a donor bone. However, based on his experience, Kulwin believes replacing a dead bone with another dead bone isn’t always the best path forward. In this specific case, the patient’s flatfoot condition would further complicate recovery. A talus removal and fusion, which would dramatically reduce the foot’s range of motion, was another possibility. However, the patient was still fairly young, did not suffer any neuropathy, and enjoyed a career that literally kept her on her feet.

“When somebody needs to get 20 to 30 years out of one of these fusions, they get what’s called adjacent segment arthritis,” Kulwin says. “You fuse one joint, and the other joints compensate, but these problems build up and lead to something that’s not a very functional limb.”

Kulwin first recommended that she have her foot amputated. She wasn’t thrilled with the idea, and there were no clear precedents to follow.

“There’s nothing currently on the market that can solve this problem,” Kulwin says. “So, what’s not on the market? Can we figure out a way to do this?”

To make a custom talus, the team began by taking CT scans of the patient’s feet. In a patient without a

deformity, the healthy foot would serve as a kind of blueprint to show doctors what the other side should look like. In this case, the flatfoot deformity complicated that approach.

“The heel is way to the outside, so I can’t just make her look like her other side. I have to be able to swing her heel under her, so that was one of the main challenges,” Dr. Kulwin says. “We actually used instrumentation for shoulder replacements, because you have to be able to put the talus exactly in place. You have to line it up with three other joints at the same time, and be able to correct a deformity around it. You have to be very precise.”

After extensive preparation, research, and innovation, the team, the patient, and the 3D printed ankle were ready.

“She now has a stable ankle with a stable foot under it,” Kulwin says. “If you saw it, you wouldn’t know she’d had surgery. She gets to stay as close to a normal human anatomy as possible.”

But care didn’t end there. The new joint still has decades of use to withstand, and with no pool of comparable works for reference, her doctors must continue careful observation as the work ages. Despite how well the patient appears to be doing, Kulwin isn’t ready to call it a win.

“This isn’t a success until we know it’s a success,” he says.

Imaging was a critical element in Kulwin’s work, and UC’s new CT scanner from GE could make more

such innovations possible. The device targets long-term frustrations, like patient recovery time and post-procedural pain, while incorporating cutting-edge advances. Of these, the technology’s 3D imaging capabilities may be the most exciting.

“Visualization is everything in minimally invasive procedures and surgeries,” says UC’s Bashar Nahab, M.D. “The better visualization, the better the result.”

To perform any minimally-invasive procedure, doctors must see what’s happening inside a patient’s body. The high-resolution images generated by UC’s new CT scanner give specialists unparalleled access while minimizing the need for more invasive procedures, like surgery. Interventional radiologists handle concerns including cancer diagnosis and therapies, and since cancer can hide anywhere in the body, improved imaging solutions directly impact patient outcomes.

“The new CT scanner will enable us to perform more complex procedures,” Nahab says. “If we wanted to perform a biopsy in a particular location, the former model wouldn’t

Your Care, How You Need It

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have allowed us to perform it, but this model lets us perform it, even in difficult or deep locations in the body. The new machine also reduces the risk of complications that come with these procedures.”

Although every procedure is different, visualization remains key across the board. Advanced modeling and higher resolution give doctors a better understanding of risks and options both before and during the procedure. This translates to less risk of organ damage or excessive bleeding while removing a tumor. Better visualization also means fewer surprises when the procedure begins, because surgeons can see the entire picture in advance.

“We chose this model because we believe it can help perform at an elite

insights into their own risk factors via their CDC Tier One results.

“Tier One results are those with defined, very clear actions that can be taken to help minimize or prevent the development of a cancer or other disease,” says James Maher, M.D., Ph.D., TriHealth’s medical director for precision medicine. “By only relying on family history and the techniques we’re taught in medical school, we miss the vast majority of people who might have a genetic disposition to some disease.”

BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, which the National Cancer Institute recognizes as potential early-warning detectors of breast and ovarian cancers, fall into Tier One results. So do genes related to Lynch Syndrome, which

participants to reap the benefits of biogenetic breakthroughs ahead of the curve. They and their doctors will already have the genetic data available, leading to fewer blood tests and waiting periods for results.

“We have ways to prevent or find disease at a much earlier stage,” Maher says. “What we’re talking about is a form of population genomics where we’re taking the patient’s unique genetics associated with lifestyle and environmental factors to help prevent disease. Our goal in the community is to create a healthier populace.”

With patient consent, the Helix Research Network will incorporate deidentified results from the study with genetic profiles gathered through other prestigious medical groups like

As medical science shifts toward precision medicine,

level from a complex interventional oncology standpoint,” Nahab says. “It will let us look into the body from a more holistic standpoint rather than just from a specific part of a lesion we intend to access.”

There are endless quips and quotes about knowledge and power. As medical science shifts toward precision medicine and personal treatment plans, data is more important than ever.

With that in mind, TriHealth launched a clinical study in May in partnership with Helix as part of their ongoing efforts to equip patients with better preventative tools and improve scientific data around the community’s broader health concerns. Because it’s an official clinical study, participants face no costs and will receive valuable

data is more important.

increase the risk for gastrointestinal cancers and endometrial cancer, and hereditary conditions, like high cholesterol. These results guide personal wellness plans, highlighting areas of concern for frequent screening and monitoring, which leads to more prevention and early detection.

“We’re not just doing those genes,” Maher says, referring to the genes in the Tier One results. “As part of the study, we’re sequencing the full exome.”

Today, this helps doctors in several ways, like better understanding risks for patients that have participated in the program and having more information readily available for further testing. In the future, the data may offer many more insights as scientific understanding develops. Participating in the study essentially positions

Ohio State and the Mayo Clinic. These results create a pool of genetic data available to researchers pursuing the next steps in biogenetics, making tomorrow’s breakthroughs possible.

The study benefits patients three times over. First, their Tier One results help them understand what immediate precautions they can take. Second, the full exome data prepares their doctors for additional issues as they emerge. Third, the anonymous data in the Helix Research Network builds the foundation of progress for doctors, patients, and our communities.

Better access, improved imaging, revolutionary applications, and a quest for deeper understanding demonstrate why Cincinnati’s healthcare organizations are consistently rated among the country’s elite. Best of all, they’re only getting better.

DR. RAINES

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THANE MAYNARD IS WILD AT HEART

Women had long dresses and big skirts. Men had on wool suits with hats because it was an outing. It was a formal era, and so people got dressed up to go out. A little bit like not that long ago when people went to the symphony or the opera they got dressed up. In fact, even if they went on a train or an airplane, they got dressed up.

tional accords, you can’t just go and capture animals in Borneo and bring them to the zoo now.

THE BOOK YOU CO-WROTE WITH JANE GOODALL WAS TITLED HOPE FOR ANIMALS AND THEIR WORLD

WHAT IS YOUR HOPE FOR ANIMALS? I try to have a hopeful message. That doesn’t mean we don’t understand that polar bears are under threat because ice is melting or that we don’t know there are fewer lions than there were 25 years ago when the movie The Lion King came out. But just telling people that everything’s going wrong is not a way to get them to support and help our conservation work.

The essential guide to living your best life here.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHANGES OVER 150 YEARS IN TERMS OF HOW YOU RUN A ZOO, HOW YOU KEEP ANIMALS, AND HOW YOU ENGAGE THE PUBLIC? Certainly in the 1870s, but even in the 1970s, the zoo field was all men. The keepers were farm boys. None of them went to college. Today it’s hard to get a job in this field without a college degree. We went from 1 percent female employees 15 years ago to 60 percent female employees now. Almost all the zookeepers are young women, and the whole zoo field has changed in that regard. Also, back in 1977, we didn’t have a staff veterinarian. We were like a farm: If an animal didn’t eat or didn’t get up, we called the vet, and he came over and checked on them. Now we have three full-time vets and four full-time vet techs, who are like animal nurses. We have 13 people with Ph.D.s and five people with veterinary degrees. Almost all of those scientists are women.

Another change is it was relatively easy, all the way until the early 1970s, for zoos to acquire animals. A director would call an animal dealer and say, “I need two zebras and three monkeys, and I need them by Memorial Day.” The dealers would send people to Africa or South America and catch the animals, put them in a cage, and ship them here. Those days are gone. With the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and then with big interna-

We all know there’s bad news in the world such as deforestation, climate change, and other things, but there’s a lot of good news too. When I moved to Ohio, there were zero bald eagle nests in the state because of pollution and DDT poisoning. You might have read recently that the Department of Wildlife announced there were now almost 1,000 active bald eagle nests in the state of Ohio. And if you don’t think so, go canoeing for just a couple of hours on the Little Miami or the Whitewater rivers and I guarantee you’ll see bald eagles.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CINCINNATI ZOO WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE? We need to make sure we’re still important to the families here. And I’m proud to say I think we are because I hear that everywhere I go. People come up to me to say their kids went to zoo camp and then became veterinarians, all kinds of things. I would say that the zoo today is more important to families and young people than it was 30 years ago, partly because it’s still real life. You know, we all have these cell phones. It’s really valuable that families can go somewhere where things are real, they can touch them, they can wonder about them. And I have to assume the world is going to be a lot more confusing 30 years from now.

Read a longer interview with Thane at cincinnatimagazine.com

having conversations with people one-onone about AI and what is being built locally and wanted to get all of us together to share what we were learning and building, so I threw out a LinkedIn post asking if anyone would be interested in meeting up,” says Ramirez. “Over 14,000 views and 200 comments later, it became a reality quickly.”

CincyAI for Humans meetings attract a mix of AI builders, businesspeople, and ordinary individuals wanting to better navigate AI, Ramirez says. It’s an informal gettogether where attendees are invited to take the floor for up to three minutes to share a

recognize patterns in data.”

AI can solve something as simple as filtering out spam from our e-mails and as complex as accurately predicting the effects of all types of genetic mutations. “ChatGPT was pre-trained on 175 billion parameters, which doesn’t mean a whole lot to all of us, but it would take about 500,000 lifetimes to read that much data,” Ramirez says. “At its very foundational level, artificial intelligence is the ability for a computer to see, think, learn, and do over and over. Because it’s constantly learning, ChatGPT is estimated to now be more than a trillion parameters.”

ChatGPT, created by OpenAI, is just one example of a growing number of AI-driven “answer machines.” Others include Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, Perplexity, DeepSeek, Grok, and Anthropic.

“AI can be a force multiplier for human creativity, productivity, and even compassion,” says Ramirez. “It can help us solve problems we’ve struggled with for decades

“WHAT’S POSSIBLE WITH AI? NEW CAREERS THAT DON’T EVEN EXIST YET,” SAYS AI CONSULTANT KENDRA RAMIREZ. “INNOVATIONS THAT BRING ACCESS TO MORE PEOPLE.”

tip, tool, or use case or ask the community a question. “It’s just so magical in that room,” she says. “So many people have gotten job opportunities or business partnerships or solved some problems or identified a tool to solve a problem.”

How does AI solve problems? The computer programs are constructed of varying levels of complex artificial neural networks and mathematical models that enable learning, according to the International Organization for Standardization. “At their core, they are an imitation of the human brain,” ISO’s website explains. “Made up of layers of interconnected nodes—called artificial neurons or perceptrons—each artificial neuron takes in inputs, performs calculations, and generates an output. These outputs are then passed on to the next layer of perceptrons, creating a hierarchical structure. The power of neural networks lies in their ability to learn and

like innovation in healthcare, making education more personalized, supporting mental health, and making small and medium businesses more competitive. What’s possible? New careers that don’t even exist yet. Tools that remove friction from our daily work. Innovations that bring access to more people.”

I DECIDED TO INTERACT WITH CHATGPT, so I logged in and told it I was a journalist writing an article about AI for the Cincinnati region. “What should I warn people about AI?” I asked. Here’s the list it provided: Misinformation and deepfakes, bias and discrimination, job displacement, privacy invasion, lack of regulation, overreliance, and hallucination.

To be blunt, artificial intelligence poses short- and long-term risks across every sector of industry and in every corner of our lives, says Daniel Schiff, an assistant

professor of technology policy at Purdue University’s Department of Political Science. As co-director of the school’s Governance and Responsible AI Lab, he studies the formal and informal governance of AI through policy and industry and its social and ethical implications in areas like education, finance, and criminal justice.

Schiff began studying robotics and intelligent systems while earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy at Princeton University and continued a focus on AI as he completed a master’s degree in social policy at the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in public policy from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

“Even in the very early days, some of the first people working on AI were thinking about the threats posed by machine consciousness and autonomous weapons,” says Schiff. “The benefits of AI are very possible and we’re seeing some of them, but I worry more about the risks than the benefits.”

He says one pitfall, which all humans should be wary of, is the ability for AI to spread misinformation and produce deepfakes—that’s the term used to describe voice recordings, images, or videos that have been convincingly altered or manipulated to misrepresent someone as doing or saying something they didn’t say or do. Deepfakes have been used to trick grandmothers into sending money to a stranger, manipulate voters in elections, and generate child pornography, all clearly unwanted and often unlawful operations.

Schiff advises never to enter private information like bank account or social security numbers into any AI-driven search and discovery tool, because they instantly become publicly shared. And he wants us to understand that AI can hallucinate, meaning provide false, misleading, or nonsensical outputs, if there are errors in its processing and answer generation.

Awareness is key for citizens and consumers, Schiff says, so we can’t simply ignore AI. “AI literacy includes a mix of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are technical, social, and ethical in nature,” he wrote in a recent blog post. “Exactly how much literacy everyone needs and how to get there is a much tougher question.”

When using AI, he says it’s best to check multiple sources to verify what you’re be-

ing told, to understand who made the AI tool you’re using, and to know where your data is going.

AI can perpetuate biases about race, religion, culture, and other human characteristics, says Christie Kuhns, president and CEO of the Urban League of Southwestern Ohio. As an organization on a mission to disrupt generational poverty, the Urban League wants to avoid reinforcing unfair stereotypes and offering inaccurate information, she says, so the organization’s entire staff recently underwent AI Essentials training to focus on responsible use.

“We didn’t want people to feel like AI lives in the IT department,” Kuhn says. “It lives in every role in everything we do. It’s not something that you can just say, Oh, that’s down the hall.”

According to the Future Jobs Report released by the World Economic Forum in January, 86 percent of employers expected AI to transform their businesses by 2030. Kuhns, Perez, and other nonprofit leaders, including Jeremy Brown at the Talbert House, are now meeting routinely to discuss how regional nonprofits can avoid getting left behind in this major shift.

“When you’re in the business of trying to serve everyone and you have a limited staff to do it, the idea of all of a sudden having more support from AI is just exciting,” says Perez.

These organizations are already using AI in multiple ways. The YMCA has its virtual agents, like Yasmine, which are trained to avoid human biases. Perez says his organization is looking to build additional AI tools, one of which is an AI agent that can watch surveillance cameras at YMCA facilities and immediately alert staff when a senior falls or a fight breaks out or an adult is having difficulty making friends.

The Urban League uses AI to help with administrative tasks, Kuhns says, like preparing for meetings, summarizing meeting notes, and creating next steps. AI has also been useful when sorting through résumés, vetting job candidates, strategic planning, and using data analytics to measure the outcomes of the Urban League’s programs.

Brown says The Talbert House, which offers social services in five counties, is prioritizing AI in every aspect of its operations and services, including matching can-

didates with the right jobs in their Hamilton County Youth Employment Program; monitoring surveillance cameras in some of its corrections programs; and designing an AI website bot to help visitors find the information they need.

“I don’t speak for all nonprofits,” Brown says, “but there’s always more work to do than there is time in the day for most of our people. I want to encourage staff to use the tools but then also make sure to reinforce that they need to be careful.”

There is a limitation to what AI can do, Perez says. “At some point a person will say, Look, I really need to talk to somebody. I need to connect. I wanted to get in front of this need for connection in order to teach our AI agents to understand how to help humans become healthier.”

CARL

FRAIK SPENT 35 YEARS WORKING for Procter & Gamble but wasn’t ready to stop working when he retired. Instead, he accepted a role as director of research for Corporate Entrepreneur Community, a global consortium focused on finding ways for big companies to innovate like startups.

“The members are some of the larger companies in the world,” says Fraik. “When I asked what things would you like me to go dig into, a number of leaders said, AI is coming. We don’t know what that means for innovation. We don’t know what that means for how to run our organizations. And so my role turned into an AI researcher for this consortium.”

It quickly became clear to Fraik that AI was going to make a huge impact in our lives and there would be winners and losers. “I really wanted to be able to take everything I’d learned and experienced and somehow give that back,” he says. “Cincinnati is very deeply my home. So the question was, OK, how do I triangulate all this?”

He and Pete Blackshaw, another former P&G employee now heavily involved in AI, cofounded a nonprofit called Cincinnati AI Catalyst in November 2023. Their mission is “to improve the lives of people in the Cincinnati region by providing a coordinated, collective artificial intelligence capability, committed to Responsible AI, that enables new products and services, attracts capital, creates and preserves jobs, develops and improves skills, and provides a trusted

source of AI-related education.”

With guidance from its board of directors, all regional leaders in AI, Fraik has put forth an AI Blueprint for the Cincinnati Region that calls for the alignment of regional stakeholders in 12 key areas, including education, healthcare, government operations, and workforce development. “What I think a lot of people haven’t experienced yet is creating a relationship with the robot,” he says, adding that—just like personal computers and smart phones—everyone will need to get over their initial discomfort with AI technology.

Fraik created the blueprint with the help of a persona he created in ChatGPT. He told it, OK, you are my coach and an expert on creating strategies to deliver on societal objectives. He’s been working with that persona for more than a year now and regularly asks, Am I being holistic? Is this the best there is out there?

He hopes to put the plan into action by building ecosystems of understanding around AI, and he’s started by creating opportunities to experience AI in a safe environment. Lately, those have included an AI education session held at the Deerfield Township administration building, a companywide session with employees of Cincinnati Water Works, and many meet-ups during Cincy AI Week in June, including a happy hour for government leaders.

“I often refer to what we’re doing as a movement,” Fraik says. “What’s possible here is for individuals to have incredible freedom and be able to take an idea or take a question to places that were absolutely unimaginable before. But with great freedom comes great responsibility.”

Responsible AI is about maximizing benefits and minimizing risks while also safeguarding human rights, duties, and values, says Schiff at Purdue. Unfortunately, there isn’t much required in the way of public reporting or clear standards, he says, and his research has found that the current audit ecosystem is being built around narrow notions of bias, privacy, and model transparency—and not real-world impacts like well-being or workplace impacts.

“If you don’t have high-quality auditing and enforcement and penalties, you’re relying on goodwill,” Schiff says. “And while there are well-intentioned people every-

where, I don’t think these safeguards will work as purely voluntary.”

IT MAY ALL SOUND SCARY, AND THE fear comes from a good place, says Perez, but he still encourages people to give AI a try. He suggests starting with something simple, maybe telling ChatGPT you want help baking a lemon meringue pie or asking a question about one of your hobbies.

“It’s like driving,” he says. “The first time, you were probably so afraid. But at some point you start driving on the highway. You listen to the radio, you can have a conversation on the phone, and you’ve become really proficient.”

Perez is convinced mastering AI will become a key strength in the modern workplace. “I think in the near future people will come to interviews and say, You should choose me as a grant writer, as a community developer, as an IT leader because you’re not just hiring me and my experiences but you’re also hiring the seven or eight agents I’ve created and worked with, and they’re ready to work for you for free.”

Yet he encourages all of us to work on heightening our abilities to discern the interactions we have with AI, pushing them through our own intelligence to determine whether the data is right or wrong and helpful or hurtful.

Schiff reminds us that effi ciency is just one value. “Maybe you want to be slow and inefficient, and maybe you want to make mistakes or write in your own voice,” he says. “I would encourage people to find their own way and think about what they want AI to do for them. You should seek meaning and joy and well-being, not just shortcuts or efficiency.”

Ramirez has a favorite T-shirt that reads HI>AI, meaning human intelligence is greater than artifi cial intelligence. It’s her guiding principle.

“AI is a tool, and you are the human,” she says. “You bring the values, the empathy, the strategy. The decisions we make now—how we use AI, who gets access, how we govern it, and how we teach it to align with human values—will shape everything from the future of work to education to creativity.”

november 24

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EMERALD CITY

A green velvet curtain separates the Spice Room from the rest of Marigold’s main dining room for more privacy.

PUB GRUBBIN’

THERE’S WHISKEY IN THE TEA(CUPS) AT THIS BRITISH-INDIAN RESTAURANT. —M. LEIGH HOOD

M

ARIGOLD INVITES GUESTS INTO AN OASIS CROWNED BY A MURAL OF a red-haired queen. Bookshelves divide the cavernous space, doubling as sound absorbers by the grace of secondhand hardbacks.

The surrounding design is lush with deep green finishes and warm wooden floors, quietly emulating the atmosphere of an elegant English parlor or sitting room.

This may seem strange since this concept revolves around London pub culture. To understand what the restaurant offers, however, you must first learn what it does not. It isn’t a replacement for your favorite Indian take-out, and it isn’t an Irish pub repainted with the Union Jack. This is the fusion of Anglo and Indian cuisines that grew from multicultural neighborhoods, where immigrants from colonized nations served meals that appealed to all of their new neighbors. Bangers and mash often appeared on the same table as curries and naan, and soon this blend became a British treasure.

The plates are all antique china, painstakingly collected from the farthest, dustiest corners of the tristate. Before the restaurant opened, Haley Nutter-Sitek actually put out a public call for strangers to donate their unwanted wedding china to Marigold’s hoard. Granny’s saucers do great work here. Every plate my party was served came from a different set, and that kind of whimsy is hard to resist.

The cocktails introduce the cuisine as well as the staff. The best are comfortable, accessible twists on old classics. The Pimm’s Royal Cup (made with custom gin from Cincinnati Distillery) welcomes you

FYI

Marigold 60 W. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 996-0210, marigoldcincy.com

Hours Dinner Sun–Thurs 4:30–9 p.m., Fri & Sat 4:30–10 p.m.

Prices

$7.95 (grilled house-made sourdough)–$44.95 (lamb shank)

Credit Cards All major The Takeaway An elevated take on the English-Desi pub serves fresh twists on fine china.

with a cool breeze and leaves with a flush of ginger sunburn. Although it was very sweet, the spices in the chai espresso martini transformed the glass into a holy grail. Be prepared to draw Excalibur or order more rounds, because everyone will want a taste.

If your party has room for only one appetizer, go for the English Pea Scotch Egg.

A spiritual cousin of the turkducken, this creation takes a Scotch Egg (an egg trapped inside sausage, trapped inside breading) and adds an extra layer between the layers. It’s an experience. The sausage and egg play very well together, the peas blend sweetly into the greenery, and there’s just enough sausage to lend a salty edge without becoming intrusive.

If you want to try as much as possible, remember that anything is shareable if you ask the server nicely, and the cottage pie is especially easy to dole onto smaller plates. It’s a British shepherd’s pie, served hot in its baking dish with waves of gently rolling mashed potatoes inviting you to dive in. Though a bit heavy on salt, it’s deeply savory, and the meat’s natural flavor shines through, which makes sense since the pie uses ground prime rib and rib eye steak.

The curry is good, but it’s English curry: more sweet than spicy. Two of the most popular are the butter chicken (a mellow reflection of tikka masala with tender, cubed chicken) and the korma chickpea and squash. The korma is one of those vegetarian dishes that converts omnivores. Complex spices create waves of flavor, and all the vegetables blend into a harmonious texture. Each curry comes with aromatic saffron rice and kachumber, a lightly dressed side salad that’s twice as refreshing after a heavy bowl of curry and rice.

Marigold boasts a wide range of seafood, chops, and steaks that

deliver the restaurant’s primary concept from a different angle. Rather than reimagining British staples like sweet curries and Scotch eggs, these entrées thoughtfully introduce unique seasonings and delicate sides to bring out the meat’s best. The trout, for example, is a delicate powerhouse. Tender, butterfly-cut fish with light herbs and lemon gains an extra spark with the saag aloo (cooked greens and potatoes). The vegetables boast a lingering, smoky note, and this is a plate where everything’s at its best when it’s in the same bite.

If you aren’t feeling terribly adventurous, don’t worry. The menu takes variety seriously, and the Marigold burger is an approachable option with something different to offer. It’s a blend of tenderloin, rib eye, and striploin dolled up with Welsh rarebit (imagine a very thick, very cheesy roux), and served on a housemade English muffin. Holding room for dessert is a challenge, but the prizes are worth it. Continuing with the unofficial tea party theme, the star of the dessert menu arrives in a matching cup and plate holding Earl Grey ice cream and an assortment of biscuits (cookies) respectively. Everything but the china is made in-house, and the biscuits are too delicate for this world.

The hot toddy service is the best way to end the night, bringing the setting, seasonings, and soul of the meal together in one pretty little teacup. To order, you’ll need to choose from a list of spirits (I went with bourbon), a list of sweeteners (I chose honey), and a list of spices (I picked star anise, cardamom, and juniper berries). The server delivers an antique cup and saucer with your spirit and sweetener. A traditional tea strainer spans the cup, holding your spices, and a pot full of hot water finishes the set. It’s a fun way to transform disparate elements into one beautiful concoction, and that’s not a bad way to consider Marigold as a whole.

JOLLY GOOD (From left) Marigold’s main dining room; the menu includes various breads, rice dishes, curries, and chutneys; Chef Megan Yung; the hot toddy tea service.

SWEET DREAMS

ASHLEY BENDER’S

first job at age 16 was in a French bakery in her home state of New Mexico. She’s been baking ever since. “I like tweaking regular recipes into vegan recipes and learning along the way,” says Bender, who moved her business

Sugar High Vegan to the Queen City last spring after four years in Louisville. “I love baking new things that bring together exciting flavor combinations.”

Some of those combinations include almond poppy cake with almond meringue, cookies and cream brownie cakes, cream-filled chocolate cupcakes, and garden tomato Pop Tarts. But the majority of Bender’s sales are special-order custom cakes she makes in her home. “A lot of vegan folks with food allergies don’t always have access to super custom decorations,” she explains. “I’m happy I can offer options for all of life’s special celebrations.” If you aren’t in need of a full-size occasion cake, don’t worry. You can try out a Sugar High pastry, like the four-inch “baby” cakes, without being waitlisted with a quick trip to the Northside Farmers’ Market on Wednesday evenings.

—AIESHA D. LITTLE

SNACK TIME

COSMIC BROWNIES BABYCAKE GARDENCAKE

Posh Picnic

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Peterloon Estate

→ Guests came dressed to impress at this classic (and classy) picnic at Peterloon Estate. As guests meandered through the home and grounds, they enjoyed custom picnic baskets, sips of prosecco, live music, lawn games, and private cabanas.

A portion of the proceeds from this chic, yet casual evening support Cincinnati Nature Center.

Herbal Essences

WITH AMBIENT LIGHTING, ELEGANT BEVERAGES, AND FLOOR-TO-CEILING ART Nouveau–style prints, The Green Door is home to the region’s only cannabis dry bar. “High vibes, zero proof” is the motto of the speakeasy style space, which opened earlier this year. By day, locals take out their laptops for a remote-work experience complete with tea service. By night, they gather for casual drinks with friends and sip on sweet mocktails—all of which have the taste of a regular cocktail, but none of the lingering effects.

The bar’s menu offers a variety of classic and specialty mocktails, which guests can choose to mix with a cannabis-infused spirit in place of alcohol. There are 20-plus inclusions to pick from, including THC, CBD, kava, adaptogens, kratom, and blue lotus. Unsure which infusion is right for you? A flight of three will allow you to sample “spirits” that mimic the flavor profile of a type of liquor, from bourbon to tequila.

NICK GREENBERG

THE FORMER CHOCOLATIER talks about his first book in a culinary-themed trilogy.

How did you get into making chocolate? It was at a time when I was contemplating a non-musical career path. I started thinking about gourmet truffles as a possibility. I still make a few hundred truffles for the holidays. Now I just give them to friends and family.

Are there any ways in which writing and chocolate making are similar? Absolutely! When I’m creating a new truffle recipe, it takes multiple trial batches to find the perfect combination of flavor and structural integrity. It’s much like crafting a story or composing a piece of music.

The main character in The Culinary Caper is a chef. How did you choose his profession? The food truck protagonist actually arose from semi-serious family conversations about the idea of launching a food truck of my own.

Did you draw on any of your own culinary background to flesh out any of your characters? I did draw on my brief experience in the restaurant and catering world to portray a hopefully accurate picture of that life. I also interviewed a food truck chef before diving into this project.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had from a food truck? I’d have to say I like unexpected mashups of cuisines. Maybe one of my favorite is Korean tacos. – AIESHA D . LITTLE

The Green Door, 5 E. Eighth St., Covington, (859) 7391117, enterthegreen door.com

As far as drinks go, try the popular That Lavender Haze, a fruity and floral mocktail made with blueberry, lavender, and citrus. For a more herbal finish, try the Bees Knees, a citrus-honey beverage made with wildflower honey, lemon juice, simple syrup, and sparkling water. Or take a pick of pre-made herbal seltzers infused with cannabis, kava, or adaptogens. Regardless of your choice, you know you’ll wake up hangover-free in the morning. —EMMA BALCOM

FYI nickgreenberg-author.com

Read a longer interview with Nick at cincinnatimagazine.com

AMERICAN 100

BARBECUE 101

CAJUN/CARIBBEAN 101

CHINESE 101

ECLECTIC 104

FRENCH 105

INDIAN 106

ITALIAN 106

JAPANESE 107

KOREAN 108

MEDITERRANEAN 108

MEXICAN 109

SEAFOOD 109

STEAKS 110

THAI 111

VIETNAMESE 111

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

almondine) make for high-style alternative selections. Talk about a party.

8170 Montgomery Rd., Madeira, (513) 9848090, embersrestaurant.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$$

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. $$$

COZY’S CAFÉ & PUB

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

6440 Cincinnati Dayton Rd., Liberty Twp., (513) 644-9365, cozyscafeandpub.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. 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 (Chilean sea bass or Dover sole with haricots verts and

BRASS YOURSELF

Brassica, the Mediterranean-inspired fast-casual eatery by Columbus-based Northstar Restaurant Group, is opening its first location in Symmes Township this winter. The restaurant—known for salads and sandwiches made with traditional Mediterranean flavors and locally sourced ingredients—will be in Harpers Station at 11315 Montgomery Rd., its seventh location in Ohio since 2015. brassicas.com

MR. GENE’S DOGHOUSE

Cumminsville is home to arguably the best hot chili cheese mett and chocolate malt in Greater Cincinnati. A family-owned business that began as a simple hot dog stand more than 50 years ago, Mr. Gene’s still attracts lines of loyal customers at its windows. Can’t stand the heat? Order the mild chili cheese mett—more flavor, fewer BTUs. And if you still haven’t embraced Cincinnati-style coneys, try the Chicago-style hot dog with pickles, onions, relish, mustard, tomato, sport peppers, and celery salt; a pork sandwich; or wings. Although the chocolate malt is the biggest seller, we love the $4.75 pineapple shake, made with real pineapple. 3703 Beekman St., South Cumminsville, (513) 541-7636, mrgenesdoghouse.com. Open Feb–Oct for lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MC, V. $

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. $$$

THE NORTHSTAR CAFÉ

In Northstar’s first outpost beyond the Greater Columbus area, the space itself reflects the ethos of the food: warm and comfortable, but still modern

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

7610 Sloan Way, Liberty Township, (513) 759-0033; 7875 Montgomery Rd., Ste. 3112, Kenwood, (513) 570-5570, thenorthstarcafe. com. Breakfast and dinner seven days, lunch Mon–Fri, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. No cash. $$

RON’S ROOST

Ron’s stakes its reputation on its fried chicken, serving roughly 10,000 pieces weekly. It takes a few minutes, since each batch is made to order. Ron’s also serves chicken 18 other ways, including chicken livers in gravy. It’s all about the chicken here, but the menu is five solid pages of other stuff good enough to be called specialties: Oktoberfest sauerbraten, Black Angus cheeseburgers, fried whitefish on rye, hot bacon slaw, lemon meringue pie (homemade, of course), and the best Saratoga chips this side of Saratoga.

3853 Race Rd., Bridgetown, (513) 574-0222, ronsroost.net. Lunch and dinner seven days. 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. $$

SOUL SECRETS

You no longer need an event to celebrate with a fish fry. At Candice Holloway’s restaurant, Soul Secrets, fried chicken and fish are always on the menu. Servers wearing T-shirts that read “my ancestors sent me” introduce guests to a trim menu full of the best soul food. You can’t go wrong with the fried fish platters. The whiting is good, but the catfish is divine. The cornmeal breading is so perfectly seasoned you won’t need salt, and the light crunch it adds doesn’t hide the star of the show. So soft it’s nearly fluffy, the catfish melts in your mouth. Each catfish platter delivers two enormous pieces of fish along with two sides and a cornbread muffin that may be the best in Cincinnati. This is the kind of meal you take home with you—not just in your heart but in a box—because chances are low you’ll conquer all the fish and sides in one go.

1434 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 721-7685, soulsecretscincy.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. MCC. $

SUGAR N’ SPICE

This Paddock Hills diner, with other locations in Over-theRhine 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) 242-3521; 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. $

TANO BISTRO

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

204 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland, (513) 683-8266, foodbytano.com. Lunch Thurs–Sun, dinner Mon–Wed, brunch Sun. 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 tablecloth 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. $$

THE WILDFLOWER CAFÉ

Wildflower Café is not the sort of place that tries to wow anyone with feats of inventiveness. Its formula is simple but satisfying: meat and produce sourced from its own farm, a menu that continuously changes with available ingredients, a nice selection of wine and beer, and well-made, homey food. The small, focused menu has a classic American quality (salads, steaks, burgers) with enough surprises to keep things interesting. Many of the dishes are designed with open spaces to be filled with whatever is available in the kitchen that day, an advantage of an unfussy style. You don’t go to Wildflower expecting a certain kind of perfection; you accept that your favorite dish from last time might be made differently tonight, or no longer available. Like the farmhouse that Wildflower occupies, the imperfections are part of the charm.

207 E. Main St., Mason, (513) 492-7514, wildflowermason.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$$

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 MasonDixon 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 training under NOLA’s own Emeril Lagasse comes through in a scratch kitchen menu that spans a range of the city’s classics. The enormous shrimp and oyster po’boys—the former protein fried in a light and crispy beer batter and the latter in a hearty cornmeal breading—are served on fluffy French bread loaves and dressed with lightly spicy rémoulades. The jambalaya 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

September 25, 26, 27, 28 | October 2, 3, 4, 5 & 9, 10, 11, 12

PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK RECTOR

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, shattercrisp wings are painted with a thin gochujang chili sauce (a foil to the fat). It takes 24 hours to prep the Cantonese duck, between a honey-vinegar brine to dry the skin, a marinade of star anise, bean paste, and soy within the re-sealed cavity, and the crispy convection oven finish. Dolsot bibimbap had plenty of crispy rice at the bottom of the stone bowl, and the accompanying banchan were soothing yet flavorful. Even dishes like a Malaysian goat stew resonated with rich, original flavors.

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

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 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) 421-4040, abigailstreet.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

ALCOVE

Alcove lives up to its name, the embodiment of a green oasis where lots of care goes into the space’s bright, floral design. Equal care and attention goes into its seasonal farm-to-table menu. It’s an uncomplicated affair featuring exceptional-but-approachable dishes. As one might expect from a restaurant where plants cover most of the walls, vegetables are done very well here. The beet and goat cheese salad stands out as does the buffalo cauliflower. Like the produce, much of the meat is sourced from local and regional farms. Among other local vendors, Rich Life Farms, Urban Stead Cheese, and Eli Settler (a.k.a. “Eli the Farmer”) all contribute to Alcove’s menu. This is a restaurant that takes sustainability seriously, and sustainability has a funny way of going hand-in-hand with quality.

1410 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 371-5700, madtree. com/locations/alcove-bar-restaurant. Brunch Fri–Sun, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

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) 872-1970, theaperturecinci.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

Top

10 BOCA

With its grand staircase, chandelier, and floorto-ceiling draperies, Boca has an atmosphere of grandeur and refinement. There is a sense of drama not only in the decor but in everything it serves. In some dishes, there is a painterly sense of contrast and surprise, like 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. $$$

Top 10 BOUQUET RESTAURANT

Normally diners aren’t pleased when a restaurant runs out of something. At Bouquet, though, surprise changes to the menu are simply a sign of integrity. The restaurant is serious about using seasonal ingredients, and if the figs have run out or there is no more chicken from a local farm, so be it. The flavors at Bouquet are about doing justice to what’s available. Preparations are unfussy, complexity coming from within the vegetables and proteins themselves. A spring salad—wonderfully fresh and vibrant, so you know the strawberries included have just come off a nearby vine—is dressed with candy-striped beets and whipped goat cheese. This determination to make something delicious out of what’s on hand, to embrace limitations, gives the food at Bouquet a rustic, soulful quality.

519 Main St., Covington, (859) 491-7777, bouquetbistro. com. Dinner Tues–Sat. 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. $$

CROWN REPUBLIC GASTROPUB

What makes Crown Republic special isn’t its handful of outstanding dishes. It’s the place’s sheer consistency. No single dish is absolutely mind-blowing or completely original, but when almost everything that comes out is genuinely tasty, the service is always friendly and attentive, and (stop the presses!) the bill is quite a bit less than you expected, you sit up and pay attention. The crab and avocado toast, served on toasted bread with lime juice and slivers of pickled Fresno chiles, is a prime example of what makes Crown Republic tick. The cocktails are equally unfussy and good, like the Tequila Honey Bee, made with tequila reposado, honey thyme syrup, lemon, bitters, and mezcal rinse, which adds a smoky kick.

720 Sycamore St., downtown, (513) 246-4272, crownrepublicgastropub.com. Brunch and dinner Wed–Sun. V, MC, DS, AMEX. $$

FIVE ON VINE

The fifth venture from Anthony Sitek and wife Haley NutterSitek’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. A love letter to the long-beloved dishes, the menu is an extended rebuttal against the tired argument that American food is bland and boring.

1324 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4301, fiveonvine.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$

THE GOVERNOR

This Milford restaurant playfully elevates diner classics. Sandwiches get an inventive twist here. The “Governor Tso’s chicken”—a crispy, gluten-free fried chicken breast glazed with a General Tso’s–inspired sauce, topped with apricot slaw and served on a toasted brioche bun—is a gigantic, happy mess of a sandwich, but the sweet glaze faintly evokes the namesake “General” while letting the sublimely fried chicken lead the charge. Order a side of bowling alley fries and ask for the red dip. (You’ll thank us later.)

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

MAPLEWOOD KITCHEN

At Maplewood, you order at the counter, then find a table, and a server will deliver what you’ve selected. There’s no cohesive cuisine, rather, the menu takes its cue from all corners of the globe: chilaquiles, guajillo bowls with chicken are all represented, along with the satisfying Maplewood hash with goetta and local mushrooms. Brunch is available all day so try the light lemon ricotta pancakes or the shakshuka.

525 Race St., downtown, (513) 421-2100, maplewoodkitchenandbar.com. Breakfast and lunch seven days. 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 half-salad or half-soup order—a popular selection with the lunch crowd.

4100 Hamilton Ave., Northside, (513) 818-8951, meltrevival.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tues—Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $

METROPOLE

Metropole has been remarkably stable since it opened in 2012. Even when chefs have left, the organization has promoted from within, kept popular dishes on the menu, and maintained a certain vibe, a balance between sophistication and rusticity. Its vegetarian fare contains many of its most inventive and delightful creations. Showcasing housemade pastas, house-cured meats, and more, the menu honors the region’s ingredients for a fun and whimsical meals rooted in careful execution of deep and satisfying flavors.

609 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 578-6660, metropoleonwalnut.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days. V, DS, MC, AMEX. $$

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. $$$

THE QUARTER BISTRO

Quarter Bistro has multiple personalities: one part clubby neighborhood joint, one part dinner and a movie with a dash of lusty romance. The Bistro Burger, a half-pound of black Angus beef, is seasoned but not overly so, with a sturdy-but-not-too-chewy bun. The 18-hour short ribs are the star, and reason enough to skip the movie next door. Braised into a flavor bomb of meat candy, it’s served with mushroom ravioli and roasted vegetables. With the no-lip service, The Quarter Bistro could be well on the way to making middle age look sexy.

6904 Wooster Pke., Mariemont, (513) 271-5400, qbcincy.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

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. $$

SENATE

Ever since it began dishing out its lo-fi eats, Chef Dan Wright’s gastropub has been operating at a velocity few can match. From the howl and growl of supremely badass hot dogs to the palate-rattling poutine, Senate has led the

charge in changing the local conventional wisdom about what makes a great restaurant. Consumption of mussels charmoula means either ordering additional grilled bread to soak up every drop of the herby, saffron-laced broth or drinking the remainder straight from the bowl and perfectly crisped and seasoned truffle fries inspire countless return visits.

1100 Summit Place Dr., Blue Ash, (513) 769-0099, senatepub.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. MC, V, DS. $

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. 1135 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 396-5800, 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 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. $$

FRENCH CRUST

Located in the old Globe Furniture building at the corner of Elm and Elder Streets, this Jean-Robert de Cavel creation offers French fare in the heart of Over-the-Rhine. Swing by for lunch and have a quiche Lorraine (French Crust’s quiches are unrivaled in our humble opinion) and an avocado and shrimp salad, or opt for a more hearty entrée—like cassoulet—for dinner. If you’re an early bird, a Croque Monsieur (with a sunny side-up egg) is a great way to start the day. You’ll also find the much-loved French Lunch Tray, a throwback from the Jean-Robert’s Table days. Served on a cafeteria tray, the four-course meal of the bistro’s favorites changes every week and is only available at the bar for the low-for-fine-dining price of $19. 1801 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 455-3720, decavelgroup.com. Breakfast and lunch Wed–Sun. MCC. $$

LE BAR A BOEUF

Top 10

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, timehonored 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) 7694549, 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, alposto.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

A Silverton-based soul food restaurant is moving to College Hill. The Night Kap, which began as a food truck in 2021, is opening at 5841 Hamilton Ave. sometime this year. The late-night joint offers items like lemon pepper wings, catfish, and candied yams, and plans to stay open until 1 a.m. thenightkap.net

creamed corn wouldn’t bode well for the rest of the menu. Here, that side dish—kernels swimming in a pool of trufflelaced 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 gardenfresh 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. $$$

VIA VITE

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

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 ra-

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

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, fillomodern greek.com. Dinner seven days. 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,

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and a table of quickly multiplying meze (hummus, falafel, muhammara), there is a warmth and depth to the cooking that envelops you. With such traditional cuisine, you may think there isn’t much left to discover beyond simply executed classics prepared according to time-tested methods. But there are always new discoveries as the flavors mingle from plate to plate: the tabbouleh with the hummus, mixed with a touch of harissa, or the smoky baba ghanoush spooned onto falafel. Phoenician Taverna keeps taking these classics a little further.

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 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. $

SEBASTIAN’S

When the wind is just right, you can smell the meat roasting from a mile away. 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 Satur-

day 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 fast-paced 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) 785-0000, mazuntetacos.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $

NADA

The brains behind Boca deliver authentic, contemporary, highquality Mexican fare downtown. You’ll find a concise menu, including tacos, salads and sides, large plates, and desserts. The Pork Al Pastor tacos, zesty with salsa verde and sweet with grilled pineapple, are definite crowd-pleasers. If you’re biased against Brussels sprouts, Nada just might convert you. 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

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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 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

ATWOOD OYSTER HOUSE

While Atwood has done an excellent job of working closely with coastal purveyors to curate a focused but eclectic selection of oysters, the rest of its menu consists of southern coastal cuisine prepared with rigorous French technique. The wild-caught fish is as fresh and deliberately sourced as the eponymous oysters, and smoked fish rillette with milk bun toasties. The modern, clean-lined space, adorned with busts and oil paintings (curated with the help of neighborhood artist Alex Frank) matches the elegant food. It’s stately without being stuffy; it somehow feels both timeless and hip. Like everything else at Atwood, it’s the result of a delicate, highly successful balancing act.

1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4256, atwoodoysterhouse.com. Dinner Wed–Sun. MCC. $$

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. It’s likely to remain a favorite. After all, it’s right in the middle of things.

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 melt-in-your-mouth experience that raises your serotonin levels, C&J features several tenderloin cuts, including the premium sixounce Wagyu filet. There are the usual suspects of raw bar, seafood, pork chops, et al, if you’re interested in non-beef alternatives.

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

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 twofisted 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. $$$$

Top10 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. $$$

Top10

THE PRECINCT

Part of the appeal of the Ruby restaurants is their ability to deliver deep, comfortfood 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 crisp-tender asparagus with roasted garlic and lemon vinaigrette—and dinner ends on a sweet note with a piece of Ruby family recipe cheesecake. Neither cloyingly sweet nor overwhelmingly creamy, it’s a lovely slice of restraint.

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

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) 677-8669, tonysofcincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$$

ICE COLD

Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard has three tri-state stores on the horizon this year. The Sharonville store is due to open this fall, and the other two stores—in West Chester Township and Florence, respectively—will open this winter. Specializing in frozen custard, Italian ice, and gelati, the Philadelphia-based chain has 595 stores across 30 states. ritasice.com

THAI

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-foreveryone 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 rough and honest, 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. $$

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, a devilish jolt of dark roast and sweetened condensed milk that should make canned energy drinks obsolete.

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), September 2025, Volume 58, Number 12. 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.

Suburban Preservin’

ON APRIL 9, 1999, MONTGOMERY EXPERIENCED ONE OF THE DEADLIEST AND MOST DESTRUCtive tornadoes in the state’s history. Parks like the Harris M. Benedict Nature Preserve were seemingly destroyed, but the city and the UC Biology department had a plan—leave the fallen timber and damage almost entirely untouched. Letting nature take its course has allowed UC, which has owned and managed the 65-acre preserve since 1929, to conduct groundbreaking studies on the long-term effects of tornadoes on forests. According to UC Professor of Biology Theresa Culley, scientists continue to monitor the vegetation at the site. After 20 years, the woods are beginning to recover but will look different than before due to invasive species, a loss of ash trees, and urban development. If you visit for a hike, there’s a possibility that among the deer, box turtles, and numerous rare plants, you’ll see UC or Sycamore High School students conducting even more research. —CLAIRE LEFTON

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