Cincinnati Magazine - April 2024 Edition

Introducing Brooke Stinnette, CNP

Mona Dermatology is excited to welcome Brooke Stinnette, CNP, and introduce her as the newest addition to their cosmetic and medical provider team.

Brooke was born in Roanoke, Virginia, and spent her early childhood years there before moving to Dallas, Texas, and later to Columbus, Ohio, where she began high school. She moved to Cincinnati for college at the University of Cincinnati, where she has completed both her undergraduate and graduate degrees (she is a HUGE Bearcats fan). A special part of Brooke’s story is that she started her career with Mona Dermatology as a Registered Nurse in 2019, and after continuing her education to become a Nurse Practitioner, she has advanced

into the role of a cosmetic and medical provider.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to care for patients in this position at Mona Dermatology. It is so fulfilling to be able to treat both the medical and cosmetic concerns that individuals have!” —Brooke Stinnette, CNP

In her free time, Brooke enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, Austin, and their two sweet kitties, Isla and Calvin. They also enjoy exploring new restaurants, trying adventurous foods, traveling, and engaging in some friendly competition playing cornhole or golf.

Fun Facts

Favorite Skincare Product

Alastin HA Immerse Serum

Currently Watching The Resident

What I wanted to be when I grew up In childhood, I wanted to be a cashier before considering a career in architecture. After developing my own skin issues in high school, my passion for dermatology grew.

Starbucks Order Hazelnut iced coffee with oat milk

Favorite Cosmetic Treatment Botox

P. 40

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN

Whether you’re shopping secondhand for the aesthetic, the environment, or the deals, there are dozens of vintage and antiques dealers that can fill your closet and accessorize your home.

ROB FETTERS MIGHT BE RESTLESS, CHEAP, AND LUCKY, BUT HE’S NEVER BORING P.

54

On the cusp of turning 70, the revered rock guitarist and songwriter recounts his crazy days with The Raisins, The Bears, psychodots…and LaRosa’s.

BY JASON GARGANO

HOLY RAVIOLI! IS THIS THE END OF AN ERA?

P. 58

Sacred Heart Church’s Italian Dinner returns—sort of. It’s frozen carryout only, as the 114-year-old tradition struggles against changing demographics and post-pandemic malaise.

BY MARY McCARTY

ON OUR SITE

18

12 / CONTRIBUTORS

12 / LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FRONTLINES

15 / DISPATCH

Cincinnati Opera makes a joyful noise in local churches and temples

16 / SPEAK EASY

Chef Tunde Wey, the Taft’s Duncanson Artistin-Residence

16 / MOVIES

Gosh! Napoleon Dynamite stars visit Newport

18 / GREAT ROOM

A colorful living room, inspired by game shows

20 / ESCAPE

Experience totality in Indianapolis

22 / HOMEGROWN

A line of coats with vintage vibes and sustainable materials

24 / DR. KNOW

Your QC questions answered

COLUMNS

30 / LIVING IN CIN

Ten years of playing Doctor

BY JAY GILBERT

112 / CINCY OBSCURA

Cincinnati Museum Center’s paleontology lab

BY CLAIRE LEFTON

DINE

94 / OFF THE MENU

The slow food movement

97 / HIGH SPIRITS

Second Story, Covington

98 / LUNCHBOX

Kawa Revolving Sushi, Symmes Twp.

98 / TABLESIDE

New Riff Master Distiller Brian Sprance

100 / DINING GUIDE

Greater Cincinnati restaurants: A selective list

ON THE COVER photograph by JEREMY KRAMER hair/makeupby KELLY SCHRODER

FOOD NEWS

An extra serving of our outstanding dining coverage.

CITY NEWS

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

HOME + LIFE

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

Top Dentists 2024

The list of the region’s best dentists, as chosen by their peers. Learn more about some of those chosen and how they can improve your smile.

PAGE 79

Health Watch: Joint Replacement

Experts from UC Health, Beacon Orthopaedics, and The Christ Hospital explain the ins and outs of joint replacement.

Are you or someone you care about struggling with , , or

? Lindner Center of HOPE understands how the symptoms of mental illness can make you feel. We can help no matter your age or struggle. Our transformative continuum of care is designed to meet you where you are and promote long-lasting healing.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Fox DESIGN DIRECTOR Brittany Dexter PUBLISHER Ivy Bayer

DIRECTOR OF EDITORIAL OPERATIONS

Amanda Boyd Walters

SENIOR EDITOR Aiesha D. Little

DIGITAL EDITOR

Claire Lefton

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Kane Mitten

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

Maggie Wint Goecke, Joe Hoffecker, Julie Poyer

SENIOR MANAGER, SPONSORSHIP SALES

Chris Ohmer

SENIOR OUTSIDE ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE

Laura Bowling

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER

Cecilia Rose

EVENT COORDINATOR

Savannah Walling

DIRECTOR Missy Beiting

COORDINATOR Erica Birkle

SENIOR ART DIRECTOR Emi Villavicencio

ART DIRECTOR Stef Hadiwidjaja

ASSISTANT ART DIRECTORS Carlie Burton, Jessica Dunham

ADVERTISING DESIGNERS Sophie Kallis, Matthew Spoleti

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Lance Adkins, Wes Battoclette, Aaron M. Conway, Chris Danger, Andrew Doench, Devyn Glista, HATSUE, Chris von Holle, Danielle Johnson, Jen Kawanari, Jeremy Kramer, Ryan Kurtz Lars Leetaru, Marlene Rounds Dola Sun, Catherine Viox

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR & IT SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR Vu Luong

AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR Geralyn Wilson CIRCULATION MANAGER Riley Meyers

CEO Stefan Wanczyk PRESIDENT John Balardo

1818 Race St., Suite 301 Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-4300

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Cincinnati Characters The Unknown, Unappreciated, and Unhinged

A City That Sings Cincinnati’s Choral Tradition

The Toughest Glue on Planet Earth Gorilla Glue

Rags to Riches How Corporate Culture Spawned A Great Company

Vanishing Cincinnati Historical Drawings by Barbara & David Day

Finding Perfection The Albrecht Family Business Grows Up

100 Years of Reimagining Flight

GE Aviation

Answering the Call of the Wild

The Remarkable Life of Cathryn Hosea Hilker

Living Artfully Inspired by Tradition

Phil Nuxhall’s Stories in the Grove Imagineers, Impresarios, Inventors Cincinnati’s Arts and the Power of Her

University of Cincinnati College of Nursing 125 Years of Transforming Health Care

From Bulldog to Bengal The Joe Burrow Story Through the Eyes of His Hometown

Flying Pig Marathon Twenty Years Running

This Day in Bengals History

John A. Ruthven

An American Treasure

Beauty in the Grove Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum

Golf Reaches

The Seven Hills

Joe Rounding Third & Heading for Home

TTHERE ARE COMMON SIGNS OF GETTING OLDER WE ALL PROBABLY SHARE. REALizing that most of your significant milestones (high school, college, wedding, birth of your children) happened in “the last century.” No one besides you can remember your original hair color. Your mailbox is stuffed with Medicare postcards. Add one more: Your clothes and possessions are now considered vintage.

When I was a teenager and first got interested in the wider world, vintage meant things from the World War II era: uniforms, medals, flags, hats, toys. Antique was something my grandparents brought over from Ireland in the 1920s, like a picture frame or a scarf. Some of the items were still usable, but most felt like museum relics to be admired but not touched—and certainly not given new life.

WWII had been over for 30 or 35 years when I was a teen, which back then seemed like an eternity. For today’s teenagers, their look back at 30-plus years places them squarely in the late 1980s and early ’90s—which certainly is not an eternity. It was just yesterday. Are The B-52s my kids’ Andrews Sisters? Is George Bush (the first) their FDR? Is the fall of the Berlin Wall their D-Day?

I kept a lot of clothes from those years, because I just couldn’t give or throw away my event and band shirts—those, in particular, have a lot of “feels” attached to them, as the saying goes. So my 97X, Clash, English Beat, Elvis Costello, Lollapalooza, and Neville Brothers shirts went into a bin on a shelf.

Until my kids found them last year. They liked some of the designs, colors, frayed necklines, and references to years long before they were born. I was the same way at their age, wearing a shirt or jacket that told the world I embraced people and places from before my time and they weren’t all stupid and boring, but actually interesting.

I made the kids listen to my story about each piece of clothing they wanted— a small price to pay. But I believe anything that’s truly vintage comes with a good story. You’ll find some in “Everything Old Is New Again” (page 40).

JOHN FOX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

JASON GARGANO

A Cincinnati Magazine contributor on and off for 11 years, Jason Gargano says the first concert he attended was The Raisins opening for Men at Work at Timberwolf in 1983. The opportunity to finally meet rock musician Rob Fetters and write about his career (page 54) was “both surreal and kind of daunting,” says Gargano, because he’s been “as familiar as a family member” over the years.

NOLAN PELLETIER

Toronto-based illustrator Nolan Pelletier is a collector of antiques, ephemera, and ookpiks (look it up) and had fun drawing scenes of four local vintage dealers for “Everything Old Is New Again” (page 40). “I tried to add in lots of little easter eggs from their shops to represent each dealer’s stock and give a feel for their style,” he says.

LEYLA SHOKOOHE

Contributing writer Leyla Shokoohe lives the adage “Write what you know” in her Great Room story about India Shannon’s colorful gameshow-inspired apartment (page 18). “I actually lived above India and her husband for almost two years in an old stone mansion in Clifton,” she says. “India is truly a style magician and a special person.”

THEY’RE PART OF A NO. 1 TEAM

When it comes to organ transplant, having the very best surgeon is only the beginning. You need an army of highly skilled providers, working together from preparation to follow-up, ensuring the most successful outcome. That’s why the UC Physicians organ transplant program—the only academic adult multi-organ transplant center in the region—is made up of a team of medical and academic professionals. From research and discovery to decades-long experience, it’s topranked in the country. And it’s right here in Cincinnati.

med.uc.edu/indispensable

Left to right: Courtney Jones, MD; Shimul Shah, MD; Jennifer Cook, MD; Madison Cuffy, MD; and Taranpreet Kaur, MD; all professors and providers, UC organ transplant team.

GIVING OPERA A NEW SPIRIT

Blending opera, gospel, and jazz music in churches and temples creates “unscripted magic.” SARAH McCOSHAM

HERE’S PERHAPS NO MUSICAL genre more moving than opera. Whether it’s listening to Pavarotti’s performance of “Nessun dorma” or attending New York’s Metropolitan Opera House, opera is an emotional and aff ective experience—if you can muster up the courage to give it a go, that is.

TWhile the beauty of opera is celebrated by fans and audiences, the genre is also arguably music’s most intimidating. Perhaps it’s the language barrier (operas are often sung in foreign languages) or the length (operas vary in length from 90 minutes to five hours), or maybe it’s the act of simply going to the opera that proves challenging: What to wear? How to act? Whom to invite? There might be as many barriers to attending opera as there are reasons to love it.

Cincinnati Opera removes some of the roadblocks by taking the show on the road to area houses of worship with community concerts blending gospel, jazz, and classical music. Aptly named Opera Goes to Church and Opera Goes to Temple, the programs present CONTINUED ON P. 16

TUNDE WEY AT THE TAFT P. 16 A ROOM OF MANY COLORS P. 18 INDY FOR THE ECLIPSE P. 20 LIMELIGHT COATS P. 22

opera artists, congregational choirs, and local musicians in 90-minute concerts that demonstrate the power of music to bring people together and create collective joy. The first shows in this year’s series are April 22 and 23 at Zion Global Ministries in West Chester.

Tracy Wilson, the Opera’s director of community engagement and education, launched the Opera Goes to Church program in 2006. “We encourage attendees to immerse themselves fully in the experience, whether that means sitting back and soaking in the music, standing up to join in the celebration, throwing their hands up in praise, or making new connections with fellow concertgoers,” she says. “The beauty of this event lies in its spontaneity. Expect the unexpected and embrace the magical moments that unfold before you.”

a unique and enriching musical experience for opera enthusiasts and churchgoers alike.”

Almost 20 years later, this “team spirit” remains at the heart of Opera Goes to Church/Temple. “Collaboration is key,” says Wilson. “Partnering with religious institutions fosters unity and understanding among diff erent community groups through shared musical experiences.”

As for the intersection of church music and high opera, Wilson says it’s “magical.” She explains that many opera artists got their starts singing in church and this breadth of experience sets the stage for something truly special. “There’s an undeniable power and depth in the vocals of both genres.”

Lift Every Voice Opera Goes to Church visits Zion Global Ministries, West Chester, on April 22 & 23. cincinnatiopera. org/church

Getting the opera to church, however, was anything but a spontaneous process. Wilson initially envisioned a musical arts experience blending gospel, jazz, and opera at Music Hall. “After much consideration, I decided that a church setting would off er a more welcoming atmosphere for the audiences,” she says.

Wilson reached out to Dr. Robert Gazaway, minister of music at Allen Temple A.M.E. Church, to propose the concept of Opera Goes to Church and to inquire about a potential partnership with his church choir. “It took some persuading,” she says, “but Dr. G eventually recognized the potential for

Zion Global Ministries has a powerhouse choir and talented ensemble of musicians, says Wilson, and they’re led by Pastor Freddie T. Piphus Jr., whose organ prowess she calls “truly remarkable.”

Add in a few arias and duets performed by Cincinnati Opera artists, a dash of soul-stirring selections from the choir, a few mind-blowing jazz classics, and Courtis Fuller’s charismatic hosting, and you have a recipe for an unforgettable experience.

Of course, the same can be said of the Cincinnati Opera’s 2024 summer season, which opens with Mozart’s classic Don Giovanni and concludes with a world premiere opera staging of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio.

IT’S NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, GOSH!

Bring your tots to the 20th anniversary celebration of Napoleon Dynamite April 20 at MegaCorp Pavilion. Jon Heder (Napoleon) and Efren Ramirez (Pedro) will screen the fi lm and answer your questions. promowest live.com/cincinnati/megacorp-pavilion

TUNDE WEY COOKS UP CONVERSATIONS

Food often articulates cultural perspectives through where it’s available, how much it costs, who it’s served to, and who is serving, says writer and chef Tunde Wey, the Taft Museum of Art’s 2024 Duncanson Artistin-Residence. The native of Nigeria, the program’s very first chef artist, will host public programs April 13–27, starting with an opening reception at the museum.

You’re notably not traditionally trained as a chef, so how did food come to be part of your personal story as well as your work? I lucked into opening up a restaurant in Detroit at a time when the city’s food scene was burgeoning. I was part of a class of folks using food to showcase the city differently. I never looked back.

At what point did you realize food was an ideal medium for you to convey critical insight and political commentary? I always knew food was more than nutrition; it’s a cultural product, a social artifact. Food spaces overtook other forms of retail as convening spaces and entertainment destinations, and chefs were elevated to

artists and treated with deference. If food could articulate cultural perspectives, it could also be a vehicle for critical commentary.

As you work at the intersection of food and politics, what sociopolitical concerns are top of mind? The allocation and accumulation of capital. In Cincinnati, there are billions of dollars applied to different returnsseeking regimen or investments. How much of that is extractive, and how much of that expands opportunities for working-class folks?

But questions in Cincinnati are not exclusive to Cincinnati—these are global questions with local manifestations.

Why is food such a powerful tool for starting important conversations?

Because it’s a common and intimate experience everyone shares. Sharing food can allow for more vulnerability so that realizations are revealed, breakthroughs are realized, or at least our differences are properly established.

—RODNEY WILSON

If you want to see Shannon’s bright home IRL, you’re in luck: She rents it out for events on PeerSpace, and several photo shoots and a music video have already been shot in the space.

TROMP L’OEIL

1 Shannon likes to play with perspective and height, too. The top six inches of her living room walls— periwinkle blue—and the ceiling itself are a saturated mulberry, making the room feel much taller than its 10 feet.

SHELF SPACE

2 The built-in bookcase is a zippy carrot orange, stacked with household favorites, including her 25 colorfully-bound Help Me Be Good books, a 1980s series her mom gave her as a little girl.

PLANT KINGDOM

3 Adding natural pops of vibrant green are the many plants that also call Shannon’s colorful wonderland home. An 11-foot corn plant is most impressive.

YELLOW WOODEN GIRAFFE

procured from a vacation Bible school sale. 1980s kitchen cabinets ee table salvaged from the rain. These probably aren’t the first things most consider living room decor, but to India Shannon, they’re the building blocks of her design DNA. Her bold, bright apartment in Walnut Hills (shared with husband Jerome and cat Dorian) is an exercise in tasteful exuberance. One of her primary The Price

“I literally screenshot it as we’re watching and I’m like, ‘This is great,’ ” Shannon says. “I love old game shows. They have great design. I love them because I love color. They have chunky, big blocks of color. That’s what game shows are—they’re fantastical and fun and I love that.” When she’s not sourcing her next great home find, Shannon is busy curating and operating the website Apartment 528, an online shop where you can buy a slice of the colorful life for yourself.

www.cincyrealtoralliance.com

GOING DARK

EXPERIENCE A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE AND SWAP DAY FOR NIGHT IN INDIANAPOLIS. —GARIN

PIRNIA

On April 8, don’t look directly at the sun without wearing special glasses (ISO 12312-2), because North America will experience a total solar eclipse, the first one since August 21, 2017. A solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun and plunges the world into darkness for a few minutes. Unlike last time, Cincinnati will kiss the Path of Totality, but Indianapolis will be in the crux. The eclipse will start around 2 p.m. EDT and reach totality at 3:06 p.m.

the total eclipse. From April 5 to 8, the city will host Indy Eclipse Weekend. NASA will broadcast from Indianapolis Motor Speedway—tickets cost $20—and will be on hand to answer questions. For the kiddos, visit Children’s Museum of Indianapolis for giveaways and fun activities related to the event.

HAMILTON COUNTY, INDIANA

A mere 30 minutes from downtown Indy, Hamilton County consists of Carmel, Sheridan, Fishers, Noblesville, and Westfield. Conner Prairie, a living history museum located in Fishers, invited Valparaiso, Indiana, native astronaut Mark Brown to lead scientific discussions alongside musical acts and dance companies.

In Sheridan, leave the science behind and pay $20 to indulge in cocktails and pizza at Hunt Club Distillery’s eclipse party. Looking to stay in the area? Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel has a couple of sun-themed eclipse packages, one of which comes with Capri Sun, beer from local brewery Sun King, and Sun Chips.

cheekily named I Totally Blacked Out in Orleans, Indiana, watch party at Congress Square. It will have DJs and food trucks, and hopefully no one will actually black out.

BLOOMINGTON

Between April 4 and 8, get out of the city and head to Lake Lemon for clear views of the sky. Riddle Point Park plans on having an entertainment lineup and a two-night RV and tent camping package.

Starlite Drive-In Theater will already be up and running for the season, and will open gates at 10 a.m. on eclipse day. Admission is free and limited concessions will be on sale. The Theater encourages people to bring Frisbees and cornhole boards to pass the time before the big episode.

TOTAL ECLIPSE 1: NASA visits the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

2: Eclipse artwork

3: Lake Lemon

After all that eclipse watching, in the evening at 7:30 p.m., visit Waldron Arts Center for a screening of the 1968 classic 2001: A Space Odyssey, a reminder that Stanley Kubrick predicted AI.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway indianapolismotorspeedway. com/events/eclipse

Hunt Club Distillery huntclubdistillery.com

French Lick frenchlick.com

Starlite Bloomington starlitebloomington.com

Indy and surrounding cities will host events on the day and leading up to the day. The next total solar eclipse won’t occur until 2044, so take advantage now.

INDIANAPOLIS

Indy is known as the “eclipse capital of the Midwest” because it’s the largest city outside of Texas to experience a direct totality. It’s also the city’s first total solar eclipse in almost 819 years. For 3 minutes and 46 seconds, visitors will be able to see

SIDE

EYE ON THE SKY

Visit Indiana’s largest telescope at Butler University. —G.P.

FRENCH LICK

If watching the eclipse at a resort is more in your wheelhouse, book a stay at French Lick Resort. From April 5 to 8, the resort offers viewing locations for guests, commemorative etched Woodford Reserve bottles, complimentary viewing glasses, family-friendly activities, and themed restaurant specials.

On April 8, the Orleans Chamber of Commerce, in nearby Orleans, hosts the

BUTLER UNIVERSITY’S HOLCOMB OBSERVATORY AND PLANETARIUMIS THE STATE’S LARGEST observatory, with the state’s largest telescope. In 1889, the observatory purchased a six-inch refracting telescope, which is still around today. In the 1950s, namesake James Irving Holcomb donated money to build the observatory. Today, the original retro look remains intact. During your visit, you can choose from a plethora of full dome planetarium shows, such as The Little Star That Could. Like everywhere in Indiana, Holcomb has been gearing up for the eclipse, with a show entitled Eclipse: The Sun Revealed. On April 8, stop by for a free eclipse viewing experience. butler.edu/arts-sciences/holcombobservatory

TRIP

LIGHT IT UP

LIMELIGHT COATS, WITH FEMININE COLORS AND A VINTAGE SILHOUETTE, BRIGHTEN GRAY DAYS. —JACLYN YOUHANA GARVER

A

A Key West winter: None of those things.

Natalie Near got married in Key West, Florida, in February 2019. Amber Jackson was a bridesmaid. The locale was all bright colors and happiness, which they had to leave to return home, to Ohio and New York, respectively.

If that sunny inspiration was the seed, the fully grown sunflower is Limelight, a sustainable coat brand that hit the market in March 2023. Its coats come in pale shades of blue and pink and zip around a black lining that can also be worn separately.

“[The garment represents] something that we hadn’t seen in the sustainability space or in the outerwear space: ultrafeminine, bright, happy, with lots of pockets and lots of very functional aspects to com-

plement the femininity of it,” says Jackson, who now lives in Chesapeake, Virginia.

The coats create a slimmer silhouette, in contrast to the typical warm but bulky puffer coats on the market. “We were sick of dressing for winter like we were wearing sleeping bags all the time,” Near says, “which serves its purpose, but sometimes you want to feel a little more elevated.”

Jackson and Near (who lived in Cincinnati from 2017 to 2018) have backgrounds in fashion and met at a Macy’s executive development program after college. It was important to them that Limelight coats be universally flattering. It’s one of the reasons for the coat’s cinched waist, a callback to the silhouettes of the 1950s and ’60s.

The line currently runs from extra small to extra large, with plans to expand the range of sizes.

It was also important for Limelight to be sustainable. Limelight coats use recycled materials, and the company started with a small batch of coats—they didn’t want to make too many products that could end up becoming waste.

“Coming from a background where we had been in fashion, you notice the waste. You notice the products that weren’t made with heart or made to be something special in someone’s closet,” Jackson says. “We wanted to make something people would want to keep in their closets for a long time.”

A MIDWESTERN WINTER: GRAY. ICY. SUNLESS. Frigid. Slick. Slushy. Ugh.

1 HOMEGROWN PHOTOGRAPHS BY (OWNER PORTRAIT) ETHAN KAVANAGH / (ALL OTHERS) STEPHEN TAKACS

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

Pepper, hippies, and (ahem) WEBN, The Cupboard burst open with new and provocative delights crammed to the rafters. Navy engineers having to make use of every square inch in submarines clearly took lessons from the store’s staff.

Described variously as a “mod gift shop,” “head shop,” and “public nuisance,” The Cupboard was busted almost immediately, and then relentlessly. Two generations of family proprietors spent countless months and dollars in courtrooms fighting for your right to buy baby pacifiers shaped like penises. Also bongs, pipes, whippet N2O cartridges, raunchy toys, etc. Cincinnati Magazine published a deep dive into its history in February 2019 (“High Times at The Cupboard”) if you’d like to find out more.

Whether your opinion of The Cupboard was Whippet Bad or Whippet Good, you had to respect its long-term survival. Let us all raise a glass (pipe) to its cloudy memory. Or a gummy. Peace out.

I got one of those “free luncheon” invitations in the mail. It’s from a cremation service, and it’s being held at the West Chester Smokey Bones restaurant. A seminar about cremation at Smokey Bones! Please find out if this was intentional or clueless. —SMOKED OUT

ALike many generations of Cincinnatians, I grieve the closing of The Cupboard on Short Vine. I haven’t visited in a while, but the smell lingers (in a good way). The many stories I see now about the place, though, seem contradictory. Please give us a reliable timeline of that famous address. —ROLL ANOTHER ONE

DEAR ROLL:

First Sunlite Pool, and now this! Surprisingly, the humble one-story building at 2613 Short Vine was first built in 1935 as a modest Kroger. But it found its legs in 1940 as Corry’s 5¢ to $1 Store, selling bits of everything into the mid 1960s. Then, just as America welcomed Sgt.

DEAR SMOKED:

Readers who can easily find an answer to their question from an obvious source— such as the phone number on your mailer—will sometimes hesitate, perhaps lacking the time or the courage. They seem to assume that the Doctor has an abundance of both. Perhaps they are correct, because the Doctor called.

A thoroughly courteous and professional woman answered. Each of us played our roles well: She trying to direct the conversation toward registering for the luncheon, and the Doctor dodging her moves while playing coy about the real reason for his call. When we finally arrived at the awkward issue of a cremation

seminar being paired with the name Smokey Bones, she revealed that she was just a call center employee in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She could only cheerfully guess that whoever conjoined the luncheon with the cremation company lacked the time or the courage to note the awkwardness.

So it goes. Be sure to let us know if you receive an invitation for a free seminar about erectile dysfunction being held at Dick’s.

Some time back you wrote about the Chatfield Memorial, a Walnut Hills site showing on Google Maps that doesn’t really exist. I drive past that corner daily (Columbia Parkway and Kemper Lane), and there’s construction going on now. Maybe something is finally happening? —UN-MEMORIAM

DEAR UN:

The Doctor regrets to inform you that you have things backwards: The Chatfield Memorial definitely existed. It was built in 1933 to honor Frederick Chatfield, a major supporter of Cincinnati park development who had died suddenly. Its benches and landscaping looked out on a majestic view of the Ohio River, but the 1938 construction of Columbia Parkway… well, it paved paradise, as they say. Our July 2018 column saw the Doctor trespassing inside the totally overgrown area and finding scant remains among the litter and mattresses. Despite the site’s abandonment many decades ago, Google Maps has displayed the name at Columbia Parkway and Kemper Lane since they launched in 2005…and won’t stop.

Your query sent the Doctor there again—readers seem to enjoy this kind of armchair sadism—but new apartment construction has now wiped away every trace of whatever may have once been there. The on-site workers never heard of any Chatfield Memorial and seemed unconcerned, apparently never having seen the movie Poltergeist. Try stopping by some afternoon and see what happens when you yell, “They’re heeeere!”

SPRING A CINCINNATI MAGAZINE EVENT

PRESENTED BYSPONSORS

METROPOLITAN CLUB

Our lavish four-night dinner series returns to celebrate the bounty of Spring. Be sure to #savorthedate dining experience and enjoy a one-of-a-kind meal in a fun and festive atmosphere.

Limited tickets available.

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LET’S GET TOGETHER

Hard Rock Cincinnati invests $1.45 million into their event center, welcoming meetings and large conventions.

“The set-up was gorgeous and the service was impeccable.”

Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is bringing more events, meetings, and conventions to its newly refreshed event center. “We look forward to serving as the premier location for meetings, charity events, and major conventions in Cincinnati,” says Justin Wyborn, president of Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati. “Whether your event is for business, a convention, or a private party, Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is your destination for world-class food, fun and gaming.” The $1.45 million investment brings new carpet, refreshed finishes, and updated decor to the event center, including modern furniture, new event and banquet equipment, as well as brand new state of the art audio-visual equipment.

The Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati is home to more

Event Center Highlights

For large parties, the 19,000-squarefoot center can be used in its entirety or divided into nine individual rooms. Perfect for business meetings or private events. The space holds up to 1,200-person plated dinners, 1,500-person cocktail parties, or 2,000-person conventions.

than 1,600 slot machines; table games including blackjack, craps, and roulette; and 24/7 access to live poker. Now, 50,000 square feet of flexible space is ready for events or meetings, including the newly named Seminole Ballroom, the Seminole Grand, Council Oak Steaks and Seafood, Hard Rock Cafe, the Green Room, and two outdoor spaces.

Clark Reder Engineering was one of the first to experience the new space. “[We] had the best time at our employee event,” says Teri House, Office Administrator/HR, Benefits, & License Coordinator at Clark Reder Engineering. “The set-up was gorgeous and the service was impeccable. We were extremely happy with the total package from the space, food, beverages, and service.”

The intimate private dining experience at Council Oak is ideal for a business meeting, rehearsal, or buy out experience.The restaurant serves 100 percent USDA bone-in prime rib eye, New York strip, porterhouse, and rack of lamb along with an impressive wine list.

To learn more about the Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati event offerings, visit hardrockcasinocincinnati.com/events.

For smaller, intimate events, or a post-convention cocktail hour, the Green Room is a VIP-style lounge that serves cocktails and small plates.

Seminole Ballroom

Council Oak Steaks and Seafood

The Green Room

BY JAY GILBERT

A Decade of Doctoring

I’VE EMBRACED THE BURDEN OF EXPLAINING THE MYSTERIES OF LIFE IN CINCINNATI. YOU’RE WELCOME!

I AM NOT A DOCTOR, BUT I PLAY ONE IN THIS MAGAZINE. I’M A SPECIALIST IN THE TREATMENT of ACC (Acute Cincinnati Curiosity), a recurring condition that’s incurable, although it can be managed with proper care. The Doctor cares and shares every patient’s passion for finding answers to Cincinnati’s most elusive questions. With the publication of this month’s Dr. Know column (page 24), I have now occupied this esteemed position for 10 years. It’s time for a performance review.

Dr. Know was created in 2008 by Albert Pyle, who apparently wasn’t busy enough as executive director of the venerable Mercantile Library. He realized that our town lacked an authoritative source for answers to the public’s tiniest questions. Not the big questions that perplex

everyone, like, “Why does every third parking meter in Cincinnati have an unreadable display?” No, the Doctor would instead solve the smaller mysteries that perplex almost no one, such as, “How many York Peppermint Patties per day does Skyline Chili sell at their checkout counters?” If a book called 2,000 Things to Know About Cincinnati existed that was successful enough to have sequels, the Dr. Know-type items would show up in Volume 4.

I was honored to inherit Pyle’s inbox when he retired, and I proudly began moving items to the outbox: Skyline unloads as many as 29,400 patties per day (from the October 2014 column). Pyle established the formality of third-person “the Doctor” usage, which I have continued. I think it helps the reader visualize me as better-dressed than I actually am.

Your submissions are sometimes surprising, but the majority are fairly typical, such as, “A relative/friend tells me that X was once a thing in Cincinnati. Is that true?” Usually it is. Yes, we actually had a downtown store in the 1920s called Ku Klux Klothes (May 2021). Yes, we briefly had a professional football team calling itself the Cincinnati Reds (November 2015). Yes, super-prudish Cincinnati really did have a local nudist colony for over 40 years that was never once raided by the cops (July 2023).

Sometimes we receive legal questions, which launch me into asking the Cincinnati Police about what will or won’t get citizens in trouble. It is perfectly legal, for instance, to ride your horse down local streets as long as you and the horse observe all traffic regulations (March 2021). Sometimes a question deserves hours of research simply because it’s so charmingly pointless: Cincinnati’s oldest continuously operating telephone number at its original address is the number 717, installed in 1895; later becoming Main 717; then MA1-0717; then 621-0717; and now (513) 621-0717. Thank you for calling the Mercantile Library, Albert Pyle’s alma mater (November 2020). No, he didn’t send me that question.

A FEW MINOR CINCINNATI MYTHS HAVE been debunked by the Doctor, to the consternation of those who prefer the legend. Sorry, but the gigantic bell at St. Francis de Sales church in Walnut Hills did not

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January 26, 2024

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shatter windows for blocks around in 1895 when it was first rung (May 2019). Bogart’s didn’t open in 1895 as a burlesque/ vaudeville house; it premiered in 1910 as a nickelodeon (August 2015). Movie cowboy Roy Rogers was not born anywhere near the future second base of Riverfront Stadium (October 2023). The bronze plaque on Government Square commemorating a 1962 speech by President John F. Kennedy has the date wrong (August 2014).

In my Decade of Doctordom I have received a handful of questions that failed to find answers, but I am proud to announce here that I’ve revisited and solved some. The Starbucks at Fourth and Vine downtown is in a 19th century building displaying the words “German National Bank” above the main entrance. Those words were suddenly covered by a “Lincoln National Bank” sign in 1917, when World War I inspired Cincinnati to pretend we weren’t German anymore. A reader wanted to know (March 2016) when the original name was

allowed to show again. Various signs had covered it for many decades, but the Doctor couldn’t determine when it was liberated. Deeper research has now confirmed it happened in November 1995.

Hey, this stuff matters to people! When you submit your own dumbass question, the Doctor will fight for you like an ambulance-chasing attorney! You pay nothing until your mystery is solved, at which time you also get nothing.

There was one time I solved a weird mystery but stumbled on an even weirder one. A reader wanted help finding out what had happened to his great-uncle Arthur, who seemed to have vanished after he moved from his Walnut Hills home in 1947. Well, I found him, but this is what I also found (August 2022): Uncle Arthur hadn’t moved at all; he lived right there in the same house until his death in 1954. The city of Cincinnati had simply declared in 1947 that the alley behind Arthur’s house was now his official street, that his back door was now his front

door, and that his entire block now lived a block away.

Other unknowns have remained unknown. We’re still scratching our heads about the origin of the term “Cincinnati Sling,” which describes a heavily cushioned strap used for extricating victims from car crashes and other disasters. The name seems to exist only in Australia and the UK, and we can’t find anyone locally or globally who knows where it came from (January 2018).

A few additional questions still await answers: Sandy Koufax’s uniform number from the one 1954 season he pitched baseball for UC (March 2018) and why Google Street View doesn’t let you “drive” on Braddock Street near Anderson Ferry to see Pete Rose’s boyhood home (April 2019).

THE DOCTOR’S READERS INCLUDE A small volunteer army of schoolmarms who gleefully tattle on misspellers. The sign at Riverhills Neuroscience in Norwood said

“Nueroscience” for months until we outed them (May 2017). The street sign at the corner of 15th and Republic Streets in Overthe-Rhine said “Repulic”—there wasn’t even an empty space for the “b,” which must have een terrily emarrassing—until we got it fixed (December 2014). Nobody seems to know why Birney Lane in Anderson Township calls itself Burney Lane in some places (October 2017). And there’s nothing anybody can do about Teresa Brewer’s 1950 recording of “Cincinnati Dancing Pig,” on which the city’s name is spelled out with two T’s by the background singers (June 2016).

Speaking of errors, the Doctor has owned up to his over the years. I wrote (December 2014) that on most seasons of The Andy GriffithShow the map of Mayberry behind Andy’s desk was actually a map of Cincinnati. That part was true, but I foolishly added that nobody on the show had ever looked at or referred to the map. That’s wrong, said a disturbing number of local Andy Griffith experts. The Doctor

confessed that in Season 4 Episode 7 Andy and Barney faced the map and pointed directly to Burnet Woods, which apparently is downtown Mayberry (March 2017). I’ve received other angry reactions about the accuracy of a topic, but that one seemed to be the most important.

Most submissions to the Doctor’s desk are odd and cute, but now and then we brush up against seriousness. A reader’s young grandson learned about the time when U.S. newspapers specified “whites only” in their classified ads for jobs and housing, and she wanted to know when Cincinnati papers stopped doing it (September 2023). The 1964 Civil Rights Act ended the practice most everywhere, although I found that our local papers took another year slowing to a complete stop. Other columns addressed Cincinnati media silence as the city dragged its feet in desegregating amusement parks and pools (July 2021). Our city has a lot to be proud of, including being able to acknowledge the things we’re not proud of.

In my first decade as Dr. Know, there has only been one time I found the answer to a question but politely declined to publish it (December 2015): Carl Lindner’s final resting place. He was Cincinnati’s wealthiest and most powerful businessman, and his charitable contributions to the city were huge, as were his many political activities that generated controversy. When he died in 2011, Lindner’s hometown of Norwood held an enormous parade and public tribute, but his funeral and burial were private and his gravesite’s location has never been disclosed. When asked to reveal it, I replied, “Lindner gave us much; let’s give him this.”

I absolutely love this job. Cincinnati’s crawl spaces are fascinating, as are the people I’ve met who show them to me. Albert Pyle passed away in 2022, but the bow-tied character he created affords me endless opportunities to flaunt my vocabulary. And cracking a tough mystery, even if it’s a pointless one—especially if it’s a pointless one— makes me feel like Sherlock Holmes.

DISCOVER MORE AT /stateparks

Clifty Fall State Park

FEEL THE UNIQUE BOND

BETWEEN HUMANS AND HORSES.

Throughout Kentucky, people and horses share a special connection. Feel it for yourself on farm tours or scenic trail rides across the state. Plan your Bluegrass getaway at kentuckytourism.com

WHISKEY DELIGHTS, COZY NIGHTS

Your Bourbon Getaway is here.

Lawrenceburg, KY — Distilling Capital of the World! Bigfoot lore, music festivals and fairs, bungee jumps and wooded trails. With local shops galore and unique cuisine, Lawrenceburg is a fun scene! Overnight stays both classic and creative; you can sleep in a caboose or an 1800s log cabin! Explore our charming downtown or take in a warm sunset at Beaver Lake. We’ve got all you need for a sweet holiday break. visitlawrenceburgky.com

WELCOME TO CAVE COUNTRY

Make Memories in Park City

Visit Park City! The Mammoth Cave Bike & Hike Trail begins at Bell’s Tavern Park. Hike the walking trails, see the tavern ruins and enjoy seasonal live concerts, festivals and more. Eat where locals eat — Miss Betty’s Diner offers Southern cooking and made-from-scratch desserts. Stay at Grand Victorian Inn, Yellow Door or Grateful Hearts Haven. Explore Diamond Caverns for an unforgettable underground adventure just inside Mammoth Cave National Park. Experience thousands of formations decorating the cathedral-like chambers.Go mining for gems and minerals and shop the Gift & Rock Shoppe. Take I-65 exit 48. Say yes to adventure! visitparkcityky.com

AUTHENTIC ADVENTURES IN WINCHESTER

History, Nature and Beer Cheese!

For an authentic Winchester, Kentucky, adventure, visit the Bluegrass Heritage Museum, packed with regional artifacts from pioneers and Civil War soldiers. For breathtaking views of rock formations – and maybe some rock-climbing – hit nearby Red River Gorge Geological Area, part of Daniel Boone National Forest. Fuel up along Winchester’s Beer Cheese Trail, where local restaurants serve up the local-favorite spread. visitwinchesterky.com

BY LAUREN FISHER, CLAIRE LEFTON, KANE MITTEN, LAURIE

PIKE, AND AMANDA BOYD WALTERS

E ver y th ing Everything

KRAMER

Is A g ain Again OLD NEW

Whether you’re shopping secondhand for the aesthetic, the environment, or the deals, dozens of vintage and antiques dealers can meet your needs.

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEREMY

Tim’s Picks on Main Street

This small storefront in OTR immediately greets you with the sounds of whatever vintage vinyls that owner Tim Fuller wants to showcase for the day. “The initial concept was to sell vinyl,” says Fuller. “But we had a lot of ’70s T-shirts and those went really fast, so now clothing is my biggest seller.” Every inch of the store is covered in antiques that Fuller selected himself, mostly items from the 1960s to the 1980s. The top floor features home goods, accessories, and vinyl, while the entire basement is filled with vintage clothes.

1336 MAIN ST., OVER-THE-RHINE, (513)

312-8106,

@TIMS_PICKSOTR ON INSTAGRAM

Peachy and Vintage

People often tout the values of shopping secondhand from an environmental perspective, but it’s rare to see a vintage store making sustainability and community the focus of its brand. This Covington shop—which is primarily, but not entirely, focused on womenswear—not only features plenty of dresses, shoes, purses, jewelry, accessories, home decor, and more, but it also has a rotating selection of items from local upstart designers. Interested? Check out one of the Sip and Thrift events, which are exactly as fun as they sound.

531 MADISON AVE., COVINGTON, @PEACHYANDVINTAGE ON INSTAGRAM

PICKING WINNERS

Tim Fuller (right) stocks his Main Street shop with everything from vintage stereo equipment to cowboy boots and clothes.

FACES OF VINTAGE

AN EYE FOR THE OFFBEAT: Amy Webb

Odd Stock Co. @oddstockco

Maximalism and diversity in home decor and fashion are welcome trends to Amy Webb, the woman behind Odd Stock Co. “I’m drawn to weirdness, imperfectness, and the wonkiness of something that someone put their blood, sweat, and tears into,” says the 33 year old, who’s a graphic designer by day. “I like bright colors and things that feel like they might not belong in your house, but when you bring it home and put it all together, it makes sense.” Web, a longtime skilled sewer, salvages fabric from kimonos and handkerchiefs to turn into blouses, or makes jackets from wool blankets. At pop-ups, at Flamingo Haven Antique Mall, online, and at locally owned retail stores and coffee shops, Odd Stock Co. labels can be found on everything from never-worn designer lingerie, color-saturated children’s toys and books, or a glass globe lighting sconce with—inexplicably—a sad face. No matter what the category of product, the through-line of whimsy and usefulness is evident. Webb assembles sets of mismatched plates or drinking glasses that look harmonious and high-end, and there’s no telling what will catch her eye (or sewing needle) next. “Odd Stock is a flexible brand that can be whatever I decide.”

—LAURIE PIKE

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE Bright colors and whimsy welcome shoppers to impossible colors in Walnut Hills.

POPPIN’ TAGS

These thrift emporiums are the traditional go-tos for bargain hunters and vintage pickers alike.

—AMANDA BOYD WALTERS

impossible colors

Walking into this vintage clothing store in Walnut Hills takes you right into a 1980s MTV ad. From the vibrant pieces for sale to the black and white checkerboard tile floor, this place is distinct from the second you walk in. Owners Liz Wolf and Shawn Muhammad sold vintage clothing at pop-up markets and events for years. Eventually, Wolf decided they should have their own store and sold her house to pay for it. The clothes are organized by color rather than gender in order to help anyone of any gender build their ideal fashion palette. “Because we want to keep our clothes accessible, we focus on vintage everyday wear which is primarily ’90s and Y2K,” says Wolf. “We personally favor ’70s, some ’80s, and ’90s, but we go as far back as the ’40s.”

921 E. MCMILLAN ST., WALNUT HILLS, @SHOP. IMPOSSIBLECOLORS ON INSTAGRAM

Elizabeth DeWitt

Upscale Retail

Consider Claire Silbersack and Jason Spencer your seasoned guides to the world of upscale consignment. Before opening up the storefront, the Elizabeth DeWitt co-owners dabbled in the world of online resale—Spencer as a YouTuber and Silbersack as a prolific Poshmark seller—all the while forging connections in Cincinnati’s vintage and resale scene. At the Hyde Park shop, you’ll find an eclectic mix of new, used, and vintage that’s all high-end, all the time, with prices ranging from thrift-savvy (Free People jeans for $35) to the couture-level (a vintage rendition of Chanel’s popular Boy Bag, priced at $3,650).

3427 ERIE AVE., HYDE PARK, (513) 543-0597, ELIZABETH DEWITTCONSIGNMENT.COM

Goodwill

Ohio Valley Goodwill operates 19 neighborhood locations across Greater Cincinnati, including the mothership location on Springfield Pike and a by-thepound outlet.

CINCINNATIGOODWILL. ORG

Valley Thrift

The Evendale location of this three-store chain (left) is packed with a wide variety of goods. We’ve had especially good luck finding linens here. You might unearth other treasures in Fairfield or Kettering.

VALLEYTHRIFTSTORES.COM

St. Vincent de Paul

The Ohio and Kentucky branches of this charitable organization operate 12 area stores stocked with everything from books to small appliances to furniture and clothing.

SVDPNKY.ORG; SVDPCINCINNATI.ORG

Salvation Army

Often called Family Stores, the Salvation Army’s thrift stores in Norwood, Delhi, and Eastgate fund the organization’s Adult Rehabilitation Center programs.

SATRUCK.ORG

FACES OF VINTAGE

STYLE REMIXER: Maria Johnson

Disco Tits Vintage @discotitsvintage

Maria Johnson is flying high, literally and figuratively. Thanks to her boyfriend, who is a pilot, she travels free, sourcing clothing and accessories from all over the globe to sell at frequent pop-ups under her cheeky Disco Tits Vintage banner. The campy aesthetic involves cartoon characters (Strawberry Shortcake, Hello Kitty, Care Bears), forgotten labels (Jessica McClintock, Miss Sixty), and a riot of wild colors and prints. Johnson, 29, whose personal style can careen from Lolita doll to mob wife to singlestrap overalls, says, “People always tell me, ‘I like your costume.’ ” Like a fashion sommelier, she curates goods for a pop-up depending on the venue and vibe. An evening sale at a chic OTR bar will involve club-wear and other outrageous looks, while her racks for a Sunday-afternoon coffeehouse vend will feature sweaters and casual clothing. Johnson has started designing accessories, such as embroidered berets, and necklaces repurposed from dissembled costume jewelry, flattened pennies, and other trinkets. Steady growth over the past six years means that Disco Tits is ready to go up a cup size; Johnson, based in Price Hill, is on the hunt for a space where she can take appointments.

—LAURIE PIKE

HAVING A

MALL

For sheer volume, antique malls can’t be beat—you’re almost always going to see something interesting. —AMANDA BOYD WALTERS

Riverside Centre Antique Mall

With more than 30,000 square feet of vendors, and items ranging from vintage clothes to art pottery to rustic architectural salvage, you’ll find plenty of treasures at this east side mall.

3742 KELLOGG AVE., COLUMBIA-TUSCULUM, (513) 996-2014, FACEBOOK. COM/RIVERSIDECENTRE ANTIQUES

Ohio Valley Antique Mall

If they don’t have it at Ohio Valley Antique Mall, you don’t need it. More than 600 vendor spaces line aisles with street names (so you can navigate the place). There’s even a café if you’re hungry.

7285 DIXIE HIGHWAY, FAIRFIELD, (513) 874-0274, OHIOVALLEYANTIQUES. COM

Flamingo Haven

Located conveniently near the Este Avenue St. Vincent de Paul (make a day of it!), Flamingo Haven’s vendors serve up a mix of vintage items from ’70s home decor to Depression glass.

4530 W. MITCHELL AVE., WINTON PLACE, (513) 5411812, FACEBOOK.COM/ FLAMINGOHAVEN ANTIQUEMALL

West Chester Antique Center

Treasures here are a bit more contemporary—think VHS tapes and Star Wars memorabilia—and there’s a selection of upcycled goods as well.

4924 UNION CENTER BLVD., WEST CHESTER, (513) 4862098, FACEBOOK.COM/ WANTIQUECENTER

PICKY PICKERS

Casablanca Vintage

Ever wanted to wear some clothing from the 1800s? While it used to function primarily as a costume resource for film and stage productions, this Northside favorite can now give you something from every decade, whether you’re attending a Roaring Twenties party or jumping in on TikTok’s Y2K trend. • 3944 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, (513) 541-6999, casablancavintage.com

Wooden Nickel Antiques

Selling antiques from decades or even centuries ago in Overthe-Rhine since the ’70s— like furniture, chandeliers, decorative art, stained glass, fireplace mantels, cabinets, and bars—it’s no surprise that the Jeff Ruby family turned to the shop for some classy vibes when designing the new flagship location at Fountain Square. • 1410 Central Pkwy., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 241-2985, woodennickel antiques.net

The First Edition

There are not many places on Earth where you can find a copy of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar from the year 1632. Or an original first printing of T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land. Given the prices of these books regularly top four or even five digits, you’ll have to make an appointment to visit this bookstore (but you can browse online).

• 2055 Reading Rd., Mt. Auburn, (513) 719-0001, thefirstedition.com

Here’s a genuine rarity: a pay-what-youcan nonprofit store. There's something for every creative at prices that can sometimes be as low as five cents, if you so choose. Writing utensils, ink, yarn, beads, paint, fabric, sewing needles, paper, flowers, tile, wood…to list everything up for grabs here would require an entire collage. • 1334 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 918-4917, indigohippo.org

FURNITURE

When you think of thrift store furniture, you might think of scratched-up couches or bedbug-infested mattresses. Not so at New Life, where the inventory includes everything from Rosenthal porcelain to Ferragamo pumps to the Mid-Century Modern table of your dreams. Best of all, the proceeds go to providing free furniture to community members in need.

• 12037 Lebanon Rd., Sharonville, (513) 667-1213, nlfurniture.org

Tesori: Vintage Home, Fine Art, and Antiques

Tesori in Newport is all about fun mid-century home goods and furniture. All around you are funky chairs, ornate mirrors, and cute kitchenware, like a set of measuring spoons that look like lemons. The collections of crystal and glassware make you wish you were hosting a swinging 1960s dinner party. FOX19 reporter Stefano DiPietrantonio owns the store with his husband, David Riter, and looks all over the world for the store’s items. “The name of our store means ‘treasure’ in Italian,” DiPietrantonio says. “We love the treasure hunting. Even all across Europe we just kept finding stuff everywhere.”

925 MONMOUTH ST., NEWPORT, @TESORIVINTAGE HOMEANDANTIQUES ON INSTAGRAM

The Daily Vintage

This vintage shop has everything. It’s most known for the array of sports merch—from Ickey Woods crewnecks to several decades old UC jerseys to 49ers varsity jackets—but step into the back and you’ll realize the breadth of the selection. One rack might be full of old Levi’s, waiting for you to find your new favorite jeans. Another might have a patchwork madras Polo Ralph Lauren buttonup hiding between two shackets. If you’re going to Daily Vintage, you’re guaranteed to find at least one item of interest.

1810 ELM ST., OVER-THE-RHINE, (513) 260-8782, @THEDAILYVINTAGECINCY ON INSTAGRAM

Earth House

It’s tricky to put a place like Earth House in a box. This isn’t just a vintage shop. It’s not just a refillery, either. This Findlay Market–adjacent store is more like a one-stop celebration for all things Earth medicine. On the shelves, you’ll find everything from all-natural self-care products to books on mushroom foraging and practical magic, and the store frequently collaborates with local makers and vintage resellers to keep the clothing, shoes, and accessories collections fresh. But if you want the total Earth House experience, ask about the shop’s retreats, which take participants across the world in pursuit of self-transformation.

1821 RACE ST., OVER-THE-RHINE, WELCOME TOEARTHHOUSE.COM

Hi-Bred

Every thrift store is a gold mine, full of treasures waiting to be discovered. But at Hi-Bred, the treasures aren’t hard to find. They’re posted up all over the boutique, and they’ve all been painstakingly curated by owner Shawna Maria, who recently moved her beloved vintage consignment store from East Walnut Hills to Northside. Maria has a knack for selecting only the cream of the vintage crop, from 1980s taffeta ballgowns to intricately embroidered clutches from India. Word to the wise: Don’t skimp on accessories! Some of Hi-Bred’s best pieces are in the jewelry department.

4041 HAMILTON AVE., NORTHSIDE, (513) 240-4664, HIBRED.LIFE

FACES OF VINTAGE

COUTURE CONVERSION: Nigel Agboh

Jet Black Vintage @jetblackvtg

He may have engineered cars in his first career in the automotive industry, but for the past three years Detroit transplant Nigel Agboh, 32, has been steering trends. With a design team that includes University of Cincinnati fashion design students on co-op, Agboh leads the vision for trendsetting ensembles reworked from upholstery fabric, curtains, blankets, and old unworn garments. Using jacquard bedspreads, the company custom tailored a blue-and-white suit for Detroit Lions linebacker Derrick Barnes, inspiring a fan on Instagram to comment, “This is why GQ keeps calling.” Agboh recently took over the former Rad OTR space, still stocking the store’s late 20th century men’s sportswear (band tees, roomy flight plants, and sturdy contemporary labels. (“Hands down, best quality,” Agboh says of Gap’s 1990s garments.) But the space is being transformed to include the luxe upcycled clothing, women’s vintage clothing, and to host events. “I want people to come here not just for product but for the vibe, the experience,” says Agboh. “We are more than a transactional place.” Still, it’s the reworked capsule collections that embody Jet Black’s capabilities and ambition. The couture-quality, quilt-tastic “Living Proof” group, for example, belongs on a star—or in a museum. —LAURIE

PIKE

Castaways

Recycled Style

Castaways on the west side is an antique store with a focus on Victorian to mid-century furniture and home decor. Owner Missy Donald has been in the antiques game for more than 20 years and recently decided to move for a fresh start. “We opened in Westwood in October 2023 after moving from Northside to have a larger shop and also because we saw that Westwood was really growing,” says Donald. The shop’s vibe almost feels more like a room furnished in vintage pieces than a store. Lots of items featured here have Cincinnati-specific history to them, like wooden Ivory Soap boxes and paintings of Fountain Square. If you’re looking for something more modern, the shop also sells paintings by local artists.

3109 HARRISON RD., WESTWOOD, (727) 459-4342, @CASTAWAYSRECYCLEDSTYLE ON INSTAGRAM

Hometown Vintage

Unlike many vintage stores, which try to be all things for all people, Hometown Vintage has a distinctly Americana vibe: It’s full of worn-out college gear, red-and-black-plaid lumberjack flannels, motorcycle jackets, grandma sweaters, band tees, and lots of Carhartt. (And a killer selection of hats.) For anyone interested in living out their Easy Rider dreams, your first move should be heading across the river to this wonderfully curated Covington joint.

2 W. PIKE ST., COVINGTON, @HOMETOWNCOV ON INSTAGRAM

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE

Castaways in Westwood has a striking minimalist vibe, mixing and matching pieces from many vintage eras, with a strong midcentury influence.

TO MARKET, TO MARKET

Burlington Antique Show

For more than four decades, thousands of shoppers have flocked to the Boone County Fairgrounds for this monthly market. More than 200 vendors set up each show between April and October, and $10 gets you in an hour early.

BURLINGTONANTIQUE SHOW.COM

City Flea

Over 13 seasons, this curated market has evolved and expanded, adding spring and fall vintage-focused markets at Factory 52 to the Washington Park shows. There’s also a kids’ market, featuring young entrepreneurs, in August.

THECITYFLEA.COM

PHOTOGRAPHS (TOP) BY DEVYN GLISTA / (BOTTOM)

What’s better than wandering through a flea (or flea-inspired) market on a summer day? Wandering through four of them.

—AMANDA BOYD WALTERS

Tri-State Antique Market

Cross the state line

May through October and catch Indiana’s largest antiques and vintage only market, where items are required to be more than 30 years old. Shop rain or shine at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana fairgrounds. Early birds can get started at 6 a.m.

LAWRENCEBURGANTIQUE SHOW.COM

WestSide Market

It’s not exactly a vintage market, but WSM does support local small businesses. Hop over to Westwood Town Hall and check out the food trucks, family activities, and good shopping May through November.

WESTSIDEMARKETCINCY.

COM

FACES OF VINTAGE

A GLOW-UP FOR CAST-OFFS: Jason Hertzenberg Recycle Cincinnati

@recycle.cincinnati

Jason Hertzenberg left a career in finance to take over a 2,000-square-foot former junk shop in 2014. “My mother cried,” recalls Hertzenberg, 46. “But I always liked fixing things and seeing how they worked.” In a unique business model, he picks up for free, provided there are enough furnishings, decor, art, and ephemera to successfully salvage. Any furniture items of quality—made of solid wood, no particle board—he will spruce up and often alter somehow. “I didn’t pay a nickel for any of these things,” he says, “so I can sell them for half of what they’re worth.” Hertzenberg has developed a specialty restoring and even revamping classic furniture pieces from any era. “We reinvent, rebuild, and redo,” he says, adding that sometimes customers will co-customize a piece with him. Hertzenberg’s own inspired brainstorm: A small credenza made from a foot-thick tree branch, bark and all, sliced in half long-wise and attached horizontally atop a cast-iron Singer sewing machine base. At Recycle Cincinnati there are no price tags (just ask!), no consignment, and no strictly-adhered-to hours of operation. If you can roll with the nontraditional approach to retail, there’s a conversation piece in your home’s future—for a bargain.

—LAURIE PIKE

POUND FOR

St. Vincent de Paul Outlet

4545 CHICKERING AVE., ST. BERNARD

1 pair of white women’s boots and 1 pair of men’s dress shoes: $1.09/pound

1 book, 1 picture frame: $0.49/pound

1 purse: $1.05/pound

1 pair of pants, 3 sweaters, and a windbreaker jacket: $1.19/pound

POUND

Thrift outlets can be overwhelming when items are piled in bins and priced by the pound. But there are treasures to be found if you’re willing to dig.

—LAUREN FISHER AND KANE MITTEN

Goodwill Outlet

10596 SPRINGFIELD PIKE, GLENDALE, (513) 771-0387

Hat, 2 sweaters, 2 pairs of linen pants, and 1 pair of Adidas pants: $1.79/pound

Bird mug, stuffed animal duck: $1/pound

Duffle bag: $1.79/ pound

Rob Fetters is a restless guy. As such, the veteran singer/guitarist for esteemed Cincinnati-based power-pop bands The Raisins, The Bears, and psychodots wasn’t about to let a global pandemic slow him down.

Less than two weeks after COVID descended in March 2020, Fetters put together a YouTube live stream dubbed “Fetters Is Cheap!” so he could perform songs from across his vast catalog. He continued the roughly 75-minute solo performances every Saturday night for the next 13 weeks, gathering a small but dedicated cadre of online viewers in the process.

An adventurous acoustic rendering of “Fear Is Never Boring” kicked off the first show, a sign that Fetters wouldn’t hesitate to reimagine even his most revered creations. For the uninitiated (or those who have forgotten), that song was on The Raisins’s self-titled 1983 debut album, which was produced by

Northern Kentucky native and future Bears bandmate Adrian Belew; it remains a timeless, ear-wormy concoction—jaunty riffs and rhythms play off lyrics about unconventional sex and seizing the moment, capped with an inventive guitar solo that could spring only from the mind of a man equally influenced by Jimi Hendrix, surrealism, and a particular brand of Midwestern malaise.

Proof of The Raisins’s enduring popularity? Last month the band’s primeera 1980s lineup played three sold-out reunion shows at the Woodward Theater in Over-the-Rhine.

“Fear Is Never Boring” was a regional hit, earning heavy rotation on rock ra-

dio mainstay WEBN and adding fuel to the idea that Fetters and his merry band of co-conspirators would soon enjoy widespread fame and fortune. If that kind of success would ultimately prove out of reach, there’s no denying that the musical lifer, at the age of 69, has flourished over the course of a career that dates back a half century.

At the same time, Fetters carved his niche in Cincinnati as a professional creative, writing and producing music for an array of clients—from local businesses like United Dairy Farmers and Rumpke to national brands Microsoft and Kellogg’s. He operates these days out of a second-floor studio in his Victorian-style home in

the far west side neighborhood of Sayler Park. He remains immersed in music day and night.

Fetters wasn’t sure a live stream would work at first. It took some convincing from his son, Noah, who’s also a musician and does production work for touring artists.

“Noah called me because all the gigs he did production for had been cancelled,” Fetters says, thinking back to March 2020. “And I was trying to figure out, Well, what can we do? because my gigs had been cancelled as well. But Noah, being a younger musician, was closer to starvation and homelessness, so he said, Why don’t you try a live stream? My first reaction was, No, I can’t do that. And then when I investigated it more, I was still, No, I can’t do that! And Noah said, Yes, we can do that!”

A sonic perfectionist, Fetters was concerned about the various technical issues that might arise with a live-stream performance. Then there was the lack of

direct audience interaction, a symbiotic relationship that’s fueled his work as a guitarist and performer of rare physicality and vitality. On the other hand, his extensive experience as a studio musician and producer was likely to mitigate the technical concerns. Even more assuring was his experience doing dozens of solo house shows, which involved using prerecorded backing tracks for everything but his vocals and guitar, after psychodots disbanded in 2018.

“Noah helped me wade through a lot of information, and we were able to make intelligent choices,” says Fetters. “And my choice was, I want this to be cheap. I don’t want this to be fancy. I want this to look like it’s going to go off the rails any second I guess I had seen enough Alice Cooper shows early in my life to know that it’s a lot more fun if you think the guillotine may actually work.”

Indeed, there is a playful, almost ramshackle quality to “Fetters Is Cheap!” that

brings to mind an aesthetic melding of Pee-wee’s Playhouse and Bob Shreve’s vaudeville shenanigans on local late-night television in the 1960s and ’70s. A recent visit to the “Fetters Is Cheap!” set in his house reveals a treasure trove of paraphernalia and gear.

Fetters’s guitars, familiar to anyone who’s followed him over the years, line up in a row. Ephemera from various musical ventures is abundant, including a pillow emblazoned with “Red Hot Tots,” a band he formed with longtime friend and collaborator Bob Nyswonger when they were high school classmates in Sylvania, Ohio, a suburb of Toledo. (The pair moved to Cincinnati in the late 1970s.) There are synthesizers, mics, keyboards, cords, and other contraptions with impressivelooking knobs and lights strewn throughout the room. A Bears album cover sits next to an amp adorned with a psychodots sticker.

Fetters has * Continued on page 88

MUSIC MAN Rob Fetters is photographed in his home studio (center) on February 24, 2024. Playing with Chris Arduser (drums, opposite page) and Bob Nyswonger in psychodots in above) in 1982.

Hol Holy Holy

RAVIOLI!

Is This the End of an Era?

Sacred Heart Church’s Italian Dinner returns—sort of. It’s frozen carryout only, as the 114-year-old tradition struggles against changing demographics and post-pandemic malaise.

BY MaryMcCarty

MINIATURE PHOTOGRAPHS

BY Pierre Javelle / Minimiam

incinnati celebrated its first Sacred Heart Italian Dinner in 1910—four decades before the first Skyline Chili opened and 20 years before Buddy LaRosa was born. Automobiles were so rare that neighbors raced out of their houses to gawk when a Model T rumbled down the street.

The Italian dinner at Sacred Heart Church in Camp Washington, in other words, is a Cincinnati tradition with a capital T, serving 210,000 ravioli, 23,000 meatballs, and 600 gallons of sauce to some 2,000 diners and 3,000 carryout customers at its peak. An army of sauce stirrers, meatball makers, and ravioli chefs worked the kitchen into their 80s and beyond. In 1988, Mafalda Marrero told Midwest Living magazine why she’d been volunteering since 1946: “It’s not an obligation; it’s a devotion.”

That level of devotion has been dwindling in recent years, however, as churches and cultural clubs struggle with decreasing membership and fewer volunteers. “People aren’t as connected with their heritage as their parents and grandparents,” says Cincinnati food historian Dann Woellert, author of The Food Etymologist blog. “In the case of Sacred Heart, these are now thirdand fourth-generation Italians, and many of their kids have dispersed to other cities.”

All over the region, especially in the urban core, historic churches have morphed into ale houses, community centers, and wedding venues. Even the venerable Italian dinner hasn’t been spared. Organizers have been unable to recruit enough volunteers since the pandemic forced a pause, and as a result they’ve eliminated dine-in and hot carryout options; this year, only frozen boxes of the delectable ravioli and frozen meatballs are being sold. The event now takes place once a year—Palm Sunday, March 24—instead of the past custom of twice-yearly dinners on Palm Sunday and the second Sunday in October. (This year’s event, originally scheduled for April,

moved back to Palm Sunday in February.)

“It’s heartbreaking that I can’t get it back to where it used to be,” says co-chair Ron Panioto, who took the event’s reins after the death of his father, Judge Ronald Panioto, in 2022. The elder Panioto had served as dinner co-chair since 1984, during his years on the Hamilton County Domestic Court and Municipal Court.

Faith and ethnicity have been closely linked since the Catholic Church’s arrival in the U.S., according to Father David Endres, professor of church history at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. “The original immigrants weren’t promoting their nations of origin and ethnicity so much as just being who they were.”

Civic leaders can’t help worrying what happens to a community once it loses cultural touchstones such as the Italian dinner. “It’s a lot of work and a lot of fun, and it’s a good way to showcase our Italian heritage,” says U.S. Representative Brad Wenstrup (Ohio’s 2nd District), a longtime volunteer at the event. “Imagine if Cincinnati stopped doing Oktoberfest.”

Kevin Luken, president of Cincinnati’s Germania Society, called the Italian dinner “an iconic Cincinnati tradition. It’s a great event, and it would be a shame to lose it.”

A number of forces outside of any single person’s control have conspired to put longstanding community events in jeopardy—demographic shifts, changing attitudes toward volunteering, and a worldwide pandemic being the headliners. No one among the Sacred Heart faithful wants to admit it, but this year’s frozen ravioli sale could be the final Italian dinner.

Only a few years ago, Sacred Heart’s ravioli supper was a ritual as reliable as the Reds Opening Day parade. Instant friendships sprouted up in the lines snaking around the block on Massachusetts Avenue. Customers lugged 5- and 10-quart kitchen pots to load up

Our annual list of the top dentists in the Cincinnati region, 231 professionals in seven specialties who are making smiles brighter.

TOP DENTISTS

TOP DENTISTS 2024

ENDODONTICS

VAISHALI AGARWALA

Yonchak and Agarwala, DDS, MS Inc, 5180 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-1935

BENJAMIN R. BLUMBERG

University Pointe Endodontics, 7760 W. VOA Park Dr., Suite A, West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 759-2700

ERIC M. BRAMY

Endodontics North: Eric M. Bramy, DDS, 6900 Tylersville Rd., Suite C, Mason, OH 45040, (513) 754-0900

ERIC BROWN

Eric Brown Endodontics, 810 Plum St., Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 241-0018

MICHAEL D. FULLER

University Pointe Endodontics, 7760 W. VOA Park Dr., Suite A, West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 759-2700

ADAM HADSELL

Greater Cincinnati Endodontics, 4050

Cottingham Dr., Sharonville, OH 45241, (513) 786-0260

CAREY M. HEIN

Carey Hein DDS, 4030 Smith Rd., Suite 450, Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 321-5353

ZACHARY IMPERIAL

Imperial Endodontics, 10597

Montgomery Rd., Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 583-5700

DARYL KWAN

Kenwood Endodontics, 8250

Kenwood Rd., Suite A, Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 394-6299

G. ROBERT LAWLEY

Lawley Endodontics, Inc., 748 State Rte. 28, Suite C, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 456-4144

HARISH K. MALYALA

River Valley Endodontics, 809 Wright’s

Summit Pkwy., Suite 110, Ft. Wright, KY 41011, (859) 780-2550

ALEX K. MIHAILOFF

Alex K. Mihailoff, DDS, MSD, 9200

Montgomery Rd., Bldg. F, Suite 22A, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 793-6500

ROBERT S. SCHNEIDER

Schneider Endodontics, 5420 N. Bend Rd., Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 661-7668

PAUL F. SIEGEL JR.

Paul F. Siegel Jr., DDS, 9403 Kenwood Rd., Suite B205, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 821-2668

CLAIRE SIEGEL GERHARD

Claire F. Siegel Gerhard, DDS, 9403 Kenwood Rd., Suite B205, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 821-2668

JASON E WALDEN

Northern Kentucky Endodontics, 8729 US Hwy. 42, Suite A, Florence, KY 41042, (859) 647-0006

WILL YODER

Crestview Endodontics, 340 Thomas More Pkwy., Suite 130, Crestview Hills, KY 41017, (859) 331-2800

THOMAS YONCHAK

Yonchak and Agarwala, DDS, MS Inc, 5180 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-1935

LAUREN M. ZOLLETT

Zollett Endodontics, 7661 Beechmont Ave., Suite 140, Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 231-1500

GENERAL DENTISTRY

MALLORY ADLER

Wolf + Adler Family Dentistry, 10475 Reading Rd., Suite 408, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 563-8188

BARRY APPLEGATE

Applegate Dentistry & MedSpa, 322 Greenup St., Covington, KY 41011, (859) 695-3715

LAURA M. ARNOLD

Charles P Debbane D.D.S. & Laura M Arnold D.D.S., 518 Park Ave., Hamilton, OH 45013, (513) 887-6654

ANDREW F. BARTISH

Velle Dental, 5916 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 613-4815

MICHELE ROGERS BECK

Michele Rogers Beck, DMD, PSC, 640 Scott Blvd., Covington, KY 41011, (859) 261-5852

KATHERINE BEITING

Beiting Family Dentistry, 2617 Legends Way, Suite 200, Crestview Hills, KY 41017, (859) 341-2234

CHUCK BELL

Bell Dental Group, 2767 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 486-0178

DAVE BELL JR.

Bell Dental Group, 2767 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 486-0178

JOHN BENNET JR.

Bennet Family Dental, 5606 Bridgetown Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45248, (513) 662-2000

RYAN BENSON

Benson Family Dentistry, 3801 Sharon Park Ln., Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 563-6262

JEREMY J. BORSKY

Jeremy J. Borsky, DDS, 7521 State Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 995-6847

MARIA BUSTAMANTE

Seven Star Dental, 7 W. 7th St., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 647-6802

CHRIS CARRICO

Park Dental Care, 345 Park Ave., Hamilton, OH 45013, (513) 896-7979

JANE B. CLAY

Dental Center of Florence, 8076 U.S. Hwy. 42, Florence, KY 41042, (616) 446-7987

JOHN A. CLEMENTS

Clements Family Dentistry, 25 N. F St., Hamilton, OH 45013, (513) 887-7027

DANNY COLLINS

Drs. Collins & Collins, 1919 E. High St., Springfield, OH 45505, (937) 324-0378

JONATHAN D. CONOVER

Conover Family Dental, 9312 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 931-7542

HEWITT J. COOPER

Cooper Hewitt J DDS, 1305 William Howard Taft Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206, (513) 751-3384

JEFFREY CRAWFORD

Just Smile, 6261 Beechmont Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 231-2525

DAVID N. CROOP

Mt. Lookout Dentistry, 3197 Linwood Ave., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-2852

SARA ELIZABETH CROUCH

Yochum

Wyoming Smile Center, 423 Worthington Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45215, (513) 761-1900

HASSAN F. DAWAS

Lakota Premier Dental, 7908 Cincinnati Dayton Rd., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 755-0801

REBECCA DONALDSON

Advance Dentistry, 5823 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227, (513) 272-9009

CHRISTINE ELFERS

Drs. Elfers & Runyan DDS, 2758 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 321-7076

MICHAEL ELLIOTT

Smith & Elliott Dental Associates, 265 Main St., Florence, KY 41042, (859) 371-4620

RONNIE (RONALD) ELLIOTT JR.

Smith & Elliott Dental Associates, 265 Main St., Florence, KY 41042, (859) 371-4620

ELEANOR ENDRES

Endres Gateway Dentistry, 9380 Montgomery Rd., Suite 204, Montgomery, OH 45242, (513) 492-2051

MAGGIE ERNST

Bell Dental Group, 2767 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 486-0178

LARRY FAUST

Cincinnati Dental Services Fairfield, 2760 Mack Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 874-2444

NATHAN FENNELL

Fennell, Yoxthimer and Associates, DDS, Inc., 5451 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212, (513) 631-6600

ANTHONY E. FORTE

Anthony E. Forte DDS Family Dentistry, 3475 N. Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45239, (513) 661-6100

DAVID J. FRANZ

David J. Franz, DDS, 8333 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 771-2230

Khurram A. Khan,

BDS, DMD,

FACS, About Face Surgical Arts

Dr. Khan is a nationally and internationally renowned Board Certified Oral & Maxillofacial and Cleft & Craniofacial Surgeon. From basic tooth extractions to the most complex jaw and facial reconstructive surgery cases, Dr. Khan and his team will welcome you to their practice and assist you on your treatment journey. The community has grown to know them well for treating babies to seniors; patients with medical conditions and disabilities; patients of all backgrounds and gender preferences. This full scope practice is sure to impress you with the care that is shown to each patient.

Instagram: @aboutfacesurgicalarts

Facebook: About Face Surgical Arts - Dr Khurram A Khan 7523 State Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 232-8989, https://aboutfacesurgicalarts.com

JERRY P. GAO

Jerry P. Gao, DDS & Eileen TL Gao, DDS, 8271 Cornell Rd., Suite 710, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 791-0030

WARREN R. GASE

Warren Gase, D.D.S., 9294 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 268-2037

SCOTT GELDER

Wise Dental Care, 6213 Snider Rd., Suite B, Mason, OH 45040, (513) 405-9570

NICOLE GETTINGS

Brown & Gettings, DDS, 8191 Beckett Park Dr., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 854-8582

BEN T. GOSNELL

Mt. Lookout Dentistry, 3197 Linwood Ave, Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-2852

PATRICIA HANNAHAN

Advance Dentistry, 5823 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227, (513) 272-9009

TARA N. HARDIN

Hardin Advanced Dentistry, 5350 Socialville-Foster Rd., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 398-4448

ANDREW J. HARRIS

Fountain Square Dental Care, 525 Vine St., Suite 1020, Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 621-2483

REBECCA W. HAYDEN

Hayden Family Dental, 9200 Montgomery Rd., Bldg. G, Suite 20B, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 791-4500

CHRISTOPHER F. HECK

Christopher F Heck DMD LLCMontgomery General Dentistry, 9370 Main St., Suite B, Montgomery, OH 45242, (513) 794-1884

COLLEEN TEPE HOFSTETTER

Tepe Dentistry, 3507 Glenmore Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45211, (513) 481-5885

JANE HUESMAN

Cincinnati Dental Services Edgewood Kentucky, 599 Freedom Park Dr., Suite 100, Crestview Hills, KY 41017, (859) 710-6118

KEITH JACKSON

Madeira Dentistry, 7113 Miami Ave., Madeira, OH 45243, (513) 561-5318

LAURA KINLAW JACKSON

Madeira Dentistry, 7113 Miami Ave., Madeira, OH 45243, (513) 561-5318

RICHARD L. JACKSON

Richard L. Jackson D.D.S., Inc., 3650 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 321-3037

CAMERON R. LAYER

Lowitz, Meier & Layer, 8712 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 521-8900

ERICH D. LENZ

Peters and Lenz DDS, Inc., 6431

Bridgetown Rd., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45248, (513) 574-1477

STEVEN A. LEVINSOHN

Anderson Ferry Dental, 411 Anderson Ferry Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 922-8500

TERRY K. LOWITZ

Lowitz, Meier & Layer, 8712 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 521-8900

SCOTT MALAVICH

Beckham Square Family Dental, 12500 Reed Hartman Hwy., Suite 110, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 489-7800

ANDREW J. MARCK

Village Dental, 6911 Main St., Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 272-2792

YOUNG K. JIN

Young K. Jin, DDS, 3440 Michigan Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 321-2465

STEVEN JOHNSON

Dental Wellness of Milford, 1170 OH-28, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 575-9600

DANIEL KELLEY

Eastgate Dental Excellence, 3241 Mount Carmel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 440-5060

RUCHIKA KHETARPAL

Cincinnati Area Family Dentistry, 7074 Harrison Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 923-1215

SARA JANE KLUMP

Mt. Lookout Dentistry, 3197 Linwood Ave., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-2852

JOEL R. KOCH

Joel R. Koch, DDS, 9655 Cincinnati Columbus Rd., West Chester, OH 45241, (513) 779-2200

DERRICK KRUGER

Family Dentistry of Blue Ash, 4157 Hunt Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45236, (513) 791-6154

STEPHEN LARSON

Larson Family Dental, 497 Old State Rte. 74, Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 528-1223

KRISTINA MARTINEZ

Martinez & Martinez Family Dental Care, 5374 Cox-Smith Rd., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 229-8609

JORDAN MAYBERRY

Advance Dentistry, 7301

Tylers Corner Dr., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 538-4880

JANE R. MAYS

Jane R. Mays, D.M.D., 2631 Erie Ave., Suite 14, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 224-5049

MELISSA S. MEIER

Lowitz, Meier & Layer, 8712 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 521-8900

BENJAMIN J. MESSMER

Benjamin J. Messmer, D.M.D., 23 E. Eighth St., Newport, KY 41071, (859) 431-5234

ROBERT SCOTT MEUSELBACH

Meuselbach Family Dental, 7200 Tylersville Rd., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 342-8162

DREW MEYERS

Advance Dentistry, 7655

Five Mile Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 231-1973

ERIN M. MORELAND

Moreland Family Dentistry, 1820 Florence Pike, Burlington, KY 41005, (859) 586-7570

THOMAS B. MUELLER

Mueller Family Dentistry, 1862 Ashwood Cir., Ft. Wright, KY 41011, (859) 331-2202

SUNNY PAHOUJA

Lifetime Smiles - Sunny Pahouja, D.D.S., Inc., 5205 N. Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 661-8586

JERRY PAUL

Southwood, Paul & Pope, 5601 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 741-0900

FRED H. PECK

Fred H. Peck, DDS, FAACD, 8251 Cornell Rd., Suite 130, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 621-7666

JORDAN PELCHOVITZ

Kenwood Complete Dentistry, 5050 E. Galbraith Rd., Suite C, Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 531-5050

JEFFREY D. PETER

Peter Family Dentistry, 2025

Declaration Dr., Independence, KY 41051, (859) 429-1327

JAMES PHERO

UC Health - Holmes, 200 Albert Sabin Way, Suite 2119, Cincinnati, OH 45267, (513) 584-7910

ELIZABETH PLAS

Dr. Elizabeth Plas, 3964 Edwards Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 351-3700

TIMOTHY L. POHLMAN

2761 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-2989

www.timothypohlmandds.com

BRIAN POPE

Southwood, Paul & Pope, 5601 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 741-0900

PETE J. RAUEN

Crestview Hills Dental, 232 Thomas More Pkwy., Crestview Hills, KY 41017, (859) 331-8880

ROB REINECK

Milford Dental Excellence, 1188 OH-131, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 831-1446

JOEL RICHTER

Fairfield Family Dentistry, 1140 Hicks Blvd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 817-1939

DAVID M. ROBINSON

Kenwood Cosmetic Dentistry, 7615 Kenwood Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 791-6262, https:// KenwoodCosmeticDentistry.com

MICHAEL D. ROLFES

Michael D. Rolfes, DDS & Euna C. Koo, D.D.S., 7729 Montgomery Rd., Kenwood, OH 45236, (513) 793-1241

DAVE ROTHAN

Twin Dental, 11430 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 224-5391

SCOTT E. SAYRE

Advance Dentistry, 5823 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227, (513) 272-9009

KEVIN SCHAMEL

Parkway Dental, 6450 Centerville Business Pkwy., Centerville, OH 45459, (937) 435-9110

LAURA SCHILLER

Schiller Dental, 5330 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 922-7111

ANDREA SCHMERLER

Beckham Square Family Dental, 12500 Reed Hartman Hwy., Suite 110, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 489-7800

JAMES SEIBERT

Seibert Complete Dentistry, 1149 Fehl Ln., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 231-9300

SHELLEY SHEARER

Shearer Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, 1335 Hansel Dr., Florence, KY 41042, (859) 647-7068

ALAN SHLEIER

Cincinnati Dental Services West Chester, 7334 Tylers Corner Dr., Suite 500, West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 712-1014

RICK SINGEL

South Coast Ohio Dentistry Inc., 2752 Erie Ave., Suite 8, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-4200

HUBBELL J. SMITH

Tepe Family Dentistry, 3427 Glenmore Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45211, (513) 662-4555

MICHELLE STORY

Michelle E. Story DMD, 1227 S. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas, KY 41075, (859) 572-6700

MONICA B. SWOPE

Kingdom Family Dentistry, 772 Waycross Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45240, (513) 742-2322

ALEC TACKETT

Ivy Dental, 7201 Main St., Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 231-3990

JAN HEXAMER TEPE

Tepe & Smith Family Dentistry, 3427 Glenmore Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45211, (513) 662-4555

LAWRENCE J. TEPE

Tepe & Smith Family Dentistry, 3427 Glenmore Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45211, (513) 662-4555

KYLE THOMPSON

Elite Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, 8780 US Hwy. 42, Suite B, Florence, KY 41042, (859) 384-2999

RACHEL TWYMAN

Cornerstone Dental Group, 4030 Smith Rd., Suite 110, Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 318-4455

JOHN V. UNGER

John V. Unger, DDS, 1270 Ebenezer Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45233, (513) 922-1455

Drs. Shearer, Walden, and Rojas

Shearer Family and Cosmetic Dentistry

Shearer Family & Cosmetic Dentistry is no stranger to Cincinnati Magazine’s Top Dentists list! These ladies comprise the largest all-female cosmetic dental practice in the tri-state area while being voted Top Dentists.

Drs. Shearer, Walden, and Rojas are located in Florence, Kentucky, and treat all phases and ages of dentistry for kids to adults. Their expertise in veneers, Invisalign, and dental implants is second to none.

They specialize in improving your smile and provide a Smile Try On service that allows you to test drive your dream smile. Dr. Shelley Shearer also started the Smile Studio by Shearer Dentistry in Crestview Hills Town Center.

1335 Hansel Ave., Florence, KY 41042, (859) 647-7068, www.shelleyshearerdmd.com

TOP DENTISTS 0000

LISA VASSEUR

Mortenson Family Dentistry, 1983

Dixie Hwy., Ft. Wright, KY 41011, (859) 415-4800

DAVID L. VORHERR DDS, FICD

David L. Vorherr DDS, 5968 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 385-2411

MICHAEL R. VORHERR

Michael R. Vorherr DDS, 5968 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 385-1315

JANE WALKER

Dr. Jane Walker, DDS, 27 Water St., Suite 1, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 831-4133

KEVIN WALL

Bellevue Family Dentistry, 340 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, KY 41073, (859) 291-7621

VALERIE WATSON

Hebron Family Dentistry, 2940 Hebron Park Dr., Hebron, KY 41048, (859) 689-2021

ALAN R. WEINSTEIN

Alan R. Weinstein, 7835 Remington Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 793-1977

LINDSEY WILLIAMS

Dental Wellness of Milford, 1170 OH-28, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 575-9600

SYDNEY WILLIAMS

Afinia Dental - Orchard Hill-Fairfield, 3174 Mack Rd., Suite 5, Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 506-9510

TODD E. WILLIAMS

Todd E. Williams, D.D.S., 11325 Springfield Pike, Springdale, OH 45246, (513) 772-9100

JODIE YILDIRIM

Eastgate Dental Excellence, 3241 Mount Carmel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 440-5060

REBECCA B. YOXTHIMER

KINGDOM Family Dentistry, 772 Waycross Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45240, (513) 742-2322

ROB YOXTHIMER

Fennell, Yoxthimer and Associates, DDS, Inc., 5451 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212, (513) 631-6600

ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

V. RUSSELL BOUDREAU JR.

Thatcher & Boudreau, DDS, Inc., 800 Compton Rd., Suite 20, Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 521-0110

TIMOTHY W. CONLEY

Affiliates in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 5188 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-8080

BABAK EMAMI

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Ohio, 7462 Jager Ct., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 232-4600

MELISSA H. FISHER

Cincinnati Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Inc., 2852 Boudinot Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 451-7300

JIMMIE L. HARPER

Cincinnati Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Inc., 2852 Boudinot Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 451-7300

KHURRAM A. KHAN

About Face Surgical Arts, 7523 State Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 232-8989

MARK A. KNIBBE

Oral Facial Surgery Associates, 1481 Cavalry Dr., Suite 200, Florence, KY 41042, (859) 371-0123

DEEPAK KRISHNAN

UC Health - Holmes, 200 Albert Sabin Way, Suite 2119, Cincinnati, OH 45267, (513) 584-7910

ROBERT WADE LUCAS

Oral Surgery & Dental Implant

Specialists of Cincinnati, 11438 Lebanon Rd., Unit F, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 769-5545

CHRISTOPHER A. MCDANIEL

Affiliates in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 5188 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-8080

Dr. Raymond Bonomo

After 23 years of private practice we have become highly specialized in the placement of dental implants, teeth in a day (implant supported dentures), treating periodontal disease and gum recession. We pride ourselves on treating our patients like family by making each visit as pleasant as possible. We also offer a variety of sedation options to ease dental anxiety!

Mission: We provide advanced dental health solutions by partnering with our referring doctors, by building authentic relationships with our patients through education, connection, and service.

Pillars: 1. We Serve 2. We are Honest and Trustworthy 3. We Work Hard 4. We are Innovative 5. We Seek Excellence

6208 Muhlhauser Rd., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 671-0222; 34 Remick Blvd., Springboro, OH 45066, (937) 886-9940; www.bonomoperiodontics.net

ERIC MURNAN

Oral Surgery & Dental Implant

Specialists of Cincinnati, 11438 Lebanon Rd., Unit F, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 769-5545

J. PATRICK NALL

Affiliates in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 5188 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-8080

MATTHEW F. PAGNOTTO

Tri-State Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, 2300 Conner Rd., Hebron, KY 41048, (859) 586-4825

STEVEN P. PIEPER

Cincinnati Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery, 7140 Miami Ave., Suite 202, Cincinnati, OH 45243, (513) 271-5900

MARK SCHIBLER

Cincinnati Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery, 7140 Miami Ave., Suite 202, Cincinnati, OH 45243, (513) 271-5900

JAMES M. SCHIRMER

The Center for Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Countryside, 1726 Deerfield Rd., Lebanon, OH 45036, (513) 932-9991

GARRETT SEGHI

Oral Surgery & Dental Implant

Specialists of Cincinnati, 11438 Lebanon Rd., Unit F, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 769-5545

HANK W. SLEET

Northern Kentucky Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Associates, 20 Medical Village Dr., Suite 196, Edgewood, KY 41017, (859) 331-2100

NATHAN SPENCER

Cincinnati Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery, 7140 Miami Ave., Suite 202, Cincinnati, OH 45243, (513) 271-5900

RANDALL D. STASTNY

Blue Ash Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Inc., 4350 Malsbary Rd., Suite 201, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 984-2100

SCOTT L. THATCHER

Thatcher & Boudreau, DDS, Inc., 800

Compton Rd., Suite 20, Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 521-0110

GLENN S. WATERS

Oral and Facial Surgery Associates,

LLC, 11655 Solzman Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 791-0550

YAVUZ YILDIRIM

Oral and Facial Surgery Associates,

LLC, 11655 Solzman Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 791-0550

ORTHODONTICS

ROBIN BAKER

Cassinelli, Shanker & Associates Orthodontics, 4881 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 777-7060

SPENCER BOLEY

Boley Braces, 5530 Muddy Creek Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 347-9222

DARCIE R. BRADLEY

Dr. Darcie R. Bradley, 5947 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 385-2161

TOP DENTISTS 0000

ALEX CASSINELLI

Cassinelli, Shanker & Associates

Orthodontics, 4881 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 777-7060

JERROD DEMPSEY

Gruelle Dempsey Orthodontics, 9675

Montgomery Rd., Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 697-9999

TERRY GRUELLE

Gruelle Dempsey Orthodontics, 9675 Montgomery Rd., Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 697-9999

STEPHEN HAVERKOS

Haverkos Family Orthodontics, 5754 Bridgetown Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45248, (513) 481-8000

ERIC HICKMAN

Hickman Orthodontics, 3116-L Montgomery Rd., Maineville, OH 45039, (513) 697-9772

KEVIN J. ISON

Orthodontic Specialists, 1499 Main St., Suite A, Hamilton, OH 45013, (513) 772-6500

Christopher F. Heck, DMD

Montgomery General Dentistry

Dr. Heck and the team at Montgomery General Dentistry provide precision dental care with a personal touch. They are focused on caring and comprehensive management of your oral health with a hometown feel. Positive outcomes, no matter the severity or complexity of dental issues, come with experience and training.

Whether it’s family dental care, cosmetic dentistry, or emergency treatments, Dr. Heck is focused on you and those outcomes. They treat you like a friend and want to build a relationship of reliability, compassion, and fairness. Dr. Heck specializes in providing a safe, judgment-free zone for those with complex dental issues.

9370 Main St., Suite B, Montgomery, OH 45242, (513) 794-1884,

www.montgomerygeneraldentistry.com

TOP DENTISTS 2024

LAMONT (MONTY) B. JACOBS

Lamont Jacobs Orthodontics, 1242 Nilles Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-7045

GRACE KERR

Hyde Park Orthodontics, 2706

Observatory Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 533-4200

D. WILLIAM LANGE

Lange Orthodontics, 9157 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 791-0777

JAMES W. LOGEMAN

James W. Logeman, D.D.S., M.S.

Orthodontics, 5240 E Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 540-2921

FERNANDO L. MARTINEZ

Martinez Orthodontics, 6381 Bridgetown Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45248, (513) 598-9800

ASHLEY MENCARELLI

Gruelle Dempsey Orthodontics, 9675 Montgomery Rd., Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 697-9999

KENT MORRIS

Kent Morris Orthodontics, 9573 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 683-3900

DON MURDOCK

Murdock Orthodontics, 5420 N. Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 662-2100

DANIEL NOLL

Orthodontic Specialists, 4440 Glen Este-Withamsville Rd., Suite 1400, Cincinnati, OH 45245, (513) 772-6500

DAVID C. QUAST

Quast Orthodontics, 320 Thomas Moore Pkwy., Suite 102, Crestview Hills, KY 41017, 859/341-9400

ANTHONY RINALDI

Rinaldi Orthodontics, 5987 Meijer Dr., Milford, OH 45150, (513) 831-6160

MONA RINALDI

Rinaldi Orthodontics, 5987 Meijer Dr., Milford, OH 45150, (513) 831-6160

BRIAN ROMICK

Romick Orthodontics, 7655 Five Mile Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 232-4110

SHIVA SHANKER

Cassinelli, Shanker & Associates Orthodontics, 4881 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 777-7060

JACOB STADIEM

Northeast Orthodontic Specialists, 9380 Kenwood Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 793-4770

JERI L. STULL

Jeri Stull Orthodontics, 637 Highland Ave., Ft. Thomas, KY 41075, (859) 587-6789

PETER M. SUFFIELD

Precision Orthodontics, 8154 Montgomery Rd., Suite 102, Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 891-4324

JAMES N. THACKER

Thacker Orthodontics, 1057 Nimitzview Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 802-9360

MARYEVAN THACKER

Hellebusch

Thacker Orthodontics, 1057 Nimitzview Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 802-9360

BRYAN R. WIRTZ

Bryan R. Wirtz, DDS, MS, 11329

Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45246, (513) 772-1671

EDWARD J. WNEK

Wnek Orthodontics, 2712 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-0324

JAMES J. ZETTLER

Zettler Orthodontics, 417 Park Ave., Hamilton, OH 45013, (513) 863-1984

JAMES R. ZETTLER JR.

Zettler Orthodontics, 417 Park Ave., Hamilton, OH 45013, (513) 863-1984

STEVEN M. ZETTLER

Zettler Orthodontics, 417 Park Ave., Hamilton, OH 45013, (513) 863-1984

Daniel Kelley and Jodie Yildirim

Eastgate Dental Excellence

Eastgate Dental Excellence has been serving our community in Cincinnati for over 40 years. We are a full-service dental practice providing comprehensive care to meet our patients’ unique dental care needs. Drs. Daniel Kelley and Jodie Yildirim work with their compassionate team to offer patients a superior dental care experience. Our approach is special—in partnering with our patients we aim to provide care with clear communication, personalized patient education, and a positive experience. If you are looking to improve your smile, replace missing teeth, or maintain your dental health, we are here for you. We would love to have you join our dental family.

3241 Mt. Carmel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 753-0044, https://eastgatedentalexcellence.com

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

KATIE BLOMER

Hyde Park Pediatric Dentistry, 3136 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 979-6998

MARIE CALLEN

Marie Callen DMD - Dentistry for Kids, 11306 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 376-8200

LAUREN CAPOZZA

Loveland Pediatric Dentistry, 10570 Loveland Madeira Rd., Loveland, OH 45140, (513) 806-2060

MURRAY DOCK

Montgomery Pediatric Dentistry, 4881 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 891-0660

LAURA DOSS

Village Pediatric Dentistry, 8179-H Princeton Glendale Rd., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 844-0046

JOHN GENNANTONIO

Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, 1319 Nagel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 474-6777

SARAH HUSTED

Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, 1319 Nagel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 474-6777

KAITLIN JENNISON

Union Pediatric Dentistry, 2012 Callie Way, Suite 202, Union, KY 41091, (859) 384-6050

RICHARD KENNEDY

Fairfield Pediatric Dentistry - Chew Chew Junction, 945 Deis Dr., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 858-6575

TRISHA R. MCNAMARA

The Pediatric Dentist, 5177 N. Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45211, (513) 662-5203

CINDY R. PONG

Smiles 4 Kids Pediatric Dentistry, 11350 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45246, (513) 771-5231

RONALD L. POULOS

Pediatric Dentistry of Anderson, 7655 Five Mile Rd., Suite 214, Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 232-0550

DAVID M. RIDER

David Rider, D.M.D., 1809 Alexandria Pike, Suite A, Highland Heights, KY 41076, (859) 781-1500

LISA RUDOLPH

Montgomery Pediatric Dentistry, 4881 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 891-0660

BRAD SKELTON

Fairfield Pediatric Dentistry - Chew Chew Junction, 945 Deis Dr., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 858-6575

ERIC M. SOPER

Pediatric Dental Center, 5495 N. Bend Rd., Suite 102, Burlington, KY 41005, (859) 810-6716

KATIE STEWART

Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, 1319 Nagel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 474-6777

TOP DENTISTS 2024

DAVE SULLIVAN

Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, 1319 Nagel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 474-6777

ADEL M. TAWADROS

Adel M. Tawadros Pediatric Dentistry, 420 Ray Norrish Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45246, (513) 671-1666

PERIODONTICS

ANDREW BAKER

Shapiro and Baker Periodontics & Dental Implants, 8350 E. Kemper Rd., Unit C, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 984-4867

CHRISTOPHER W. BECKNER

Christopher W. Beckner, DDS, 5850 Boymel Dr., Unit 2, Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 856-8253

STACEY BLUME

Periodontics & Implantology At Cornerstone, 4030 Smith Rd., Suite 225, Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 224-5204

Dr. James W. Logeman, DDS MS INC

Dr. Jim Logeman, second generation orthodontist, widely known as “Orthodude,” has been in practice for the past 30 years. At our office we pride ourselves on taking your entire experience into consideration. All of your questions about cost, time, treatment options, and choice of next steps will be addressed in the complimentary consultation. Our philosophy is to see each patient as a family member and offer ease in choosing what is best for your orthodontic goals. Spend LESS time in braces.

Benefit from State of the Art Technology. Enjoy Stress Free Visits….Meet Cedar (our emotional support dog).

5240 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 791-0260; 318 Reading Rd., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 398-0133; https://orthodude.com

TOP DENTISTS 2024

RAYMOND BONOMO

Bonomo Periodontics, 6208

Muhlhauser Rd., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 671-0222

RYAN P. ESTES

Southern Roots Periodontics and Dental Implant Specialists, 8136 Mall Rd., Florence, KY 41042, (859) 371-6543

MARY ANN HANLON

Mary Ann Hanlon, DDS, MS, 7074

Harrison Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 662-4867

RYAN HARRIS

Harris Periodontics & Implant

Dentistry, 5138 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 336-8100

TIFFANY HARRIS

Harris Periodontics & Implant

Dentistry, 5138 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 336-8100

NEAL LEMMERMAN

Lemmerman Periodontics, 6950 E. Kemper Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 851-9292

ROBERT J. LIMARDI, DDS, MS, MED

Periodontal Visions, Inc., 3174 Mack Rd., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45014, (513) 870-9672

ALLISON K. MARLOW

Southern Roots Periodontics and Dental Implant Specialists, 8136 Mall Rd., Florence, KY 41042, (859) 371-6543

MATTHEW M. PARKER

Parker Periodontics & Implant

Dentistry, 8000 Five Mile Rd., Suite 350, Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 474-4486

ABHISHEK PATEL

Periodontics & Implantology At Cornerstone, 4030 Smith Rd., Suite 225, Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 224-5204

VLAD SHAPIRO

Shapiro and Baker Periodontics & Dental Implants, 8350 E. Kemper Rd., Unit C, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 984-4867

MARK SILVERS

Mark Silvers DDS MS, 7710 Shawnee Run Rd., Madeira, OH 45243, (513) 271-1101

SCOTT SILVERSTEIN

Ohio Valley Center for Periodontics & Implants, 748 State Rte. 28, Suite A, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 854-0338

MICHAEL C. TOMS

Michael C. Toms, DDS, MS, 5532 Muddy Creek Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 922-7300

MARGARET “MAGGIE” WEBER

Shapiro and Baker Periodontics & Dental Implants, 8350 E. Kemper Rd., Suite C, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 984-4867

JEFFREY R. WESSEL

Wessel Periodontics, LLC, 8221 Cornell Road, Suite 430, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 891-3933

PROSTHODONTICS

DAVID D. CARRIER

David D. Carrier, DDS, 121 William Howard Taft Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45219, (513) 961-8113

MANNY (MANISH) CHOPRA

Center for Dental Health, 2752 Erie Ave., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-4411

ROBERT J. FAULKNER

Cincinnati Prosthodontics, 6355 E. Kemper Rd., Suite 150, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 489-8070

Lowitz, Meier, and Layer

The dental office of Terry K. Lowitz, D.D. S., Melissa S. Meier, D.M.D., Cameron R. Layer, D.D.S., and Jennifer Yu, D.M.D., offers a unique dental experience. From the minute they walk into our warm, friendly environment, our patients know they are not just at the dental office, they are at home. Located centrally in Cincinnati, we have been serving our community for over 40 years. From a regular checkup to a complete smile makeover, our doctors’ top priority is the comfort and health of our patients. Drs. Lowitz, Meier, Layer, and Yu offer the most state-of-the art dental procedures available. We have incorporated the latest technologies in digital dentistry, from digital X-rays and impressions to fully-guided implant surgeries and same-day CEREC crowns, we give our patients the best, and they definitely know it. Our patient reviews speak for themselves. Our doctors and dental team are committed to giving our patients the most professional, compassionate care for a lifetime of dental health.

8712 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 521-8900, www.cincinnatidentists.com

Dr. Jane Mays

The office of Dr. Jane Mays sets itself apart from other dental practitioners by actively working with patients on whole-body well-being through the practice of Oral-Systemic Health. The correlations between oral diseases and systemic conditions are broadly accepted. Inflammation and/or bacteria in the oral cavity can be connected to seven of the 10 leading causes of death. The experienced staff at Mays Dentistry utilizes patient education, has implemented screening protocols and tools, and collaborates with local medical professionals to effectively manage the oral manifestations of systemic diseases. OralDNA Labs’ MyPerioPath saliva testing is one tool utilized in Dr. Mays’ office to diagnose the specific underlying oral pathogens causing periodontal disease and inflammation and leading to a higher incidence of chronic systemic diseases. This allows you to effectively manage your health, well-being, and longevity as our office guides you to the goal of a longer and more active life.

2631 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 321-1102, www.janemaysdmd.com

Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists of Cincinnati

Robert Lucas, MD, DMD;

Garrett Seghi, DDS, MD; Eric Murnan, DDS, MD

Drs. Lucas, Seghi, and Murnan at Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists of Cincinnati are dual-degree, board certified Oral Surgeons providing surgical services across the Greater Cincinnati area. Uniquely qualified with both medical and dental training, our doctors are specialized in dental implants, full-mouth implant reconstruction, wisdom teeth removal, and IV sedation. With a patient-centric approach, coupled with state-of-the-art facilities in Mason, Sharonville, and Western Hills, our team is ready to deliver exceptional care and results for you and your family.

Sharonville, (513) 769-5545

Mason, (513) 677-3003

Western Hills, (513) 661-7410

https://cincinnatioralsurgeons.com

Dr. Fred Peck, DDS, FAACD and Dr. Megan Frew, DMD

Discover the potential of your smile through cosmetic dentistry! This state-of-the-art practice offers all general dental services with a focus on cosmetic and reconstructive dentistry (which includes procedures like smile redesigns, porcelain veneers, cosmetic bonding, and TMJ treatment).

In addition to enhancing smiles, the office of Drs. Peck and Frew is proud to offer a range of facial aesthetic services, which include Botox, dermal fillers, Kybella, smooth PDO threads, and fractional skin resurfacing laser treatments! Like artists working with a technologically advanced new medium, Drs. Peck and Frew combine vision with sophisticated materials to achieve inspired results to enhance your smile and self-confidence. Alongside their highly trained and experienced team, you’ll find that Drs. Peck and Frew will ensure that you look and feel your best with a beautiful and lasting smile!

8251 Cornell Rd., Suite 130, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 621-7666, www.pecksmiles.com

Seven Star Dental

Experience cutting-edge dentistry in a beautiful spa-like environment. Dr. Maria Bustamante created Seven Star Dental to offer her patients a unique dental experience. Her main focus is in general and cosmetic dentistry, ranging from simple treatments to complete smile makeovers. Dr. Maria Bustamante puts high emphasis on advanced continuing education to offer her patients state-of-the-art cosmetic dentistry including Invisalign, porcelain veneers, same-day crowns, ZOOM! whitening, restorative dentistry, oral laser surgery, and full mouth rehabilitation. Her patients love the private treatment and consultation rooms, as they learn about their dental health and options for care. The relaxing touches like heated massage chairs, WiFi, Netflix, and refreshments compliment a comforting visit. Thanks to Dr. Bustamante’s dedication to dentistry along with a knowledgeable, friendly team and comfortable atmosphere, every Seven Star patient can expect a personable, seven-star experience!

7 W. Seventh St., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 241-7827, www.sevenstardental.com

Stacey Blume, DMD, MS

Periodontics & Implantology at Cornerstone

Dr. Blume provides personalized care to return gum tissues to health and restore the smiles of patients suffering from tooth loss. She is focused on providing gentle and compassionate care to meet your individual needs. Dentists, dentists’ family members, medical professionals, and team members of dental offices choose Dr. Blume to provide advanced periodontal and dental implant care.

Dr. Blume initially became interested in the field of dentistry during her teen years, while undergoing orthodontic treatment. She recognized that a dental professional could forge a lasting relationship with patients and have a lifelong impact to improve their quality of life.

4030 Smith Rd., Suite 225, Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 871-8488, topgums@fuse.net

Kent Morris Orthodontics

Dr. Kent Morris has been serving the Cincinnati area for over 20 years. Being an orthodontist is not just his career, it his passion. When he is not in the office, he enjoys running, swimming, playing his guitar, and spending time with his family.

9573 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 683-3900, www.kentmorrisorthodontics.com

Jonathan D. Conover Conover Family Dental

Conover Family Dental is honored to receive the Top Dentist award for the fifth consecutive year. Dr. Jon Conover, Dr. Cherie Senger, and their team have a simple mission: to give you the best dental experience of your life. They offer a wide range of dental services, including single visit crowns, sedation, and full mouth transformations. Call today and mention Cincinnati Magazine to receive a special introductory offer.

9312 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 931-7542, https://conoverfamilydental.com

Eric M. Soper, D.M.D.

Pediatric Dental Center

Pediatric Dental Center is a leading pediatric dental practice serving the Northern Kentucky/Greater Cincinnati area. We are committed to building the foundation for lifelong oral health from infancy through adolescence. We are dedicated to making children’s visits to the dentist pleasant and comfortable. This philosophy builds a relationship of trust and confidence and takes the fear out of visiting the dentist. We think education and early prevention is the key to great oral health!

418 Crossroads Blvd., Cold Spring, KY 41076; 5495 North Bend Rd., Burlington, KY 41005; (859) 534-5640, www.pediatricdentalcenter.com

Let's

Michael

Chair, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery UC Health Orthopaedics

Same-day

The Journey to Joint Replacement

Experts from UC Health, Beacon Orthopaedics, and The Christ Hospital explain the ins and outs of joint replacement.

There are few things as debilitating as chronic pain. Medicine has a long and complex history of pain management treatments, but modern joint replacement procedures address the core issue instead of masking the symptoms.

“Usually, we are treating joint replacement as the final and definitive treatment for end-stage arthritis,” Barton Branam, M.D., with UC Health says.

Arthritis is a broad diagnosis for conditions that damage or inflame joints. According to the CDC, the disease is a leading cause of disability

in the United States, and nearly one in every four American adults had a diagnosed case of arthritis in 2021. Of those, around 44 percent suffered enough pain and stiffness to limit their mobility. Those rates are on the rise, and the country’s growing median age puts more people at higher risk.

“For any arthritic joint, the key indicator that something’s wrong is pain,” Marc Wahlquist, M.D., with Beacon Orthopaedics says. Although every case is different, the pain Wahlquist references often appears for his patients while walking up hills, climbing stairs, or even standing. In

many cases, basic activities like getting dressed without severe discomfort also signal a problem.

Treatments for various types of arthritis revolve around symptom management, particularly pain, swelling, and a limited range of motion that impacts a patient’s daily function. Nonsurgical options range from ice and anti-inflammatory medication to changing the patient’s activity level to accommodate their condition.

It’s possible, however, to lower your risk. Todd Kelley, M.D., with The Christ Hospital says, “Early detection can be important in the sense of trying to minimize progression. If there is an injury, such as a meniscus tear in the knee, or a labral tear in the hip, we like to catch these early.”

As useful as early detection can be, it doesn’t always lead to a different outcome. “The biggest risk factors for arthritis are obesity, trauma, and genetics,” Wahlquist says. “Our knee sees four times our body weight every time we take a step. It’s hard to avoid trauma. Even people who do all the right things can still develop arthritis. We are learning genetics plays a significant role in the development of arthritis, and you can’t really mitigate that.”

Osteoarthritis, the most common cause of joint replacement, is a matter of wear and tear. The delicate cartilage sandwiched between bones wears down over time, and as it degrades, the pain begins. This is most common

in patients over 60, but age doesn’t define your risk.

“Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you don’t have joint damage,” Branam says. “We have a lot of younger patients with significant disease requiring joint replacement. Post-traumatic arthritis is the most common, but certainly other conditions, like avascular necrosis, where the bone dies under the cartilage, appear in younger patients.”

In 2022 there were nearly 3 million knee and hip replacements and over 10,000 shoulder replacements. These are by far the most common three joint replacement surgeries, but they aren’t the only options for arthritic patients.

“If there is a joint, usually we’ve developed a strategy to replace it,”

A partial replacement only replaces arthritic segments of the joint. Each has pros and cons. A partial replacement often feels more natural, which is valuable to younger patients with higher activity levels. It also takes less recovery time on average. The key risk is developing arthritis in other areas of the joint, and revision rates may be a greater concern for young athletes.

The most common type of total replacement uses metal to replace bone and plastic between the metal replacements as stand-in cartilage. Although medical science has significantly improved the quality of the plastic used in these procedures, that plastic cushion remains the weakest element. Most wear out in 20 or 30 years. The right option depends on the individual.

surgeons make a small incision in the front of the hip to reach the joint. Many patients, however, are coming to their surgeons with something even more cutting-edge in mind: robots in the operating theater. Robotic arms appeared in the joint replacement field in 2006, and their use has expanded to accommodate multiple procedures for knees and hips.

“While basic robotic technology has been around for a while, I think the next generation will take it to another level using artificial intelligence and machine learning,” Kelley says. “We will begin to see this technology incorporate large data sets to adjust a standard surgical plan into more of a patient-specific plan.”

With the increasing involvement of

In 2022 there were nearly 3 million knee and hip replacements and over 10,000 shoulder replacements.

Branam says. “For example, you can excise the joint, like the joint between the shoulder and the end of the collarbone. You can interpose some soft tissue in the joint, like for arthritis at the base of the thumb. Instead of replacing the thumb joint, we remove a bone and put a patient’s tendon within that joint space, and that stops the bone from rubbing on the bone, but it also maintains the space.”

Despite the growing variety of procedures for smaller joints, the big three usually follow one of two routes: total or partial replacement. A total replacement replaces parts of both bones in the joint along with artificial cartilage.

“This is a treatment that has to be discussed between a surgeon and a patient so that the surgeon and the patient have the same goals. I think if surgeons and patients have the same goals, they’ll be much more successful at meeting the patient’s expectations,” Branam says. “One of the best things about all joint replacements is that we continue to get better and better.”

The world of joint replacement surgery constantly evolves to offer safer, less invasive, and less painful procedures. The last decade has seen a rise in techniques like anterior hip replacement, where

AI in medicine, this looks like a realistic prediction, but robots aren’t on a path to replace surgeons.

“To date, no one has been able to demonstrate that a robotically-performed joint replacement surgery is any better than a traditional joint replacement,” Wahlquist says. “I’ve done a lot of robotic knee replacements, and they’re perfect for complex surgeries where there’s existing hardware, like plates and screws. I think of it more as a tool I can use when I need to. There are surgeons who only do robotic surgery, and they do a great job. There are surgeons who’ve never done robotic surgery, and they’ve done

a great job.”

Other, less tech-forward advances are subtle, like a shift in the understanding of how bones are cut to align during surgery. Allowing for more curvature can lead to slightly faster recoveries and more natural-feeling motion.

Wahlquist is particularly excited about “smart knee” technology. These implants have a small transmitter that measures metrics like stride length, range of motion, and cadence. This information goes to the doctor, who can keep tabs on individual patients’ progress accurately and remotely. “It allows me to be a little bit more involved in their recovery, and the patients can be more involved as well. We can show them the numbers, and it gives the patient reassurance that they really are doing well, even if they don’t feel they are,” Wahlquist says.

One of the great advantages of joint surgery is time. Arthritis is debilitating, but not life-threatening, and that ensures the entire team, patients included, have time to prep as thoroughly as possible. “We want to medically optimize

determinants of a successful outcome is avoiding complications. Part of that is ensuring a patient is the best possible surgical candidate that they can be. All of their modifiable risk factors are modified.”

Risk factors look different for each

Robotic arms appeared in the joint replacement field in 2006, and their use has expanded.

people for elective surgeries, and a joint replacement is about elective as it gets,” Branam says. “One of the main

patient. Some may need to adjust BMI to reduce fat near the joint, which dramatically increases the chance of

infection. Others must stabilize their blood sugar. Minor infections also present major risks. These range from infected teeth to UTIs, and surgeries go on hold until they’re treated.

Patients also get to practice before their procedure. Most surgeons send nurses to work with surgical candidates in their homes, assessing potential post-surgical risks like stairs, low toilets, or loose carpets. They work as a team to ensure family and friends are ready to help, and physical therapists usually begin working with patients to familiarize them with exercises before the day of surgery.

“Most surgeries are about an hour, but can vary based on individual complexity,” Kelley says. “A physical therapist will help with the first steps around the hallways. Once a patient can walk the hallway, have a bite to eat, and go to the bathroom, we feel it is safe to head home.”

Not so long ago, joint replacement patients expected to spend days recovering in hospital, but that’s no longer

the norm. “One of the good things that came out of COVID was that we were restricted from performing inpatient surgeries for quite some time,” Branam

says. “So, it really forced us to hone the outpatient experience. More and more patients are having joint replacements done on an outpatient basis.”

“I saw a Top-50 orthopedic foot & ankle specialist on the same day.”

Once the patient leaves the operating room, their recovery begins, and this can be more daunting than the surgery itself.

“Patients’ biggest fear is recovery and the pain that they’ll experience, and that’s valid,” Wahlquist says. “There is a recovery period, and while we’ve gotten much, much better at pain management and our recovery protocols, we’ve not been able to eliminate pain completely from the experience.”

Surgeons and their teams follow multimodal pathways to address discomfort before the patient even regains consciousness from surgery. Anesthesia includes selective regional nerve blocks. Local anesthetic is injected directly into the joint. Then there are anti-inflammatories and painkillers.

Robert Kulwin, MD Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon

The world of joint replacement surgery constantly evolves.

“Physical therapy is important— and that is not just the time spent working with a therapist. There is homework to do,” Kelley says. “Some of [the recovery] is dependent on your strength and stability prior to surgery and some of it is dependent on your goals and activities you would like to return to. A goal of being able to sit through a grandchild’s dance recital may be achieved faster than a goal of

being able to return to backpacking.”

Again, a lot depends on the patient. Ultimately, even the success of the surgery is down to the patient’s experience, which makes sense when you consider that arthritis is diagnosed by pain and physical limitation.

“When the patient is happy with it, I call it a success, and that can be six weeks to a year,” Wahlquist says. “I tell my patients, in general, they’ll be

Healing begins with a doctor who hears you.

on a walker for two weeks and a cane two weeks after that, so after six weeks is when they start thinking this was a good idea. So, it takes six weeks before they think I’m their friend again, then three months to do prolonged activities like grocery shopping. The “Forgotten Knee Score,” when they sometimes forget they had the surgery, is around nine to 12 months.”

Joint replacements are major procedures with life-changing results, and consulting your primary care provider is a great way to start. Good patients always ask questions. Maybe it’s time to ask: What could you be doing in 12 months?

produced a very successful piece of music whoredom and cracked the code to selffinance my music career and family.”

A few years later, Andy Haskins, a multitalented Cincinnatian who moved to Los Angeles more than two decades ago, reached out to Fetters for musical assistance. Haskins has worked with various bigwig media entities—including ABC, Disney, and NBC—over the course of a career that also includes his own work as a filmmaker and animator. And, of course, he was a big fan of The Raisins, The Bears, and pyschodots. He knew Fetters could deliver whatever he might need, resulting in, per Haskins, “dozens” of commercial collaborations.

latest album, Mother, which came out in October. He wrote most of the new material, his fifth self-produced solo effort after 1998’s stellar Lefty Loose Righty Tight, from a rented apartment in Brooklyn, New York, where he and his wife of 35 years, Susan (a.k.a. “Swany”), would decamp off and on over the past two years.

It seems they needed a new adventure after more than a year of lockdown. There was also the added incentive that their New York City–based son, Sam, had recently made them grandparents for the first time.

“The kind of music I required tended to be all over the map,” he says. “It wasn’t just alt-rock or country or whatever genre you can pick. I would be spoofing 1950s sitcom themes with strange orchestrations and really unusual and old vocal harmonies. I would go from that to a cheesy 1970s rock

“I HAVE THE KEYS TO THE CANDY STORE,” FETTERS SAYS OF HIS HOME STUDIO. “IT ALLOWED ME TO BE AN ARTIST INSTEAD OF A PERSON WHO HAD TO SELL THE ART.”

used this space to record commercial jingles for his “day job” as well as for his various solo albums. Throw in the capabilities of modern computers, and it’s allowed him a creative freedom he didn’t have as an ambitious but cash-strapped musician the ’70s and ’80s. “I have the keys to the candy store,” Fetters says of the ability to work in his own studio. “And it helped me get good enough to engineer and to mix. I started understanding production a lot better. It opened the doors to this, I hate to use the word art, but it allowed me to be an artist instead of a person who had to sell the art.”

Fetters saved the selling for his forays in commercial advertising, which became a necessity after the arrival of four kids in five years in the 1990s. Along with Noah, there are Sam, Grace, and Robert. Fetters addresses the advertising work with typical self-deprecation in the biography he wrote for his website (robfetters.net): “When Sam—baby #1—was still in the oven I was asked to write a jingle for LaRosa’s, a beloved Cincinnati restaurant chain. My commercial music experience up to that point had been as a session guitarist and vocalist on a failed dishwasher soap demo. The advertising world and The Dark Side were synonymous to me. However, I had diapers to buy and a mortgage to pay…so I swallowed my pride, tried not to gag, and lifted a progression from an old Raisins song called ‘Dirt,’ inserted the immortal lyrics ‘347-1111,’ and to my utter surprise

band spoof, so the breadth of Rob’s musical production knowledge is astounding. He can do the strings and harmonies from obscure ’50s sitcom rip-offs to whatever is happening now.”

Belew can’t help but admire Fetters’s versatility. “Not only has he done so much music as a rock recording artist, but he’s also done great in the ad world, which is hard to do,” he says. “When you’re in the ad world, you are at the mercy of people demanding seemingly impossible things. It just shows you the kind of guy he is. Rob gets things done. He’s a straight-up hardworking musician who’s very creative.”

MORE THAN THREE YEARS AFTER

the fi rst live stream, Fetters is still at it, completing his latest run of shows—or, as he labels it, Season 8—of “Fetters Is Cheap!” in December. The recent set lists included a handful of songs from Fetters’s

Fetters says the Brooklyn experience couldn’t help but influence Mother, which, as its title would suggest, is at least in part a nod to his own mom and her nurturing influence. Alternately, as the notes that accompany the CD version describe the album’s songs, it’s “11 slightly warped guitar-pop meditations on relishing life’s ass-kickings past, present, and future.” The curious cover image features a vintage photo of his mother from 1952, before Rob was born. “It’s not a concept album, but there are a lot of songs about women,” says Fetters.

See “Girl on the Q,” a reference to an encounter the song’s protagonist has on a New York City subway train. A catchy but oddly off-kilter number, it opens with a bluesy acoustic guitar riff and an ambient cough from off mic. Brushed drums, piano, and Fetters’s modest but expressive vocals enter as he eventually reveals that “her understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe did not come from a rational mind.” And then that signature Fetters electric guitar tone floods the zone—an instantly recognizable sound to anyone who’s ever had it enter their ear canals.

Nyswonger is/was bassist in The Raisins, The Bears, and psychodots—as well as an occasional guest on “Fetters Is Cheap!”—and first witnessed Fetters’s guitar stylings in ninth grade. “It was at some after-the-game dance, and I just thought he was fantastic,” says Nyswonger. “He would do knee drops and slide 15 feet across the gym floor playing some guitar. He had a really loud amplifier. He was good. He was way better than the drummer and bass player he was playing with.”

Belew, who knows a thing or two about guitar wizardry, was also a convert upon

first exposure—a Raisins show in Nashville, where he lived at the time, in the mid-1970s. “He’s always been one of these people who kind of attacks the guitar with relish,” Belew says. “He’s bending the neck and doing all kinds of things, runs up and down. The first couple of times I saw Rob, I just was amazed. Anybody could see this guy play and say, Gosh, this is a great guitar player, not just a really good one.”

If there is a through line in Fetters work, it’s his admiration for a concise, well-crafted song that transports listeners to often strange or unfamiliar places. Fetters turned 13 in 1967, an era of music-making and cultural upheaval that couldn’t help but infect his worldview.

“I grew up in a weird period of time when in three or four minutes my whole mental state and whole physical feeling about the world could be changed dramatically by a song and the people I listened to,” he says. “Take somebody like The Kinks’s Ray Davies. The song ‘Lola,’ for instance, is amazing on so many levels. It’s evident that we’re talking about transgender love, and yet it almost turns into a drinking song where the crowd can sing along with it. Those kinds of things did something to me at a very impressionable age.”

Seeing his heroes in a live setting only heightened the fascination. “When I was 14, 15, 16, and going to concerts, it made life bearable for me,” says Fetters. “When I was in ninth grade, my dad, the insurance salesman who took me to see Jimi Hendrix when I was a bit younger, had to listen to ‘If 6 Was 9’ on Axis: Bold As Love probably three times every morning before he went to work for a whole school year. I couldn’t bear to go to school if I didn’t get fortified by Jimi Hendrix. It was beyond life-affirming for me. It was what made me not want to kill myself. That’s what three-minute songs have the power to do.”

Fetters is a creative sponge, taking inspiration from whatever might come his way, which is why his Brooklyn excursions were so useful. “I go for lots of runs, and the music I could hear on a five-mile run in Brooklyn through the different neighborhoods and parks—especially on weekends where the cultures would be represented by families picnicking—was really vibrant,” he says. “It just opened me up.”

LISTENING TO HIS MANY BAND and solo albums, it’s clear that Fetters has never hesitated to tackle sensitive topics. The most viscerally emotional song on Mother, “Lamento,” is a clear nod to his long friendship with the late Chris Arduser. The two met in 1971 as participants in the Sylvania music scene. Five years younger than Fetters, Arduser was a precocious and powerful drummer at an early age. It was a no-brainer that the two would eventually play together.

Sure enough, when he wasn’t working on other projects, Arduser spent some time touring with an early version of The Raisins in the late 1970s despite still being in high school. When it came time to find someone to join Fetters, Belew, and Nyswonger in The Bears, Arduser was the perfect fit, resulting in four delightful power-pop records (1987’s self-titled debut, 1988’s Rise and Shine, 2001’s Car Caught Fire, and 2007’s Eureka!) and a slew of undeniably explosive live shows.

Arduser also played drums on the four pyschodots albums (1991’s self-titled debut, 1993’s On the Grid, 1995’s Awkwardsville, and 2005’s Terminal Blvd) and another seemingly endless run of inspired live shows. It wasn’t entirely clear at the time, but the pyschodots’s 2018 disbanding resulted partially from Arduser’s alcohol use disorder, which had become too much for his bandmates to bear.

“Lamento” opens with this lyrical admission, in which one envisions Fetters addressing Arduser directly: “This sounds like a song you might have written/ Must have been something in the water back where we were livin’/ But now we’re at the bitter end we thought we’d never live to see/ Yeah, it’s the end of the story, the end of you and me.”

“I didn’t write that to hurt Chris,” says Fetters. “The last years of his life were very disordered due to his alcohol use. It exploded. A lot of dreams were dying on a regular basis, and I know only about the irons I had in the fire that could have involved Chris. So that’s a song of heartbreak. It’s a love unrequited song, I guess you could say, because I loved the guy. I really cared for him, and I didn’t want to see him destroy himself.”

The song closes with a searching, otherworldly guitar solo, the likes of which only

Fetters can conjure. Arduser wouldn’t live to hear “Lamento”—Mother surfaced about a month after he died in September 2023. Fetters had been dreading that outcome since the psychodots’s demise five years earlier. Few can relate to Arduser’s situation as well as Fetters, who had his own substance-abuse issues before getting sober for good in November 1989.

Nyswonger witnessed Fetters’s personal transition up close—the two have been playing together in one project or another since Richard Nixon was president. “He’s been sober for 30-plus years, and that helped him a lot,” says Nyswonger. “He’s an extreme sort of person, and I think he realized he was heading for a fall. But, that aside, Rob is an artist. We just figured out how to do what we want to do. That’s all. If people are hip to it, fantastic. We’re past the age where we’re going to be heartthrobs for anybody. We’re old guys who know how to do something, and we do it the best we can and take satisfaction in that. Music connects people.”

Belew couldn’t agree more. “One of the things I love about Rob is that I’ve watched him grow as a person in such mature ways,” he says. “I think he’s now one of the most well-adjusted people I know, happy with his life, with his family, with his friends, with his music—that’s just really a rare thing. He’s worked at it a lot.”

Fetters turns 70 later this year, yet he remains as creatively restless as ever. He has more solo house shows on the horizon, more production/recording work, and of course more “Fetters Is Cheap!” episodes. The maturity Belew mentions certainly carries over to an evolving artistry that shows no signs of slowing, even if that long-ago dream of wider appreciation never arrives.

“I stopped worrying about that a long time ago,” says Fetters. “I really did utterly give up on what the reaction might be to the work I did and instead put all my energy into just doing the best I could and just seeing where the chips fell. And where the chips fell was that I didn’t have any real major career breakthroughs. I didn’t know it at the time, but what I was really doing was establishing a very strong foundation with a very small hard-core fan base. And for that I’m lucky.”

on carry-out spaghetti or ravioli for their Sunday dinner.

In the other line, diners often waited for more than an hour before being ushered into the inner sanctum of the Sacred Heart cafeteria. The room’s centerpiece is a massive mural depicting Bishop John Scalabrini blessing the migrants—his hand raised in a gesture that seemed to bestow a benediction on the diners crammed into long rows of tables. Volunteers herded guests with the efficiency of air traffic controllers, shouting, “How many places are at that table?” Schoolchildren eagerly ran orders

love,” says Wenstrup, who is Italian on his mother’s side. “I loved working in the kitchen, with all the yelling back and forth. I felt very connected to my Italian roots.”

Panioto concurs, saying, “The older generation would be arguing like hell, and minutes later they would be sitting at a table eating together.”

It never occurred to Sacred Heart’s tight-knit Italian community that anyone could say no to its call. “My grandfather came from Italy, and it was expected that we would all help out,” says Panioto. “There was such a sense of community among the Italian families, and we came together for Sacred Heart. That was our church.”

His parents’ friend, the late Marlene Nesi, had a genius for sweet-talking folks into signing up. “And she would make calls and raise hell if you didn’t show up,” says Panioto. “To this day I don’t know how my dad and Marlene pulled it off . It took so much cooperation and leaning on volunteers. The kitchen was controlled chaos,

“EVEN IF YOU HAD TO WAIT IN LINE FOR AN HOUR, IT WAS WORTH IT FOR YOUR ONCE-A-YEAR TREAT OF SPINACH RAVIOLI,” DANN WOELLERT SAYS ABOUT THE IN-PERSON DINNERS.

from the kitchen to the tables.

Over the years, local judges and politicians from Charlie Luken to Steve Chabot vied for the honor of serving the meal; it was the place to see and be seen. “As a politician you want to go where there are a lot of people and they see you doing something good for the community,” says Wenstrup. “It’s a way of campaigning, too, let’s not kid ourselves.”

“The drama of it all was part of the fun,” Woellert recalls. “Even if you had to wait in line for an hour, it was worth it for your once-a-year treat of spinach ravioli. We called them little pockets of joy.”

Weeks of preparation led up to each event, requiring dozens of volunteers to prepare the sauce alone. On Italian dinner day itself, a crew of 85 to 100 was needed to serve and cook the meal. Tempers sometimes flared, but a joyful—and not so joyful—noise was all part of the experience.

“It was fighting with the people you

with 50 people cooking and cleaning.”

The Italian dinner seems to be in his family’s DNA. “My father taught me a lot about hard work and what it is to be dedicated,” says Panioto. “It’s in my heart, too, and I wear it on my sleeve. I don’t know how you instill that in kids. You have to want it from within.”

A generational shift has occurred within most of the Italian families he knows. “Our kids don’t have the same sense of identity with their Italian roots, and they have no real interest in volunteering,” he says.“They didn’t all grow up in the same neighborhood like we did. They had to make a special trip to see their aunts and uncles and cousins.”

The same dilemma is facing many churches, fraternal organizations, and cultural clubs throughout the community. “Groups such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Germania Society are trying desperately to make themselves

meaningful to 20- and 30-somethings,” says Woellert. “A lot of these communal events already were running on steam, and the pandemic made a lot of people rethink their priorities.”

The Germania Society’s Luken says the pandemic changed everything. “When you can’t do your events for two years, you lose your mojo and you lose people,” he says. “And a lot of people still don’t want to come out, not only because of COVID but because of respiratory illnesses.”

But health concerns perhaps aren’t the biggest challenge in recruiting new members and volunteers. “I don’t think people have a lack of interest so much as a lack of time,” Luken says. “People don’t live the way they did when I was growing up. People have so many things on their plate with sports and extracurriculars. We aren’t any different from a church or a sports club or a fraternal organization—people are just busier, and it’s harder to fit everything in.”

The Germania Society has innate advantages that go beyond Cincinnati’s visible German heritage. More than 20,000 attend the annual Oktoberfest on the Germania Society’s sprawling 35-acre campus in Colerain Township, not to mention hundreds of thousands who attend Oktoberfest Zinzinnati downtown and similar celebrations in other corners of the region.

Membership in the society has been holding steady at approximately 700, says Luken, and he’s seeing an uptick in interest among young people. “Coming to our events is our best recruitment tool,” he says. “And then it’s our German culture and heritage that draw us together. It’s all about the people and enjoying the camaraderie.”

SACRED HEART CHURCH HAS BEEN struggling to bounce back from the onetwo punch of the pandemic and the loss of Judge Panioto’s leadership. “The older generation was so passionate about it even into their 80s,” says Italian dinner co-chair Ed Rubeo. “We haven’t had anyone in the younger generation step up into leadership. That would have to happen before we tried out the dining option again.”

Some parishioners advise Panioto to take the Field of Dreams approach: Build it, and they will come. He’s too much of a realist for that. “It would be heartbreaking if you

made all this product and didn’t have the volunteers to sell it,” he says.

Like his father before him, Panioto is now the sole guardian of the topsecret ravioli recipe that has remained unchanged since Antonio Palazzolo, owner of a pasta and import company, hosted the first Italian dinner in 1910. Palazzolo’s civic-mindedness was never more important than during the Great Depression. “The Italian dinner would raise funds for struggling neighbors,” says Woellert. “Antonio donated both materials and time to help feed the needy in the parish and Camp Washington during the Depression. It was their very own war on poverty.”

For more than 50 years, the ravioli supper was held at the Sacred Heart Italian Church downtown at 527 Broadway. When the church was bulldozed in 1970 for expansion of Procter & Gamble’s headquarters campus, the tradition— and its Italian community—migrated to another Sacred Heart parish in Camp Washington, which was predominantly German. The Catholic school on the property was closed in order to convert the building into the Italian community hub the downtown church had once been.

University of Cincinnati English Professor LaVerne Summerlin knows how it feels to grow up with that sense of community and to see it disappear over the years. She attended Holy Trinity, one of six Catholic elementary schools in her West End neighborhood. Today there are none.

“When we lose our schools and churches, we lose a part of our identity, we lose a part of our foundation,” says Summerlin, author of Gems of Cincinnati’s West End, Catholic Missionaries and Black Children 1940–70. “When some historians write about the West End, they write about the negatives. But when I think about the West End, there were so many good things, especially the support we would get from well-meaning people in our community. On your way to school, you would see the older men sitting in front of a storefront, telling you, Stay in school. That’s lost now. You don’t have that sense of safety or that sense of a network.”

The internet could never replace such a social fabric, says Woellert. “We lose a lot when we lose that in-person aspect of community. We have so few of those multigenerational touch points, gatherings with three or four generations of a family, and they’re so important for a feeling of community. Otherwise we’re just people living among each other. We don’t hear the grandparents talk about the village in Sicily where they grew up or the stories about what Uncle Lorenzo did when he was a kid.”

Hope still remains that the Italian dinner will be restored to its former glory, thanks to the current leadership working so hard to keep the tradition alive in the face of significant challenges. “People miss it, and not just the Italians,” says Wenstrup, who hopes to devote more time to the Sons of Italy and the local Italian community when he retires from Congress at the end of this term. “We would have to do some recruiting and provide training for the new recruits, because you can get scalded very easily back there. We would need a couple of dry runs.”

In the weeks leading up to this year’s frozen ravioli sale, Sacred Heart Church was once again humming with activity. Panioto carefully marked his calendar with important dates: February 17, make and package 91,000 ravioli, nestling 50 raviolis in each box; March 2, prepare around 600 gallons of sauce; March 4, package the sauce in quart containers; March 16, hand roll about 18,000 meatballs to be packaged and frozen on March 18. No detail escaped attention: Rubeo was elated when he found a supplier for the wet wax paper that separates layers of ravioli without sticking.

From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 24— or until they run out—Panioto, Rubeo, and their volunteer paisanos are selling frozen ravioli for $15/box, frozen meatballs for $10 for 10, frozen sauce for $10/ quart, and grated cheese for $8/pint.

The frozen ravioli fund-raiser nets about $30,000 for the Sacred Heart parish. Because of the lower overhead, that’s about the same number as with previous sit-down dinners. But it still feels like an important ingredient is missing.

FOLLOW US

$100

EACH MONTH, YOU'LL ENJOY FOUR SPECIALLY SELECTED WINES .

Each box includes tasting notes and suggested pairings for these exclusive wines, many of which are limited release or small production.

HAVE YOUR BOX DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR OR PICK IT UP AT URBAN STEAD IN WALNUT HILLS

PLUS! Enjoy special tasting events.

SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT P. 94

COCKTAILS IN COVINGTON P. 97 REVOLVING SUSHI P. 98 MASTER DISTILLER Q&A P. 98

SLOW APPROVED

Wildflower Café and Wine Shop in Mason is one of the area establishments that has received Slow Food Cincinnati’s “Snail of Approval” for its business practices and its wholesome, flavorful food.

Slow Motion

EXAMINING CINCINNATI’S SLOW FOOD MOVEMENT. —BRANDON WUSKE

“IT’S GETTING HARDER AND HARDER EVery day to try and do the right thing,” laments Paul Picton, owner of Maverick Chocolate Company, during a recent meeting of the Cincinnati chapter of Slow Food USA. For his business, that means importing organic cane sugar from Brazil. What most people don’t realize is that white sugar is rarely vegetarian-friendly. Because of a wood shortage, it’s usually filtered through bone char—burnt cow bones. Picton pays a high tariff ($0.16 per pound) for the sugar he imports. Few are aware of this aspect of chocolate making, but like everyone involved in Slow Food, Picton wants to educate people.

The grassroots organization’s goals are to teach Americans about food sourcing, production, and labor practices; to defend food’s biological and cultural diversity; and to influence food policy in the public and private sectors. Such efforts reflect Slow Food’s motto of “good, clean, and fair food for all.” The international movement started in 1986 when McDonald’s opened a location in Rome, near the historic Spanish Steps. When America’s archetypical corporate giant opens an outpost in one of Old Europe’s most iconic spots, it’s bound to draw protestors. In this case, the protests turned festive. Activists prepared pasta and passed it out to onlookers, while chanting a slogan that translated to “We don’t want fast food! We want slow food!”

Fast forward 38 years, and Slow Food International is active in more than 160 countries and Slow Food USA has chapters in more than 80 cities. Cincinnati’s chapter, established about 10 years ago, works to educate consumers about the food they eat, and to support and promote businesses

that align with the movement’s values. One of the most salient ways they promote said businesses is by handing out the “Snail of Approval” awards. According to Eduardo Rodriguez, Cincinnati chapter president, the awards recognize businesses (including restaurants, farms, and “food artisans” like Blue Oven Bakery) that embody the movement’s motto. In this case, “good” refers to businesses that provide wholesome, flavorful food; “clean” means the business practices organic and sustainable methods of sourcing and/or growing; and “fair” means that the business offers fair wages, treats employees with respect, treats animals with respect, and gives back to the community.

One of the first local Snail of Approval recipients was The Wildflower Café and Wine Shop in Mason. “I’ve got the snail sticker on my door,” says Wildflower’s owner Todd Hudson. “It’s the only award I care about, because it’s legit.”

Slow Food USA goes to great lengths to ensure that recipients aren’t merely paying lip service to concepts like local sourcing and organic farming. “They came out to inspect the restaurant,” Hudson recalls. “They even went in the walk-in and checked inventory.”

For him, working closely with local organic farmers doesn’t just ensure sustainability. It ensures a richer, tastier product. “The beauty of farm-to-table is that when you eat food that is grown in healthy soil, it has more nutrient density,” Hudson adds. “As with wine, nutrients equal flavor.”

To ensure a more flavorful Cincinnati, the local chapter offers several events and classes throughout the year. Recently, Mom ’n ’em Coffee & Wine hosted an event called “Slow Grain,” where Jon Branstrator of Branstrator Farm in Clarksville, Ohio, discussed regenerative agriculture (that is, using organic farming methods to restore spent soil, a key tenet of the slow food movement) and displayed a few varieties of his heritage wheat and cornmeal, with Mom ’n ’em Owner Tony Ferrari and team crafting a tasting menu out

MOVEMENT WORK

CONTINUED ON P. 96

Slow Food Cincinnati Chapter President Eduardo Rodriguez (topright) educates the masses on organic foods and sustainability. He works with businesses like Wildflower Café in Mason (topmiddle) and farmers like John Branstrator of Branstrator Farms in Clarksville, Ohio (bottom left).

CINCINNATI OPERA

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June 27, 28 & 30

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of Branstrator’s products.

You’ve probably seen the words heirloom and heritage on product labels and restaurant menus. The terms refer to plants or livestock that were developed before the advent of industrialized farming and genetic modifi cation. They’re much rarer than their factory-farmed counterparts and, not surprisingly, tend to be richer in nuance, nutrients, and flavor.

Slow Food International identifies and preserves such varieties through its The Ark of Taste catalog. More than 6,200 foods are identified, with the U.S. contributing 386 of them. Ohio contributions include the “Buckeye Chicken,” developed by Mrs. Nettie Metcalf, of Warren, in the 1890s. Part catalog, part chronicle, The Ark of Taste tells the story of the world’s most endangered food products.

Climate change, deforestation, industrial farming—as well as less ominous factors like migration and changes in consumption—continue at a rapid clip, endangering more and more foods. Which is why Cincinnati’s Slow Food chapter presses on with new ways to educate and inform, such as plans for a “slow wine” tasting at Taste on Elm and Conserva, a baking class based on sustainable grains at Cincinnati State’s Midwest Culinary Institute, and a December event to coincide with Terra Madre Day, a celebration of slow food.

The group also has plans to educate some of our youngest producers and consumers. Rothenberg Preparatory Academy in Over-the-Rhine has a rooftop garden where Board Member Annie-Laurie Blair volunteers several times a month. Ferrari occasionally teaches cooking classes using produce found in the garden. (LaToya Bridgeman from Cooking for the Family works with local nonprofit La Soupe to teach similar classes to the parents.)

The board members’ passion for the movement is palpable. Well aware of the challenges, members realize that changing our city’s often toxic relationship to food will take some time. The best things always do.

Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Lead Sponsor:

HIGH SPIRITS

TREE OF LIFE

EVER SEEN A BAR WITH a giant fake tree in the middle?

Hidden above Flying Axes in Covington, the dimly lit Second Story cocktail spot (with a rooftop patio!) strikes a balance between an intimate date joint and your next party site. There’s hardly a single item on this seasonal menu you could classify as “basic”— keeping with the bar’s name, even traditional drinks here are like watching a reboot of your favorite series that ends up being better than you expected. For example, a Tom Collins—normally made with gin, sugar, lemon juice, and club soda—was done up with whiskey, maple syrup, and orange juice and called the Spiced Sage Collins instead. And there’s plenty of original works, too. Just look to crowd favorites like the Gem City II, made with vodka, kiwi, pistachio, coconut, and lime, or the Mother Earth, a tequila-based cocktail of mezcal, pineapple matcha syrup, agave, and lime.

The decor and seating is the real highlight, though, expertly arranged in a way that makes the space feel open enough to host a big group yet full of intimate nooks and crannies to sneak in a bit of PDA with a romantic partner. After one night here, you’ll be wanting to return for your own second story—and maybe a third, fourth, or fifth.

—KANE MITTEN

Second Story, 100 W. Sixth St., Suite #2, Covington, secondstory.bar

Sushi-Go-Round

POPULAR IN JAPAN, REVOLVING SUSHI RESTAURANTS SERVE INDIVIDUAL PLATES VIA a conveyor belt that runs along every table. When you see something tasty, you just pick it up, and servers tally the bill by the number of plates you take. Think of Kawa Revolving Sushi’s selection as a small plates menu. You only get a few pieces of sushi per dish, so you can try three or four options rather than committing to a single roll. Don’t worry if you don’t recognize your favorite kinds of sushi on sight; signs label each approaching section so you know exactly what you’re grabbing.

Kawa’s expanded menu also arrives in style. Individual touch screens offer drinks, hot entrées, desserts, and an advanced sushi selection. A second level above the conveyor belt runs personal delivery trains with orders direct from the kitchen. Drinks come with a smile from the restaurant’s robotic server, and all your condiments and utensils wait in bulk at each seat.

If you want to order something that isn’t off the belt, the tonkotsu pork ramen (grilled pork, soft-boiled egg, mushroom, corn, green onion, and seaweed in pork bone broth) makes a great lunch. Rich with umami, the opaque broth hides a well of tender noodles. The pork is tender, the corn and onions add texture, the mushroom provides a subtle, savory layer, and the soft-boiled egg is always the best bite. —M. LEIGH HOOD

BRIAN SPRANCE

NEW RIFF DISTILLING’S first master distiller focuses on making world-class whiskey.

You started out as a “beer guy,” right? After 15 years in the brewing industry, I was starting to feel a little burned out. In 2013, I was given the opportunity to sit and talk with Ken [Lewis] and Jay [Erisman] about their vision for [New Riff]. They were specifically looking for a brewer who had a mix of small and big brewery experience, and building something from the ground up was too good an opportunity to pass up.

How does your expertise in fermentation apply to the distillation process? The distilling process doesn’t necessarily create the flavors, but instead amplifies the flavors created in the cooking and fermentation process. Everything starts with quality raw materials, consistent mashing techniques, and consistent fermentation profiles. We pay attention to our fermenter temperatures, pHs, alcohol content, sugar content. Our focus is quality, quality, quality.

What does it mean to you to be named “master distiller”? The recognition from my co-workers and peers in the industry has been amazing. It was pretty exciting seeing how excited the company was as a whole. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last 10 years and hope to make everyone even more proud in the next 10 years.

– AIESHA D LITTLE

24 Distillery Way, Newport, (859) 261-7433, newriffdistilling.com

Read a longer interview with Brian at cincinnatimagazine.com

Kawa Revolving Sushi, 11381 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Twp., (513) 818-8338

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109 MEDITERRANEAN 110

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SEAFOOD 110

STEAKS 111

THAI 111

VIETNAMESE 111

AMERICAN

THE BIRCH

On any given evening, guests nibble at roasted red pepper hummus served with crudités and pita bread while sipping slightly spumante glasses of white squirrel, the specialty house cocktail. And while the dinner menu reads strictly casual at first glance—soups, salads, sandwiches, and sharing plates—the preparation and quality are anything but. A broccoli cheddar kale salad with cheddar cheese, red onion, broccoli, sunflower kernels, and a garlic parmesan dressing, surpassed many versions of the bistro classic. And both the Brussels sprouts and roasted potato sides refused to play merely supporting roles. Both were sensational studies in the balance of sweet, spicy, and acidic flavors.

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

BRONTË BISTRO

You might think this is a lunch-only spot where you can nosh on a chicken salad sandwich after browsing next door at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. But this Norwood eatery feels welcoming after work, too. The dinner menu features entrées beyond the rotating soup and quiche roster that’s popular at noon. Mac and cheese? Check. Quesadillas and other starters? Yep. An assortment of burgers? Present, including a grilled portobello option. Casual food rules the day but the surprise is Brontë Bistro’s lineup of adult beverages, which elevates the place above a basic bookstore coffeeshop. The regular drinks menu includes such mainstays as cosmopolitans and sidecars.

2692 Madison Rd., Norwood, (513) 396-8970, josephbeth.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days. MCC. $

BROWN DOG CAFÉ

If you haven’t had a plate of Shawn McCoy’s design set in front of you, it’s about time. Many of the menu’s dishes show his knack for the plate as a palette. A trio of grilled lamb T-bone, sirloin, and prawns in scampi butter is a standout. The eye for detail and contrasts of colors and textures belongs

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

to someone who cares for food.

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

HART-FELT PRAISE

Hart & Cru in Pendleton was listed among the top wine bars in the country in a recent Food&Winearticle. The publication asked four industry professionals for their opinions on what makes a great wine bar and Hart & Cru was one of 16 places mentioned. 1206 Broadway

St., Pendleton, (513) 725-7525, hartand cru.com

COPPIN’S

With wine on tap and a local beer list, Coppin’s is an ideal place to meet for drinks. In addition to plenty of Kentucky bourbon, much of the produce, meat, and cheese comes from local growers and producers. House-cured meat and cheese from Kenny’s Farmhouse and cheese from Urban Stead populate the “Artisan Cheese and Charcuterie Board,” which dresses up the main attractions with honey, Dijon mustard, house pickles, and Sixteen Bricks purple barley bread. The filet mignon with confit fingerling potatoes, bacon and gorgonzola cream, root house aquaponics cress, green apple, and cabernet rosemary salt is a must-have. Or try the Faroe Island salmon with wheatberries, charred bok choy, cranberries, walnuts chive purée, and tamarind vinaigrette.

638 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 9056600, hotelcovington.com/dining/coppins. Breakfast seven days, lunch Mon–Fri, and dinner seven days. MCC. $$

THE EAGLE OTR

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

1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 802-5007, eaglerestaurant.com. Lunch Fri–Sun, dinner Mon–Thurs. MCC. $

EMBERS

The menu here is built for celebration: poshly priced steak and sushi selections are meant to suit every special occasion. Appetizers are both classic (shrimp cocktail) and Asian-inspired (shrimp tem-

KEY: No checks unless specified.

AE American Express, DC Diners Club

DS Discover, MC MasterCard, V Visa

MCC Major credit cards: AE, MC, V

$$$ = Up to $49

pura); fashionable ingredients are name-checked (micro-greens and truffles); a prominent sushi section (nigiri, sashimi, and rolls) precedes a list of archetypal salads; Kobe beef on sushi rolls sidles up to steaks of prime; non-steak entrées (Chilean sea bass or Dover sole with haricots verts and almondine) make for high-style alternative selections. Talk about a party.

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

GREYHOUND TAVERN

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

2500 Dixie Highway, Ft. Mitchell, (859) 3313767, greyhoundtavern.com. Lunch and dinner seven days, brunch Sun. MCC, DS. $$

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 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, and celery salt; a pork sandwich; or wings (a sign proclaims “So hot they make the devil sweat”). Although the chocolate malt is the biggest seller, we love the $3.75 pineapple shake, made with real pineapple.

15 MINUTES BREAKFAST FOR DINNER

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER KICKS OFF THE 2024 CINCINNATI MAGAZINE EVENT SEASON WITH STYLE

In February, more than 400 guests gathered at The Cincinnati Club to indulge in everyone’s favorite twist on mealtime, Breakfast for Dinner. Several restaurants known for breakfast fare served their most delicious dishes while guests enjoyed live music from four local bands. In addition, the Pancake Flip-Off Battle and Cereal Bowl Challenge found four chefs creating unique dishes using pancake mix, syrup, or cereal in 10 minutes. A portion of the event proceeds went to Sweet Cheeks Diaper Bank.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

PRESENTING SPONSORS: MadTree Brewing, McHale’s Catering

SPONSORS: Duncan Hines, Mrs. Butterworth’s, McCormick, La Brea Bakery, General Mills, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Bob’s Red Mill, Tim Hortons, KIND, Hungry Jack, Birch Benders, De Wafelbakkers, Plackers, Blink, Bonne Maman, International Delight, and Eggo

3703 Beekman St., South Cumminsville, (513) 541-7636, mrgenesdoghouse.com. Open Feb–Oct for lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MC, V. $

GOOSE & ELDER

The third restaurant from chef Jose Salazar, Goose & Elder is a more everyday kind of joint compared to his others. The prices are lower, and most of the dishes, from burgers to grits, are familiar. Salazar’s menus have always hinted that the chef had a fondness for, well, junk food. But junk food is only junk if it is made thoughtlessly. Goose & Elder has pivoted toward breakfast and brunch fare recently, but everything here is still made with little twists, like the fried bologna sandwich with Dijonnaise and pickles. Even the fries, crinkle cut and served with “goose sauce,” a mildly spiced mayonnaise, are wonderfully addictive. The restaurant demonstrates that what we now consider “fast food” can be awfully good if someone makes it the old-fashioned, slow way.

1800 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 579-8400, gooseandelder.com. Breakfast and lunch Mon & Wed–Fri, dinner Mon & Wed–Sun, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$

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. The Wagyu is served in cheeseburger form, but the exceptional tomme from Urban Stead gives it that extra something. The cocktails are things you’ve probably seen before, but everything—from the Death Valley Old Fashioned to the Queen City’s Bees Knees—had an extra dash of liveliness from a house-made element, like a rhubarb honey syrup or the raspberry shrub. Even when an ingredient seems out of left field, like the burnt grapefruit hot sauce on the Hamachi, it never tastes as unusual as it sounds. The hot sauce is just a hint of sweet citrusy spice that melts into the grits—a softly intriguing element rather than a slap in the face.

2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood, (513) 389-0175, ivoryhousecincy.com. Dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$$

THE NORTHSTAR CAFÉ

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

7610 Sloan Way, Liberty Township, (513) 759-0033, thenorthstarcafe.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days. MCC. No cash. $

OTTO’S

Chef/owner Paul Weckman opened Otto’s, named after his father-in-law, with $300 worth of food and one employee—himself. Weckman’s food is soothing, satisfying, and occasionally, too much of a good thing. His tomato pie is beloved by lunch customers: Vine-ripe tomatoes, fresh basil, and chopped green onions packed into a homemade pie shell, topped with a cheddar cheese spread, and baked until bubbly. Weckman’s straightforward preparations are best. This is, at its heart, a neighborhood restaurant, a place with its own large, quirky family.

521 Main St., Covington, (859) 491-6678, ottosonmain. com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Fri, brunch and dinner Sat–Mon. MCC. $$

QUATMAN CAFÉ

The quintessential neighborhood dive, Quatman’s sits in the shadow of the Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, serv-

ing up a classic bar burger. Look elsewhere if you like your burger with exotic toppings: This half-pound of grilled beef is served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. Sometimes cheese. The no-frills theme is straightforward and appealing. A menu of standard sandwich fare and smooth mock turtle soup; beer on tap or soda in cans (no wine or liquor); and checkered tablecloths, serving baskets, and plenty of kitsch is served daily. Peppered with regulars, families, and political discussions, Quatman’s is far from fancy. But it is fun, fast, and delicious.

2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood, (513) 731-4370, quatmancafe.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MC, V, DS, MCC. $

RED FEATHER KITCHEN

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

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

MCC. $$$

RED ROOST TAVERN

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

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

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. Breakfast Sun, 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 in letter-perfect cursive on the original chalkboard. Once you order from a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to your high school lunch lady, the elevated lazy Susan in the center of the table begins to fill up with individual bowls and baskets of 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) 8315753, theschoolhousecincinnati.com. Lunch Thurs–Fri, 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 Tues–Sat. 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 steak and eggs, corned beef hash, and basic burgers with funky iterations that draw on ethnic ingredients such as chorizo and tzatziki. Get here early if you don’t want to stand in line.

4381 Reading Rd., Paddock Hills, (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. $

SYMPHONY HOTEL & RESTAURANT

Tucked into a West 14th Street Italianate directly around the corner from Music Hall, this place feels like a private dinner club. There’s a preferred by-reservation policy. Check the website for the weekend’s five-course menu, a slate of “new American” dishes that changes monthly. You can see the reliance on local produce in the Greek lemon chicken soup. Salads are interesting without being busy, and the lemon lavender sorbet is served as the third-course palate cleanser with the five-course menu. Main courses of panseared rainbow trout, grass-fed strip steak, and a veggie burger hit all the right notes, and you can end with a sweet flourish if you choose the strawberry lavender shortcake.

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

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 balsamic-drizzled Brussels sprouts with sliced pork belly.

204 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland, (513) 683-8266; 150 Riverfront Plaza, Hamilton, (513) 795-8654, foodbytano. com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat, dinner Sun & Mon. MCC. $$$

TRIO

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

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: lots of mostly local meat and produce, a menu that continuously changes with available ingredients, a nice selection of wine and beer, and well-made, homey food. The small, focused menu has a classic American qual-

ity (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–Fri. MCC. $$$

YORK STREET CAFÉ

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

738 York St., Newport, (859) 261-9675, yorkstreetrestaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC, DS. $$

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, ribs, 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; 1403 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 721-2337, beesbarbecue. com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $

ELI’S BBQ

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

SINNERS & SAINTS TAVERN

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

2062 Riverside Dr., East End, (513) 281-4355, sinsaintsmoke.com. Lunch Sat & Sun, dinner Wed–Sun. 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 Root Beer and char-grilled Gulf Coast oysters on the half shell signal its ambition. Bayou standards like jambalaya, gumbo, and fried seafood also make an appearance. But the extensive menu also features amped-up pubstyle 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 hardwoodsmoked 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 sim-

mered, 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 Mon–Fri, dinner Sat. MCC. $

CHINESE IMPERIAL INN

The chilies-on-steroids cooking here will have you mopping beads of garlic-laced sweat from your brow. The musky, firecracker-red Mongolian chicken stabilizes somewhere just before nirvana exhaustion, and aggressively pungent shredded pork with dried bean curd leaves your eyes gloriously glistening from its spicy hot scarlet oil. Even an ice-cold beer practically evaporates on your tongue. Do not fear: not all the dishes are incendiary. Try the seafood—lobster, Manila clams, Dungeness and blue crabs, whelk, and oysters—prepared with tamer garlicky black bean sauce, or ginger and green onions. The Cantonese wonton soup, nearly as mild as your morning bowl of oatmeal, is as memorable as the feverish stuff. Sliced pork and shrimp are pushed into the steaming bowl of noodles and greens just before serving. Think comforting, grandmotherly tenderness.

11042 Reading Rd., Sharonville, (513) 563-6888, chineseimperialinnoh.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MC, V, DS. $

GREAT TANG

Although the (24-page!) menu features classic dishes in every style, the specialty at Great Tang is the refined coastal cuisine of Zhejiang. If you like spice, you can get still the Sichuanese and Hunanese classics. One dish will hint at the surprises in store for people who are mainly used to Chinese takeout: the lovely Xian cold noodle. The dish is exquisitely layered: the creamy and nutty undertone of sesame paste, mixed with notes of tang and spice, topped with the bright pop of cilantro. The combination of textures is also delightful, with crunches of cucumber and sprouted mung and the softness of the flat noodles. And that tofu! It was wonderfully meaty, with dense layers, substantial and satisfying as a counterpart to the noodles. Be as brave as you are in the mood to be. Ask for some suggestions and prepare to be astonished.

7340 Kingsgate Way, West Chester, (513) 847-6097, greattangohio.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Mon, dim sum Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$

ORIENTAL WOK

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

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

THE PACIFIC KITCHEN

The monster of a menu can be dizzying. Ease in with some top-notch Korean Wings. These slightly bubbly, shatter-crisp wings are painted with a thin gochujang chili sauce (a foil to the fat). It takes 24 hours to prep the Cantonese duck, between a honey-vinegar brine to dry the skin, a marinade of star anise, bean paste, and soy within the re-sealed cavity, and the crispy convection oven finish. Dolsot bibimbap had plenty of crispy rice at the bottom of the stone bowl, and the accompanying banchan were soothing yet flavorful. Even dishes like a Malaysian goat stew resonated with rich, original flavors.

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

SICHUAN BISTRO

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

Top 10 ABIGAIL STREET

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 wood-grilled lamb, with apricot, harissa, and pickled Persian cucumbers, feel just as accomplished as old favorites like the falafel, beautifully moist and crumbly with a bright parsley interior. The restaurant is always watching for what works and what will truly satisfy, ready to sacrifice the superficially interesting in favor of the essential.

1214 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-4040, abigailstreet.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DS. $$

ALCOVE

Alcove lives up to its name, the embodiment of a green oasis at the corner of Vine and 14th streets. A lot of care goes into the space’s bright, floral design—it features more than 300 square feet of plant-covered “living walls,” which are pruned by their creator, Urban Blooms, on a weekly basis. Equal care and attention goes into Alcove’s 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 simple, clean pear and fennel salad stands out as does a dish of roasted carrots served with oil and breadcrumbs. Like the produce, much of the meat is sourced from local and regional farms (for instance, the “Denver Cut” of steak— a lean

cut, taken from the shoulder—comes from Sakura Farms in nearby Westerville, Ohio). 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 Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in Walnut Hills’s historic Paramount Square Building. And it was worth the wait. The restaurant’s seasonal menu draws on flavors from across the Mediterranean with subtle touches, like cultured butter and a smoky za’atar seasoning. 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. Brined, poached, and cooked over coals, the carrots themselves eat like a tender smoked sausage. It’s a dish that perfectly encapsulates The Aperture’s commitment to serving substantial versions of traditionally lighter fare. For a restaurant so serious about food—and exceptional wines— it’s refreshing to see it doesn’t take itself too seriously. The original cocktails have offbeat names like #lemon and I’m Her, and the catchy playlist is heavy on old-school hip-hop. 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 Wed–Sat. MCC. $$

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, a soft, nutty, perfectly blackened grouper perched atop a creamy parsnip pureée. 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. $$

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. The hamachi crudo, an old standby on the menu, takes Japanese flavors and gives them new dimensions with grapefruit suprêmes and slivers of shishito pepper. This is food of extraordinary creativity and flair.

114 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 542-2022, bocacincinnati.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. 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. Chef-owner Stephen Williams is serious about using seasonal ingredients, and if the figs have run out or there is no more chicken from a local farm, so be it. The flavors at Bouquet are about doing justice to what’s available. Preparations are unfussy, complexity coming from within the vegetables and proteins themselves. A spring salad—wonderfully fresh and vibrant, so you know the strawberries included have just come off a nearby vine—is dressed with candy-striped beets, jerk-seasoned pepitas and whipped goat cheese. This determination to make something delicious out of

what’s on hand, to embrace limitations, gives the food at Bouquet a rustic, soulful quality.

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. Lunch Tues–Sun, 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. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. Brunch Sat & Sun. V, MC, DS, AMEX. $$

FIVE ON VINE

The fifth venture from Anthony Sitek and wife Haley Nutter-Sitek’s Crown Restaurant Group, Five on Vine achieves excitement through comfort food with meticulous attention to detail: The meat is butchered in-house, the bread and pasta are made from scratch, and the bacon is house-cured. House-butchered beef and house-made pasta come together beautifully in the pappardelle stroganoff, served with chunks of short rib that are as tender as the noodles themselves. 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. Breakfast is available all day so if you’re looking to greet the morning with decadence, try the Madame Rangoon, a thick slab of brioche toast smothered in crab whipped cream cheese and eggs. Sandwiches also get an inventive twist here. The “Governor Tso’s chicken”—a crispy fried chicken breast glazed with a General Tso’s–inspired sauce, topped with apricot slaw and served on a toasted brioche bun—is a gigantic, happy mess of a sandwich, but the sweet glaze faintly evokes the namesake “General” while letting the sublimely fried chicken lead the charge. Order a side of bowling alley fries and ask for the housemade 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. $

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, DS. $

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 rustic-ity. Its vegetarian fare contains many of its most inventive and delightful creations. The seared salmon is served with miso wild rice, asparagus, pickled bok choy, and sesame seeds. The blistered shishitos, served with burrata and preserved lemon, encapsulates Metropole at its best: fun and whimsical, but rooted in careful execution of deep and satisfying flavors.

609 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 578-6660, metropoleonwalnut.com. Breakfast Wed–Fri, dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. V, DS, MC, AMEX. $$

Top 10 MITA’S

It’s fitting that chef Jose Salazar named this restaurant after his grandmother, because there is something deeply homey about the food at Mita’s. With a focus on Spanish and Latin-American tapas, it always feels, in the best possible way, like elevated home cooking. Its sophistication is modestly concealed. The flavors are bold and direct, whether the spicy freshness of the ceviche de camarones with passionfruit leche de tigre or the intensely bright sourness of the pozole verde. In dishes like the alcachofas y hongos, the chef hits every register: the acid of red espelette peppers to balance the earthy ramp-garlic hummus, the crunchy pistachios against the soft sautéed mushrooms and artichoke hearts. But what mainly comes through is the warm-hearted affection a grandmother might have put into a meal for a beloved grandson. It’s the kind of big hug everyone needs from time to time.

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

NICHOLSON’S

To remind local diners that they were here before those young dog-toting punks with their exposed brick and crafty ales in Over-the-Rhine, Nicholson’s branded themselves Cincinnati’s “first and finest gastropub,” and revamped the menu to include plenty of snacks and small plates for grazing, and not-quite-brawny, straightforward sandwiches and main dishes. Try the Faroe Island salmon, a bowl of cock-a-leekie soup, or check out the shepherd’s or Scottish BBQ style burgers or the turkey reuben with Russian dressing. And the bar’s clubby intimacy makes it easy to belly up and enjoy their impressive collection of single malts or a Scottish ale.

625 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 564-9111, nicholsonspub.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. 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. Take the duck and oyster gumbo. Harris deconstructs the typical stew, building on a base of popcorn rice, instead of the more typical long grain, and a decadent duck fat roux. 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. $$

OPAL

Opal’s hip-ly minimal menu (many of the dishes have one syllable names like “Duck” or “Fish”) centers around the restaurant’s wood-fired, 88-inch grill. You can taste the grill’s handiwork on the“Cauliflower” appetizer, which also comes with citrus supremes, fennel pollen (a potent and rather pricey spice), salsa brava (a smoky Mediterranean sauce, not to be confused with the ubiquitous Latin American salsa), feta, and almonds. For the duck, the kiss of flame locks in the juices while a medley of wheatberry hominy, preserved cherry, and cane syrup gastrique (a sort of refined sweet-and-sour sauce made from caramelized sugar and vinegar) add the sweetness that one expects to flavor a good game bird. According to Owner Bill Whitlow, Opal’s menu started small as the team figured out which dishes worked best with its signature grill. The selections, like the restaurant, have continued to grow, so you can expect tweaks and seasonal changes to a menu this committed to fresh meat and produce.

535 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 261-0629, opalrooftop.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

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 pappardelle pasta, roasted vegetables, and onion straws. With the no-lip service, The Quarter Bistro could be well on the way to making middle age look sexy.

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

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. $$

SACRED BEAST

Sacred Beast advertises itself as a kind of upscale diner, but the real gems are the oddball dishes that don’t quite fit the diner mold. The menu can be disorienting in its eclecticism: foie gras torchon is next to fries with lobster gravy, and a king salmon is next to a diner breakfast and deviled eggs. Winners are scattered throughout the menu in every category. On the cocktail list, the Covington Iced Tea, a lemon and coffee concoction made with cold brew, San Pellegrino, and vodka is oddly satisfying. The service is good, and there is some flair about the place—including vintage touches, from the facsimile reel-to-reel audio system to the mostly classic cocktails—even within its rather chilly industrial design. In short, go for the unique grub; stay for the elegant, shareable twists on classic snacks.

1437 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 213-2864, sacredbeastdiner.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. 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 fries inspire countless return visits.

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

TASTE OF BELGIUM

Jean-François Flechet’s 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. $

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, DC. $$

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. $

THE VIEW AT SHIRES’ GARDEN

The name of this restaurant demands that one question be answered first: So, how’s that view? Well, it’s impressive. Especially if the weather cooperates and you can get a seat outside. Most dishes are rotated out every six months, but a few remain staples from season to season. Try the panroasted chicken, featuring a Freebird Farms skin-on breast. Or go for the Chef’s Feast for Two, a shareable steak with an Argentine shrimp salad and two sides. The cocktail list offers high, low, and zero proof options alongside a well-rounded beer and wine selection.

309 Vine St., 10th Floor, downtown, (513) 407-7501, theviewatshiresgarden.com. Dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. 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 his new “mostly French” restaurant Colette, 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 Brandade de Morue (a silky emulsion of whipped salt cod served with rustic bread) and the savory puff pastry known as Volau-Vent. 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. $$$

FRENCH CRUST

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

1801 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 455-3720, frenchcrustcafe.com. Breakfast and lunch Wed–Sun, dinner Thurs–Sat. MCC. $$

Top

10 LE BAR A BOEUF

If it’s been a couple of years since you’ve been to Le Bar a Boeuf—the late JeanRobert 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, lebarboeuf.com. Dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $$

LUCA BISTRO

Luca Bistro opened in October 2022, but it feels like it has been around for decades. The 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, Gruyèere 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 Mon–Fri (all vegan on Wed), dinner seven days. MC, V, DS. $

BRIJ MOHAN

Order at the counter the way you might at a fast food joint, except the shakes come in mango and there’s no 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 Fri–Sun, 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), baretta with grilled focaccia, and coppa (a cured pork served with preserved peppers and almonds), but it’s the pasta (which can be ordered as an entrée or a first course) that’s not to be missed. We recommend the Cacio e Pepe, a seemingly simple dish comprised of bucatini (similar to spaghetti, but thicker), black pepper, and a sharp pecorino Toscano. Since you’re probably wondering, “Al-Posto” roughly translates to “at the spot.” Located in the middle of Hyde Park Square, this eatery seems poised to become the culinary focal point of the neighborhood.

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

FORNO

Cristian Pietoso’s second restaurant has all the bones of an upscale eatery, but the menu is infused with enough Italian soul to make nonna proud. In most instances, raving about a side of creamed corn wouldn’t bode well for the rest of the menu. Here, that side dish—kernels swimming in a pool of truffle-laced heavy cream that demands sopping up—is evidence that each component is purpose-driven. The red wine–braised honeycomb tripe, which carries a warning label (“Don’t be scared!”), and the 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 Tues–Sat, brunch Sun. 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 candied slice of blood orange on the mascarpone cheesecake to the staff’s wine knowledge—is going to put out special meals. Rarely have humble insalate been so intricately delicious, between the perfectly nested ribbons of beets in the pickled beet salad or the balance of bitterness, funkiness, and creaminess in the endive and Gorgonzola salad. Order an old favorite, by all means, but make sure you try something new, too.

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

PADRINO

Billed as “Italian comfort food,” this sister restaurant to 20 Brix offers the classics (like lasagna and chicken carbonara) plus hoagies and meatball sliders, an impressive wine list, seasonal martinis, and a decadent signature appetizer—garlic knots, doughy buns smothered in olive oil and garlic. Best of all, Barraco’s pizza sauce, which is comprised of roasted tomatoes and basil, is so garden-fresh that one can’t help but wonder: If this is real pizza, what have we been eating all these years?

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

PEPP & DOLORES

As with all of Thunderdome’s restaurants, you get a sense that they want to deliver a meal that

ROMANCE CENTRAL

After analyzing more than 12 million diner reviews and metrics, Open Table named Carlo & Johnny in Montgomery and Primavista in East Price Hill to its list of the 100 most romantic restaurants in America. jeffruby. com/carlo-johnny; pvista.com

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; the deep meaty flavors on the mushroom toast are balanced with a nice acidity; and the heat in dishes like the eggplant involtini is just enough to wake up the sauce without overwhelming the flavor. The menu has a wealth of excellent vegetarian and pasta-alternative options.

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

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: a Venetian carpaccio of paper-thin raw beef sparked by fruity olive oil; house-made fresh mozzarella stuffed with pesto and mushrooms; or artichoke hearts with snails and mushrooms in a creamy Gorgonzola sauce from Lombardy. Among the classics, nothing is more restorative than the pasta e fagioli, a hearty soup of cannellini, ditali pasta, and bacon. Most of the pastas are cooked just a degree more mellow than al dente so that they soak up the fragrant tomato basil or satiny cream sauces. The forktender osso buco Milanese, with its marrow-filled center bone and salty-sweet brown sauce (marinara and lemon juice), is simply superb. Desserts present further problems;

you’ll be hard-pressed to decide between the house-made tiramisu or bread pudding with caramel sauce, marsalasoaked raisins, and cream.

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

Top10

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. Orecchiette with rapini and pork sausage comes in a buttery, lightly starchy broth with a kick of spice that you could go on eating forever. From the texture of the chicken liver mousse to the seasonal fruit sauce on the panna cotta, most of the food has some added element of soulfulness.

118 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 977-6886, sottocincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. V, MC, DS, AMEX. $$

SUBITO

Focusing on Northern Italian cuisine, Subito carves out its own worthwhile place in the landscape. Most of the items on the menu—from pizza to various pastas—will be familiar, but there are delightful surprises, like the vegan torta di ceci. At the base of the dish is a light, flaky farinata—a griddled pancake made out of chickpea flour. Topped with pickled red onion, and covered with nectarine and toasted almonds, the whole dish is rounded out with a touch of tangy sweetness from a blackberry balsamic vinaigrette. Everything at Subito is done with intelligence and a light touch.

311 Pike St., downtown, (513) 621-4500, thelytleparkhotel.com/dining/subito. Breakfast and

lunch

VIA VITE

Via Vite serves up crowd-pleasing entrées, including the Pietoso family Bolognese, over penne, right on Fountain Square. (Add in a golf-ball-sized veal meatball heavy with lemon zest, and it’s an over-the-top comforting main dish.) The same applies to the risotto, where a few small touches add sophistication. Carnaroli rice results in a glossier, starchier dish. A puree of asparagus turns the risotto an eye-popping green, and the poached lobster garnish creates a nice back-and-forth between vegetal and briny flavors. Braised lamb shank over polenta is comforting workhorse, and the flavorful Faroe Island salmon with roasted carrot puree, caramelized Brussel sprouts and truffled brown butter balsamic vinaigrette.

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). Don’t miss the rich and meaty chyu toro (fatty big-eye tuna), or the pucker-inducing umeshiso maki (pickled plum paste and shiso leaf roll). Noodles are also well represented, with udon, soba, or ramen options available. And don’t forget to ask about the specials; owners Ken and Keiko Ando always have something new, be it grilled koji or marinated amberjack smoked salmon crudo, delicacies that you’ll be hard-pressed to find in any of those Hyde Park pan-Asian wannabes. The only thing you won’t find here is sake, or any other alcohol. Bring your own, or stick to the nutty and outright addicting barley tea.

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11255

BARU

Baru, the sleek izakaya in the former MidiCi space, prioritizes bar dining, which is meant to be enjoyed alongside its eclectic drinks list. The menu is broken down into drinks, sushi, “small plates,” “plates,” sides, and ishiyaki. Start with clever cocktail offerings, like the Japanese Highball (which uses Japanese whiskey), the Sake-tini, or the sweetly spicy Wasabi Margarita. Sushi chef Samson Kim’s offerings are—like the rest of the menu—fun and funky. The sushi menu is varied, but concise, featuring a trio of ahi tuna, spicy tuna, and escolar, as well as a quail egg nigiri. If sushi got the party going, the theatrical ishiyaki kicked it into high gear. The term refers to dishes that diners grill tableside on a hot stone. We went with the Sakura Wagyu, sourced from Ohio’s own Sakura Farms. For all its convivial buzz, Baru is also a spot where solo diners can enjoy a few peaceful bar-side bites. The Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna from the small plates section brought the same level of freshness and quality as the rest of the menu. Sometimes it pays to dine alone.

595 Race St., downtown, (513) 246-0150, barusushi. com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

Top 10 KIKI

Kiki started as a pop-up at Northside Yacht Club, then leapt into brick-and-mortar life in College Hill. Your best bet here is to share plates, or simply order too much, starting with the edamame, salted or tossed in tare, a savory dipping sauce. Add the karaage fried chicken, with the Jordy mayo and the pepe meshi, confit chicken on spaghetti and rice that somehow works. And, yes, the ramen, too. The shio features pork belly and tea-marinated soft-boiled egg, but the kimchi subs in tofu and its namesake cabbage for the meat.

5932 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, (513) 541-0381, kikicincinnati.com. Lunch Sun and dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $

KYOTO

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

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

MEI

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

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

ZUNDO RAMEN & DONBURI

A stark contrast to Styrofoam cup soup, chef Han Lin’s ramens are a deep and exciting branch of cuisine, capable of subtlety, variation, and depth. The simplicity of the dish’s name hides a world of complexity. Zundo uses the traditional Japanese building blocks of flavor—soy sauce, miso, sake, mirin—to create something freewheeling and 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 dinnersized soup will leave your eyes glistening and your brow beaded with sweat. It’s a detox for your overindulgence, rejuvenation for when you’re feeling under the weather. Expect crowds on weekends. Expect too, that dozens of them have come for dolsot bibimbap, the hot stone pots filled with layers of rice, vegetables, meat or tofu, egg, and chili paste. Characterized by its electric color and addictive flavors, Riverside Korean’s version is a captivating bowl of heaven.

512 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 291-1484, riversidekoreanrestaurant.com. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

MEAT YOUR MAKER

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MEDITERRANEAN

ANDY’S MEDITERRANEAN

GRILLE

In this lively joint with a burnished summer lodge interior of wood and stone, even the food is unrestrained: rough-cut chunks of charbroiled beef tenderloin, big slices of onion and green pepper turned sweet and wet in the heat, skewers of marinated and charbroiled chicken perched on rice too generous for its plate. Co-owner Andy Hajjar mans his station at the end of the bar, smoking a hookah pipe that fills the air with the sweet smell of flavored tobacco, while the friendly but hurried staff hustles through.

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

Top 10 PHOENICIAN TAVERNA

No matter how much restraint you go in with, meals at Phoenician Taverna quickly become feasts. There is just too much that’s good, and everything is meant to be shared. With fresh pita bread continuously arriving from the ovens, and a table of quickly multiplying meze (hummus, falafel, muhammara), there is a warmth and depth to the cooking that envelops you. With such traditional cuisine, you may think there isn’t much left to discover beyond simply executed classics prepared according to time-tested methods. But there are always new discoveries 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 home fries. 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) 6628080. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Mon–Sat, breakfast and lunch Sun. Cash. $

SEBASTIAN’S

When the wind is just right, you can smell the meat roasting from a mile away. Watch owner Alex Vassiliou tend to 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. Alex’s wife and daughter run the counter with efficient speed, and 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 (often made by the Mrs.), they never miss a beat, turning more covers in their tiny restaurant on one Saturday afternoon than some restaurants do in an entire weekend.

5209 Glenway Ave., Price Hill, (513) 471-2100, sebastiansgyros.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. Cash. $

SULTAN’S MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE

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

7305 Tylers Corner Dr., West Chester, (513) 847-1535, sultanscincinnati.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

MEXICAN

EL VALLE VERDE

Guests with dietary issues, high anxiety, and no Spanish may take a pass, but for hardy souls, this taqueria delivers a memorable evening. Seafood dishes are the star here—ceviche tostadas, crisp corn tortillas piled high with pico de gallo, avocado, and lime-tastic bits of white fish, squid, and crab; the oversized goblet of cocktel campechano, with ample poached shrimp crammed into a Clamato-heavy gazpacho; and simmering sopa de marisco came with langoustines, mussels, crab legs, and an entire fish—enough to feed three.

6717 Vine St., Carthage, (513) 821-5400, Lunch and dinner seven days. $

HABAÑERO

It’s easy to find a cheap burrito place around a college campus, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one as consistently good as Habañero, with its flavors of Latin America and the Caribbean wrapped up in enormous packages. Fried tilapia, apricotglazed chicken breast, hand-rubbed spiced flank steak, shredded pork tenderloin, or cinnamonroasted squash are just some of the ingredients for Habañero’s signature burritos. All salsas are made in-house, from the smoky tomato chipotle to the sweet-sounding mango jalapeño, which is hot enough to spark spontaneous combustion. 358 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, (513) 961-6800, habanerolatin.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DC, DS. $

MAZUNTE

Mazunte runs a culinary full-court press, switching up specials to keep both regulars and staff engaged. Pork tamales arrive swaddled in a banana leaf, the shredded pork filling steeped in a sauce fiery with guajillo and ancho chilies yet foiled by the calming sweetness of raisins. The fried fish tacos are finished with a citrusy red and white cabbage slaw that complements the accompanying mangohabañero 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) 7850000, mazuntetacos.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $

MESA LOCA

Sitting on a corner of Hyde Park Square, it’s easy to see that Mesa Loca has an absolute dream of a location. The pandemic forced a few changes to the seafood-centric menu, but those dishes still on the menu indicate what Mesa Loca could be. The tuna ceviche is nicely balanced: tart, with a little spicy creaminess, and a good crispy tostada. One of Mesa Loca’s appealing qualities is its dramatic flair: The yucca fries come stacked on the plate like a late-stage game of Jenga, and the sour-andspicy rub is quite delicious and striking against the

bright starchy white of the fries.

2645 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-6372, mesalocahydepark.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $$

NADA

The brains behind Boca deliver authentic, contemporary, high-quality Mexican fare downtown. You’ll find a concise menu, including tacos, salads and sides, large plates, and desserts. The Pork Al Pastor tacos, zesty with salsa verde and sweet with grilled pineapple, are definite 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 Mon–Fri, dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$

SOCO’S

Mexican places seem to change hands in this town so often that you can’t get the same meal twice. Soco’s (formerly Montoya’s) is the exception. It’s been hidden in a tiny strip mall off the main drag in Ft. Mitchell for years. At a place where you can get Huracan Fajitas with steak, chicken, and chorizo or Tilapia Asada, the tacos are still a big item.

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

TAQUERIA CRUZ

The menu at this four-table mom-and-pop welcomes you to “a little piece of Mexico.” The huaraches (spelled guarachis here), are flat troughs of thick, handmade fried masa dough the approximate shape and size of a shoeprint, mounded with beans and slivers of grilled beef or chili-red nubs of sausage, shredded lettuce, a crumble of queso fresco, and drizzle of cultured cream. Should you have an adventurous side, you can have your huarache topped with slippery tongue, goat meat, shredded chicken, or pork. There are stews, carne asada plates, and sopes—saucers of fried masa much like huaraches, only smaller.

518 Pike St., Covington, (859) 431-3859. Lunch and dinner seven days. Cash. $

TAQUERIA MERCADO

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

SEAFOOD

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S

The daily rotation here reads like a fisherman’s wish list: fresh lobsters from the coast of Maine, ahi tuna from Hawaii, clams from New England.

But high-quality ingredients are only half the equation; preparation is the other. Herb-broth sea bass, served with roasted fingerling potatoes, makes the taste buds dance. The spacious digs and attentive waitstaff bring a touch of class to Fountain Square and make it a sophisticated destination. It’s likely to remain a favorite. After all, it’s right in the middle of things.

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

ROSEWOOD SUSHI, THAI & SEAFOOD

Chanaka De Lanerolle sold Mt. Adams Fish House back in 2011, and Rosewood Sushi, Thai & Seafood is its reincarnation—and reinvention. Most of the menu tends toward fairly conservative takes on classics, like well-seasoned crab cakes and thick, creamy chowder full of seafood. The handful of ethnic experiments on the menu are among its most vibrant offerings, including a Mediterranean fish stew that takes inspiration from the North African coast. Tender, fluffy couscous soaks up a fier y but sweet tomato sauce that showcases chiles and peppercorns, golden raisins, and lovely firm cashews, and the stew itself is packed with mussels, shrimp, and chunks of fish.

3036 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 631-3474, oakleyfishhouse.com. Lunch Fri–Sun, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$$

STEAKS

CARLO & JOHNNY

The stars of the menu are 12 delectable steaks that could sway the vegi-curious to recommit. Not sure which to choose? If you prefer brawny flavor over buttery texture, go for one of the three bone-in rib cuts. Or if it’s that meltin-your-mouth experience that raises your serotonin levels, C&J features several tenderloin cuts, including the premium six-ounce Wagyu filet. There are the usual suspects of raw bar, seafood, pork chops, et al, if you’re interested in nonbeef alternatives.

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

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD

Chef Michelle Brown’s food is deeply flavored, if occasionally a bit busy, her steaks of the buttery-mild variety, with not too much salty char crust. All five cuts are served with veal demi-glace and fried onion straws. According to my steak-centric dining partner, his cowboy ribeye is “too tender and uniform” (as if that’s a crime). “I like to wrestle with the bone,” he adds, though that’s a scenario that, thankfully, doesn’t get played out in this subdued dining room.

5980 West Chester Rd., West Chester, (513) 860-5353, jags.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DC. $$$

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. White-jacketed waiters with floor-length aprons deliver two-fisted martinis and mounds of greens dressed in thin vinaigrettes or thick, creamy emulsions. An occasional salmon or sea bass appears, and there’s a small but decent assortment of land fare. But most customers, even the willowy model types, inhale slabs of beef (dry aged USDA prime) like they’re dining in a crack house for carnivores. The best of these is Jeff Ruby’s Cowboy, 22 ounces of 70day 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 Mon–Sat. MCC, DC. $$$$

Top 10 LOSANTI

A bit more upscale than its sister restaurant, Crown Republic Gastropub, Losanti is also more conservative in its offerings. Service is friendly and informal, and though the meal feels like a special occasion, prices and atmosphere are right for, say, a date, rather than a wedding anniversary. The filet mignon, rib eye, and New York strip are cut to order for each table (there are a few avail-

able 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. $$$

MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE

No one has replicated the concept of an expensive boys’ club better than Morton’s. Amid the dark polished woods and white linen, the Riedel stemware and stupendous flower arrangements, assorted suits grapple with double cut filet mignons, 24 ounces of porterhouse, pink shiny slabs of prime rib, overflowing plates of salty Lyonnaise potatoes, or mammoth iceberg wedges frosted with thick blue cheese dressing. Jumbo is Morton’s decree: Oversized martini and wine glasses, ethereal towering lemon soufflés, roomy chairs, and tables large enough for a plate and a laptop. Even steaks billed as “slightly smaller” weigh in at 8 to 10 ounces.

441 Vine St., downtown, (513) 621-3111, mortons.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

Top 10 THE PRECINCT

Part of the appeal of the Ruby restaurants is their ability to deliver deep, comfort-food satisfaction. And the steaks. The meat is tender with a rich mineral flavor, and the signature seasoning provided a nice crunch, not to mention blazing heat. The supporting cast is strong—the basket of warm Sixteen Bricks bread with a mushroom truffle butter, the addictive baked macaroni and cheese, the creamy garlic mashed potatoes, the 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: jumbo shrimp and king crab legs from the raw bar; Caprese, 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 rubbed with aromatic sumac and served with mint pesto.

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

THAI

SUKHOTHAI

Nestled in the nearly hidden Market Place Lane, this tiny restaurant isn’t exactly slick. A chalkboard lists the day’s specials, usually spicy dishes worthy of an adventurous diner. But if it’s noodle dishes and curries you’re after, Sukhothai’s pad kee mao—wide rice noodles stir-fried with basil—is the best around. Served slightly charred, the fresh and dried chilies provide enough heat to momentarily suspend your breath. Pad Thai has the right amount of crunch from peanuts, slivers of green onion, and mung sprouts to contrast with the slippery glass noodles, and a few squeezes of fresh lime juice give it a splendid tartness. The crispy tamarind duck is one of the best house specials, the meat almost spreadably soft under the papery skin and perfectly complemented by the sweet-tart bite of tamarind.

8102 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, (513) 794-0057, sukhothaicincin.com. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner Tues–Sat. DS, MC, V. $

TEAK 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, 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 peppercorn-and-chili brown sauce.

3655 Edwards Rd., Hyde Park, (513) 533-9500, wildgingercincy.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

VIETNAMESE

PHO LANG THANG

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

MAGAZINE, (ISSN 0746-8 210), April 2024, Volume 57, Number 7. Published monthly ($19.95 for 12 issues annually) at 1818 Race St., Ste. 301, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-4300. Copyright © 2024 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 1-866-6606247. 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.

Lab Before Time

KATIE HUNT ( ABOVE ) COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW SPECIMEN SHE’S working on. “I opened up this field jacket on Friday,” she says. “I found out there’s a whole second vertebra in there. And there was a fully articulated little tail in there, too, which is really exciting. It’s 21 little bones.” Hunt is the paleo lab manager for Elevation Science Institute, a nonprofit organization that works in the Cincinnati Museum Center’s Paleo Prep Lab located in the Dinosaur Hall. She spends her days excavating, puzzling, and preparing fossils in view of museum guests. Many people walking past the windows of the lab assume that it’s fake, but real work takes place behind that glass. After using the museum as a repository since 2017, Elevation Science made the partnership official in November 2023. Since then, more than two tons of specimens have rolled into the lab straight from dig sites in Montana. According to Hunt, the lab (which was built in 2018) was chosen due to how new and state-of-the-ar t it is. “This lab space has a lot more equipment than we had before, so that makes it a whole lot safer. It means that we can get a whole lot more done,” she says. If you want to see the scientists in action, you can usually catch them working in the Paleo Prep Lab on Mondays, Thursdays, and weekends.

—CLAIRE LEFTON

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