CityBeat | Annual Manual 2021-22

annual manual 2021-2022

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Annual Manual 2021/2022

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Annual Manual 2021/2022

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Contents

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PUBLISHER TONY FRANK

Welcome Neighborhoods

Central Core .....................................................10 City Center .......................................................21 Northern Kentucky .......................................... 29

West Side ........................................................ 37 East Side ......................................................... 47 Suburbs........................................................... 56

63

Listings

Eats ................................................................. 63 Arts & Culture ................................................. 73 Music & Nightlife ............................................ 79 Shops & Services ............................................ 87

EDITOR IN CHIEF MAIJA ZUMMO MANAGING EDITOR ALLISON BABKA DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR MAGGY MCDONEL ART DIRECTOR TOM CARLSON CONTRIBUTING EDITORS MUSIC: MIKE BREEN ARTS & CULTURE: MACKENZIE MANLEY THEATER: RICK PENDER DINING CRITIC: PAMA MITCHELL CONTRIBUTING WRITERS HAILEY BOLLINGER, ANNE ARENSTEIN, BRIAN BAKER, NATALIE CLARE, KARA DRISCOLL, JASON GARGANO, MCKENZIE GRAHAM, NICK GREVER, KATIE GRIFFITH, DEIRDRE KAYE, JAC KERN, HARPER LEE, MADGE MARIL, LAUREN MORETTO, JACKIE MULAY, JUDE NOEL, SEAN M. PETERS, SAMI STEWART, STEVEN ROSEN, ILENE ROSS, P.F. WILSON, MORGAN ZUMBIEL, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS HAILEY BOLLINGER, KELLIE COLEMAN, SCOTT DITTGEN, ADAM DOTY, JESSE FOX, KAITLYN HANDEL, PHIL HEIDENREICH, FRANCISCO HUERTA,MARY LEBUS, HOLDEN MATHIS, LINDSAY MCCARTY, KHOI NGUYEN, PATTY SALAS, EMERSON SWOGER, BRITTANY THORNTON, MEGAN WADDEL, SAVANA WILLHOITE, RON VALLE, CATIE VIOX MARKETING AND EVENTS DIRECTOR JESSICA TOMAIN

Sports & Recreation ........................................ 93

SENIOR DIGITAL MARKETING CONSULTANT MARK COLEMAN

City Life .......................................................... 96

SENIOR MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE DAN RADANK

ON THE COVER: SOMERSET IN OVER-THE-RHINE. PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

DISTRIBUTION TEAM TOM SAND, STEVE FERGUSON

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ALWAYS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE & UNIQUE DESTINATION Annual Manual 2021/2022

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T WO U NIQUE V ENUES

NICHOLSON’S

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• unique events venue: perfect for weddings, rehearsal dinners, social events & more • rustic-modern decor, city views & outdoor terrace seating • accommodates 220 seated & 300 reception-style

FINE FOOD & WHISK(E)Y

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C ONTACT O UR E VENTS T EAM 513.550.1869 | events@dinetrg.com

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CityBeat.com

Welcome Hello, and welcome to the Annual Manual Manual,,

your guide to what to eat, drink, see and do in Greater Cincinnati.

Whether you’re a lifelong resident, a recent transfer to one of Cincinnati’s multiple Fortune 500 companies or just have a really long layover at CVG, what you’re holding in your hands (or reading on your screen) is a publication geared toward navigating life in the Queen City — a local’s guide to living and a visitor’s guide to visiting.

Produced by CityBeat, Cincinnati’s alt-weekly newspaper, the Annual Manual blends the usability of international travel guides with local insights and crowdsourced favorites, curating recommendations for what to explore in each part of town. Need to find a craft brewery in the suburbs? Where to eat on the West Side? With overviews of Greater Cincinnati’s dozens of unique neighborhoods, as well as the winners from the annual Best Of Cincinnati readers poll, this guide is a reference and resource that can always help answer the question, “What should I do this weekend?” Plus, it looks nice on a coffee table.

So whether you’re an official Cincinnatian or just want to do as the locals do while you’re on vacation, this handy manual should make you feel right at home. ➜

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➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜➜ ➜ ➜ ➜➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ *Please note that due to the pandemic, some of this ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ information is subject to change. Check locations online ➜➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ for up-to-date hours, closures and other details. ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜ ➜

Annual Manual 2021/2022

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Neighborhoods

Central Core Avondale, Clifton/CUF, Corryville, College Hill, North College Hill, Northside, E. Walnut Hills, Walnut Hills, Camp Washington A collection of diverse and eclectic neighborhoods where longtime residents mingle with young families looking for city life with a yard. Architectural homes, independent businesses and cultural destinations add to the charm of these historically significant areas. Clifton and Corryville cater to the University of Cincinnati’s student body with international eats and coffee shops; all of the “hills” are undergoing a hip restaurant and retail renaissance; Camp Washington is shifting into an arts hub; and Northside is a green-leaning enclave with lots of live music.

American Sign Museum

Hailey Bollinger

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A former industrial warehouse has been transformed into the largest public sign museum in America. Winding pathways of colorful neon give way to a mocked-up Main Street with faux storefronts, cobblestone walkways and giant glowing logos from Howard Johnson, McDonald’s and Marshall Field’s. From roadside nostalgia and pharmacy signs to gas station markers and a giant Big Boy, the flashing lights, buzzing electricity and rotating wonders illuminate the past with a collection that encompasses the late 1800s to the 1970s. There are guided tours to learn about the history and manufacturing process behind different signs, or you can wander the space on your own. 1330 Monmouth Ave., Camp Washington, americansignmuseum.org.

CityBeat.com

Cafe Mochiko

After weathering the COVID-19 pandemic as a pop-up restaurant, Cafe Mochiko opened its permanent storefront in East Walnut Hills in 2021.

Focusing on Asian American fare, the cafe satisfies two distinct customers.

The early bird will enjoy Cafe Mochiko’s pastries and light lunch options such as a roasted persimmon danish, taro cream melonpan and shokupan loaves, along with savories like a kimchi and egg croissant. When the space reopens for dinner, patrons will devour hearty duck wontonmen ramen or Cincinnati-style tsukemen, Mochiko’s ode to the Queen City with a unique chili-spiced broth and noodles. 1524 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills, cafemochiko.com.

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Francisco Huerta

Brink Brewing Co.

Hailey Bollinger

Annual Manual 2021/2022

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Brink Brewing Co. is a neighborhood gathering space loaded with interactive features including a 20-seater community table, reclaimed-wood bar and a gigantic Scrabble board that’s very popular with patrons after a few pints from the brewery’s wide-ranging tap list. Head to the bathroom to see more than three decades’ worth of collected beer labels from Uncle Jack — it was his fridge, chock full of artisan beers, and his neighborly values that inspired the owners to open Brink in 2017.

The multiple-medal-winning Brink was also voted the 2018 and 2019 Very Small Brewing Company of the Year by the Great American Beer Festival. 5905 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, brinkbrewing.com.

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Neighborhoods

Central Core Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Hailey Bollinger

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The conservation-focused Cincinnati Zoo takes guests from the Arctic to Africa and everywhere in between; mingle with meerkats, get face to face with Fiona the famous hippo, hand-feed a giraffe and “aww” over Zoo Babies each May. Visit The Grove food truck park for tacos or poutine and the Hops beer garden before heading to the new Roo Valley kangaroo walkabout, where you can commune directly with the marsupials. The zoo also boasts several superlatives: It’s the best zoo in the United States, according to USA Today readers, the second-oldest zoo in the country and home to the greenest restaurant in the nation. 3400 Vine St., Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org.

Gulow Street

Housed in a historic building that had once been both a saloon and a metalfabricating business, Gulow Street is a local gathering spot that happens to serve outstanding fare. The restaurant and bar was launched in 2021 by a group of brothers and cousins with a focus on building community and making memories. Its small-but-mighty menu features sesame noodles, a pimentostuffed breakfast sandwich, rigatoni bolognese and a cheeseburger, along with well-curated cocktails ranging in spirits from bourbon and vodka to gin. The Carrot Moscow Mule, infused with real carrot juice, is a favorite. 1614 Hoffner St., Northside, gulowstreet.com.

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Hailey Bollinger

2022 FOTOFOCUS BIENNIAL 100+ museums, galleries, universities, and public spaces across the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Dayton, and Columbus region will feature photography and film programs throughout the month of October. Visit www.FotoFocus.org to learn more.

FOTOFOCUS BIENNIAL: World Record OCTOBER 2022 PROGRAM WEEK: OCTOBER 1–8, 2022

#FotoFocus

Annual Manual 2021/2022

#FotoFocus2022

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AVONDALE/CLIFTON/ CORRYVILLE

Esquire Theatre.

This cluster of “uptown” urban neighborhoods is among Cincinnati’s oldest. Clifton is all things college with a Gaslight District of independent, locally owned shops. Corryville’s Short Vine is an entertainment district anchored by longtime concert venue Bogart’s. avondalecommunitycouncil. com; cliftoncommunity.org

Eat

Delicious global cuisine abounds in these neighborhoods, especially near the University of Cincinnati. Izen’s Drunken Bento (212 W. McMillan St., 513-381-5905) has affordable dolsot bibimbap, sushi and a full bar. Maki Express Ramen House (209 W. McMillan St., facebook.com/ makiramenhouse) doles out tempura, sushi rolls and traditional tonkotsu ramen with pork belly and soft-boiled egg.

Fortune Noodle House (349 Calhoun St., fortunenoodleuc.com) serves a Lamian style of handmade noodles that are paired with everything from vegetables and squid to beef tripe. The edible trip around the world continues at Habanero (358 Ludlow Ave., habanerolatin.com), which has been in the build-your-own-big-burrito game since before those famous national chains. Island Frydays (2826 Short Vine St., islandfrydays.com) was founded by a Jamaican native and former UC football player whose jerk chicken was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

Elephant Walk Indian Bar and Grill (170 W. McMillan St., elephantwalkcincy.com) does double-duty as a North Indian and Ethiopian restaurant with a double-sided menu. For more Indian cuisine, head to Little India in the Gaslight District. Among several choices are favorites Ambar (350 Ludlow Ave., ambarindia.net), Dusmesh (944 Ludlow Ave., dusmeshcincy.com) and Ajeet India & Nepali Cuisine (341 Ludlow Ave., ajeetindialudlowavenue.com). When you’re ready for something else, grab a stack of famous wispy-thin pancakes or a fluffy omelet — and a free, kitschy rubber duck — at diner Sugar n’ Spice (4381 Reading Road, eatsugarnspice.com), which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary.

For a taste of history, Mecklenburg Gardens (302 E. University Ave., mecklenburgs. com), which has been serving Corryville since 1865, offers German fare and a giant grapevine-lined patio and was named one of the best biergartens in America

by Travel + Leisure magazine. Looking for college-style grub? Gorge on slightly spicy Sicilian-style pizza at Adriatico’s (113 W. McMillan St., adriaticosuc.com), a sports

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Emerson Swoger

bar and pizzeria where tipsy college students rejoice over the Bearcat — a giant, rectangular, 30-slice thick-crust pie.

Keystone Bar & Grill’s (249 Calhoun St., keystonebar.com) menu features — among other casual bites — almost 10 different varieties of mac and cheese, which inspired the owners to open the next-door Mac Shack (249 Calhoun St., eatmacshack. com), a fast-casual storefront that specifically deals in cheesy, gooey goodness. Top your noodles with everything from bacon and brisket to Doritos and cornbread.

For a real college experience, head to the Clifton location of local chili chain Skyline (290 Ludlow Ave., skylinechili.com); sit at the bar to order a 3-Way from the steam table. Sandwich shop Good Plates Eatery (235 W. McMillan St., goodplateseatery. com) offers sandos, quinoa bowls and plenty of hard seltzers and canned cocktails to wash them down.

Drink

Bohemian coffeehouses with light bites and alcohol abound in Clifton, from neighborhood staple Sitwell’s (324 Ludlow Ave., sitwellsact2.com) — with vegetarian food and coffee cocktails — to the Kerouac-esque Highland Coffee House (2839 Highland Ave., facebook.com/ officialhighlandcoffeehouse), full of plants, a piano, board games and a mellow mix of artists and students. For tea — bubble tea to be specific — Tea ‘N’ Bowl (211 W. McMillan St., teanbowluc.com) offers about 80 varieties. Fries Café (3247 Jefferson Ave., friescafeclifton.com) is a low-key spot for bar games and freestanding shuffleboard. Arlin’s Bar (307 Ludlow Ave.,

513-751-6566) has been a Gaslight District staple since the 1890s — it ain’t fancy, but the well drinks are cheap and the patio spans two stories. For more history, check out Gaslight Bar & Grill (351 Ludlow Ave., gaslightbarandgrillclifton.com), a comforting spot for a drink in a former library. Watch every FC Cincinnati game live at the Irish-leaning Murphy’s Pub (2329 W. Clifton Ave., murphys-pub.com), where Mini Guinney cocktails (a liquor blend that looks like Guinness) are $3.50 every day. Martino’s on Vine (2618 Short Vine St., martinosonvine.com) is a Steelers bar, but the restaurant, which is run by Italian Americans from Pittsburgh, offers multiple cheesesteak variations, which makes it OK — even for a Bengals fan.

Shop

In the market for some Nag Champa or

flowy boho duds? The Gaslight District on Ludlow Avenue is home to many hippie-chic independent shops, including Coachella-friendly clothier Pangaea Trading Co. (326 Ludlow Ave., iluvthatstore. com); fair-trade importer The Hansa Guild (369 Ludlow Ave., hansaonline.com); decades-old African clothing purveyor Kilimanjaro African Heritage (310 Ludlow Ave., africanforus.com); vintage homegoods store Lentz & Company (339 Ludlow Ave., thelentzco.com); and specialty gift shop Toko Baru (325 Ludlow Ave., facebook. com/tokobaruonludlow). Up the hill in Clifton Heights, mixed-use developments have attracted popular chains like Urban Outfitters and Target. On Short Vine, Mike’s Music (2615 Vine St., mikesmusicohio.com) offers vintage instruments and repair specialists and is frequented by touring musicians who play at nearby

Bogrart’s.

Brittany Thornton

CityBeat.com

Annual Manual 2021/2022

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Eat

Camp Washington Chili.

Hailey Bollinger

Bogart’s. Duttenhofer’s Books (214 W. McMillan St., duttenhofers.com) is a treasure trove of rare, old and used books — and there’s frequently a cat or two roaming the stacks. And when you’re ready to tattoo Cincinnati onto your heart (or other body parts), Beelistic (2510 W. Clifton Ave., facebook.com/beelistictattoowestclifton) has three locations.

Do

Catch a movie and grab a glass of wine at art-house theater Esquire Theatre (320 Ludlow Ave., esquiretheatre.com), where the Rocky Horror Picture Show draws enthusiastic — and noisy — costumed fans every other Saturday. Head to the 150-year-old University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (2600 Clifton Ave., ccm.uc.edu) to see students from one of the leading arts conservatories perform everything from Broadway classics to alternative theater as well as opera, dance and concerts — frequently for free. Play a game of chess on the porch of the Clifton branch of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library (3400 Brookline Ave., cincinnatilibrary.org), which is housed in the Samuel Hannaford-designed former home of George “Boss” Cox, who ran Cincinnati’s corrupt political machine at the turn of the 19th century.

Rock out at iconic club Bogart’s (2621 Vine St., bogarts.com), which has been part of the Short Vine landscape since the 1890s, when it was originally built as a vaudeville theater. Since the 1970s, it has played host to artists like U2, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, The Police and hundreds of others at the dawn of their careers.

activities to keep you busy year ‘round.

Visit Ludlow Wines (343 Ludlow Ave., ludlowwines.com) for their popular wine tastings on Friday and Saturday nights, or just grab a quick bottle and head over to Mount Storm Park (700 Lafayette Ave., cincinnatiparks.com) to take in the view.

And you don’t have to cross the Atlantic Ocean to see something like Stonehenge; Cincinnati has something similar in its Richardson Stones on the south side of Burnett Woods (3251 Brookline Ave., cincinnatiparks.com).

CAMP WASHINGTON Located between Clifton and Northside and established in 1845, Camp Washington is a tight-knit community with an up-and-coming arts scene. camp-washington.org

For more than 50 years, Camp Washington Chili (3005 Colerain Ave., campwashingtonchili.com) has been serving up some of the best chili in the nation; the parlor won an “American Regional Classic” award from the James Beard Foundation. Open 24/6 (it’s closed on Sundays), it’s a retro spot to grab a 3-Way or a cheese coney.

Need a cup of coffee? Go to Drip Coffee Lounge (2927 Colerain Ave., dripcoffeelounge.com) to try coffee prepared in a traditional Ethiopian coffee pot called a jebena, the same design used 900 years ago. You can stick around for a cocktail and authentic African snacks like plantain fritters, or head to Mom ’n ’em Coffee & Wine (3128 Colerain Ave., momnemcoffee. com). With eclectic seating options and memories filling the hallways and dining rooms, Mom ’n ’em serves an assortment of craft coffee, tea and housemade sodas.

They also offer a menu of sweets, toasties and plenty of tinned fish, plus a curated wine selection and cocktails like a negroni and Mom’s Secret Milkshake (vanilla ice cream, Fernet Branca, mint).

Shop

Need to get handy? Camp Washington Hardware (2915 Colerain Ave., 513-5414406), which has been around since the 1940s, can help. Hard Ta Knock Shoppe (1327 Hopple St., facebook.com/ hard2knockshoppe) has stylish men’s streetwear, while Schenz Theatrical Supply (2959 Colerain Ave., schenz.com) can get you that important last-minute period wig. Situated in a repurposed firehouse, Wave Pool (2940 Colerain

Avenue, wavepoolgallery.org) has become a burgeoning force for change and action in the small community. It also acts as a haven for artists-in-residence and niche exhibitions. The Welcome Project (2936 Colerain Ave., welcomecincinnati. org), a partnership between art gallery Wave Pool and refugee aid organization Heartfelt Tidbits, is an immigrant-run space that sells handmade goods and host classes, among other events.

Do

Visit the American Sign Museum (1330 Monmouth Ave., americansignmuseum. org), a nostalgic neon-dream and the largest sign museum in America, boasting more than 200 preserved, archived and displayed signs ranging from the late-19th century to the 1970s. If you’re mechanically inclined, check out Hive13 (2701 Spring Grove Ave., hive13.org), a collaborative hackerspace for engineers, artists, brewers, scientists and more.

Explore

Builder/artist Mark deJong has transformed a three-floor, shotgun-style Camp Washington domicile into the Swing House, a large-scale art installation that includes a 30-foot-long swing with ropes secured to an iron beam across the ceiling. It’s available for guests to rent on Airbnb. He’s currently at work on a neighboring “Stair House.” If you’re looking for even more artful experiences, head to CampSITE Sculpture Park (2866 Colerain Ave, campsitesculptureark.com), where you’ll find rotating works of photography, video and light.

Fern.

Explore

The annual Festival of Lights turns the Cincinnati Zoo (3400 Vine St., cincinnatizoo.org) into a sparkling “Wild Wonderland” from November to January,

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CityBeat.com

Lucky Cat Museum.

Kellie Coleman

COLLEGE HILL/NORTH COLLEGE HILL/MOUNT HEALTHY These central, old-school residential neighborhoods are adding amenities all the time. collegehillohio.org; northcollegehill.org; mthealthy.org

Eat

The former owners of Clifton favorite Dushmesh now offer their legendary North Indian fare up the road in College Hill at Swad Indian (1810 W. Galbraith Road, swadindianoh.com). Red Rose Jems Pizza (5915 Hamilton Ave., Hill, redrosecollegehill.com) makes its sauce in-house, and it tastes incredibly fresh. The thin, perfectly baked crust is very occasionally stretched to uneven thickness, but that only serves as a reminder of just how human and homemade it is. Chung Ching (5842 Hamilton Ave., facebook.com/ Chung-Ching) is a mom-and-pop Chinese restaurant. The no-frills North College Hill Bakery (1807 W. Galbraith Road, nchbakery. com) has been serving tasty treats and homemade breads since 1933; it’s famous for its tea cookies. Tacos, anyone? You have to eat at Tortilleria Garcia (5917 Hamilton Ave., tortilleriagarcia.us) which offers dollar tacos every Tuesday, made with the restaurant’s housemade corn tortillas. Try the tamales if you want a wonderfully portable meal, but just know the tamales de carnitas are muy picante.

one of the city’s favorite microbrewers, a family-run operation whose beautifully designed taproom is meant to be a community gathering space — think reclaimed wood, a giant scrabble board and Wi-Fi. College Hill Coffee Co. and Casual Gourmet (6128 Hamilton Ave., collegehillcoffeeco.com) is another spot for locals to congregate and enjoy a full espresso and coffee bar and extensive menu. Marty’s Hops and Vines (6110 Hamilton Ave, martys-hopsandvines.com) brought a 1920s building back to life, transforming it into a watering hole with comfortable seating and an antique bar.

Find a small plate menu, great vino, live music and wine tastings.

Shop

“Design and flora” shop Fern (6040 Hamilton Ave., fern-shop.com) carefully curates unique objects and assorted plants in a refurbished gas station. It was the only independent shop named by the TODAY

Show as one of the best places to buy planters in the country. Silk Road Textiles (6106 Hamilton Ave., silkroadcincinnati. com) carries ethically traded international fabric and yarns and offers various quilting and knitting lessons. Schwartz Jewelers (6114 Hamilton Ave., schwartzjewelers. net) has an exciting collection of estate pieces as well as modern jewelry.

EAST WALNUT HILLS/ WALNUT HILLS These adjacent urban neighborhoods have historic homes and business districts undergoing a restaurant-and-retail renaissance. walnuthillsrf.org; eastwalnuthills.org

Eat

Walnut Hills is bustling with new bars and restaurants. Cafe Mochiko (1524 Madison Road, cafemochiko.com) serves up what some ramen aficionados say is the best

Tickle Pickle.

Annual Manual 2021/2022

Drink

Want to escape to the tropics? Stop in Tiki Tiki Bang Bang (965 E. McMillan St., gorillacinemapresents.com/tiki), where you can dive right into a massive fruity cocktail. Woodburn Brewing (2800 Woodburn Ave., woodburnbrewing.com) celebrates Cincinnati’s beer legacy with independent brews and grilled favorites.

Grab a growler to go from one of the aptly named Growler House’s (1526 Madison Road, thegrowlerhouse.com) 30 taps. Craft coffee, cocktails and craft beer collide at The Fix Coffeehouse and Bar (648 E. McMillan St., thefixcoffeebar. com), with a bonus backyard biergarten.

For a bit of Greenwich Village in the Queen City, catch live jazz, spoken word and art at The Greenwich (2442 Gilbert Ave., the-greenwich.com). For more sonic goodness with your booze, head to Caffè Vivace (975 E. McMillan St., caffevivace. com), a jazz club and coffeehouse.

Shop

Drink

Cincinnati’s brewing explosion continues: Brink Brewing Company (5905 Hamilton Ave., brinkbrewing.com) quickly became

bowl of soup in the Midwest thanks to the remarkable dedication of Chef Erik Bentz, but that’s just in the evening. Come by in the morning, and Pastry Chef Elaine Townsend’s pastries will leave you desperate for more of her confections, some of which were featured in a recent issue of Bon Appétit. Former food truck Fireside Pizza (773 E. McMillan St., firesidepizzawalnuthills.com) slings wood-fired pizza and cold pints from a custom fire-extinguisher draft inside a historic firehouse. Barbecue restaurant Just Q’in (975 E. McMillan St., justquin.com) smokes its meat using all wood, and its sides are made in-house daily. Andy’s Mediterranean Grille (906 Nassau St., andyskabob.com) has been around since the ’90s — on Friday and Saturday nights, enjoy live belly dancing with your shish tawook or shawarma. The historic dive Brew House (1047 E. McMillan St., facebook.com/brewhousecincinnati) is a welcoming neighborhood bar that has been hosting a February chili cook-off for two decades. Gomez Salsa Cantina (2437 Gilbert Ave., gomezsalsa.com) serves tacos, burritos, burrito bowls and its signature Turtle Shell, plus alcohol. The Fire Margarita delivers good jalapeño flavor, balanced by the sweet and sour of the margarita mix.

Mary LeBus

Experience the Woodburn Avenue business district — many of them women- and minority-owned — in one night during Walk on Woodburn (facebook.com/ walkonwoodburn). Originalitees (2809 Woodburn Ave., originalitees.com) is your stop for quirky local and state apparel that both visitors and locals love. Indigenous (1609 Madison Road, indigenouscraft.

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com) curates goods from local and regional artists of every genre. Wash away your worries with handmade bath and beauty products from &Sundries (2807 Woodburn Ave., andsundries.com). The entire group can agree on a game or two from Woodburn Games (2803 Woodburn Ave., woodburngames.com), a shop filled with big-name and indie board games for all ages. Fix whatever ails you at Beck Hardware (718 E. McMillan St., beckhardware. com), which has been family-run for years.

And when you’re ready, make a change at Parlour (2600 Woodburn Ave., salonparlour. com), voted one of the best salons for color in America by InStyle Magazine.

Explore

Part of Essex Studios, the Lucky Cat Museum (2511 Essex Place, luckycatmewseum.com) features a collection of nearly a thousand maneki-neko cats in all shapes and sizes. Catch an excellent art show at creative research gallery Manifest (2727 Woodburn Ave., manifestgallery. org), known for its annual NUDE and small works exhibits. Or tour the Harriet Beecher Stowe House (2950 Gilbert Ave., stowehousecincy.org), which the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin called home before she penned her masterpiece.

NORTHSIDE An eclectic, green-leaning urban enclave of artists, musicians and do-ityourselfers with a prominent LGBTQ community, Northside welcomes everyone. northside.net

Eat

Bridges (4165 Hamilton Ave., bridgesnepalicuisine.com) is like a Nepalese Chipotle: build your own bowl or combo, with additional soups, sides and samosas.

From burgers covered with mushrooms or sauerkraut to ones topped with bacon and those namesake pickles, the music-inspired Northside mainstay Tickle Pickle (4176 Hamilton Ave., ordertickle. com) has them all. But when you’re feeling indecisive, you can’t go wrong with the Breadzepplin, Tickle Pickle’s classic cheeseburger named after 1970s Rock icon Led Zeppelin. This thick beef burger is piled high with all the fresh toppings you’d expect, plus just enough char to activate all that flavor. They also offer black bean burgers with classic or vegan milkshakes. For more vegetarian and vegan (honestly, everywhere in Northside is pretty veggie-friendly), Melt Revival (4100 Hamilton Ave., meltrevival.com) offers a plethora of sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads to tempt every palate.

Sandwiches include a veggie cheesesteak

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Shake It Records.

Mike Spitz

made with seitan, a vegan bánh mì with tofu and the Avocado Bliss, topped with white cheddar. For the vegetarian looking for the classic Cincinnati flavor, try out the Veggie 3-Way. Sunday brunch offers a tofu scramble and even vegan biscuits and gravy. Blue Jay Restaurant (4154 Hamilton Ave., 513-541-0847) has been everyone’s favorite neighborhood diner for more than 50 years. Grab breakfast, 3-Ways or any variety of Greek-leaning entrées. Lately, it has become a popular filming location for Cincinnati-shot Hollywood movies. The Hamilton (4029 Hamilton Ave., thehamiltoncincinnati. com), specializes in unique eats (like vegan charcuterie), treats and crafty drinks. Stop into Ruth’s Parkside Café (1550 Blue Rock St., ruthscafe.com) — a reincarnation of defunct downtown favorite Mullane’s — located inside the American Can lofts. Dojo Gelato’s (1735 Blue Rock St., dojogelato.com) seasonal location, a former dairy whip window, has milkshakes, a sundae bar, draft root beer and 10 flavors of gelato. The Chameleon (4114 Hamilton Ave., chameleonpizza.com) is a humble Northside hub where you can catch a stand-up comedy act or simply enjoy drinks with friends around a piping hot pizza straight from the kitchen.

Drink

There is live music practically every night in Northside, and it’s almost always free at the power trio of bars — Northside Tavern, Northside Yacht Club and The Comet. Head to Northside Tavern (4163 Hamilton Ave., northsidetav.com), or “the Tavern,” as locals call it, for an evening on their large patio or a concert in the

back bar. The Comet (4579 Hamilton Ave., cometbar.com) leans a little louder as a haven for garage rock-loving burrito-eaters; it’s Bike Night — as in motorcycles — every Tuesday. Northside Yacht Club (4231 Spring Grove Ave., northsideyachtclub.com) continues a lineage of hip bars at this off-the-beaten-path location.

Expect indie rock and creative twists on bar food, plus trivia every Tuesday and half-priced wings on Wednesday (there’s even cauliflower ones for vegetarians).

The Littlefield (3934 Spring Grove Ave., littlefieldns.com) is an artful bourbon bar with 50 to 60 different bottles of bourbon and art installations from local artists (plus a huge patio). Its sister bar Second Place (3936 Spring Grove Ave., 2pbar.com) is Northside’s self-deprecating sports bar with ping pong, boozy slushies and free popcorn. Across the street is Arcade Legacy: Bar Edition (3929 Spring Grove Ave., arcadelegacyohio.com), with more than 60 vintage arcade cabinets and pinball machines, Monday night karaoke and another giant patio! Craft beer and wine bar Listing Loon (4124 Hamilton Ave., thelistingloon.square.site) hosts shows and specialty events in a comfortably dimly lit atmosphere. Higher Gravity (4106 Hamilton Ave., highergravitycrafthaus.com) offers a huge rotating beer and wine selection among modern décor. Craft brewery Urban Artifact (1660 Blue Rock St., artifactbeer.com) serves up specialty sour beers in the lower level of a historic church, where you can also find live music. For a pick-me-up after all that booze, stop by the somewhat-hidden Collective Espresso (4037 Hamilton Ave., collectiveespresso.com) and try the expert-

ly made coffee or delightfully different espresso and lemonade mix. Located in an unassuming brick building in nearby Saint Bernard, Woodstone Creek’s (4712 Vine St., woodstonecreek.com) all-in-one tasting room, winery, meadery and distillery uses historic techniques to produce rare runs of wine, mead and spirits each year.

Shop

Searches for used vinyl start and end in Northside, where indie record shop Shake It Records (4156 Hamilton Ave., shakeitrecords.com) is a store and label with a nod from Rolling Stone. Pick up unique clothing or housewares at vintage boutique Hi-Bred (4041 Hamilton Ave., hibred.life), or walk over to Casablanca Vintage (3944 Spring Grove Ave., casablancavintage.com), a retro clothing shop jam-packed with garb that ranges from classic to groovy.

Speaking of groovy, the Northside location of Hemptations (4129 Hamilton Ave., hemptations.com) offers almost enough necessities for a 4/20 celebration.

Do

Get a permanent reminder of your time in Northside at Designs by Dana (4167 Hamilton Ave., danatattoo.com) tattoo shop.

Open for more than three decades, Dana and other artists have been tattooing in a converted 1930s bank, which doubles as a tattoo museum.

Explore

Kids freak out — in a good way — at Happen’s Toy Lab (4201 Hamilton Ave., happeninc.com), where you can assemble your own dream toy from parts of donated and discarded playthings.

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Neighborhoods

City Center

Downtown, Over-the-Rhine, Mount Adams, Pendleton

Once known mostly for Fortune 500 companies and business lunches, Cincinnati’s thriving urban core is a mecca for foodies, families and Midwestern libertines looking for a city-centric lifestyle.

The Central Business District boasts riverfront entertainment, sports stadiums and historic skyscrapers; Over-the-Rhine (and nearby Pendleton) offer the hippest cuisine and cocktails in one of the nation’s largest collections of Italianate architecture; and Mount Adams offers major cultural destinations residing between cobblestone streets, steep hills and stunning city overlooks.

Somerset

Hailey Bollinger

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If you’re looking for an oasis in the middle of Cincinnati, Somerset is the place to be. Tucked into Over-the-Rhine in blink-and-miss-it fashion, the newly opened Somerset is a plant-filled wonderland that boasts a double-decker bus, a glass-roofed conservatory and a cozy lounge space, all with unique seating nooks and exotic art pieces. The restaurant and bar — which was one of Cincinnati’s most anticipated in 2021 — features a global flair in its dishes as well as its craft cocktails. Don’t miss the Instagram-worthy patio. 139 E. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine, somersetotr.com.

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Neighborhoods

City Center Smale Riverfront Park

Much of Cincinnati’s culture can be traced back to its location on the mighty Ohio River, and the city celebrates that heritage with an expansive park right along the water. Smale Riverfront Park connects downtown from Paul Brown Stadium to Great American Ball Park with 45 acres of greenway and charm. Operated by the Cincinnati Park Board, the park opened in 2012 and features public art, interactive fountains, playgrounds and a giant swingset that offers a heck of a view of the Ohio River. In 2021, USA Today readers said Smale was one of the best riverwalks in the nation.

166 W. Mehring Way, Downtown, cincinnatiparks.com.

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Scott Dittgen

Findlay Market

Hailey Bollinger

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As Ohio’s longest continually operating public market (and one of the “10 Best Food Markets in the World,” per Newsweek), Findlay Market is a Cincinnati institution. More than 50 full-time merchants at the 19th-century landmark sell everything from meat, cheese and fresh-baked bread to produce, flowers and international eats. Stop by for a pint at Jane’s bar (a partnership with Karrikin Spirits that’s named after Findlay Market founder Jane Findlay), then check out the local farmers market and plenty of arts and crafts vendors. 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, findlaymarket.org.

CityBeat.com

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Hailey Bollinger

Cincinnati Art Museum

The oldest art museum west of the Allegheny Mountains has plenty of modern culture. The museum — which is free to enter — has more than 67,000 items that date back more than 6,000 years. Don’t miss the new Art Climb, a flight of 164 steps that ascends from the sidewalk on the western end of Eden Park and zigzags its way up to the museum. At nine stories high, the stairway includes 16 landings and is flanked on either side by greenery and modern light beam structures. If the climb seems daunting, don’t fret: Not only are benches placed throughout, but users can also check out artworks placed at four different plazas. 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

Pepp & Dolores

Hailey Bollinger

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Inspired by family dinners at the owners’ grandparents’ house, the menu at Pepp & Dolores features housemade pastas — like the cacio e pepe; limone spaghetti with Meyer lemon and chili flakes; and a frutti di mare with squid-ink pasta — along with a focus on shareable dishes, salads and bread. Their Sunday Sauce pasta represents the meat-laden, long-simmering tomato-based sauce from their Nonna’s kitchen.

It’s incredibly rich and filling with veal and pork meatballs, braised pork shoulder and plenty of parmigiano-reggiano cheese. Adding The Dunk bread bowl, with an olive oil and vinegar “dunk,” is a must — as is an after-dinner homemade limoncello. 1501 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, peppanddolores.com.

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DOWNTOWN Cincinnati’s central business district boasts riverfront entertainment — including the city’s major sports stadiums — historic skyscrapers, world-class dining and a flurry of arts activity. downtowncincinnati.com

Eat

Wake up and head for the California-inspired Maplewood Kitchen and Bar (525 Race St., maplewoodkitchenandbar.com), a locally owned breakfast and lunch café with cold-pressed juice and buzzword ingredients (quinoa, kale, etc.). Pick which way your day will go by making a choice between a Brainstorm Coffee or a roasted-tomatillo bloody mary.

Neighboring Mita’s (501 Race St., mitas. co) pays homage to chef Jose Salazar’s Colombian grandmother with a menu that plays off Latin American and Spanish traditions — expertly prepared empanadas, ceviche, paella and more. The bar also serves up a mean Mezcal Manhattan.

Chef Cristian Pietoso’s Via Vite (520 Vine St., viaviterestaurant.com) does Northern Italian with a view of Fountain Square (520 Vine St., myfountainsquare.com).

The Square, centered around the iconic Tyler Davidson fountain, features almost nightly programming in summer and an ice rink in winter. For traditional Italian, Scotti’s (919 Vine St., scottisitalianrestaurant.com), family-owned for more than a century, features nearly 20 different veal dishes and dripping candles in old Chianti bottles. Find more restaurants clustered near the Aronoff Center for the Arts (650 Walnut St., cincinnatiarts.org/aronoff-center), home to Broadway in Cincinnati and other touring shows. Award-winning chef David Falk’s restaurant group encompasses some of the best downtown eateries: modern Mexican hotspot Nada (600 Walnut St., eatdrinknada.com) is next to the Aronoff, while just round the block, traditional Tuscan trattoria Sotto (118 E. Sixth St., sottocincinnati.com) and world-class French-Italian upstairs sister Boca (114 E. Sixth St., bocacincinnati.com) offer excellent high-end dining. At Boca, get the Pommes Soufflees “1942” — the classiest french fries — which are a call back to the restaurant’s former iteration as the five-star Maisonette. You’ll feel like Daisy Buchanan at the masterful French Art Deco Orchids at Palm Court (35 W. Fifth St., orchidsatpalmcourt.com) at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. After dinner, head to Orchids’ bar; decked out in detailed ceiling frescos and 1930s stylized Egyptian décor with weekend Jazz playing, it’s the perfect place for a champagne cocktail. Before heading upstairs

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Contemporary Arts Center.

Kaitlyn Handel

to one of the Contemporary Arts Center’s (44 E. Sixth St., contemporaryartscenter. org) new exhibits, visit Fausto (faustoatthecac.com) inside for fresh, seasonal cuisine. For a sweet treat, there’s Hello Honey (725 Race St.,hellohoneyicecream. com), a hidden gem where everything is homemade, from the chocolate cayenne ice cream to the waffle cones to the hand-torched marshmallows. For more space and a family-friendly vibe, head to The Banks (thebankscincy.com), a booming mixed-use riverfront development along the Ohio River. It’s home to the multi-level riverfront dining destination of local brewery Moerlein Lager House (115 Joe Nuxhall Way, moerleinlagerhouse. com), with 25 beers on tap and a great view of both the water the Reds’ Great American Ball Park. And if views are what you’re craving, The View at Shires’ Garden (309 Vine St., theviewatshiresgarden.com) features indoor and outdoor dining and cocktail tables on the 10th floor of City Club Apartments. For another eatery with a top-floor attraction, downtown’s The Lytle Park Hotel (311 Pike St., thelytleparkhotel.com) features in-house, upscale Italian eatery Subito and sophisticated rooftop lounge, Vista at Lytle Park.

Drink

The recently revitalized Court Street Plaza (courtstreetcincy.com) — located on Court Street between Vine and Walnut streets — is a pedestrian-friendly urban promenade with enough space to accommodate outdoor dining, events and pop-ups. Check here for new bars and restaurants. Located across the street

from Kroger on the Rhine, Key Westthemed bar Pilar (56 E. Court St., pilarcincinnati.com) takes inspiration from famed American author Ernest Hemingway and is named in honor of Hemingway’s 38-foot fishing boat. Island-style cocktails feature names inspired by novels and stories

by Hemingway, like The Old Man and the Sea, made with Espolón Anejo Tequila, Banane du Brésil, Angostura bitters and tiki bitters. Mid-City (40 E Court St., midcitycinti.com), from the team behind Over-the-Rhine favorite bar Longfellow, is a cozy little restaurant and bar serving up griddled eats. Head to the contemporary art gallery and boutique lodging experience 21c Museum Hotel (609 Walnut St., 21cmuseumhotels.com/cincinnati), voted one of the best hotels in America by Condé Nast Traveler readers. There, check out the vintage tile floors at the in-house Metropole restaurant and bar, or take a secret elevator up to the seasonal rooftop terrace and watch the sun go down over downtown with a cocktail in hand. For an equally panoramic but greener view, Top of the Park (506 E. Fourth St., topoftheparkcincinnati.com) at the Marriott Residence Inn overlooks historic Lytle Park, where a rare beardless statue of Abraham Lincoln stands sentry. The rooftop bar at AC Upper Banks (135 Joe Nuxhall Way, acupperdeck.com) boasts excellent views of the riverfront and Great American Ball Park. Grab a local beer at the cozy, 150-plus-years-old Arnold’s (210 E. Eighth St., arnoldsbarandgrill.com), the oldest continuously operated tavern in the city.

For more history, Nation Kitchen & Bar (1200 Broadway, nationkitchenandbar.com)

in neighboring Pendleton serves burgers, bottomless brunch and cocktails themed around Cincinnati’s defeat of Temperance warrior Carrie Nation. Other must-visits in Pendleton include barbecue joint Lucius Q (1131 Broadway St., luciusq.com) and Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey (1201 Broadway St., boomtownbiscuitsandwhiskey.com). Cocktail bar Saeso (1208 Sycamore St., barsaeso.com) is located right on the cusp of Pendleton with a design that calls to mind global drinking destinations from Mexico City to Rome. The Banks (thebankscincy.com) was declared a DORA District in 2021, meaning you can grab an alcoholic beverage in a designated cup and wander from Paul Brown Stadium to the Heritage Bank Center.

Shop

Open since 1940, Ohio Book Store (726 Main St., ohiobookstore.net) is an independent five-story literary treasure trove with an expansive selection of books both old and new. And over the past 70 years, Algin Retro Furniture (800 Main St., alginretro.com) has transitioned from a typewriter and resale shop to a business selling hip Midcentury Modern reproductions and upcycled furniture.

The next-door seven-floor Algin Office is an awesome warehouse to find vintage desks, filing cabinets and seating. Head to the Historic West Fourth District (Fourth Street, historicwestfourth.com) for sister shops Koko (kokotheshop.com), a sustainable shop, and Forage (forageplants.com), an “interior plant shop and community for plant lovers”; and Handzy (handzyshopstudio.com), a colorful women’s clothing

CityBeat.com

and accessories boutique, and Gumdrop (gumdroptots.com), a super cute children’s shop with the same aesthetic.

Unheardof (unheardofbrand.com) stocks streetwear and coveted sneakers, while Fabulous Frames & Art (fabframes.com) has a large selection of Charley Harper artwork and gifts. If you need a break, stop by ethical boutique coffee shop Deeper Roots (deeperrootscoffee.com) or the veteran-owned Rebel Mettle Brewery (rebelmettlebrewery.com).

Do

Rent a surrey bike (wheelfunrentals. com) and ride along riverfront park Sawyer Point (705 E. Pete Rose Way, cincinnatiparks.com) or neighboring Smale Riverfront Park (100 W. Mehring Way, cincinnatiparks.com) near the Roebling Suspension Bridge, with spraygrounds, bench-swings and a whimsical carousel.

The glass-enclosed Carol Ann’s Carousel features 44 hand-carved animals, which you can ride for $2. For culture, discover the stories of freedom’s heroes at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (50 E. Freedom Way, freedomcenter. org) or have an exhibition-inspired lunch at the Taft Museum of Art’s (316 Pike St., taftmuseum.org) garden café. Downtown is also home to all of the major professional sports teams (except for Major League Soccer’s FC Cincinnati, which is in the West End): the Reds’ Great American Ball Park (100 Joe Nuxhall Way, reds. com), the Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium (1 Paul Brown Stadium, bengals.com) and the Cyclones’ Heritage Bank Arena (100 Broadway St., cycloneshockey.com).

Explore

Rent a Red Bike (cincyredbike.org) — which comes with its own basket — and pedal around town. Now with almost 60 locations ranging from Northside to Newport, the bike-share program costs just $8 a day. Check out Cincinnati artist Charley Harper’s public mural, “Space for all Species,” on display in downtown’s John Weld Peck Federal Building (550 Main St.).

MOUNT ADAMS A prime area for both young professionals and longtime urban dwellers, major cultural and nightlife destinations reside among winding cobblestone streets, steep hills and stunning city overlooks. mtadamscincy.com

Eat

Find plenty of places to grab a bite before a show at the Tony Award-winning Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (962

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Krohn Conservatory.

Brittany Thornton

Mount Adams Circle, cincyplay.com). Once a speakeasy, Mount Adams Bar & Grill (938 Hatch St., mtadamsbarandgrill.com) is now a great place for soup, salads and sandwiches. Bow Tie Café (1101 Saint Gregory St., bowtiecafe.com) does bistro bites, plus Intelligentsia coffee and cocktails.

Drink

Grab your laddies and head to Cincinnati’s oldest Irish pub Crowley’s (958 Pavilion St., 513-721-7709) for a Guinness. City View Tavern (403 Oregon St., facebook. com/cityviewtavern) is a classic dive that offers cheap beer and no-frills made-toorder burgers. Have both on the deck for the bar’s namesake view. Visit The Blind Lemon (936 Hatch St., theblindlemon.com) for live music and a romantic evening on the sequestered, secret-garden patio.

Looking for a place to watch the game?

Head to El Barril Mexican Sports Bar & Grill (940 Pavilion St., elbarrilmexicansportsbarandgrill.com) for some spicy sports chatter along with a margarita tower.

Do

Two of the city’s best attractions reside here: the Cincinnati Art Museum (953 Eden Park Drive, cincinnatiartmuseum. org) and Krohn Conservatory (1501 Eden Park Drive, cincinnatiparks.com). The art museum offers free public tours of its collection, which spans 6,000 years and includes everything from African, Contemporary and Folk art to fashion and photography. Walk up the nine-story, outdoor Art Climb staircase, featuring large-scale sculptural art and places to rest and relax. With rotating exhibits and more than 3,500 plants on display at all times, the 1930s aluminum-and-glass Krohn Conservatory (which looks like an upside-down heart) is home to an indoor waterfall, exotic plants, an orchid house and a super-popular annual butterfly show.

Explore

As one of Cincinnati’s seven hills, Mount Adams is renowned for its river and city views. Try the Celestial Street Overlook (corner of Celestial and Hill streets, hillsidetrust.org) or walk across the Ida Street Viaduct (once a wooden trestle that carried the 1880s streetcar) into Eden Park (950 Eden Park Drive, cincinnatiparks.com).

Climb the 100 or so steps from the base of Columbia Parkway to one of the highest points in Cincinnati — Holy Cross-Immaculata Church (30 Guido St., 2011.hciparish. org). On Good Friday, the faithful make a pilgrimage praying the rosary as they walk slowly up the stairs.

OVER-THE-RHINE The heart of the city’s booming 19th-century German immigrant population, OTR went through many transformations before being redeveloped as a hip hub. It consistently offers the latest in buzzworthy attractions while preserving one of the nation’s largest collections of historic Italianate architecture. otrchamber.com

Eat

Over-the-Rhine is the epicurean epicenter of cutting-edge bars and restaurants in the heart of Cincinnati. All the food trends are covered: farm-to-table, high-end street eats and anything else that necessitates a long wait. Award-winning chefs own multiple eateries on and slightly off the strip, so anywhere you stop, you can be sure you’re in for a excellent meal and, in keeping with elevated expectations, masterful mixology paired with lists of local craft beers and fine wines. Chef Daniel Wright’s Mediterranean tapas-style stop Abigail Street (1214 Vine St., abigailstreet. com) is down the street from his Pontiac (1403 Vine St., pontiacbbq.com), which has Tiki drinks and smoked meats, as well as Holiday Spirits (1538 Race St., holiday-

liquorbar.com) and its in-house eatery Forty Thieves (fortythievesgang.com), a dive bar with a walk-up window serving shawarma, falafel and za’atar fries. Stop

by Chef Jose Salazar’s namesake Salazar (1401 Republic St., salazarcincinnati.com) for a playful seasonal menu of nibbles, like salmon with an everything-bagel-inspired crust, or his Goose & Elder (1800 Race St., gooseandelder.com) burger joint for classic cocktails and a fried bologna sandwich. Nearby is Pleasantry (118 W. 15th St., pleasantryotr.com), a polished yet easygoing gem that serves simple and seasonal Midwestern dishes. Craving Mexican? The part bar, part taco joint, all classy Bakersfield (1213 Vine St., bakersfieldtacos.com) specializes in gourmet tacos (pollo verde, pastor, huitlacoche, etc.), quality tequilas and whiskeys and hand-crafted margaritas made the old-fashioned way. For seafood, the new Pearlstar (1220 Vine St., pearl-star.com) serves both East and West Coast oysters and other raw delicacies including crudo, ceviche and tartare. They have a giant patio, plus bocce ball. Quan Hapa (1331 Vine St., quanhapa.com) has Asian-inspired street food, sake and ramen. For Italian, Nicola’s (1420 Sycamore St., nicolasotr. com), a top Zagat-rated Italian restaurant, does Bolognese Night on Mondays; get either a meaty beef and veal or vegetarian tagliatelle Bolognese, bread and salad for a deal. French Crust Café (1801 Elm St., frenchcrust.com) is the first full-service brunch and dinner bistro in Findlay Market; it’s a Francophile’s dream — helmed by renowned chef Jean-Robert de Cavel — with note-perfect quiches, croissants, omelets and, of course, a croque monsieur. For more of France, Macaron Bar (1206 Main St., macaron-bar. com) is dedicated exclusively to the art of baking colorful macarons. Brown Bear Bakery (116 E. 13th St., brownbearbakes. com) is a cult favorite slinging craft-made sweet and savory pastries and baked goods. Looking for hearty vegan fare? The award-winning ESSEN Kitchen (1 Findlay St., essenkitchen.com) has one of the best vegan burgers around, along with a host of other delicious entrees. Or stop by Rooted Juicery & Kitchen’s (1801 Race St., rootedjuicery.com) Findlay Market location for plant milk lattes, vegan baked goods and cold-pressed juice. They also serve wine. For late night, Gomez Salsa (107 E. 12th St., gomezsalsa.com) does walk-up tacos. Or grab a midnight slice at Goodfellas Pizzeria (1211 Main St., goodfellaspizzeria. com).

Drink

OTR is home to an entire Brewery District, launched in the 1800s by German

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brewers and decimated by Prohibition.

Today, the district is exploding with new microbrewers inhabiting the once-abandoned skeletons of former beer giants.

Named one of the top 10 best bars in the country by USA Today, Rhinegeist (1910 Elm St., rhinegeist.com) brews hoppy West Coast-style beers in an old bottling plant with an awesome rooftop deck. Down the street, Taft’s Ale House (1429 Race St., taftsbeer.com), named after President/ Cincinnatian William Howard Taft, has creative craft brews and a curated menu in a former German church. Book an American Legacy Tour (americanlegacytours.com) or a Brewing Heritage Trail Tour (brewingheritagetrail.org) for more history. Take a free, self-guided tour on the Brewing Heritage walking trail. “Hop on” the trail, which stretches about three-fourths of a mile between Findlay Market (1801 Race St.) and Grant Park (73 E. McMillan Ave.) in Over-theRhine, at either terminus and follow embedded medallions in the sidewalk to discover historic buildings, brewing sites, public art and more. Skeleton Root (38 W. McMicken Ave., skeletonroot.com) is a functioning winery and tasting room that pays homage to the city’s verdant winemaking past. If you’re serious about cocktails and history, visit Japp’s (1134 Main St., jappsotr. com) for pre-Prohibition style spirits, The Lackman (1237 Vine St., lackmanbar.com) for a barrel-aged Manhattan or the apothecary-themed Sundry and Vice (18 W. 13th St., sundryandvice.com) for drinks with egg whites, bitters and absinthe. Enjoy a wine flight at 1215 Wine Bar & Coffee Lab (1215 Vine St.,1215vine.com) or Revel OTR (111 E. 12th St., revelotr.com), which specializes in promoting regional wineries and makes its own small-batch vino in the basement using a family recipe. Liberty’s Bar & Bottle (1427 Main St., facebook.com/Libertys-Bar-Bottle-715086285194142) hawks European wine and beers, with half-pours and bottles to go. Longfellow’s (1233 Clay St., longfellowbar.com) craft cocktails are cool and dangerously drinkable, while the food menu offers late-night pierogies and old-fashioned snacks, like casino egg salad or a dill pickle and cheese sandwich.

Right nearby, HomeMakers Bar (39 E. 13th St., homemakersbar.com) promotes a retro vibe with its decor and drink menu, laden with the domestic cocktails of the 1950s through the 1970s as well as aperitifs, digestifs and bitters. Head to the beer garden at Queen City Radio (222 W. 12th St., qcrbar.com) for a local pint, boozy slushies, wine and cocktails. Get down to some free live music at MOTR Pub (1345 Main St., motrpub.com), or take in a drag show upstairs at Below Zero Lounge (1120 Walnut St., belowzerolounge.com), one of

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Washington Park.

Holden Mathis

Yelp’s top 100 LGBTQ+ bars in the nation.

Those looking for superior drinks and music in an inclusive space can find it at Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge (1432 Vine St., nostalgiaotr.com). Inspired by Cincinnati’s Cotton Club of the 1930s and 1940s, the intimate jazz bar showcases more than 40 bottles from women and minority winemakers and spiritmakers. Wodka Bar (1200 Main St., wodkabarotr.com) dishes out Eastern European eats and specializes in vodka, from housemade infusions to spirits from around the world.

Shop

There’s a bevy of local boutiques within a several block radius — we can’t list them all here, so do yourself a favor and wander. Sloane Boutique (1216 Vine St., sloaneboutique.com) meets clothing needs for the style-blogger set, Continuum (1407 Vine St., continuumbazaar.com) is a curated concept shop showcasing indie designers and MiCa 12/v (1201 Vine St., shopmica.com) has locally made fine art and gifts. The eclectic TMBTITWI (1411 Vine St., themostbeautifulthingintheworldis.com), helmed by a world-traveling art specialist, has storied clothing, jewelry and home goods. Idlewild Woman (1230 Vine St., idlewildwoman.com) is managed

by Cincinnati fashion designer and Project Runway alum Tessa Clark. Cincy Shirts (1301 Main St., cincyshirts.com) sells vintage-inspired T-shirts and apparel that focus on hometown and sports-team pride. Mannequin Boutique (1311 Main St., facebook.com/mannequinboutiqueOTR) collects high-end vintage and donates sales proceeds to local nonprofits. To see many local boutiques in one place, visit Second Sunday on Main (secondsundayonmain.org), an eclectic summer festival, or

The City Flea (thecityflea.com), an urban market held April through December. The area around Findlay Market is also exploding with local shops, like Artichoke’s (1824 Elm St., artichokeotr.com) curated kitchenware storefront, Budding Florist’s (1817 Elm St., thebuddingfloristcincy.com) plant shop and Deerhaus Decor’s (135 W. Elder St., deerhausdecor.com) eco-friendly and vintage wonderland.

Do

Try your skill at pinball, shuffleboard or duckpin bowling on the rooftop at Pins Mechanical Company (1124 Main St., pinsbar.com/cincy). Get a green manicure at Spruce Nail Shop (1818 Race St., sprucenailshop.com) before catching a concert at the Woodward Theater (1404 Main St., woodwardtheater.com), a century-old Beaux Arts venue that once played silent movies; it now hosts touring indie, punk and rock acts. The Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal (1301 Western Ave., cincymuseum.org) is a 1930s railroad station converted into a natural history museum, OMNIMAX theater and children’s museum (the Super Friends’ Hall of Justice is modeled after the building). It’s also home to the Holocuast & Humanity Center (holocaustandhumanity.org). For the latest in avant-garde theater, check out Know Theatre of Cincinnati (1120 Jackson St., knowtheatre.com), with $15 rush tickets right before performances. On any given weekend, find musicians, a murder mystery dinner or a ComedySportz improv competition at Memorial Hall (1225 Elm St., memorialhallotr.com). And when that relaxing Cincinnati summer heat hits, take a dip in the pool at Ziegler Park (216 Woodward St., zieglerpark.org).

The six-acre Washington Park (1230

Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, washingtonpark. org) is a renovated 150-year-old urban public space that offers a quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of the city — like Central Park, but a lot smaller and without a zoo or restaurant. But what it lacks in zoos, it makes up for in interactive features like a dog park; children’s playground; synchronizable, splashable water jets; and an elevated deck with lounge seating, yard games and a full bar (hooray!). The park also has plenty of free programming, from instructor-led workouts, movie screenings and pop-up markets to beer fests, holiday happenings and happy hours. It’s basically Over-theRhine’s backyard.

Explore

Stroll Findlay Market (1801 Race St., findlaymarket.org) for farm-fresh food and outposts of favorite eateries like Dojo Gelato (dojogelato.com), which offers an excellent affogato (gelato drowned in espresso), Eli’s BBQ (elisbarbeque.com) with cult-favorite smoked meats; and Pho Lang Thang (pholangthang.com), a Vietnamese eatery with the city’s best banh mi. Go online for an ArtWorks (artworkscincinnati.org) mural map to take a self-guided walking tour or join a group tour — the nonprofit paints large-scale works on local buildings every summer.

Visit classical performance landmark Music Hall (1241 Elm St., cincinnatiarts.org), which also features haunted tours; built over a pauper’s cemetery, it reportedly is one of the most haunted places in America. Or catch the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Opera or May Festival (one of the world’s longest-running choral festivals) there.

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Serving up culinary experiences for the home chef.

From Cooking Classes and Grill Boxes to Weekly Feast Kits and Oyster of the Month Club, create restaurant quality meals at home with the guidance of our expert chef Vanessa.

at

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Located at

Annual Manual 2021/2022

CINCINNATI

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B E L L E V U E ,

2 2 4 Fa i r f i e l d Av e n u e •

K E N T U C K Y

Bellevue, KentuckY 41073 • (859) 815-8375

Neighborhoods

Northern Kentucky Bellevue, Covington, Newport + Nearby

Just a quick trip across the Ohio River on any of the city’s many bridges will take you into Northern Kentucky, unique for simultaneously being part of Greater Cincinnati and the farthest north you can be while still being part of the South. Head to Covington’s MainStrasse Village for al fresco eateries, award-winning bourbon bars and Bavarian flair; to cozy and eclectic Bellevue for brunch; and to the mixed-use-development-friendly Newport to visit Newport on the Levee and the Newport Aquarium.

Provided

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The Baker’s Table Bakery

Favorite Newport dining destination The Baker’s Table has opened a new bakery across the street from the restaurant. The Baker’s Table Bakery offers sourdough breads, pastries and espresso for breakfast and lunch and, in the evening, farm-totable pizzas and sustainable Italian wines. Enjoy your morning coffee and watch as the bread for the dinner service is prepared in front of you. The bakers often experiment with new recipes, like garlic knots and surprising styles of pizza. To catch one of these “experiments” before they’re gone, follow The Baker’s Table Bakery on social media.

1001 Monmouth St., Newport, bakerstablebakery.com.

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Neighborhoods

Northern Kentucky

Hotel Covington

Developers transformed Covington’s old City Hall (and former Coppin’s department store) into a luxury boutique hotel with a focus on modern-meets-vintage style. You could stay here — or you could drink, dine and hang instead. Coppin’s restaurant creates magic with its locally sourced fare, and the courtyard is a multi-use patio that offers everything from lawn games, live music and film screenings to an artisan coffee bar and craft cocktails. The perfect place to stop by if you’ve just caught some live music at nearby venues the Southgate House Revival (southgatehouse.com) or Madison Theater (madisontheater.com).

638 Madison Ave., Covington, hotelcovington.com.

Yuca

Hailey Bollinger

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Hailey Bollinger

Jeremy Faeth, the co-owner and executive chef at Cedar, debuted his second Northern Kentucky restaurant, Yuca, in September 2021. The Latin American breakfast, brunch and lunch spot has taken off since its highly anticipated opening.

Try the Hangover, a dish with a layer of spicy chorizo that rests under a blanket of sunny-side-up eggs and breakfast potatoes, topped with fresh jalapeño, avocado and housemade pico de gallo. This is one of the most popular items at Cedar and is one of the inspiration dishes behind Yuca. With his focus on fresh food, Faeth eliminated the microwave and freezer in his kitchens, an impressive feat in today’s fast-paced food world.

700 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, yucabycedar.com.

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Hailey Bollinger

Jerry’s Jug House Jerry’s Jug House started as a garage with ties to bootlegging during Prohibition but went legal in the 1930s as a “jug house.” Patrons could buy beer, liquor and wine to go at the jug house, which was adjacent to a neighborhood grocery store. In 2019, the bar got new owners who thoughtfully remodeled the Newport staple, keeping much of its historic character and artifacts intact, including the UK wallpaper. The menu also got a revamp, with draft beer and specialty cocktails like the Cherry Coke, made with cane sugar cola, housemade cherry syrup, fresh lime juice and your choice of bourbon, rum or vodka, served over flaked “Frisch’s” style ice. 414 E. Seventh St., Newport, jerrysjughouse.com.

Big Bone Lick State Historic Site

Adam Doty

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For an interesting look into prehistoric times, take a trip to Big Bone Lick State Historic Site. The park is named after the Pleistocene megafauna fossils found there. It is thought that mammoths were drawn to the location by a salt lick that was deposited around a sulfur spring. An indoor museum houses fossils, American art and a 1,000-pound mastodon skull. Outside, enjoy some hands-on history and science lessons, in-season camping, and a real herd of bison, visible any time of year, that harkens back to the park’s prehistoric past. 3380 Beaver Road, Union, parks.ky.gov.

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BELLEVUE With a population of less than 6,000, this quaint little sister of Covington and Newport has a main drag of eclectic gift shops, historic homes and cozy cafés. bellevueky.org

Eat

Do brunch at Bellevue Bistro (313 Fairfield Ave., bellevuebistro.com), home to sweets, savories and five different types of benedicts, with choices like Kentucky Hot Brown and Veggie Benny (sweet potatoes, squash, avocado, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach, cheddar jack). The Elusive Cow (519 Fairfield Ave., theelusivecow.com) does organic, farm fresh and sustainable for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. And Schneider’s Sweet Shop (420 Fairfield Ave., schneiderscandies. com) has been satisfying sweet teeth since 1939. They specialize in handmade, small-batch opera creams — chocolate candies with a creamy center — developed by a German confectioner for the Cincinnati Opera. History and sugar!

Drink

As the name would suggest, Bellevue’s Darkness Brewing (224 Fairfield Ave., darknessbrewing.beer) focuses on dark beers: stouts, black ales, porters and more. It’s very laid back with tons of quirky events, including classic horror film screenings, paint-and-pint nights and trivia nights. While there are a couple of other locals-only type dive bars on the Fairfield Avenue strip — and a little bit off, like the tropically themed Riverside Marina (145 Mary Ingles Highway, riversidemarinaky.com) — the boozebased highlight of Bellevue is The Party Source (95 Riviera Drive, thepartysource. com). With a mind-blowing selection of spirits at discount prices, there’s no other alcohol store like it in the country. Find expensive and rare bourbons, a giant local beer selection and college-budget party booze along with colorful plastic cutlery, bachelorette necklaces and easy hors d’oeuvres. It’s also home to the innovative Braxton Labs brewery, so not only can you shop for booze here, you can also drink booze here. Just outside the Party Source’s door is adjacent distillery New Riff (24 Distillery Way, newriffdistilling.com), the northernmost stop on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour. Try their bourbon, rye and, if you’re not a fan of the darker liquors, try their Kentucky Wild Gin. For a large selection of bourbon, specialty cocktails, local craft beer and seasonal wines, check out Three Spirits Tavern (209 Fairfield Ave., threespiritstavern.com).

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Lil’s Bagels.

Shop

With too many gift shops and secondhand stores to name, just stroll down Fairfield Avenue and you’ll inevitably walk into one; all have a bit of that kitschy country vibe — some more than others.

An excellent shopping district to find a hostess gift. But Coda Co. (400 Fairfield Ave., shopcodaco.com) stands out for its curated collection of urban décor and hand-crafted goods: wood pour-over coffee stands, macramé wall hangings and throw pillows. From decor to candles to baby clothes to Derby hats, check out Le Sorelle Boutique (341 Fairfield Ave., facebook.com/bellevueky341) to find gifts for anyone and possibly something for yourself. If you’re more of a crafting type, make your way down to The Bellevue Beadery (417 Fairfield Ave., facebook.com/ beadery) where you can not only find your own craft supplies but also commission personalized items for special events.

Explore

Wander down to Bellevue Beach Park (665 Frank Benke Way, bellevueky.org), a former 19th-century community swimming spot, for views of Cincinnati from across the river.

COVINGTON Covington’s historic German MainStrasse Village is full of quirky shops, al fresco eateries and awardwinning bars. covingtonky.gov

Eat

Thought MainStrasse was only about Germans? Nein. Pretend you’re in

Hailey Bollinger

Amsterdam at the Dutch-inspired Lisse Steakhuis (530 Main St., lisse.restaurant).

Try whitefish pâté, shrimp cocktail and sides like hutspot (mashed-up potatoes, carrots and onions). The logo is even a windmill. Frida (602 Main St., fridaonmain. com), named after the legendary painter Frida Kahlo, serves up chips and salsas, burritos, tacos and sandwiches. The Brussels sprout and pescado tacos are local favorites. The menu at Libby’s Southern Comfort (35 W. Eighth St., libbyssoutherncomfort.com) pays tribute to Southern classics with a touch of Charleston and features dishes like goetta hush puppies, oysters on the half shell and fried chicken. Sandwich-shop-turned-bistro Otto’s (521 Main St., ottosonmain.com) excels at casual brunch. Their eggs benedict is wonderfully indulgent on a Sunday morning, and their bloody marys can be made with house-infused cucumber or jalapeño-garlic vodka. For excellent Asian, sit at a traditional floor table at Riverside Korean (512 Madison Ave., riversidekoreanrestaurant.com) and order a steaming stone bowl bibimbop, accompanied by a selection of tangy bokum. Or visit Kung Food Chu’s AmerAsia (521 Madison Ave., kungfood.online) for fresh American-Chinese with a kitschy lean and a binder-sized selection of brews. Find local and artisan deli items, brick-oven pizzas, hot sandwiches and pickle fries at The Gruff (129 E. Second St., atthegruff.com). Farmto-table Bouquet Restaurant & Wine Bar (519 Main St., bouquetrestaurant.com) puts a twist on classic dishes and offers a constantly rotating menu. Browse an extensive wine list (more than 60 bottle and glass selections) while drooling

over the current carnivorous offerings prepared by Chef Stephen Williams. His ethically sourced meats are found in both small plates and entrées like sweet potato rouille and Sakura Farm steak. The alleyway beside Roebling Point Books & Coffee (roeblingpointbooksandcoffee. com) is laced not only with plants peeking through a sidewalk, but the wafting scent of warm bagels — made with chutzpah.

Grab a New York-style bagel from cult fave Lil’s Bagels (308 Greenup St., lilsbagels.com). Text or place your order online and pick it up minutes later at the “windough.” The hand-rolled bagels have a rabid following and sell out fast.

Eishaus (117 Park Place, eishauseats.com) in Covington’s Roebling Point District is a German-inspired ice cream, eats and coffee window. The creamery features the unique frozen treat “spaghetti eis,” an ice cream dish with ice cream “noodles” and toppings that resemble sauces and meatballs. They even have a locally-inspired treat that looks like a Cincinnati chili 3-Way. Frosthaus (115 Park Place, frosthauscov.com) — a sister spot located next to Eishaus — offers a slew of frozen delights, specifically booze-infused slushies. Can’t compromise on a place to eat? Covington Yard (401 Greenup St., covingtonyard.com) can help! With four different restaurants serving out of shipping containers, everyone is sure to find something they’ll like. Django Western Tacos serves tacos; Mr. Bulgogi offers Korean bowls and dumplings; Yard Bird is known for “Thee Chicken Sandwich” served with coleslaw; and Hangry Omar’s serves sliders. Of course, this is also a great place to just grab drinks.

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Explore

Bridgeview Box Park.

Walk the Licking Riverside Drive Historic District. This 13-block area includes Civil War homes, carriage houses, Underground Railroad tunnels and life-size bronze statues of historic figures in lifelike poses; take your picture fake-sketching next to the permanently sketching John James Audubon, who visited Northern Kentucky in 1819. Or head to Goebel Park (501 Philadelphia Street, mainstrasse.org), a community gathering spot at the edge of MainStrasse Village that features a well known German-style Carroll Chimes Clock Tower. If you’re a fan of automatons or horology, watch little mechanical men act out the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin at the park’s Carroll Chimes Bell Tower (605 Philadelphia St.) at noon.

NEWPORT

Drink

The Standard (434 Main St., facebook. com/thestandardcov) — from the team behind Otto’s and Larry’s dive bar (@ larrys_all_american_cafe) — is located in a former garage and filling station.

The colorful location has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, with patio space beneath the garage’s canopies.

Bourbon is king in Covington. Cocktail bar The Hannaford (619 Madison Ave., thehannaford.com) is named after famed local architect Samuel Hannaford and is decorated with wood, leather, concrete and top-notch bourbon, displayed in modified bourbon barrels. Two bars on the MainStrasse strip made the list of the best bourbon bars in America as rated by The Bourbon Review: the Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar (629 Main St., oldkybourbonbar.com), which has more than 150 different types of bourbon, rotating flights and an extremely knowledgeable staff; and the Wiseguy Lounge (603 Main St., goodfellaspizzeria.com/wiseguy-lounge), which has over 400 bourbons to choose from, along with specialty cocktails and draft beer. Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar in Hotel Covington (638 Madison Ave., hotelcovington.com) just released a cocktail book, Cheers to Five Years, featuring 30 recipes among sprinkles of mixology basics. Try your hand at the Crack Sabbath — Buffalo Trace bourbon, bitters and a few other ingredients, smoked in a snifter with oak wood chips and topped with a sugar lid — or just

Annual Manual 2021/2022

grab one from the bar. If you’re more into beer than bourbon, visit Braxton Brewing Co. (27 W. Seventh St., braxtonbrewing. com), started in a garage by co-founder Evan Rouse when he was just 16. Molly Malone’s Irish Pub (112 E. Fourth St., covington.mollymalonesirishpub.com) is run by real Irish people — accents and all — and shows all English Premier League “football” games live. Rosie’s Tavern (643 Bakewell St., rosiestavernnky.com), just off MainStrasse, offers a casual environment for happy hour, darts, pool and pinball.

Crazy Fox Saloon (901 Washington Ave., 859-0261-2143 ) has a similar vibe.

Shop

The city’s Renaissance Covington (rcov. org) project is helping to revitalize the downtown retail and restaurant district with cute shops and cool places to drink and dine. Madison Avenue is currently home to a Wedding District, and near the Roebling Bridge lies Roebling Point Books & Coffee (306 Greenup St., roeblingpointbooksandcoffee.com), a dog-friendly bookshop and coffee café. Find real stuffed animals at Hail Records & Oddities (720 Main St., hailcincinnati.com), a magnificently macabre shop full of witchy accessories and lots of used LPs. Shop for your magical supplies at Hierophany & Hedge (19 W. Pike St., hierophanyandhedge. com). This store doesn’t hawk gags and goofs, but instead is a shop where the secrets of ancient ritual can be unearthed from obscure tomes, where components for protective talismans are found — a

Hailey Bollinger

place where magic isn’t only real, but essential. They also have a giant cabinet full of handmade wands.

Do

Drive up the hill to Devou Park (1201 Park Drive, exploredevoupark.org) for incomparable river views, as well as a golf course and the Behringer-Crawford Museum (1600 Montague Road, bcmuseum. org), dedicated to collecting, preserving and exhibiting the Ohio Valley’s heritage. Can’t make it to Paris? NBD. The French-Gothic Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica (1140 Madison Ave., covcathedral. com) is a replica of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Located on the Covington floodwall along the edge of the Ohio River, the Roebling Murals (Riverside Drive) depict the city’s history painted along hundreds of feet of concrete.

Historically referred to as “Sin City,” Newport was once known for casinos, brothels and speakeasies; the city is now home to Newport on the Levee, where there is a bar and restaurant box park and mixed-use entertainment development. newportky.gov; newportonthelevee.com

Eat

Hit up the 1920s Dixie Chili (733 Monmouth St., dixiechili.com) for a three-way, or grab a slab of goetta at the Pepper Pod (703 Monmouth St., 859-431-7455), a third-generation family-run restaurant.

Have some handmade ravioli and play some bocce ball at Pompilio’s (600 Washington Ave., pompilios.com), the restaurant where the toothpick scene in Rain Man was filmed. La Mexicana (642 Monmouth St., orderlamexicanarestaurant.com) dishes out excellent Mexican, including carne asada and chile relleno. Other favorite eats are York Street Café (738 York St., yorkst.cafe) where you can get deli

Pompilio’s.

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favorites like the Turkey Brie and smoked salmon on a toasted baguette. At Mad Mike’s Burgers & Fries (342 Monmouth St., madmikesburgers.com), you could go easy with a bacon cheeseburger, or you could go big with the Goliath, a black angus burger topped with bacon, grilled onions, American cheese and barbecue sauce between two grilled cheese sandwiches.

Drink

Bridgeview Box Park at Newport on the Levee (1 Levee Way, newportonthelevee. com) is an outdoor entertainment space perched right above the Ohio River, offering spectacular views of the Cincinnati skyline. The cluster of food, drink and shopping vendors utilizes shipping-like containers — hence the “box park” — which are interspersed among a common outdoor area. Vendors include Tiki bar Kon Tiki on the Levee, empanadas stand Che on Wheels and an outpost of distillery Second Sight Spirits.

The Wooden Cask (woodencask.com), which has operated a microbrewery and taproom in Newport since 2016, opened a 2,400-square-foot second location on the Levee, with garage-style doors offering an indoor-outdoor vibe. The menu features a special Blueberry Levee lager. The Beeline (facebook.com/beelineonthelevee) — from 4EG, the minds behind such bars as Igby’s, The Lackman, Rosedale and Keystone Bar & Grill — also offers indoor and outdoor seating, with a patio bar and river views. Grab a stein of German brew and a schnitzel in the biergarten at the first authentic Hofbräuhaus (200 Third St., hofbrauhausnewport.com) in America — “Where it’s Oktoberfest every day!” Originally a coffee shop and bistro, Newberry Brothers Coffee (530 Washington Ave., newberrybroscoffee.com) is now primarily a speakeasy nestled in the Mansion Hill neighborhood of Newport.

The in-house Prohibition Bourbon Bar features more than 1,500 brands of bourbon, rye whiskey, Scotch and Irish and Japanese whiskey — the largest collection literally anywhere. Newberry’s coffee is also available at Jet Age Records (817 Monmouth St., jetagerecords.com), a new and used vinyl shop with listening stations.

Visit Trailhead Coffee (648 Monmouth St., facebook.com/trailheadcoffee) for Wood Burl Coffee, rotating pour-over selections, single-origin espresso, ceremonial-grade matcha and beautiful latte art.

Do

Walk or bike across The Purple People Bridge (purplepeoplebridge.com) from Cincy’s The Banks to Newport on the Levee (newportonthelevee.com) — or vice versa. The pedestrian-only bridge,

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Newport Aquarium.

Hailey Bollinger

listed on the National Register of Historic Places, opened in 1872 as Cincinnati’s first railroad bridge spanning the Ohio River.

In the early 2000s, it was renovated and transformed into a romantic and practical walkway connecting the two states. The aforementioned Levee is a one-stop shop for dining and entertainment. It houses the Newport Aquarium (newportaquarium. com), an AMC Theatre (amctheatres.com) and Rotolo (rotolobowling.com) boutique bowling and bocce court.

Explore

The Newport Gangster Tour and the seasonal Newport is Haunted Tour (americanlegacytours.com) both look at the city’s mob past with tales of murder, prostitution, gamblers and ghosts. For a more family-friendly adventure, BB Riverboats (101 Riverboat Row, bbriverboats. com) offers a variety of tours and dinner steamboat cruises down the Ohio River.

FLORENCE/NEARBY NORTHERN KENTUCKY Famous for its “Florence Y’all” water tower, now the mascot for a minor league baseball team, Florence is home to a big mall, chain restaurants and Kentucky’s largest winery. florence-ky.gov

Eat

Greyhound Tavern (2500 Dixie Highway, greyhoundtavern.com) has been serving classic fried chicken in Fort Mitchell since the 1920s. Enjoy some Kentucky cooking with a classic hot brown. Matsuya Japanese Restaurant (7149 Manderlay

Drive, facebook.com/Matsuya-Japanese-Restaurant) offers traditional Kaiseki multi-course meals, Nabemono table-side hot pots and easy eats like chicken katsu.

Their tatami is available for larger and private parties. Located in a former 1920s gas station, Camporosso (2475 Dixie Highway, camporosso.com) is known for its traditional Neapolitan, wood-fired pizzas.

It also slings classic American ‘za — with a chewier crust.

Drink

Kentucky’s largest winery, Elk Creek Vineyards (150 Highway 330, elkcreekvineyards.com), is housed in the rolling hills of Owenton and offers award-winning sweet-style wines produced and bottled onsite. Before you start boozing, go shoot some clay pigeons at the next-door Elk Creek Hunt Club. Get ready to sample a slew of rum — unbarreled, spiced and bourbon barrel-aged — at Second Sight Spirits (301 B. Elm St. Ludlow, secondsightspirits.com) artisan distillery. Built by former Cirque du Soleil prop masters and engineers/booze pirates, the distillery’s moniker is inspired by a vaudevillian swami, and free tours of the facility take visitors past the on-theme steampunk-esque copper still.

Shop

The extremely popular Burlington Antique Show (5819 Idlewild Road, burlingtonantiqueshow.com) is one of the Midwest’s premiere antique and vintage-only shows featuring more than 200 dealers. From April through October, find all the Midcentury Modern, farmhouse primitives and industrial salvage you

can fit in your car. Florence Mall (2028 Florence Mall Road, florencemall.com), with various chain stores and a double-decker carousel in the food court (America!).

Do

Florence is kind of a sports hub. Horse track Turfway Park (7500 Turfway Road, turfway.com) conducts live thoroughbred racing, with off-season year-round simulcast wagering, and minor league independent professional baseball team the Florence Y’alls (7950 Freedom Way, florenceyalls.com) offers up the food, drinks, amenities and a giant water tower mascot.

Explore

The Creation Museum (2800 Bullittsburg Church Road, creationmuseum.org): the greatest field trip for Young-Earth Creationists and mortal enemy of science (and its guy, Bill Nye). One part museum, one part fantasy and all parts Answers in Genesis, this private oasis brings the Bible to life with dynamic animal and human displays featuring the likes of Adam and Eve and dinosaurs — together — and an exotic petting zoo. If you need more ego with your religious figures, look no further than the Ark Encounter (1 Ark Encounter Drive, Williamstown, arkencounter.com), a 510-foot-long, 50-foot-tall, $90 million replica of Noah’s boat, complete with a restaurant and admission fee. Thomas More University (333 Thomas More Parkway, thomasmore.edu) to see “the smallest church in the world.” The 6-foot-by-9-foot fieldstone Monte Casino Chapel was built in the late 19th century by Benedictine monks and moved to the college in 1965.

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JAKE SWEENEY AUTOMOTIVE 2021 BEST NEW & USED CAR DEALER SHOP NOW AT

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Neighborhoods

West Side

Cheviot Green Township, Price Hill, Westwood + Nearby

Cincinnati’s West Side represents one half of the city’s most enduring rivalry (vs. the East Side).

Though it’s technically everything west of Vine Street, I-74 is a popular dividing line. Full of some of the city’s hidden gems, you can find down-to-earth communities that are equal parts mom-and-pop and big-box. And new businesses, nightlife and arts programs are popping up everywhere.

Ivory House

Hailey Bollinger

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This West Side eatery opened its doors in 2020 and prides itself on specializing in “familiar food, elevated,” offering a fresh take on nostalgia-inducing dishes. The menu offers small plates like miso hummus and tomato bruschetta, as well as a handful of seafood dishes and steak options — with add-ons like lobster cream and baconwrapped scallops. Go big with a Japanese A5 Wagyu filet or strip for a couple hundred bucks. Ivory House also offers a pretty delicious brunch menu, with cinnamon rolls, steak and egg tacos and a fun choice of cassoulets, including a veggie hash with tempeh and a Cincy Hash with, of course, Cincinnati chili and cheese sauce. The restaurant is named after James N. Gamble, the inventor of Ivory soap who was also the mayor of Westwood before the West Side was annexed to the city of Cincinnati. 2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood, ivoryhousecincy.com.

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Neighborhoods

West Side

Hailey Bollinger

Everybody’s Treehouse

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Everybody’s Treehouse isn’t just for kids. Buried in the thick of the 1,459-acre Mount Airy Forest, this whimsical arboreal abode is one of Cincinnati Parks’ biggest secrets. The wheelchair-accessible structure — one of the only treehouses like it in Ohio — was built in 2006. It was the vision of then-WCPO reporter Michael Flannery, who worked with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, Cincinnati Rotary and Forever Young Treehouses to build this nature-ringed nook for all. Thronged by trees and wildlife, it is the perfect spot to curl up with a book, plan a picnic, hang out with friends and/or laze the day away. 5083 Colerain Ave., Westwood, cincinnatiparks.com.

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Wondercade

Provided by Wondercade

Leslie and Bill Rich, owners of Wondercade, moved to Westwood 18 years ago and began to amass their own collection of arcade cabinets. It all started with Space Invaders. Asteroids came soon afterward. Then a pinball machine. After four or five game cabinets were under their roof, the idea of opening their own arcade came up more and more in conversation. While most newly opened arcades seem to be bars first and arcades second, Wondercade operates as an arcade that happens to serve food and drinks — boozy, if you’d like — with kids welcome until 9 p.m., when the arcade goes 18-plus. “I think this is one of the few spots where people who are unified by the love of gaming can interact intergenerationally,” says Leslie. 3143 Harrison Ave., Westwood, wondercadecincy.com.

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West Side Brewing

Not only is West Side Brewing an excellent neighborhood watering hole, it’s also a community hub that hosts chili cook-offs, dog-friendly nights, pop-up workout classes, live music, fundraisers and big-game watch parties.

Originally pegged as a craft brewery for the everyman, WSB is inviting enough for the casual beer drinker, spacious enough for groups and families, and legit enough to impress the most discerning local brewpub frequent flyers. In addition to porters, pilsners and IPAs, they also have ciders and wine, a few standby snacks and a solid lineup of food trucks frequently parked outside. 3044 Harrison Ave., Westwood, westsidebrewing.com.

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Hailey Bollinger

Price Hill Chili

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Founded in 1962 by the Beltsos family, this West Side staple has expanded from a one-room chili parlor to a multi-building bar and restaurant, but the family values and wood-paneled aesthetics haven’t changed. For many locals, Price Hill Chili is a slice of their own history that serves up coneys and 3-Ways from the steam table, plus sandwiches, salads, Greek-inspired eats and all-day breakfast. On Friday night, try to grab a serving of super popular, from-scratch mac and cheese before it’s gone. 4920 Glenway Ave., Price Hill, pricehillchili.com.

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CHEVIOT Once a farming village, this residential suburb boasts “big-city spirit with a small-town charm.” cheviot.org

Eat

Maury’s Tiny Cove (3908 Harrison Ave., maurys-steakhouse.com) has been packed full of flavor and West Side tradition since 1949. The dimly lit supper-club vibe backdrops an extensive menu consisting of all the classic steakhouse options: tender, juicy filets, seafood and chicken cooked just right, plus pasta, Atomic Age sides (shredded lettuce salads; a complimentary ramekin of pickles on every table) and a perfect martini. The restaurant’s iconic sign is easy to spot on Harrison Avenue and features a kitschy cartoon steer holding a cocktail.

Named after a small island in the Aegean Sea, Santorini Family Restaurant (3414 Harrison Ave., 513-662-8080) serves Greek-inspired dishes that please the soul without emptying your pockets. It’s gyro-tastic with gyro omelets, gyro pizza, gyro gyros and, of course, the largest local contribution of the Greek people: Cincinnati-style chili. For more Mediterranean eats, Sebastian’s Gyros (5209 Glenway Ave., sebastiansgyros.com) is run by Alex Vasiliou, who opened his family-run shop in 1976 after immigrating from Kastoria, Greece. Enjoy an Irish sausage sandwich and a Dublin-certified perfect pint of Guinness at The Public House (3807 North Bend Road, thepublichousecheviot.com).

For dessert, head to creamy whip Zip Dip (4050 Drew Ave., zip-dip.com), a seasonal walk-up for soft serve. The building is topped by a neon sign featuring an ice cream cone bifurcated by a lightning bolt — a nostalgic, glowing reminder of summer since 1950.

Drink

Wander down Harrison Avenue in the Cheviot Entertainment District for a casual bar crawl — there are about a dozen bars in a three-block radius with cheap happy hours, bar snacks and plenty of big-screen TVs, darts, cornhole and, weirdly, shuffleboard to entertain you while you drink. Sip and sit back at a place where everyone knows your name (especially if you’re from Cheviot): Rootie’s Brickhouse (3609 Harrison Ave., facebook. com/rootiesbrickhouse) is a neighborhood bar without gimmicks but with multiple local craft beers on tap. Fogarty’s Irish Pub (3620 Harrison Ave., 513-515-7163) is known for its large outdoor patio complete with shuffleboard, 30 beers on tap and a wide selection of bottled beers.

The more upscale (there’s a chandelier)

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Maury’s Tiny Cove.

Hailey Bollinger

Dean’s Hops and Vines (3722 Harrison Ave., facebook.com/deanshv) specializes in wine, bourbon and 150 types of craft beers. Get in a game of sand volleyball (or cornhole) between beers at Game Time Sports Bar and Grill (3613 Harrison Ave., gametime2012.com). End the night at Kellers Cheviot Café (3737 Glenmore Ave., 513-661-9678). The drinks are strong and cheap, and there’s free popcorn.

Shop

The WestSide Market (Harvest Home Park, westsidemarketcincy.com) is a monthly local shopping pop-up featuring more than 100 arts, crafts and artisan foods vendors.

Up Up & Away! (4016 Harrison Ave., upupandawaycomics.com) is a comic shop for serious collectors. Wassler Meats (4300 Harrison Ave., wasslermeats.com), a butcher shop that dates back to 1894, makes their own brats, metts, wursts, pickle loaf and goetta in-house.

Do

Harvest Home Fair (3961 North Bend Road, harvesthomefair.com) has been a staple among residents since the 1800s. Experience community pride with a parade, flower and art show, petting zoo, rides, games and music at the annual end-ofsummer event. Catch a classic comedy or musical from one of the longest-running community theater groups in Cincinnati, The Drama Workshop, who found a permanent home in The Glenmore Playhouse (3716 Glenmore Ave., thedramaworkshop. org). It has produced at least three shows yearly since 1954.

GREEN TOWNSHIP Comprising the neighborhoods of Bridgetown, Covedale, Dent, Mack, Monfort Heights and White Oak, this bedroom community is one of Ohio’s largest townships. (We’re also grouping nearby Sayler Park and Delhi in this mix.) greentwp.org

Eat

There are plenty of longstanding establishments in this part of town with extremely loyal patrons. Kennings Circle K (6166 Bridgetown Road, kenningscirclek. com) sounds a little bit like a convenience store chain, but it’s actually a casual dinner joint, in operation since the 1970s.

House specialties include old-school favorites like mock turtle soup (garnished with hard-boiled egg), a Kentucky Hot Brown and sauerbraten over egg noodles.

Nick & Tom’s (5774 Bridgetown Road, nickandtoms.com), another locally owned (by the Skyline Lambrinides family) casual eatery, has been around since 1988. Find a giant white rooster statue on the roof and you’ve arrived at Ron’s Roost (3853 Race Road, ronsroost.net). As the statue implies, they’re famous for fried chicken. They also specialize in “old favorites,” like turkey Manhattan, breaded chicken livers with brown gravy and lemon meringue pie. Want some more local history? Lake Nina Restaurant (7200 Pippin Road, lakeninarestaurant.com) is a decades-old family-style tavern with an emphasis on fish, frog legs and a friendly waitstaff. They’re famous for their “fish logs,” hand-breaded fried Atlantic cod

(in the shape of a log) served with drawn butter and tartar sauce. For burgers, stuff your face at Chandler’s Burger Bistro (6135 Cleves Warsaw Pike, chandlersburgerbistro.com), which sources fresh beef from Bridgetown Finer Meats and serves burgers on Servatii buns. Since 1946, the Guenther family has been making smallbatch confections — like truffles, bourbon cherries and chocolate-covered bacon — at their Fawn Candy Co. (4271 Harrison Ave., fawncandy.com).

Drink

Because of the proximity to the river, there are a lot of Tiki bars in this part of the West Side. The pirate-friendly Knotty Pine Rock Club & Tiki Bar (6947 Cheviot Road, knottypinerocks.com) blends both worlds in its moniker with nightly live music and competitive co-ed sand volleyball leagues. Grab a piña colada on the seasonal Cabana on the River (7445 Forbes Road, cabanaontheriver.com) patio; it opens Mother’s Day weekend.

Located along the Ohio River, the island paradise features glowing palm trees, beach volleyball and waterside seating.

Located in the backyard of Kreimer’s Bier Haus (6052 State Route 128, facebook.com/ kreimersriverbar) is a Bavarian biergarten on the Great Miami River with three decks, fire pits and German eats. Not on the river is Tavern on the Bend (5471 North Bend Road, tavernonthebend.net), boasting 20 beers on tap and a loaded mac and cheese menu only found in your wildest dreams. Located on a former rural dairy farm, Vinoklet Winery’s (11069 Colerain Ave., Bevis, vinokletwines.com)

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30 acres of rolling hills and ponds are home to the only working winery with a vineyard in Hamilton County. Tapping into the Ohio River Valley’s rich grape-growing history, Vinoklet produces almost a dozen award-winning red, white and fruit wines cultivated right in Colerain. A popular wedding destination, the winery also hosts an annual Art & Wine festival, summer Shakespeare performances and grill-your-own steak and seafood dinners.

Incline Public House.

Do

Ride the Anderson Ferry (1 Anderson Ferry Road, andersonferry.com). This nationally registered historic site has been in operation since 1817, transporting people and goods across the Ohio River from the West Side to Northern Kentucky.

It used to be powered by horses walking on a treadmill, but now people use it as a shortcut to the airport. Buy a ticket, drive your car onto the barge, go across the river and come back. To experience the spoils of the land firsthand, visit Carriage House Farm (10251 Miamiview Road, carriagehousefarmllc.com). This Ohio Century Farm was established in 1855 and has been owned by a single family for five generations. Here, sprawled on 300 acres, exists a way of life that’s mostly faded from modern consciousness. Aside from food, the farm tends to horses, has trails and produces honey. Leave the phone behind and come for an on-farm dinner or rustic community classes. Each fall, delve into an instinct inherent to the human psyche: fear. The Dent Schoolhouse (5963 Hamilton Ave., frightsite.com) is open to the public during the Halloween season and renowned as one of Cincinnati’s most infamous haunted houses. According to legend, the bodies of several missing Dent Schoolhouse students were discovered in barrels in the building’s basement — and the janitor did it. Housed in an actual public school, Dent offers real ghost tours and lights-out experiences for those looking for a true fright, plus lights-on tours for kids and wimps.

Explore

One of the West Side’s best-kept secrets, Fernbank Park (50 Thornton Ave., greatparks.org) is a 60-acre greenspace that features hiking and bike trails, a playground, fishing areas and playfields.

The park opens at dawn. For more outdoor exploration, the Western Wildlife Corridor (westernwildlifecorridor.org) runs along the Ohio River’s scenic wooded hillsides and greenspaces from the Mill Creek to the Great Miami River border.

It’s full of parks, preserves and some strenuous hiking.

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Hailey Bollinger

PRICE HILL The Price Hill incline ceased operation in the 1940s, but East, West and Lower Price Hill are all on the rise with redevelopments, new businesses, nightlife and arts programs. pricehillwill.org; eastpricehill.org

Eat

A local staple, Price Hill Chili (4920 Glenway Ave., pricehillchilli.com) was opened in 1962 by Greek immigrants. It features family recipes and by-the-bottle homemade Greek salad dressing. The steam table serves up classic Cincinnati-style chili from 2-ways to 5-ways (chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions and beans), and bottomless coffee blended exclusively for the restaurant from the Wallingford Coffee Co., a Cincinnati roaster since 1909. For food with a view, the Incline Public House (2601 W. Eighth St., inclinepublichouse.com) boasts more than a dozen craft beers, artisan pizza, brunch, cocktails and a back patio with a city skyline backdrop.

In fact, Price Hill’s entire Incline District offers excellent views of the downtown skyline, and as one of the originals to take advantage of the setting, Primavista (810 Matson Place, pvista.com) still serves up romance with their fresh pasta. The restaurant specializes in homemade sauces, veal dishes and being the location for hundreds of wedding proposals.

Looking for lighter fare? SOMM Wine Bar (3105 Price Ave., sommwinebarcincinnati. com) wants to make sure your glass is always half full. The menu offers reds, whites, rosés and sparkling selections

by the glass or bottle, with light paninis, charcuterie and European-style snacks so you don’t have to drink on an empty stomach. If wine isn’t your forte (though we question your judgment), they also serve craft beer and cocktails.

Drink

Feel like a good Irish Catholic at The Crow’s Nest (4544 W. Eighth St., cincycrowsnest.com), one of the city’s oldest Celtic pubs. Dine on their famous beer-battered cod or Limburger Cheese sandwich while you listen to live local music and drink a cheap Guinness. For a caffeine fix, the hyper-local BLOC Coffee Company (3101 Price Ave., bloccoffeecompany.com) uses locally roasted beans from Deeper Roots and milk from Ohio’s Snowville Creamery. Come for a craft latte and stay for the relaxing, homey vibes. Using local, organic and sustainable products, Common Roots (700 Enright Ave., enrightecovillage.org), a product of the Enright Urban Ecovillage, is both a bar and café serving local craft brews, organic wines and sodas, kombucha and live music on select nights. Proceeds go back to the community. At Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage, founded by Imago Earth Center (700 Enright Ave., imagoearth.org), chickens roam, backyard gardens are plenty, neighbors share food and yards are cultivated as ecosystems. Take a stroll down the block lined with historic houses and wooded lots. Here, urbanites strive to be sustainable and live off their own land.

Shop

A burgeoning community of Guatemalan

refugees are beginning to call Price Hill home. And establishments like the Maranata Store (1215 Rulison Ave., 513244-2494) offer a taste of Central America.

The tienda stocks groceries while the modest restaurant serves colorful cilantro-infused ceviche, pork pupusas, fried plantains and three-milk cake. Grab a comic book at Rockin’ Rooster Comics & Games (5000 Glenway Ave., rockinroostercomics.com) and, if you’re feeling in the mood, stick around for a Magic: The Gathering tournament. Looking for a suit that really fits? Look no further than Peppe Ramundo (5229 Glenway Ave., pepperamundo.com). Launched by Italian immigrant and master tailor Peppe — who sadly passed away in 2021 — and his son Carmen, who holds a diploma in fashion design, this shop specializes in tuxedos, menswear and bespoke-style suit fittings. An American dream since 1967, this shop has fitted many film stars in town shooting everything from indies to blockbusters.

Do

Thanks to the efforts of rejuvenation nonprofits like Price Hill Will (pricehillwill. org), Price Hill, as a whole, is burgeoning with up-and-coming businesses and arts organizations. Located in a former Price Hill Masonic Lodge that sat vacant on Price Avenue for 30 years, ARCO (3301 Price Ave., arcocincinnati.org) — a portmanteau of “arts” and “community” — acts as a social enterprise. See the students from MYCincinnati Youth Orchestra (3120 Warsaw Ave., mycincinnatiorchestra. org) perform with the poise and passion

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of adults in the historical Warsaw Avenue Firehouse cultural space. Inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema program, MYCincinnati uses classical music as a vehicle for social change by providing urban children access to free, intense and high-quality musical education. The annual, free Price Hill Creative Community Festival (creativecommunityfestival.org) showcases the talents of MYCincinnati musicians in partnership with different community arts groups and independent artists like dancers, poets, musicians and more.

After more than 25 years based at Saint John’s Unitarian Church in Clifton, MUSE, Cincinnati’s award-winning women’s choir, moved to the Community Matters campus (2104 Saint Michael St., musechoir. org) in Lower Price Hill. The women blend musical excellence with a mission for social justice. The Cincinnati Type & Print Museum and BLOC Letterpress (2307 W. Eighth St., cincinnatitypeprintmuseum.org) is a working museum that celebrates local printing history — Cincinnati (with the help of the Cincinnati Type Foundry) was once the second-largest printing center in America. The fledgling enterprise has the goal of teaching guests to use classic printing presses to play and create, while its ministry side (associated with BLOC Ministries) aims to “break the cycle of addiction by providing training, jobs, and dignity to the people of Price Hill.” Several years ago, the minds behind Cincinnati Landmark Productions invested in the Price Hill Incline District to transform it into a West Side arts destination by building the 229-seat state-of-the-art Warsaw Federal Incline Theater (801 Matson Place, cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com/ incline). The repertoire mixes adult fare with family-friendly shows and musicals from the production team behind the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts and Madcap Puppets.

The Cincinnati Type & Print Museum.

Katie Griffith

Eat

This neighborhood is home to the first LaRosa’s (2411 Boudinot Ave., larosas. com), a local pizza and pasta chain that has become part of Cincinnati’s cultural identity. But if you need to grab a pizza and a six-pack on the go, opt for Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru (3501 Werk Road, trottaspizza.net). A unique local experience, the Cincinnati-style pony keg not only brings booze to your car, they also serve really, really good pizza — thick-crust pizza topped with your choice of extras, including salami, meatballs or chili — all without you leaving the driver’s seat.

Nation Kitchen & Bar (3435 Epworth Ave., nationkitchenandbar.com) offers a variety of burgers and sandwiches like the popular Nation burger, with a 6-ounce brisket

patty, smoked cheddar, whiskey barbecue sauce, onion straws and horseradish aioli on a challah bun. After slingin’ patties in Pendleton since 2015, the Best of Cincinnati award-winning eatery opened a second location in Westwood in the revitalized Junietta Avenue Firehouse. It’s a two-for-one at Cancun Restaurante & Cantina (6385 Glenway Ave., Western Hills, cancunwesternbowl.com) and Western Bowl (6383 Glenway Ave., Western Hills, strikeandspare.com/westernbowl) — the establishments are connected by a doorway, making it easy to go from classic strip-mall tacos and tequila to classic bowling and beer. Since 1958, the glowing Western Bowl sign has been beckoning amateurs and pros alike to play on its 68 automatic lanes. With a Big Lebowski-esque atmosphere, the rates are reasonable,

Putz’s Creamy Whip.

Olden View Park (2610 W. Eighth St., cincinnatiparks.com) is hailed as having one of the best views of the city; an ideal spot for pictures or reading on a day off from work. As the sun sets, stroll along the sprawling 84 acres of Mount Echo Park (202 Crestline Ave., cincinnatiparks. com) for another beautiful city skyline as well as views of the Ohio River and parts of Northern Kentucky.

Embrace your inner wine lover and make the trek to Henke Winery (3077 Harrison Ave., henkewine.com), one of the top urban wineries in the country. Muse Cafe Coffee & Wine Bar (3018 Harrison Ave., musecafecincy.com) has coffee, tea, pastries, wine, craft bottled beer and a food menu that includes a tasty grilled cheese with French gruyere, Wisconsin cheddar and Dutch gouda.

Shop

Explore

Traverse through miles of hiking and bridle trails at Mount Airy Forest (5083 Colerain Ave., cincinnatiparks.com), which also features a sprawling dog park, a wheelchair-accessible treehouse, campgrounds and ideal picnic spots.

WESTWOOD

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Drink

St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store (3015 Glenhills Way, 513-347-0342) is almost overwhelming to enter. Loaded with marked-down clothes, knick-knacks, oddities, books and everything in between, St. Vincent is always swarming with deal-finders. For those who enjoy thrifting and digging to find treasures, you could very well spend an entire day browsing its accumulation of stuff. Bargains and Buyouts (5150 Glencrossing Way, bargainsandbuyouts.com) is another spot for the deal-seeker that lies within all of us.

Find reduced furniture, décor and other housewares. Fuzzybutts Dry Goods (3022 Harrison Ave., westwoodfuzzybutts.com) offers high-quality food and toys for pets, plus a certified dog trainer.

Explore

Cincinnati’s largest neighborhood features tree-lined streets and historic mansions that give way to shopping centers and new developments. westwoodcivic.org

the snacks are cheap and the bar is fully stocked. Take your taste buds ’round the world at Habesha Ethiopian (5070 Crookshank Road, 513-429-4890), which has authentic East African cuisine. Or grab a classic Thai dish like Pad See Ew, Tom Yum Gai and various curries from Thai Taste (5120 Crookshank Road, thaitastecincinnati.com) or Lin’s Pad Thai (6155 Glenway Ave., 513-661-8080). Come back to the states and slide into a vinyl booth at J & J Restaurant (6159 Glenway Ave., 513-661-2260), a cash-only greasy spoon that serves heaping helpings of all-day breakfast, double-decker sandwiches and chili. Back in 1938, the Putz family opened an ice cream shop in a pair of trolley cars.

Today, Putz’s Creamy Whip (2673 Putz Drive, putzscreamywhip.com) is not much larger in size, but it’s definitely a legend in reputation — a seasonal Cincinnati tradition. Try their “blue” ice cream plain, in a sundae, with a dip top or rainbow sprinkles.

Sami Stewart

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PY R A M I D H I L L S CU L PT U R E PA R K & MU S E U M

BRINING PEOPLE TO ART IN NATURE

Beginnings

30 career education options for high school students.

pyramidhill.org 513.868.8336 – 1763 Hamilton Cleves Rd Hamilton, OH 45013 Follow us on social media

Futures

Short-term and full-time career training for adults.

greatoaks.com 46

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Neighborhoods

East Side

Columbia Tusculum, Hyde Park, Mt. Lookout, Norwood, Oakley, O’Bryonville, Pleasant Ridge + Nearby

With charming shops, leafy promenades, eclectic restaurants and a gentle, steady stream of souped-up strollers, Cincinnati’s East Side blends walkability with family-friendly fun and nightlife destinations. Head here for historic attractions, excellent brunch options and an unparalleled view of the night sky, plus neighborhoods that are transforming their own town squares with new bars, restaurants and attractions.

Oakley Kitchen Food Hall

Greater Cincinnati’s culinary scene is rapidly expanding, and with the opening of incubator kitchen and event space Oakley Kitchen Food Hall, area chefs and food entrepreneurs have the opportunity to develop their ideas, skills and products even further. The first floor of the joint-use space features eight kitchen pods for start-ups and ghost kitchens, plus the Campfire Foods Commissary and a marketplace offering products from both new and established local businesses. You can grab a cocktail from The Cutaway while you enjoy eats from any of the pop-ups, or grab their food (or The Cutaway’s drinks) to go. Upstairs, Oakley Kitchen features a 10,000-square-foot seating space/rentable event venue. There’s also outdoor picnic tables.

3715 Madison Road, Oakley, oakley-kitchen.com

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Hailey Bollinger

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Neighborhoods

East Side

The Cincinnati Observatory

Brittany Thornton

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Sure, you can always just look up at the sky any night and see all kinds of things, but the Cincinnati Observatory (aka “the birthplace of American astronomy”) is the best place in the city to get an extra-close view of the heavens. Nestled high atop Mount Lookout, this 19th-century historic landmark gives astronomers — amateur and professional — the chance to see what they can see through the country’s oldest public telescope: a Merz und Mahler 11-inch refractor built in 1845. This is great for a serene and romantic-themed Late Night Date Night; guided stargazes most Thursday and Friday nights; and/or an exciting educational trip that’ll open your eyes to the wonders of the celestial world. 3489 Observatory Place, Mount Lookout, cincinnatiobservatory.org.

Cincy Shirts

Cincy Shirts is a “vintage” T-shirt brand helmed by a local stand-up comedian that mines both the past and present to create apparel showcasing Cincinnati’s unique institutions and idiosyncratic culture. Ever wish you could wear your love for both the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati-style chili on your chest? Or an 8-bit rendering of a local landmark? Well, Cincy Shirts knows exactly how you feel, and they’ve manufactured the perfect comfy and comical screen-printed tee for you to proudly show your local pride, especially if you remember The Uncle Al Show. 2709 Observatory Ave., Hyde Park, cincyshirts.com.

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Emerson Swoger

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Zip’s Cafe

Hailey Bollinger

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MadTree Brewing Co.

Founded in 2013, this local brewery has become one of the city’s top tippling destinations, requiring a multimilliondollar move and makeover. Now housed in a brewery complex in Oakley, the hugely expanded operation includes a giant-ass taproom, in-house wood-fired pizza café and a 10,000-square-foot beer garden. With 32 MadTree-exclusive taps outside, ambient lighting and an industrial brick façade left over from the building’s factory days, there’s more than enough space to accommodate all the beer-drinking, cornhole-playing, dog-loving humans who hang here on the regular. 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, madtreebrewing.com.

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In 1926, Zip’s Cafe began as a bar that ran books under the table for local horse tracks.

Ninety-five years later, the Mount Lookout staple has continued to be a must-try burger destination because of its “classic American favorites, like cheeseburgers and french fries, and friendly service,” says owner Mike Burke. With meat delivered daily from Avril-Bleh and “simple but fresh” toppings, Zip’s classic burgers are grilled on a flat top, which cooks them in their own delicious fat. If you’re looking to expand your palate beyond the classic Zipburger — recently named the best burger in Ohio

by Food & Wine magazine — the cafe offers specialties such as the Flying Pig, topped with shaved ham and bacon, and the popular Girthburger (named by former Cincinnati Bengals punter Pat McInally), topped with a butterflied mettwurst. Zip’s is also known for its special-recipe chili. 1036 Delta Ave., Mount Lookout, zipscafe.com.

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Phil Heidenreich

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COLUMBIA TUSCULUM Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhood is known for its gorgeous Ohio River Valley views and pastel-painted Victorian homes. The East End and Linwood are also located nearby. columbiatusculum.org

Eat

Since its establishment in 2011, Eli’s BBQ (3313 Riverside Drive, East End) has become a tried-and-true barbecue go-to in the Queen City. It can be found in multiple locations across Greater Cincinnati (including two brick-and-mortars and several in-Kroger hubs). Their East End flagship boasts a generously sized patio, and offers pulled pork and smoked turkey sandwiches, topped with coleslaw; hickory smoked ribs, tips and wings; and classic barbecue sides. Located in a former historic jail, Pig Candy BBQ (5901 Kellogg Ave., California, pigcandybbq.com) specializes in smoked, barbecued meats with pulled pork, smoked and sliced turkey and grilled bone-in chicken thighs, as well as a titular “pig candy” waffle, pressed with pulled pork. Taglio (3531 Columbia Parkway, eattaglio.com) focuses its menu on pizza styles from two separate cities: New York and Detroit. Many are familiar with thin, hand-tossed NYC ’za, but Detroit-style pizza is rectangular rather than circular and has a touch of depth. Instead of taking the deep dive that Chicagoans favor, Taglio’s version of the Motor City classic features whole-milk mozzarella generously layered around a substantial pan crust so that it caramelizes to form a crispy, cheesy edge. BrewRiver Creole Kitchen (4632 Eastern Ave., brewrivercreolekitchen.com) brings the Crescent City’s Creole and Cajun roots to the Queen City.

Catch live blues, roots and Louisiana gypsy jazz most nights, plus a Sunday brunch with bacon-infused donuts and chicory coffee. More NOLA-leaning cuisine can be found at Swampwater Grill (3742 Kellogg Ave., swampwatergrill.com) or Allyn’s Café (3538 Columbia Parkway, allynscafe.com), which both serve bayou bites like fried alligator, crawfish etouffee, grits and lots of blackened proteins. For a casual joint that deals beefy burgers, head to The Turf Club (4618 Eastern Ave., turfclubcincy.com).

Longtime Cincinnati restaurant fixture Tom Kunkemoeller (former general manager for the Montgomery Inn Boathouse) and his brother, Marc, bought Linwood burger joint in 2019. Keeping the same recipes the quirky, neon-lit restaurant was known for, Turf Club’s claim to fame is still its build-your-own-burger concept.

Top your 8.5-ounce Brandy Meats beef patty or half pound Lehr’s Prime

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Riverbend Music Center.

Ron Valle

Market filet mignon burger — seasoned with a secret spice blend and nestled on a Sixteen Bricks bun — with any combination of 13 cheeses, 13 sauces and 14 toppings, ranging from horseradish cheddar and Nueske bacon to pineapple and the Guy Fieri-favorite Burgundy Wine sauce. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct (311 Delta Ave., jeffruby.com/precinct) serves some of the best steaks in the country. The Romanesque former police patrol house is a frequent local stop for celebrities, but the upstairs BAR is more casual; grab some oysters Rockefeller, a hand-selected George Dickel 14-year bourbon and one of a dozen cigars from the cigar menu.

Drink

The East End is flooded with a deluge of creative bars, breweries and eateries, including Hi-Mark (3229 Riverside Drive, thehimark.com). From the owners of Eli’s BBQ and Pho Lang Thang, this transformed historic 1860s home — just about a block and a half from Eli’s famed barbecue haven — is a drink-forward establishment with a bar-food menu featuring wings and fries with housemade sauces. Built between the historic East End and Columbia Tusculum communities, Streetside Brewery (4003 Eastern Ave., streetsidebrewery.com) brings community and craft beer together. Stop by to meet the Hickey family, Streetside founders and Columbia Tusculum residents, in the taproom. Dead Low Brewing (5959 Kellogg Ave., California, deadlowbrewing. com) taproom, beer garden and kitchen is located closer to the Ohio River and takes its name from the term for the minimum

depth needed for a boat to traverse a body of water safely. Pearl’s (3520 Eastern Ave., pearls-cincy.com) is a neighborhood gem. The nearly 100-year-old residence has been transformed in the heart of Columbia Tusculum. Come for cocktails and conversation on the patio, at the bar or in the second-floor party space. If you’re a Deadhead or Deadhead-adjacent, Stanley’s Pub (323 Stanley Ave., facebook. com/stanleys.pub) brings the noise nearly every night, specializing in jamgrass, trashgrass, reggae and other very chill tunes. For more reggae, take a staycation at Pirates Cove Tropical Bar & Grill (4609 Kellogg Ave., piratescovecincy.com) at the Four Seasons Marina. There’s a steel drum band, Key West-inspired cuisine, tropical cocktails and a guy dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow. EMMA: Wine with Friends (3227 Riverside Drive, East End) offers pour-your-own glasses of vino in the tasting room.

Shop

Pour your own candles at the local craft Manitou Candle Co. (4015 Eastern Ave., manitoucandleco.com). You’ll get 70 hours of scented relaxation with your new creation.

Do

Take a short drive to California, Ohio, to catch a concert at Riverbend Music Center or PNC Pavilion (6295 Kellogg Ave., riverbend.org). Both amphitheaters, located on the same plot of land near the river, present big-name summertime (and early fall) concerts. Cincinnatians have been splashing around in the world’s largest

recirculating pool, Sunlite Pool, at Coney Island (6201 Kellogg Ave., California, coneyislandpark.com) amusement park since 1925. Sunlite has plenty of space for small children, teenagers and lap swimmers to cool off during the summer, plus water slides and a newly-opened adventure course. The Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum (3738 Eastern Ave., thecarnegiecenter.org) offers programing for kids and adults, and plays host to theater events throughout the season. The 94-acre Alms Park (710 Tusculum Ave., Columbia Tusculum) offers views of the Little Miami and Ohio rivers, plus the art deco-style municipal Lunken Airport, where Charles Lindbergh stopped to refuel after his New York-to-Paris flight. And the Historic District (columbiatusculum.org) to see Victorian-style architecture from Gothic Revival to Queen Anne. Along Tusculum Avenue specifically there’s a whimsical collection of multi-colored pastel “Painted Ladies,” which use three or more colors to highlight architectural details.

HYDE PARK Charming shops, leafy promenades, eclectic restaurants and a gentle, steady stream of souped-up strollers encircle a small sitting park in Hyde Park’s historic town square. hydeparksquare.org

Eat

Pay homage to Cincinnati’s history as Porkopolis with the Flying Pig (a ham, bacon and Swiss cheese sandwich with French toast for the bread) at The Echo

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we are working to connect this to the Ohio River Trail and Mill Creek Greenway to create a 34-mile trail loop around the city.” The trail will allow users to safely travel from the Little Miami Scenic Trail to the Ohio River Trail for the first time. If you need to carbo load on your journey, hit up Busken Bakery’s (2675 Madison Road, busken.com) outdoor walk-up window for coffee, donuts or their famed smiley-face-iced sugar cookie.

MOUNT LOOKOUT The Echo Restaurant.

Hailey Bollinger

Restaurant (3510 Edwards Road, echohydepark.com), a friendly neighborhood diner open since 1945. E+O Kitchen (3520 Edwards Road, eokitchen.com) fuses the best of the earth and the ocean, hence the “E+O,” with an Asian lean. Alfio’s Buon Cibo (2724 Erie Ave., alfios-cincy.com) specializes in Italian-Argentinian cuisine.

Chef Alfio Gulisano, the mastermind of the mix, has joined his native flavors of Italy and Argentina in dishes like ribeye with chimichurri and seafood risotto.

Forno Osteria & Bar (3514 Erie Ave., fornoosteriabar.com) proprietor Cristian Pietoso brings Italian food stateside with imported ingredients and authentic recipes. Discover traditional appetizers, pastas, pizzas and more — “Italian comfort food” that he grew up eating.

Cult favorite pop-up pizza joint St. Francis Apizza (3392 Erie Ave., saintfrancisapizza. com) now has a carry-out-centric spot in East Hyde Park. “Apizza” distinguishes itself from a pizza with its thin-yet-airy crisp and slightly charred crust, achieved by a coal-fired oven. Review the menu and you’ll find a point of origin for nearly all the ingredients on your pie, with a special emphasis on local, ethically grown produce and meats that are sourced only a short drive from the pizzeria. Arthur’s (3516 Edwards Road, arthurscincinnati.com) focuses on award-winning burgers and local beer, with a cozy back patio. Pick up fresh produce for a homemade meal at the Hyde Park Farmers Market (hydeparkfarmersmarket.com), 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Sundays on Hyde Park Square, or head to Carl’s Deli (2836 Observatory Ave., carlsdeli.com), in operation since 1938, for spirits and a sandwich.

Drink

A purveyor of really good wine, beer and food, Dutch’s Larder (3378 Erie Ave., dutchscincy.com) is a pony keg turned bar, bottle shop and artisanal larder.

Owner and Cincinnati restaurateur Brad Bernstein refers to it as a “groceraunt.”

Annual Manual 2021/2022

It’s Saint Patrick’s Day every day at Hap’s Irish Pub (3510 Erie Ave., 513-871-6477).

Watch international rugby and soccer matches live or raise a shot of Jameson and say sláinte. During happy hour, get $5 off bottles at Unwind Wine Bar & Light Fare (3435 Michigan Ave., unwindhydepark. com). At Cork & Cap (2637 Erie Ave., corkandcapofhydepark.com), red, white, rosé and sparkling wines are available glass or bottle, as are “patio pounder” classic cocktails — perfect for “pounding” on their large patio.

Shop

Enjoy a day of retail therapy at Hyde Park Square (2700 Erie Ave., hydeparksquare. org). Leave your car at a meter and explore the square’s eclectic shops on foot.

Make your way to upscale Soho Boutique (2757 Observatory Ave., shopsohoboutique. com), slouchy and stylish Leeli + Lou (2732 Erie Ave., facebook.com/leeliandlou) and mod stationery boutique Poeme (3446 Michigan Ave., poeme-online.com) for gifts and greeting cards. Luxury lingerie stop Knickers of Hyde Park (2726 Erie Ave., knickersofhydepark.com) has been around since 1999 and 45/46 Fine Men’s Apparel (2719 Erie Ave., 4546finemens.com) promises the perfect look for boardroom or backyard.

Explore

Throw your own pot at Queen City Clay’s (3130 Wasson Road, queencityclay.com) open wheel nights, which welcome all curious clay creatives from beginner to expert to kids. Or hop on Wasson Way Trail (wassonway.org), the area’s most recent railroad-turned-bike-trail. “Right now there’s about 1.5 miles between Madison Road and Montgomery Road,” Tri-State Trails Director Wade Johnston told CityBeat recently “Tri-State Trails helped secure $6 million last year to extend the trail west to Avondale and east through Ault Park to the Murray Trail.

Through our #CROWNcincinnati project,

Mount Lookout doesn’t just offer a gorgeous view of the stars; it’s also a well-known nightlife destination for young professionals. mtlookout.org

Eat

Raise a Rhinegeist to Zip’s Café (1036 Delta Ave., zipscafe.com), a friendly burger joint that has been around for 95 years.

It’s known for the nostalgic model train that glides on a track along the ceiling, communal seating and really good, really classic burgers. The fresh-ground signature-blend beef is delivered every morning from local Avril-Bleh Meat Market. Delwood (3204 Linwood Ave., delwoodcincy.com) is a family-friendly Peruvian-inspired gastropub with offerings like tostones, the Delwood Burger (salsa criolla, avocado and huancaina) and a Caipirinha cocktail. Buona Terra Gelato and Crepes (1028 Delta Ave., buonaterragelato.com) has perfected over 100 flavors of gelato. Try Italian classics stracciatella, tiramisu and almond Florentine.

Drink

Sister sports bars Million’s Café (3210 Linwood Ave., millions-cafe.com) and Mount Lookout Tavern (3209 Linwood Ave., mtlookouttavern.com) are nightlife destinations for singles, sports fans and any young professional in between.

Do

Known as “The Birthplace of American Astronomy,” the Cincinnati Observatory (3489 Observatory Place, cincinnatiobservatory.org) is the first public observatory in the Western Hemisphere and home to one of the oldest working telescopes in the world. The 19th-century scopes — an 11inch Merz and Mahler refractor from 1845 and a 16-inch Alvan Clark and Sons refractor from 1904 — are still used to give visitors an up-close look at the stars. The observatory is open certain hours for public exploration, astronomy presentations and guided stargazes, as well as special events (like Late Night Date Nights) and online classes. Drive by the Mushroom House (3331 Erie Ave.), a whimsical private

home built in the shape of a mushroom by local architect Terry Brown.

Explore

Hike the nine trails of Ault Park (5090 Observatory Ave., aultparkac.org). The 224acre park is the perfect place for a walk, run or picnic.

NORWOOD You’ll find casual eateries and friendly faces in this centrally located, independent city. norwood-ohio.com

Eat

Grab a slice of wood-fired pizza at Betta’s Italian Oven (3764 Montgomery Road, bettasitalianoven.com) or a pie topped with mama’s homemade sauce at Sorrento’s Pizza (5143 Montgomery Road, sorrentospizzanorwood.com). Both are sure to be packed on Reds, Xavier and University of Cincinnati gamedays. Award-winning burgers put Quatman Café (2434 Quatman Ave., quatmancafe.com) on the map. On Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, you can get a cheeseburger, fries and a drink for less than $8. For a slightly more expensive patty, Gordo’s Pub (4328 Montgomery Road, gordospub.com) serves up gourmet burgers and craft beer daily — and occasionally in the same dish. Try the IPA Burger for a two-in-one. It comes topped with local MadTree’s Psychopathy IPA fondue, sautéed mushrooms, onions, smoked bacon, lettuce and tomato.

Drink

Get cheap drinks and good conversation at Edge Inn Tavern (3935 Edwards Road, facebook.com/edgeinntavern), a dive bar that’s been voted best of the city multiple times; it has Christmas lights up year-round, because why not? Or stop by family-owned Listermann Brewing Company (1621 Dana Ave., listermannbrewing.com), a big Xavier University hang. On top of the excellent rotating beer list available in the taproom, Listermann is an invaluable resource to local brewers thanks to the on-tap equipment, consulting and encouragement.

Shop

Whether you’re looking for a new wardrobe, a good book or a week’s worth of groceries, Rookwood Commons & Rookwood Pavilion (shoprookwood.com) has you covered. Bookworms can head to the local Joseph-Beth Booksellers (2692 Madison Road, josephbeth.com) and attached café Brontë Bistro (josephbeth. ( com/bronte) — which has a selection of author-themed cocktails. Drink a Kurt

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Vonnegut Scotch and water in honor of your favorite author.

stop by the in-house Cutaway Bar for a cocktail.

Do

Drink

Stone Lanes (3746 Montgomery Road, stonelanes.com) is a spot for both competitive and casual bowlers. Join a club for team bowling or join the Can Club for cheap refills. Get your Stone Lanes Growler Can for $6 and get Miller Lite refills anytime for just $2.95. Bargain!

OAKLEY A blend of old and new in a walkable, tree-lined residential area with a cute town square, Oakley was also once home to Wild West markswoman Annie Oakley. oakleynow.com

Eat

Head to Rooted Juicery + Kitchen (3010 Madison Road, rootedjuicery.com) for a plant-based and power-packed menu.

The kitchen can transform brazil nuts into parmesan cheese, walnuts into taco meat and cashews into cheesecake, bringing healthy ingredients to comforting classics. Sleepy Bee Café (3098 Madison Road, sleepybeecafe.com) values local, pesticide-free and non-GMO ingredients. It’s a prime breakfast, lunch and brunch spot with frequent long wait times. Mazunte’s (5207 Madison Road, mazuntetacos.com) menu reflects its creator’s journey through the streets, markets and kitchens of Oaxaca. Grab an order of shredded pork tacos (add pomegranate seeds) and a glass of some of the best sangria in the city. The owner recently opened Mazunte Mercado (6216 Madison Road, mercado.mazuntetacos. com), a market where fans can pick up popular restaurant ingredients like dried chiles, chicken tinga and plantains.

Established in 1913 by brothers Thomas and Nicholas Aglamesis, Aglamesis Bro’s (3046 Madison Road, Oakley, aglamesis. com) ice cream shop remains virtually unchanged from the day it opened in Oakley, with chic Tiffany lamps and a marble soda fountain. Thomas’ son, James, took over the family business in the 1950s and kept the recipes and methods of the older generation consistent, churning out rich ice cream, fresh fruit sorbets (try the pink champagne flavor) and assorted copper-kettle-crafted chocolate candies.

The store’s quality has earned it national acclaim from publications including The New York Times and Bon Appétit. Oakley Kitchen Food Hall (3715 Madison Road, Oakley) is an incubator kitchen and event space with eight pop-up food vendors.

Sample dishes from up-and-coming Queen City culinary entrepreneurs, then

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You can’t come to Oakley without visiting MadTree Brewing (3301 Madison Road, madtreebrewing.com). The gigantic taproom features a 10,000-square-foot beer garden. Get wild at Oakley Pub & Grill (3924 Isabella Ave., oakleypubandgrill. com) and order the “Blue Plate Special,” a bottle of Dom Perignon and 20 chicken wings for $299. (The “Blue Collar Special” replaces the champagne with a 40-ounce Miller High Life, the champagne of beer, for $29.90.) Follow the gleam of neon signs to cozy dive bar Animations (3059 Madison Road, 513-871-7606). Sports fans dig The Oak Tavern (3089 Madison Road, oaktavernoakley.com) for its TV fetish.

Oakley Wines (4011 Allston St., oakleywines.com) was taken over by the team behind Over-the-Rhine wine and cheese shop The Rhined in 2018. The upper floor wine bar and bottle shop is minimal, bright and full of grab-and-go selections, and an unassuming staircase leads down to The Cellar, a low-lit speakeasy-style space with room for live music. For a full espresso bar that’s as ethically conscious as you are, head to Deeper Roots Coffee (3056 Madison Road, deeperrootscoffee. com). Essencha Tea House (3212 Madison Road, essenchatea.com) invites you to create your own tea rituals, whether by visiting the shop, curling up with a good book and a warm cup or enjoying tea and conversation with family at home.

Shop

There’s a mecca of kid-friendly shopping along this strip. Start at The Spotted Goose (3048 Madison Road, thespottedgoose.com) for envy-worth head-to-toe outfits for mini humans, then head to Blue Manatee Literacy Project (3094 Madison Road, bluemanatee.org) for handpicked children’s books — for every book you buy they donate one — and wrap up at King Arthur’s Court Toys (3040 Madison Road, kingarthurstoys.com), which blends classic brands like Breyer and Playmobil with modern marvels. MetaModern Music (2942 Markbreit Ave., metamodernmusic.com) is one of the latest additions to the city’s growing vinyl scene, offering new and used records from all genres and for all levels of collectors. There are also plenty of gift shops, women’s boutiques and antique shops along the strip.

Do

All aboard! Ride the Cincinnati Dinner Train (2172 E. Seymour Ave., cincinnatidinnertrain.com) back to the 1940s for dinner, entertainment and a view. Take a class in

art glass at Brazee Street Studios (4426 Brazee St., brazeestreetstudios.com). Learn flamework, fusing, kiln work, carving and more to make artful pieces like soap dishes, bowls, beads and ornaments. Pull an all-nighter to perfect your attack on a 7-10 split; Madison Bowl (4761 Madison Road, madibowl.com) is open until 3 a.m. on weekends.

Explore

“Little Sure Shot” Annie Oakley (3211 Madison Road, artworkscincinnati.org) has her own mural in her former town. Annie towers seven-stories tall in this ArtWorks mural dedicated to the world-famous sharpshooter.

O’BRYONVILLE A historic retail strip on Madison Road. obryonville.com

Eat

The BonBonerie (2030 Madison Road, bonbonerie.com) is where sugar plum fairies go to get their wings. Their signature Opera Cream Torte is a double-chocolate-chip cake filled with vanilla cream.

And the expanded café has a French lean with quiche, a brie panini and crème brûlée. Juan Imeroni of Cincinnati restaurant group Ignite Entertainment is continuing to expand his empire with the new Ché Empanadas y Más (3009 O’Bryon St., facebook.com/CheEmpsymas). The casual eatery — focused on Argentina’s beloved street food, the empanada — will take over the space formerly occupied by Green Dog Cafe next to Imeroni’s Pampas Argentine Gastropub (2038 Madison Road, pampascincinnati.com). Pampas’ cuisine features meat dishes inspired by the “gaucho” experience in the flatlands of South America as well as salads and charcuterie.

Drink

Settle in at O’Bryon’s Bar & Grill (1998 Madison Road, obryonsirishpub.com) for a Shark Tank cocktail, perfect for people who like to play with their booze. The vodka, Sprite and sour mixed drink comes with a plastic shark full of grenadine, which you then pour into a souvenir 32-ounce cup so it looks like a bloody little feeding frenzy in a glass.

Shop

Channel your inner boho princess at Kismet (2037 Madison Road, 513-871-7879) or shop artisan-crafted goods at Ten Thousand Villages (2011 Madison Road, tenthousandvillages.com/cincinnati), a fair-trade retailer that promotes ethical sourcing and sustainability. Long-stand-

ing Hemptations (2034 Madison Road, hemptations.com) is where to go for hemp products for people and pets, CBD and plenty of smoking accessories.

PLEASANT RIDGE A mostly gaslight residential neighborhood complete with a small — and constantly expanding — business district. pleasantridge.org

Eat

Ditch the drama between Skyline and Gold Star. Pleasant Ridge Chili (6032 Montgomery Road, pleasantridgechili. com) serves famous Cincinnati chili on 3-Ways, coneys and on top of french fries. Share: Cheesebar (6105 Ridge Road, sharecheesebar.com) offers more than 20 types of cheese. Eat the decadent dairy on themed boards featuring options from America, Europe and more, with accompanying snacks (olives, dried fruits, etc.), meats and, of course, wine. Opened in spring 2019, Lonely Pine Steakhouse (6085 Montgomery Road, lonelypinesteakhouse.com) takes a simple concept — quality food at an affordable price — and elevates it with Southwestern flair and retro decor. From Gorilla Cinema Presents, Lonely Pine is less focused on blatantly paying homage to a film, like their popular themed bars are, but there are clues for those on the hunt for Easter eggs — look for nods to Back to the Future hidden throughout.

For rotisserie-cooked or lightning-fried chicken, visit Revolution Rotisserie (6063 Montgomery Road, revolutionrotisserie. com). Get a half-bird, sandwiches, wings, burgers and apps, like tater tots.

Drink

Nine Giant Brewing (6095 Montgomery Road, ninegiant.com) is a brewery and snackery featuring an extensive list of beer and not-quite-health-conscious pub grub. The Overlook Lodge (6083 Montgomery Road, thatshiningbar. com) may draw inspiration from the classic Stanley Kubrick horror flick The Shining, but the cocktails won’t put you in a murderous mood. Wait. Is that bartender’s name Lloyd? In nearby Silverton, Meier’s Wine Cellars (6955 Plainfield Road, meierswinecellars.com) is Ohio’s oldest and largest wine producer.

The urban space hosts $1 tastings for 1-ounce pours of table wines.

Shop

Spend a day collecting vinyl at indie store Everybody’s Records (6106 Montgomery Road, everybodysrecords.com). They’ve been open for more than 40 years.

CityBeat.com

Dr. Mandell-Brown’s Patients featured in

New York Times

Dr. Mark Mandell-Brown presents a copy of The New York Times article featuring his patients who had surgery when elective procedures resumed in May. Written

by Pulitzer Prize-winner Matt Richtel, the article discusses the increased demand of cosmetic procedures with the greater use of internet video meetings.

M A N D E L L- B R O W N PLASTIC SURGERY CENTER

5 1 3 . 9 8 4 . 4 7 0 0 • m a n d e l l b ro w n . c o m

Neighborhoods

Suburbs

Blue Ash, Kenwood, Loveland, Madeira, Mariemont, Milford, Montgomery, West Chester + Nearby

The ‘burbs are home to plenty of excellent destinations well worth a trek from the city — they aren’t all superstores, chain restaurants and cul-de-sacs (although there are plenty of those, along with an IKEA). Family-friendly Mason lives up to its nickname of “Ohio’s Largest Playground,” while Blue Ash has become a hot spot for new restaurants and large-scale events, largely thanks to Summit Park. Milford, Madeira, Mariemont and Loveland all have quaint downtowns with nearby outdoorsy activities, while Kenwood is home to one of the city’s poshest shopping malls.

Cartridge Brewing

Maggy McDonel

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Down by the Little Miami River in Kings Mills is the historic Peters Cartridge Factory, which sat vacant for years until its recent transformation into an apartment complex and brewery. In October 2020, Cartridge Brewing opened to the public, slinging a large selection of house-brewed beer, from traditional craft styles like Up The Hill — a German-style lager that won the 2021 silver medal in the U.S. Open Beer Championship — to more modern brews like the Grenade — a juicy light beer packed with notes of pineapple. But beer isn’t the only thing Cartridge Brewing is known for. Their kitchen also creates delicious twists on classic dishes, like the Korean Fried Chicken “KFC” Sandwich, made with crispy Ohio-raised birds tossed in Thai chili sauce and topped with Asian slaw. 1411 Grandin Road, Kings Mills, cartridgebrewing.com.

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CityBeat.com

Jungle Jim’s International Market

Jungle Jim’s is an amusement park for foodies, and not just because of its kitschy statues and animatronics. This huge store (it spans more than 6 acres) contains equal parts weekly shoppers — scanning the aisles of super-fresh seafood, exotic produce and more than 1,500 hot sauces — and visitors, wandering, mouths agape at the wacky décor, likely with a beer in hand from the in-house bar. The Elvis robot monkey is a favorite peculiarity; same goes for the elaborate restroom hidden behind a port-a-potty facade. It’s like the Hogwarts of grocery stores, with a killer selection of international eats from more than 70 countries.

5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com.

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Hailey Bollinger

Kings Island

Paige Deglow

Annual Manual 2021/2022

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The Midwest’s largest amusement park is home to The Beast, the world’s longest wooden rollercoaster with a ride so ferocious it inspired a novel

by Goosebumps author R.L. Stine. Kings Island debuted a new giga-coaster, Orion, in 2020 — one of only seven in the world — but also offers plenty of family-fueled nostalgia via carnival games, an antique car ride and bright blue creamy whip. The gourmet Miami River Brewhouse introduced high-end eats, local beer and Impossible Burgers to the park menu in 2019. And the aforementioned Orion was named the Best New Amusement Park Attraction in 2020 by USA Today readers. 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason, visitkingsisland.com.

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Neighborhoods

Suburbs

Two Cities Pizza Company

Hailey Bollinger

4

New York City and Chicago are well-known for several things. But most important, each city is known for a particular style of pizza. New York pizza is hand-tossed with thin, wide slices and deliciously greasy cheese. Chicago style?

You’re talking deep dish — a super thick, round pie covered in chunky tomato sauce with a crunchy, flaky pan crust.

Now, you don’t have to travel farther than Mason to get a taste of both. Two Cities Pizza Company, a dining destination housed in Mason’s former city hall — with a bit of an art deco nightclub rebrand — closes the chasm between the dueling pizza metropolises with its menu. And if you’re looking for a restaurant with ambiance everywhere, Two Cities has got you covered because, in 2021, their New York subway-inspired bathrooms took home top toilet honors in the 20th-annual America’s Best Restroom contest. 202 W. Main St., Mason, twocitiespizza.com.

Summit Park

Formerly the site of the Blue Ash Airport, Summit Park is the perfect place for a passeggiata and walking taco. Grab a high-end hot dog from Senate, a brick-oven-fired pizza on the patio from Brown Dog Café, fast-casual Mexican at TAHONA Kitchen + Bar, and ice cream in a waffle bowl from Nanny Belle’s. Take anything to go and explore the 130-acre park, home to woodsy walking trails, an all-sizes dog park and one of the most creative and lauded playgrounds in the city. In 2018, the park added a 150-foot observation tower. The sleek, glass-paneled structure affords those who climb the 200-plus steps to the top a birds-eye view of the region, from the Cincinnati skyline to Kings Island’s Eiffel Tower. 4335 Glendale Milford Road, Blue Ash, summitparkblueash.com.

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5

Hailey Bollinger

CityBeat.com

BLUE ASH

(kenwood.citybasecinemas.com), a full-service first-run movie theater with heated seats and a virtual reality room.

Sleepy Bee.

A family-friendly neighborhood that has become a hot spot for new restaurants and large-scale events, largely thanks to its Summit Park. blueash.com

Do

The indie Kenwood Theatre (7815 Kenwood Road, kenwoodtheatre.com) screens both major releases and art films with a full bar. On Thursday, head over for a “Thirsty Thursday” happy hour for $3 beers all day long and get a deal on “Bargain Tuesday,” where you can get movie tickets for $5.

Eat

Rise and shine at The Sleepy Bee (9514 Kenwood Road, sleepybeecafe.com), a location of Oakley’s locally sourced breakfast and lunch spot. The menu balances healthy options, traditional comfort foods and favorites like the Queen City Bee with goetta, apple, egg, arugula and “nectar” sauce on a milk bun. For veg-heads, sub in vegan goetta. Right up the road is Marx Hot Bagels (9701 Kenwood Road, marxhotbagels.com), a top-notch Kosher bakery known for its nearly 20 varieties of bagels. Head to the family-owned Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli (9525 Kenwood Road, servatii.com) for everything from cakes to a soft pretzel the size of your head. Catch-a-Fire Pizza (9290 Kenwood Road, catchafirepizza.com) started out life as a food truck but now offers woodfired pizza, craft beer and a giant patio.

Opened by former professional Mexican soccer player Sammy Flores, Blue Ash’s Sammy’s Craft Burgers & Beer (4767 Creek Road, sammyscbb.com) has been around since 2009. The focus here is on fresh: Ingredients are delivered daily and what isn’t sourced from local purveyors is made in-house, from the guacamole to the ranch dressing. They even grow their own microgreens. Sammy’s Red Ale is brewed by nearby Fretboard Brewing. If you’re still hungry, check out Blue Ash Chili (9525 Kenwood Road, blueashchili.com) and ask for the No Freakin’ Way challenge — an 8-pound Cincinnati-style 3-Way topped off with jalapeño caps that you have to eat within an hour. For a larger selection, head to Summit Park (4335 Glendale Milford Road, summitparkblueash.com), where you’ll find multiple restaurants, including Senate (senateblueash.com), a gourmet hot dog gastropub that recently closed its flagship Over-the-Rhine location in favor of this much larger suburban outpost. In October 2021, food site Delish crowned Senate the king of flavortown by naming them the best Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives restaurant in Ohio. Try the Trailer Park beef hot dog, topped with American cheese, bacon, coleslaw and local Grippo’s chips. For other Summit Park eats, sample can grab wild boar bolognese from Brown Dog Café (browndogcafe.com), a walking taco (in a corn tortilla cone) from TAHONA Kitchen + Bar (tahonakitchen.com) and ice cream for yourself — or your dog — at Nanny Belle’s (nannybelles.com).

Annual Manual 2021/2022

LOVELAND

Khoi Nguyen

Drink

In addition to its collection of lager-style beers, March First Brewing (7885 E. Kemper Road, marchfirstbrewing.com) brews and bottles its own cider, fermented with fresh, local juice as well as a line of Astra Hard Seltzer — a name that pays tribute to Ohio’s history of space flight pioneers.

And if that wasn’t enough, March First also distills its own spirits, from vodka and rum to gin and agave. See some live music and taste some housemade brews at Fretboard Brewing (5800 Creek Road, fretboardbrewing.com). What could have simply been a traditional German-bier-inspired brewery was electrified into an incredibly active live music venue with a pro-grade sound system.

Shop

Stop by Benchmark Outdoor Outfitters (9525 Kenwood Road, benchmarkoutfitter. com) for backpacking, paddling and travel supplies and advice. It’s a useful stop before spending a weekend at popular climbing and camping destination Red River Gorge (Stanton, Kentucky, redrivergorge.com).

Explore

Formerly the site of the Blue Ash Airport, Summit Park (4335 Glendale Milford Road, summitparkblueash.com) is the perfect place for everything from farmers markets to free fitness classes. The space has become a popular venue for large-scale events (blueashevents.com) like the annual Fourth of July Red, White & Blue Ash, attended by thousands of humans and name-brand nostalgia acts like REO Speedwagon. This past summer, favorite shopping pop-up O.F.F. Market (theoffmarket.org) moved operations from Oakley to the park, offering more than 100 local vendors and makers. The

Cincinnati Opera even took over the amphitheater to present its season outdoors (they’re moving back to Music Hall in 2022). Whether you’re in search of a playground, dog park, civic lawn, walking trails or even a catch-and-release fishing pond, Summit Park has you covered.

KENWOOD With Kenwood Towne Centre shopping mall at its epicenter, this ’burb is home to high-end retail stores and dining chains. kenwoodtownecentre.com

Eat

Wander outside of the mall’s food court for some casual fine dining with early birds and classy broads at Trio Bistro (7565 Kenwood Road, triobistro.com).

Nearby in Deer Park, Arrechissimo (8100 Blue Ash Road, arrechissimo.com) serves up authentic Venezuelan to go: reina-pepiada-filled arepas and beef-pastry pastelitos. Vegans, vegetarians and kosher customers can indulge in the Israeli and Mediterranean cuisine at Kinneret Café (8316 Plainfield Road, kinneretcafe.com).

For Japanese barbecue, head over to Gyu-Kaku (5901 E. Galbraith Road, Ste. 216, gyu-kaku.com/cincinnati), where you can enjoy thinly sliced meats like toro beef and umakara pork.

Shop

Kenwood Towne Centre (7875 Montgomery Road, kenwoodtownecentre.com) is filled with more than 180 stores and services, including Apple, Nordstrom, Anthropologie, Kate Spade, Louis Vuitton, Free People and Forever 21, as well as kid-friendly meccas like the LEGO store.

Across the way is Kenwood Collection (5901 E. Galbraith Road, thekenwoodcollection.com), with a Whole Foods Market, Crate and Barrel and City Base Cinemas

This close-knit community exudes a tranquil, outdoorsy vibe, adjacent to the Loveland Bike Trail/Little Miami Scenic Trail and the Little Miami River. lovelandoh.com

Eat

Hop on your bike and grab a burger at Paxton’s Grill (126 W. Loveland Ave., paxtonsgrill.com) in historic downtown Loveland. Located next to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, the eatery is a popular stop among bikers and boasts a dog-friendly outdoor patio. Down the street, Loveland Sweets (124 W. Loveland Ave., llovelandsweetshoppe.com) concocts handcrafted chocolates, nostalgic candies and homemade ice cream, plus a full line of brewed coffees, espresso drinks and teas. Or order some ’za at The Works Pizza (20 Grear Millitzer Lane, theworkspizza. com). Midwest Best BBQ and Creamery (669 Justice Court, midwestbestbbq.com) offers some of the best barbecue in town, with pulled pork, smoked turkey, chopped chicken and an entire menu section devoted to “all things fried,” including smoked and fried wings.

Drink

Enjoy some brews outdoors at Narrow Path Brewing Co. (106 Karl Brown Way, narrowpathbrewing.com). The craft beer establishment — on the bike trail downtown — boasts a spacious outdoor patio complete with picnic tables, giant Jenga, a fire pit and plenty of shade. The Miamiville Trailyard (368 Center St., Miamiville, miamivilletrailyard.com) is a unique bar and restaurant on the bike trail. With an emphasis on the outdoor space and warm, casual atmosphere, the bar offers a petite menu of craft cocktails and a hefty rotating beer list. As a family-owned operation, the Monkey Bar & Grille (7837 Old 3C Highway, Maineville, themonkeybarandgrille.com) has not allowed any monkey business since its transformation from a biker bar, but it does permit a lot of fun.

Enjoy fine bourbon or a frosty brew while chatting with friends outside next to one

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of their outdoor fire pits, and grab a bite from one of their rotating food trucks.

A Tavola.

Shop

Sift through new and used LPs at Plaid Room Records (1122 W Loveland Ave, plaidroomrecords.com). The shop and music venue — home to label Colemine Records — sells vinyl, accessories and merch.

Shop

Check out Coolest Toys on Earth (6840 Wooster Pike, coolesttoysonearth.com), which features gadgets and gizmos aplenty. It’s one of the coolest places on Earth for kids and kids at heart.

Do

Ride the Loveland Bike Trail/Little Miami Scenic Trail (littlemiamibiketrail.com), almost 80 mostly flat miles winding through the Little Miami Scenic State Park; plenty of restaurants and quaint shops line the pathway for taking a break to drink and dine. The Cincy East Bikes, Brews and BBQ Trail (discoverclermont. com/bikesbrewsbbq) launched in the summer of 2021 and offers the titular combination of food, booze and cycling.

The trail features 19 stops across Clermont County and the surrounding area including Little Miami Brewing Company and Pickles & Bones Barbecue in Milford, Midwest Best BBQ and Creamery in Loveland and Fifty West Brewing Company in Columbia Township. It traverses the Loveland Bike Trail, Williamsburg to Batavia Hike and Bike Trail and East Fork State Park Mountain Bike Trails, among others. You can also canoe, kayak or tube down the Little Miami River with Loveland Canoe and Kayak (174 Karl Brown Way, lovelandcanoe.com).

Explore

Hunt for ghosts at the Loveland Castle (12025 Shore Drive, lovelandcastle.com).

Also known as Château Laroche, the stone castle was built by Boy Scout troop leader and World War I veteran Harry Andrews. Paranormal activity here is frequently reported, with many believing Andrews never really left behind his labor of love.

MADEIRA A top-rated suburb with a small-town feel, complete with a vintage train station. madeira-city.com

Eat

A Tavola (7022 Miami Ave., atavolapizza. com) specializes in Neapolitan wood-fired pizzas, pasta and creative cocktails.

Expect chewy but buoyant dough that bubbles up and crisps in the oven, with topping combos ranging from simple — Margherita, Sausage + Sage, Broccoli Rabe — to complex, like the Pizza Francisco (spinach, mushrooms, red onion, mozzarella, sausage, Parmigiano-Reggiano).

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Cincinnati-style chili, the Virginia with pimento cheese and ham, and the West Virginia with apple butter and American cheese. They also offer housemade root beer and orange floats, as well as milkshakes.

Do Hailey Bollinger

The guys behind the restaurant opened authentic Italian gelato joint La Grassa Gelateria (7014 Miami Ave., lagrassa.com) next door, with tons of sorbettos and gelato flavors including the excellent salted caramel. Family-owned Ferrari’s Little Italy and Bakery (7677 Goff Terrace, ferrarilittleitaly.com) serves sharable portions of Northern and Southern Italian, with an award-winning on-premise bakery.

Drink

Piazza Discepoli (7754 Camargo Road, piazzadiscepoli.com) has an expert selection of wine and informative tastings, along with other Italian staples: cheese, gelato and bread. For coffee, stop at Coffee Please (6930 Miami Ave., 513-271-4700); they roast and flavor their own beans.

Shop

Camargo Trading Company (7744 Laurel Ave., camargotrading.com) is an eclectic one-stop shop for home, hostess gifts and your closet. The specialty boutique, housed in a cute pink cottage, has everything from candles and cashmere to purses, plates and pillows. Head to The Pink Box (6929 Miami Ave., thepinkbox. com) for trendy clothes and accessories.

And the Co-Op on Camargo (7892 Camargo Road, cooponcamargo.com) has five independently owned women’s boutiques under one roof. At The Bookshelf (7754 Camargo Road, cincybookshelf.com), each book in stock is specifically selected by the owners. Their in-store book club meets on varying Monday evenings and Tuesday mornings.

MARIEMONT The Tudor-style village of Mariemont is a National Historic Landmark that was designed to mimic a quaint English garden neighborhood. mariemont.org

Eat

The Quarter Bistro (6904 Wooster Pike, qbcincy.com) serves contemporary New American fare — 18-hour short ribs, truffle fries, stuffed chicken — on a nice patio. Fine-dining and brunch destination The National Exemplar (6880 Wooster Pike, nationalexemplar.com) is nestled in the historic 1920s Mariemont Inn — a certified Historic Hotel of America. The hotel’s Southerby’s lobby bar feels like a British hunting lodge, with cozy fireplaces, overstuffed chairs and properly stuffed deer heads. Dilly Bistro, Bar & Bottle Shop (6818 Wooster Pike, dillybistro.com) offers a casual atmosphere, cobblestone patio and outdoor fireplace. They’re famous for their beer cheese; it comes with soft pretzels and a baguette but, pro tip: add apples.

Or order a specialty stuffed pizza from local chain Mio’s (6930 Madisonville Road, miospizza.com), a thick, deep-dish Chicago-style pie.

Drink

Fifty West Brewing Company (7605 Wooster Pike, fiftywestbrew.com) has basically taken over a mile-long stretch of Wooster Pike with its flagship brewpub, Production Works facility (home of its canoe and kayak rental business and sand volleyball courts) and Fifty West Cycling Company. Their giant beer garden is family-friendly and all seasons (they’ve been adding heated tents and installing an ice rink in the winter for the past couple of years). And the big ingestible attraction — in addition to their craft brews — is the Fifty West Burger Bar, an homage to the 1950s roadside root beer stand. Each protein (single or double burger, chicken patty, flattop dog or black bean burger) comes 12 ways, named for the 12 states that U.S. Route 50 travels through. For example, the Ohio comes topped with

Mariemont Players (4101 Walton Creek Road, mariemontplayers.com) is an entirely volunteer production and is one of Cincinnati’s oldest community theaters. This reasonably priced theater company puts on everything from dramas to musicals.

The Mariemont Theater (6906 Wooster Pike, mariemonttheatre.com) presents art house and indie cinema, with excellent popcorn.

MASON Home to Kings Island amusement park, Mason and Warren County live up to the nickname “Ohio’s Largest Playground.” imaginemason.org

Eat

Enjoy cats and a cuppa at Kitty Brew Cat Café (6011 Tylersville Road, kittybrew. com), which is divided into two sections: a café and a cat lounge filled with adoptable felines, supplied in partnership with Animal Friends Humane Society.

The Wildflower Café (207 E. Main St., wildflowergourmetcafe.com) is a converted century-old farmhouse that serves a changing menu of local, seasonal dishes and wine. For some Lebanese cuisine try the Phoenician Taverna (7944 Mason Montgomery Road, phoeniciantaverna. com), where you can enjoy delicious and vegetarian dips like hummus and baba ghannouge. Try flatbreads like the lahm b’aajin (made with ground lamb and beef, tomatoes, onions, peppers and spices).

Taste of Belgium (12071 Mason Montgomery Road, authenticwaffle.com) has expanded from its Findlay Market booth with eightand-counting full-scale bistros. The new Mason location is the farthest they’ve made it out into the ‘burbs. Taste of Belgium is known for its Belgian waffles, served both sweet and savory. Enjoy them with whipped cream and a series of sweet toppings or as a bun for the TOB Burger. The bistro also offers a unique array of Belgian beers and lunch and dinner options including mussels, steak and frites, and galettes (aka buckwheat crepes).

CityBeat.com

Drink

Three breweries have made Mason a craft beer destination. The Common Beer Co. (126 E. Main St., commonbeercompany.com) is a local spot offering booze and a bite. Find wine, liquor, food trucks, a snack menu and their own beer on tap by the glass, flight or growler.

Named after a historic land purchase by Revolutionary War Maj. William Mason, 16 Lots (753 Reading Road, 16lots.com) is a family-friendly brewery that crafts beers inspired by traditional German styles. The taproom also pours cider, wine, spirits and draft root beer. If you get hungry, order something from the in-house Mad Monks Pizza. Sonder Brewing (8584 Duke Blvd., sonderbrewing.com) built its brewery, taproom and beer garden on what was a vacant lot consisting of a 40-foot mound of dirt and a fire hydrant a few miles from Kings Island. Sonder pours core and seasonal beers, plus boozy and barrel-aged options, in addition to wine and beer cocktails. The taproom also serves food from an outpost of the Creole-flavored BrewRiver.

Explore

Take a one-hour scenic train ride on the Lebanon Mason Monroe Railroad (127 S. Mechanic St., lebanonrr.com), during which you’ll learn about the area’s local history.

Or hit up the Butler County Donut Trail (gettothebc.com/donut-trail), comprised of 13 mom-and-pop sweet shops.

Do

Kings Island (6300 Kings Island Drive, visitkingsisland.com) draws visitors from all over the world. The amusement park is home to more than 80 world-class rides, a 1/3-size replica of the Eiffel Tower (in blue), a water park and an animatronic dinosaur display. Kings Island also offers two seasonal attractions: Halloween Haunt and WinterFest. Halloween Haunt was named the “Best Theme Park Halloween Event” in America by USA Today and it’s rife with goblins, ghouls and terrifying mazes. The holiday-themed WinterFest features light displays, ice skating, a 300-foot-tall Christmas tree, cozy snacks and boozy drinks.

MILFORD Located near the banks of the Little Miami River, the quiet town of Milford blends nature with smalltown amenities. milfordohio.org

Eat

20 Brix (101 Main St., 20brix.com) specializes in New American cuisine

Annual Manual 2021/2022

and shareables. Entrées are seasonal and made with local ingredients from local farms and artisans — a perfect reason for dinner and a drink from the award-winning 200-plus bottled wine list. Popular family pizzeria Padrino (111 Main St., padrinoitalian.com) kicks it up a notch with housemade organic hot sauces called Dark Star Sauces, available to purchase and take home. The Governor (231 Main St., governordiner.com) is a classic diner with a twist. The mission is to offer the perks of fine dining — locally procured meat and produce, a menu made from scratch, a carefully designed cocktail list — at a medium price point in a laidback environment. The menu includes all-day breakfast from French toast and an egg sandwich to fritta-meets-omelet “fromelettes.” Try the 513, stuffed with vegan chili, American cheese blend, hot sauce and pickled onions. They also offer cocktails and boozy slushies.

Drink

Grab one of those aforementioned boozy slushies to-go because Milford is a DORA District, or Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area. This means you can grab an alcoholic beverage to sip while you stroll (as long as it’s in a DORA-designated cup). Started by two brothersin-law and a brewmaster friend, Little Miami Brewing Company (208 Mill St., littlemiamibrewing.com) sits on the banks of its namesake river, pouring its beers alongside a selection of brick-oven pizzas.

The small-batch brewery offers a range of taps, from classics to experimentals and seasonals made with real fruit, like their Blackbird Fly with blackberry puree.

Claim an Adirondack chair around the fire pit for some excellent river views. Old Milford Parlor (119 Main St., pendletonparlor.com) is a year-round creamy whip/craft coffee bar that uses locally sourced dairy and locally roasted beans. They specialize in edible cookie dough.

Shop

Founded in 1890, Bishop’s Bicycles (313 Main St., bishopsbicycles.net) is the oldest bike shop in the city, offering bikes for sale and for rent in addition to parts and service. Pick up some gear at outdoor outfitters Roads Rivers and Trails (118 Main St., roadsriversandtrails.com), or sign up for one of their seminars and learn everything from first aid to backpacking basics.

Explore

The Cincinnati Nature Center (4949 Tealtown Road, cincynature.org) has more than 14 miles of hiking trails of various difficulties. The park contains

1,016 forested acres and hosts frequent nature-themed events.

MONTGOMERY Famously known as the home of The Ribs King via the Montgomery Inn, this suburb also boasts 32 historical landmarks. montgomeryohio.org

Eat

Check out the original location of the Montgomery Inn (9440 Montgomery Road, montgomeryinn.com) and find out why the city’s rack of ribs is world-famous.

Artemis Mediterranean Bistro (7791 Cooper Road, artemisbistro.com) offers “fusion-inspired” Mediterranean food and a menu stuffed with classics like eggplant, Adana Kebab, lamb shish kebabs and grilled salmon. Mei Japanese (8608 Market Place Lane, meijapaneserestaurant.com) offers traditional Japanese — soba, udon, ramen, shioyaki and plenty of sushi to enjoy either at a table or in a tatami room.

Drink

Neighborhood watering hole The Village Tavern (9390 Montgomery Road, thevillage-tavern.com) is for locals and those who want to feel like locals. The Corner Pub (7833 Cooper Road, facebook.com/TheCorner-Pub) is across the street, offering a roomy patio and live music. MPH Brewing (7880 Remington Road, mphbrew.com) serves over a dozen of their own craft beers, select wines and a food menu. They also offer a selection of Colorado-based Left Hand Brewing beers.

Shop

For furry family members, visit Earthwise Pet Supplies Harper’s Point (11328 Montgomery Road, earthwisepet.com), part of a chain but independently owned.

The all-natural pet nutrition market and spa frequently works in conjunction with Cincinnati Cats, housing adoptable felines in their cat room.

Do

Cincinnati’s premiere comedy spot is Go Bananas (8410 Market Place Lane, gobananascomedy.com), which brings in local and national acts. Attend the annual Bastille Day celebration; Montgomery’s relationship with sister city and Parisian suburb Neuilly-Plaisance is manifested in a summer street festival.

WEST CHESTER/NEARBY NORTH These suburban enclaves are basically cities unto themselves. westchesteroh.org, lebanonohio.gov

Eat

Enjoy a meal at piano bar Jag’s Steak & Seafood (5980 West Chester Road, jags.com). The Root Beer Stand (11566 Reading Road, therootbeerstand.com), open seasonally, serves the best root beer float in the city, made with well water from the property. Established in 1803, The Golden Lamb (27 S. Broadway, goldenlamb. com) is Ohio’s oldest hotel, and its former guests have included Mark Twain, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Charles Dickens.

Drink

DogBerry Brewing (9964 Crescent Park Drive, dogberrybrewing.com), established by two former scientists and stay-athome dads, is uniquely family-friendly, featuring kids’ activities and old-fashioned desks stocked with coloring books.

For more beer, try an easy-to-drink Approachable Blonde Ale at Municipal Brew Works (20 High St., municipal.beer), housed in the awesomely art deco Frederick G. Mueller Municipal Building.

Shop

Keep a lookout for kitschy giraffes and neon palm trees — they stand by the entrance of Trader’s World (601 Union Road, tradersworldmarket.com), the Midwest’s largest flea market, which has a little bit of everything. Expect to spend hours in IKEA (9500 IKEA Way, ikea.com), the massive retailer of furniture and home goods that’s essentially designed like a maze. Also expect to spend hours putting furniture together at home. For one-of-a-kind finds, the Ohio Valley Antique Mall (7285 Dixie Highway, ohiovalleyantiques.com) has more than 550 vintage dealers.

Explore

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum (1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, pyramidhill. org) features more than 60 outdoor sculptures across its rollicking 300 acres, plus rotating art exhibits and a great drive-thru holiday light display. Nearby, the Holiday Auto Theater (1816 Old Oxford Road, holidayautotheatre.com) is one of the country’s last drive-in theaters.

Do

See the largest indoor train display in the country at EnterTRAINment Junction (7379 Squire Court, entertrainmentjunction. com). Like putt-putt for grown-ups, Topgolf (9568 Water Front Drive, topgolf.com) is a three-story range where players try to hit different targets with a microchipped ball. Food and booze can be delivered to your hitting bay — like a country club but with more glowing LED lights.

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Eats

Best of Cincinnati

Voting results from CityBeat’s 2021 readers’ poll*

New Restaurant

1. Ivory House 2. The Governor 3. Fifty West Burger Bar 4. Good Plates Eatery 5. Khora 6. Galactic Fried Chicken 7. Pepp & Dolores 8. Dear Restaurant & Butchery 9. Taqueria 251 10. OTR Chili Co.

Overall Restaurant

A 3-way and oyster crackers from Skyline Chili.

24 Essential Foods Every Cincinnati Visitor Should Try

Skyline Chili

Here’s a list of foods you can’t skip eating as a Cincinnati visitor (or resident) — although probably not all in one sitting.

Skyline Chili

The history of Cincinnati-style chili goes back to the 1920s, when it was invented

by Greek immigrants who used Mediterranean-inspired spices to create a meat sauce used initially to top hot dogs sold out of a cart. The beef-based sauce — it’s kind of like a runny pasta sauce with hints of cinnamon, chocolate and other spices — eventually became the key ingredient in the 3-Way, a plate of pasta topped with chili, an unnecessary amount of shredded cheddar cheese and a side of oyster crackers. Adding onions to the 3-Way makes it a 4-Way; onions and beans make a 5-Way. Local chain Skyline Chili was founded by Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides in 1949, inspired by his mother’s family recipes from their hometown of Kastoria, Greece. In an eternal regional chili war, locals are divided over whether Skyline has the best chili and the other popular local chain, Gold Star, is for losers, or if it’s the other way around.

You’ll find die-hard supporters of both.

Annual Manual 2021/2022

But if you want to go non-chain, there are more than 150 chili parlors in Cincinnati — restaurants big and small offering their own take on this regional favorite. Most people, however, start with Skyline. Multiple locations, skylinechili.com.

Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Since its founding in 1870, Graeter’s French Pot Ice Cream, handmade chocolate confections and fresh-baked goods have become Queen City traditions. Today, the Graeter family still faithfully uses century-old recipes and methods of production, including making each 2-and-a-half-gallon batch in a French pot freezer and packing each pint by hand. Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip is their signature flavor — and an Oprah Winfrey favorite. The flavor is crafted with black raspberries from Oregon’s Willamette Valley and bittersweet chocolate chunks.

Instead of boring old chips, Graeter’s pours liquid chocolate into each batch resulting in

1. Sotto 2. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 3. Good Plates Eatery 4. Court Street Lobster Bar 5. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 6. Ivory House 7. Boca (TIE) 7. The Eagle (TIE) 8. Taste of Belgium 9. Incline Public House 10. Pepp & Dolores

Overall Restaurant (Northern Kentucky)

1. Pompilio’s 2. Bouquet Restaurant 3. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia 4. Greyhound Tavern 5. Otto’s 6. Agave & Rye 7. Libby’s Southern Comfort (TIE) 7. Walt’s Hitching Post (TIE) 8. Coppin’s at Hotel Covington 9. Tuba Baking Co. 10. York Street Café

Neighborhood Restaurant (Downtown/OTR)

1. The Eagle 2. Sotto 3. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey

Neighborhood Restaurant (Northern Kentucky) 1. Pompilio’s 2. Otto’s 3. Greyhound Tavern

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Neighborhood Restaurant (Central) 1. Adriatico’s 2. Quatman Cafe 3. Ruth’s Parkside Cafe

Neighborhood Restaurant (East Side)

1. Mazunte 2. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 3. El Coyote

Neighborhood Restaurant (West Side) 1. Incline Public House 2. Price Hill Chili 3. Primavista

Neighborhood Restaurant (Burbs) 1. Silver Spring House 2. Phoenician Taverna 3. Blue Ash Chili

Appetizers

1. Sotto 2. Incline Public House 3. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

Bagels

1. Marx Hot Bagels 2. Bruegger’s Bagels 3. The Bagelry

Barbecue

1. Eli’s BBQ 2. Lucius Q 3. City Barbeque 4. Montgomery Inn 5. Pickles & Bones Barbecue 6. Just Q’in 7. Sweets & Meats BBQ 8. Midwest Best BBQ 9. Pontiac 10. Harmon’s Barbecue

Beer Selection (Restaurant)

1. Yard House 2. Taft’s Ale House 3. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia

Bourbon Selection (Restaurant)

1. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 2. Goodfellas Pizzeria/Wiseguy Lounge 3. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

Breakfast

Brunch

1. Taste of Belgium 2. Sleepy Bee Cafe 3. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 4. First Watch 5. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 6. The National Exemplar 7. Nation Kitchen & Bar 8. Hang Over Easy 9. Orchids at Palm Court 10. Grand Finale

Overall Burgers (Chain) 1. Five Guys 2. Red Robin 3. Frisch’s

Overall Burgers (Non-Chain)

1. Zip’s Cafe 2. Roney’s 3. Stellar Street Eats 4. Nation Kitchen & Bar 5. Good Plates Eatery 6. Tickle Pickle 7. Arthur’s Cafe (TIE) 7. Quatman Cafe (TIE) 8. Sammy’s Craft Burgers & Beer 9. The Turf Club 10. Gordo’s Pub & Grill

Neighborhood Burger Spot (Downtown/ OTR) 1. Nation Kitchen & Bar 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. Krueger’s Tavern

Neighborhood Burger Spot (Northern Kentucky) 1. Bard’s Burgers & Chili 2. Herb & Thelma’s Tavern 3. Coaches Corner

Neighborhood Burger Spot (Central) 1. Quatman Cafe 2. Tickle Pickle 3. Gordo’s Pub & Grill

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Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey.

1. Sleepy Bee Cafe 2. First Watch 3. Sugar n’ Spice 4. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 5. Taste of Belgium 6. The Echo 7. The Original Pancake House 8. Hang Over Easy 9. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 10. Half Day Cafe

Hailey Bollinger

Neighborhood Burger Spot (East Side) 1. Zip’s Cafe 2. Arthur’s Cafe 3. Five Guys

Neighborhood Burger Spot (West Side)

1. Incline Public House 2. Nation Kitchen & Bar (Westwood) 3. Chandler’s Burger Bistro

Neighborhood Burger Spot (Burbs)

1. Arthur’s Cafe (Anderson) 2. Quatman Cafe (Mason) 3. Gas Light Cafe

Burritos

1. Gomez Salsa 2. Mazunte 3. The Comet

Business Lunch

1. Skyline Chili 2. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 3. Court Street Lobster Bar

Butcher Shop

1. Avril-Bleh Meat Market 2. Lehr’s Prime Market 3. Eckerlin Meats

Cajun/Creole

1. Swampwater Grill 2. Knotty Pine on the Bayou 3. Allyn’s Cafe

Cake Shop

1. The BonBonerie 2. Nothing Bundt Cakes 3. 3 Sweet Girls Cakery

Cheap Eats 1. Skyline Chili 2. Zip’s Cafe 3. Blue Ash Chili

Cheese Shop

1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. Share: Cheesebar 3. The Rhined

Cheesesteak

1. Penn Station 2. Melt Revival 3. Cincy Steak & Lemonade

Chef (w/Restaurant Affiliation)

1. Jean-Robert de Cavel (French Crust, Le Bar a Boeuf, Frenchie Fresh Burger Bar) 2. Christian Gill (Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey) 3. Jose Salazar (Salazar, Mita’s, Goose & Elder) 4. Kayla Robison (Arnold’s Bar and Grill) 5. Michael Kelly (Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse) 6. Andrew Schlanser (Good Plates Eatery) 7. Danny Combs (Sotto) 8. Drew Rath (Tuba Baking Co.) 9. Paul Barraco (The Governor) 10. Daniel Wright (Senate, Abigail Street, Pontiac, Forty Thieves)

CityBeat.com

wonky-sized and sometimes gigantic pieces of chocolate; whoever gets the biggest chunk wins. Multiple locations, graeters.com.

Frisch’s Big Boy

Well-known for their burgers and fish sandwiches, Frisch’s also brings in quite the crowd for their affordable breakfast buffet.

Grab a Big Boy burger with a quarter pound of beef, cheese, lettuce, pickles and Frisch’s famous tartar sauce — a family recipe you can find on items across the menu and in jars at the grocery store. For a taste of nostalgia, visit the original Mainliner location (5760 Wooster Pike, Mariemont), which David Frisch opened in 1939 as Cincinnati’s first year-round drive-in.

Multiple locations, frischs.com.

Montgomery Inn Ribs

World famous for its ribs, Ted and Matula Gregory’s Montgomery Inn has been a staple in Cincinnati since 1951. Matula’s secret-recipe sweet and tangy all-natural barbecue sauce dresses the hand-spiced, slow-roasted and custom broiled ribs and is featured on everything from barbecue spring chicken and pork chops to Saratoga chips. Dubbed “the Ribs King,” the Gregorys’ ribs joint is a must-stop for locals, visitors, in-town celebrities and more. 9440 Montgomery Road, Montgomery; 925 Riverside Drive, Downtown, montgomeryinn.com.

Izzy’s Reuben

A Cincinnati tradition, Izzy’s serves a Reuben we can all be proud of: delicious corned beef topped with sauerkraut, Izzy’s special dressing and imported Swiss cheese, served with a potato pancake and dill pickle. In the late 1800s, founder Izzy Kadetz left Russia and settled in Cincinnati, cooking at the Sinton St. Nicholas Hotel in Cincinnati and eventually founding the first Kosher-style deli west of the Alleghenies.

His son, David, opened a second deli in downtown Cincinnati in 1982 — with manager John Geisen, now Izzy’s president and CEO — and the Izzy’s legacy has grown from there. It’s possibly the closest thing the Queen City has to a New Yorkstyle deli. Multiple locations, izzys.com.

Blue Ice Cream

Introduced by Kings Island in 1982 to promote a then-new Smurfs ride in HannaBarbera Land, the theme park’s classic blueberry soft serve put blue ice cream on Cincinnati’s radar and it has maintained its craveability ever since — leaving without

Annual Manual 2021/2022

Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream from Graeter’s.

having one is a sin. Get it plain, doused in rainbow sprinkles or swirled with creamy vanilla at locations across the park. (Or at various seasonal creamy whips across the city.) 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason, visitkingsisland.com.

Glier’s Goetta — or Really Any Goetta

Glier’s Goetta has been a Cincinnati breakfast staple for over 60 years. The Queen City loves it so much there’s even an entire festival devoted to the sausagey oat-meat mixture on the Newport riverfront each summer. Most restaurants throughout the city carry it as a breakfast side, like at the Metropole at 21c, or you can visit Glier’s Goettafest and try it in calzones, nachos, donut sandwiches and more. They even have a Glier’s Goetta vending machine.

If you don’t want Glier’s, there are many other options, including from Eckerlin Meats in Findlay Market (1801 Race St., Overthe-Rhine). Food & Wine named Eckerlin’s one of the best 100 butcher shops in America, specifically calling out the more than 160-year-old spot’s housemade goetta. For an added treat, in October 2021, Merriam-Webster added “Goetta” to the dictionary, with a capital G. goetta.com.

The BonBonerie’s Opera Cream Torte

Have your cake and eat it, too, at The BonBonerie. Opened in 1983 by Mary Pat Pace and Sharon Butler, the shop has crafted

Chicken

Jesse Fox

1. The Eagle 2. Silver Spring House 3. Revolution Rotisserie 4. Libby’s Southern Comfort 5. Ron’s Roost Restaurant & Bar 6. Roney’s 7. CityBird 8. Good Plates Eatery 9. Raising Cane’s 10. Galactic Fried Chicken

Chicken Sandwich

1. Chick-fil-A 2. The Eagle 3. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey

Chili (Chain)

1. Skyline Chili 2. Gold Star 3. Dixie Chili (TIE) 3. Blue Ash Chili (TIE)

Chili (Non-Chain) 1. Camp Washington Chili 2. Pleasant Ridge Chili 3. Price Hill Chili

Chinese

1. Oriental Wok 2. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia 3. First Wok

Chocolates

1. Aglamesis Bro’s 2. Maverick Chocolate Co. 3. Esther Price

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Coffeehouse (Local)

1. Coffee Emporium 2. The Coffee Exchange of Pleasant Ridge 3. Deeper Roots Coffee 4. Sayler Park Coffee 5. Mom ‘n ‘em 6. BlaCk Coffee Lounge 7. Carabello Coffee 8. Urbana Cafe 9. Unataza Coffee 10. Kitty Brew Cafe

Coffeehouse (National) 1. Starbucks 2. Dunkin’ 3. Caribou Coffee

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Downtown/ OTR) 1. Coffee Emporium 2. Deeper Roots Coffee 3. BlaCk Coffee Lounge

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Northern Kentucky) 1. Carabello Coffee 2. Unataza Coffee 3. Flow Koffee + Kombucha

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Central)

1. College Hill Coffee Co. and Casual Gourmet 2. Sidewinder Coffee 3. Highland Coffee House

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (East Side) 1. Coffee Emporium (Hyde Park) 2. Deeper Roots Coffee 3. Luckman Coffee

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (West Side) 1. Muse Cafe 2. BLOC Coffee Company 3. White Oak Coffee House

Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Burbs) 1. Kitty Brew Cafe 2. Wyoming Community Coffee 3. Kidd Coffee & Wine Bar

Cooking Classes

1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. Findlay Kitchen 3. Tablespoon Cooking Co.

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Creamy Whip/Soft Serve 1. Putz’s Creamy Whip 2. The Cone 3. Dairy Queen

Cupcakes

1. The BonBonerie 2. Abby Girl Sweets 3. Gigi’s Cupcakes

Delicatessen 1. Izzy’s 2. Jason’s Deli 3. Silverglades

Desserts (Restaurant) 1. O Pie O 2. Grand Finale 3. Sotto

Desserts (Retail) 1. The BonBonerie 2. Graeter’s 3. Brown Bear Bakery

Neighborhood Bakery (Downtown/OTR) 1. Holtman’s Donuts 2. Brown Bear Bakery 3. Blue Oven Bakery

Neighborhood Bakery (Central) 1. The BonBonerie 2. North College Hill Bakery 3. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli

Neighborhood Bakery (East Side) 1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli 2. Marcella’s Doughnuts & Bakery 3. Busken Bakery

Neighborhood Bakery (West Side)

1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli 2. St. Lawrence Bakery (closed since Best Of Cincinnati was published) 3. Busken Bakery

Neighborhood Bakery (Burbs) 1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli 2. Holtman’s Donuts (Loveland) 3. Wyoming Pastry Shop

Overall Bakery (Breads)

1. Sixteen Bricks 2. Blue Oven Bakery 3. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli

Donuts

1. Holtman’s Donuts 2. Dunkin’ 3. Moonrise Doughnuts 4. Starlight Doughnut Lab 5. Busken Bakery 6. Peace, Love and Little Donuts 7. Marcella’s Doughnuts & Bakery 8. Graeter’s 9. Bonomini Bakery 10. North College Hill Bakery (TIE) 10. Stan the Donut Man (TIE)

Farmers Market

1. Findlay Market 2. Hyde Park Farmers Market 3. Northside Farmers Market

Farmers Market Food Stall

1. Blue Oven Bakery 2. Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices 3. WoodBottom Quail Farms

Fish & Chips

1. Alabama Fish Bar 2. The Pub 3. Nicholson’s Pub

Food Delivery Service 1. DoorDash 2. Uber Eats 3. Grubhub

Food Festival or Event

1. Taste of Cincinnati 2. Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 3. Cincinnati Food Truck Association Food Festival

Food Truck

1. Rock N Rolls 2. Tacos Locos 3. The Poutine Machine

French Fries 1. Penn Station 2. Five Guys 3. Zip’s Cafe

Frozen Yogurt

1. Yagööt 2. Orange Leaf 3. Rhino’s Frozen Yogurt & Soft Serve

Gelato/Sorbetto/ Frozen Ice 1. Aglamesis Bro’s 2. Graeter’s 3. Dojo Gelato

German

1. Hofbräuhaus 2. Mecklenburg Gardens 3. Wunderbar Covington

Gluten-Free Selections 1. Sleepy Bee Cafe 2. Pho Lang Thang 3. Melt Revival

Goetta

1. Glier’s Goetta 2. Eckerlin Meats 3. Avril-Bleh Meat Market

Guacamole 1. Mazunte 2. Bakersfield 3. Nada

Hidden Gem

1. Mazunte 2. Good Plates Eatery 3. Incline Public House 4. Joe’s Pizza Napoli 5. The Poutine Machine 6. Ivory House 7. The Governor 8. Nine Giant Brewing 9. Kiki College Hill 10. Tuba Baking Co.

Hot Dog/Sausage 1. Senate 2. The Root Beer Stand 3. Avril-Bleh Meat Market

Ice Cream

1. Graeter’s 2. Aglamesis Bro’s 3. United Dairy Farmers

Indian

1. Ambar India Restaurant 2. Baba India Restaurant 3. Dusmesh Indian Restaurant

Italian

1. Sotto 2. Pompilio’s 3. Nicola’s

Japanese

1. Ichiban Japanese Cuisine 2. Kiki College Hill 3. Quan Hapa

Korean

1. BIBIBOP Asian Grill 2. Riverside Korean Restaurant 3. Red Sesame BBQ

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Late-Night Eatery 1. Skyline Chili 2. Goodfellas Pizzeria 3. Gomez Salsa

Live Music While You Eat

1. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 2. The Comet 3. Lucius Q

Local Chain

A Taste of Belgium waffle.

Brittany Thornton

beautiful and delicious sweets and savories for more than 35 years. Scones, tea and quiche adorn the café menu, but the real treat is for those with a sweet tooth. The bakery features tortes, cakes, pastries and old-fashioned cookies to please everyone.

Make sure to try their signature Opera Cream Torte — it’s a taste of heaven: a double chocolate chip cake filled with vanilla opera cream and covered in chocolate glaze and Belgian chocolate shavings.

Little white chocolate buttercream rosettes and hand-cut white chocolate diamonds complete the picture. 2030 Madison Road, O’Bryonville, bonbonerie.com.

Avril-Bleh Meat Market & Deli Mett

This historic butcher shop has been serving Cincinnati homemade sausages, smoked meats and more since 1894. Avril-Bleh offers over 30 varieties of sausages ranging from Irish bangers to Cajun chicken or smoked Polish kielbasa. They use no additives or fillers and they use their own blend of all natural herbs, spices and seasoning. As Cincinnati has a strong German heritage, find their metts on the menu at restaurants like Zip’s, Senate and Moerlein Lager House or just grab one to go from the butcher shop. 3 E. Court St., Downtown, avril-blehmeats.com.

Taste of Belgium Waffles

Hot, fresh Belgian waffles are made from a thick dough and coarse Belgian beet sugar, which caramelizes on a cast iron press.

Owner Jean-Francois Flechet brought

Annual Manual 2021/2022

one of these presses back from his native Belgium with him in 2007 on a mission to introduce locals to his childhood favorite food. Find the heavenly breakfast food topped with strawberries and cream or ricotta, or as the bread in a McWaffle sandwich (egg, gruyère and maple syrup). The crepe station prepares sweet and savory crepes, like the Nati Crepe with goetta, made fresh to order. At dinner, the sophistication goes up a notch with mussels, steak frites and Belgian specialties. Exclusive selection of Belgian beers. Visit their original location at Over-the-Rhine’s historic Findlay Market and peruse the surrounding shops, restaurants and vendor offerings.

Multiple locations including 16 West Freedom Way, The Banks; 1133 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine; 2845 Vine St., Corryville, authenticwaffle.com.

Tom & Chee Grilled Cheese Donut

A gourmet grilled cheese and tomato soup shop with a famous grilled-cheese donut.

With the backing of Shark Tank, founders Trew Quackenbush and Corey Ward went from a Fountain Square pop-up to a 14-state chain. They make their own dressings, sauces and spreads in-house and roast their own meats, but the dish that put them on the map was their grilled cheese donut — featured on multiple TV shows including The Chew, Man v. Food Nation and TODAY. Multiple locations including 125 E. Court St., Over-the-Rhine, tomandchee.com.

Holtman’s Donut

A family operation in one iteration or another since the 1960s, the Loveland-based

1. Skyline Chili 2. Thunderdome Restaurant Group 3. Holtman’s Donuts 4. Buffalo Wings & Rings 5. LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria 6. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli 7. Gold Star 8. Taste of Belgium 9. Dewey’s Pizza 10. Keystone Bar & Grill (4EG)

Local Farm

1. Gorman Heritage Farm 2. WoodBottom Quail Farms 3. Carriage House Farm

Local Snack

1. Grippo’s 2. Hen of The Woods 3. Stellar Street Eats’ Pimento Cheese

Macaron

1. Macaron Bar 2. The BonBonerie 3. Taste of Belgium

Macaroni & Cheese 1. Keystone Bar & Grill 2. Mama Bear’s Mac 3. The Eagle 4. Court Street Lobster Bar 5. Eli’s BBQ 6. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 7. Lucius Q 8. The Mac Shack 9. Revolution Rotisserie 10. Sweets & Meats BBQ

Mediterranean/Greek 1. Aladdin’s Eatery 2. Phoenician Taverna 3. Sebastian’s Gyros

Menu (Most Innovative)

1. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 2. Sotto 3. Please

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potatoes, baked beans or the jalapeño corn bread. 3313 Riverside Drive, Columbia Tusculum; 133 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, elisbarbeque.com.

The Turtle from Gomez Salsa.

Brown Bear Bakery’s Salty Chocolate Chip Cookie

Cincinnati pastry artist Blair Fornshell uses all-natural ingredients to create so-beautiful-you-almost-feel-bad-abouteating-them desserts, such as their beloved salty chocolate cookies, savory scones, cinnamon rolls, lemon bars and more. The OTR bakery and café space is the perfect blend of old and new and has a very Lower Manhattan vibe. 16 E. 13th St., Over-theRhine, brownbearbakes.com.

Lindsay McCarty

Mexican

1. Mazunte 2. La Mexicana Restaurante Cantina & Tienda 3. El Rancho Grande

Noodles

1. Pho Lang Thang 2. KungFood Chu’s Amerasia 3. Kiki College Hill

Outdoor/Patio Dining 1. Incline Public House 2. Cabana on the River 3. Fifty West Burger Bar 4. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 5. Dead Low Brewing 6. Little Miami Brewing Company 7. Lucius Q 8. Northside Yacht Club 9. Ramsey’s Trailside 10. BrewRiver Creole Kitchen

Overall Pizza (Chain) 1. LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria 2. Dewey’s Pizza 3. Goodfellas Pizzeria

Overall Pizza (NonChain)

1. Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru 2. Taglio Bar + Pizzeria 3. Adriatico’s 4. Catch-a-Fire Pizza 5. Joe’s Pizza Napoli 6. Krimmer’s Italianette Pizza 7. Two Cities Pizza 8. Fireside Pizza 9. Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria 10. Ramundo’s Pizzeria

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Gomez Salsa’s Turtle

Holtman’s Donuts finally opened an OTR location in September 2013, complete with a window you can peer through and watch them make donuts. Donuts are made from scratch daily and include both yeast and cake donuts, a vegan donut and the decidedly non-vegan and sensational maple bacon donut. 1332 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine; 1399 State Route 28, Loveland; 3356 Madison Road, Oakley; 9558 Civic Centre Blvd, West Chester, holtmansdonutshop.com.

Gomez’s walk-up taco window in OTR has it all: mahi-mahi tacos with slaw and Baja sauce, chips with pineapple salsa, taco salad bowls and owner Andrew Gomez’s greatest invention, the Turtle Shell. Take a tortilla, stuff it with rice, beans, sour cream, lettuce, salsa, meat, veggies and cheese, layer in a tostado for crunch, put some cheese on the top and then brown it. It’s a fat little crunchy burrito envelope, a walking taco. 107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine; 2437 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, gomezsalsa.com.

Sotto’s Pasta

A Jeff Ruby’s Steak

Located under Boca restaurant, the Tuscan-inspired Sotto from chef/owner David Falk offers a more approachable atmosphere and price point than its upstairs neighbor. With multiple dining rooms, the kitchen is open to view, including the custom-made wood-fire grill in front and a fresh-pasta room in the back hallway. Menu items include handmade pasta, housecured salami and big-ticket items like Bistecca Fiorentina, a grilled creekstone porterhouse steak with daily sides. Sotto sources their bread from Blue Oven and also grows their own herbs and vegetables.

It also made OpenTable’s annual list of the 100 best restaurants in America in 2018. 18 E. Sixth St., Downtown, sottocincinnati.com.

Eli’s BBQ Pulled-Pork Sandwich

Originally started in 2011 as a pop-up on Fountain Square, Eli’s specialty, the pulled-pork sandwich, is a good intro to his amazing homemade barbecue sauce. You can move on from there to hickory-smoked ribs, smoked turkey or an all-beef hot dog topped with pulled-pork crispins and coleslaw. Try the mac and cheese, mashed

You can always rely on a Jeff Ruby restaurant for a big, rare steak and platters of seafood. The Precinct, housed in a historical Romanesque-style former police precinct, opened in 1981 and was the first in a long line of Ruby steakhouses. You can’t go wrong with a sirloin or porterhouse, named after current and past Cincinnati sports greats. But there are other options, like lamb shank or chicken Milanese. Ruby’s has a couple other locations in town, including a titular downtown steakhouse that he is relocating from 700 Walnut St. to Fountain Square’s Foundry in 2022. The Foundry is a 3CDC project transforming the former Macy’s building into a mixed-use development with multiple restaurants, including French brasserie Royce, which will be located in the former Tiffany jewelry store. jeffruby.com.

Pho Lang Thang’s Pho

Located adjacent to Findlay Market, Pho Lang Thang offers dishes like hot pho soup, spring rolls and the ever-popular banh mi sandwiches, which come sprinkled with assorted pickled vegetables and your choice of meat or tofu. They also serve Vietnamese

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design, like a Halloween jack-o-lantern) — are synonymous with the shop. Grab one at your local Busken Bakery, Kroger or UDF to add a smile to your own face. Multiple locations, busken.com.

Mazunte Tacos

Brown Bear Bakery.

Hailey Bollinger

coffee sweetened with condensed milk and brewed right on the table into your glass.

This hip bistro opened by brothers Duy and Bao Nguyen with friend David Le in 2011 expanded into a larger storefront nearby in 2019, and now offers beer, wine and a playful Asian-accented cocktail list. 1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, pholangthang.com.

LaRosa’s Pizza

Buddy LaRosa started in 1954 with only $400 and his Aunt Dena’s pizza recipe.

Now, in 2021, LaRosa’s is arguably the best-known pizza joint in Cincinnati.

Serving pizzas, calzones, hoagies, fries, garlic bread, fried cheese sticks, salads, ravioli, spaghetti lasagna, and now hydroponically grown lettuce and vegan toppings, there is no question as to why the business has thrived for so long. Multiple locations, larosas.com.

The Eagle’s Fried Chicken

The Eagle is nested inside a retired post office and has a relatively small menu, comprised of fried chicken, sandwiches, snacks and several side dishes. The crowd-favorite fried chicken is free-range, all natural and sourced from Ohio farms. Opt for a whole, half chicken (white and dark meat) or a quarter of a chicken (select white or dark).

The sausage and kale dip is a must. 1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, eaglerestaurant.com.

Busken Bakery’s Smiley Face Cookie

Busken Bakery opened in 1928 and quickly became a Cincinnati staple with delicious donuts, bread and apple pies. These classic cookies — decorated with a neon-yellow smiley face (or the occasional seasonal

Annual Manual 2021/2022

This Madisonville hot spot typically has a line out the door. Taco fillings range from shredded pork to crispy braised chicken, and specialties include memelitas (openfaced tortillas), corn husk tamales and corn empanadas with queso Oaxaca. It’s a refreshing and authentic culinary surprise, considering the restaurant’s location in a Madisonville strip mall. The restaurant recently opened a downtown location called Mazunte Centro at 611 Main St., which offers a similar menu as the original Madisonville location but with the addition of tortas and tlayudas (sort of like Mexican pizza). 5207 Madison Road, Madisonville, mazuntetacos.com

Zip’s Cafe Zipburger

With a dark wood-paneled interior reminiscent of its earliest days in business — and a toy train that travels along the ceiling — Zip’s is renowned for its Zipburger (which recently was named the best burger in Ohio

by Food & Wine). Made with fresh ground beef from Avril-Bleh Meat Market, this one-third pound patty is flame-broiled to a juicy medium well and topped with the condiments of your liking. If that doesn’t sate your appetite, try the Girth burger — named by former Bengals punter Pat McInally. It takes your classic Zipburger up a notch by topping it with a split, grilled Avril-Bleh mettwurst. 1036 Delta Ave., Mount Lookout, zipscafe.com.

French Crust Cafe’s Quiche

French Crust Café is as jaunty and friendly as its owner, famed local chef Jean-Robert de Cavel (he moved to Cincinnati in 1993 to take over the Michelin-starred and now-shuttered Maisonette). Patrons sit at booths, tables or a 20-seat bar and soak up the bonhomie of a lively ambiance. The food matches the surroundings and delivers note-perfect versions of dishes you’d expect for breakfast, brunch or lunch — a variety of quiches, sandwiches on croissant or baguette, omelets and, of course, a croque monsieur. At dinner, more bistro classics tempt diners, from appetizers of snails and beef tartare to mains ranging from duck leg confit to steak frites. 1801 Elm St., Over-theRhine, frenchcrustcafe.com.

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Downtown/ OTR) 1. Goodfellas Pizzeria 2. Taglio Bar + Pizzeria 3. Lucy Blue Pizza

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Northern Kentucky) 1. Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria 2. Goodfellas Pizzeria 3. Dewey’s Pizza

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Central) 1. Adriatico’s 2. Dewey’s Pizza 3. Fireside Pizza

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (East Side) 1. Dewey’s Pizza 2. Taglio Bar + Pizzeria 3. Joe’s Pizza Napoli

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (West Side) 1. Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru 2. LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria 3. Dewey’s Pizza

Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Burbs) 1. Dewey’s 2. Mio’s Pizza 3. Mellow Mushroom

Oysters

1. Court Street Lobster Bar 2. Washington Platform Saloon & Restaurant 3. Dear Restaurant & Butchery

Pub Food

1. Incline Public House 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. Knockback Nat’s

Raw Bar

1. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 2. Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny 3. Jag’s Steak & Seafood

Restaurant Design 1. Orchids at Palm Court 2. Sotto 3. Lucius Q

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Restaurant for a First Date 1. Sotto 2. Nada 3. Incline Public House

Restaurant for Fine Dining

1. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 2. Sotto 3. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 4. Boca 5. Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny 6. Orchids at Palm Court 7. Nicola’s 8. Ivory House 9. Primavista 10. Tony’s of Cincinnati

Restaurant for Large Parties

1. Montgomery Inn 2. Moerlein Lager House 3. Lucius Q

Restaurant to Take a Foodie

1. Good Plates Eatery 2. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 3. Court Street Lobster Bar 4. Sotto 5. Please 6. Salazar 7. The Eagle (TIE) 7. Lucius Q (TIE) 8. Ivory House 9. Bouquet Restaurant 10. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

Restaurant to Take the Kids 1. Skyline Chili 2. Chick-fil-A 3. Dewey’s Pizza

Restaurant to Take Visitors

1. Montgomery Inn Boathouse 2. Incline Public House 3. Skyline Chili 4. Taste of Belgium 5. Good Plates Eatery 6. Sotto 7. Primavista 8. Ivory House (TIE) 8. Salazar (TIE) 9. Dead Low Brewing 10. Alfio’s Buon Cibo

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Ribs

1. Montgomery Inn 2. Eli’s BBQ 3. Lucius Q 4. City Barbeque 5. Pickles & Bones Barbecue 6. Walt’s Hitching Post 7. Sweets & Meats BBQ 8. Just Q’in 9. Dead Low Brewing 10. Midwest Best BBQ

Romantic Restaurant 1. Sotto 2. Orchids at Palm Court 3. Primavista

Salads

1. Dewey’s Pizza 2. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 3. Olive Garden

Seafood

1. Court Street Lobster Bar 2. Bonefish Grill 3. Pelican’s Reef

Small Plates 1. Mita’s 2. Nada 3. Ché

Smoothie/Juice Bar 1. Rooted Juicery + Kitchen 2. Smoothie King 3. BanaSun Smoothie Bar

Soul Food

1. Lucius Q 2. Alabama Fish Bar 3. Richie’s

Soup

1. Pho Lang Thang 2. La Soupe 3. Zoup!

Specialty Food Market 1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. Findlay Market 3. Kremer’s Market

Steakhouse

1. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 2. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 3. Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny 4. Losanti 5. Maury’s Tiny Cove 6. Jag’s Steak & Seafood 7. Ivory House 8. Eddie Merlot’s 9. Walt’s Hitching Post 10. Tony’s of Cincinnati

Subs/Sandwiches 1. Penn Station 2. Jersey Mike’s 3. Melt Revival

Sushi

1. Ichiban Japanese Cuisine 2. Cloud 9 Sushi 3. Green Papaya 4. Wild Ginger 5. Izen’s Drunken Bento 6. Wabi Sabi Covington 7. Kyoto Sushi Bar 8. E+O Kitchen 9. Dancing Roll (TIE) 9. Teak OTR (TIE) 10. FUSIAN

Tacos

1. Mazunte 2. Condado Tacos 3. Agave & Rye 4. Tortilleria Garcia 5. Bakersfield 6. Gomez Salsa 7. La Mexicana Restaurante Cantina & Tienda 8. Taco Casa 9. Frida 602 10. Taqueria 251

Takeout

1. Eli’s BBQ 2. Dewey’s Pizza 3. City Barbeque 4. Good Plates Eatery 5. Gomez Salsa 6. Currito 7. Mazunte 8. Lucius Q 9. Tuba Baking Co. 10. Revolution Rotisserie

Tea Selection

1. Churchill’s Fine Teas 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Coffee Emporium

Thai

1. Green Papaya 2. Thai Express 3. Teak OTR

Vegetarian

1. Melt Revival 2. Rooted Juicery + Kitchen 3. Harmony Plant Fare

Veggie Burger

1. Tickle Pickle 2. Krueger’s Tavern 3. Arthur’s Cafe 4. Nation Kitchen & Bar 5. Fork & Greens 6. ESSEN Kitchen (TIE) 6. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar (TIE) 7. BrewRiver Kitchen at Sonder Brewing 8. Nine Giant Brewing 9. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provisions & Spirits 10. Taste of Belgium

Vietnamese 1. Pho Lang Thang 2. Wild Ginger 3. Song Long

View From Your Table

1. Incline Public House 2. Primavista 3. Montgomery Inn Boathouse

Waitstaff/Service 1. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 2. Sotto 3. Court Street Lobster Bar

Waterfront Dining

1. Montgomery Inn Boathouse 2. Moerlein Lager House 3. Buckhead Mountain Grill

Wine Selection (Restaurant)

1. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants 2. Somm Wine Bar 3. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse

Wings

1. Knockback Nat’s 2. Good Plates Eatery 3. Lucius Q 4. Buffalo Wings & Rings (TIE) 4. Dead Low Brewing (TIE) 5. Wild Mike’s 6. Northside Yacht Club 7. Buffalo Wild Wings 8. The Oak Tavern 9. Nine Giant Brewing 10. Shooters Sports Grill *Some restaurants may have closed since BOC was published

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Cincinnati Bathroom Takes Home Top Toilet Honors Cincinnati, Ohio: Home to Skyline Chili, Joey Votto and, now, what is officially the best bathroom in the United States.

Two Cities Pizza Co. in Mason has taken home top toilet honors in the 20th-annual America’s Best Restroom contest, hosted by the locally headquartered Cintas Corporation.

“We’re thrilled to be voted by the public as America’s Best Restroom,” said Christy Greves, director of brand development at Two Cities Pizza Co. “We knew people loved our pizza and it’s great to know they feel the same way about our restrooms. We’re grateful to everyone who voted for us.”

The yearly showdown “celebrates innovative and hygienic public restrooms across the country,” per a Annual Manual 2021/2022

release. And the winner — selected by public vote — not only takes home bragging rights, but also $2,500 in cleaning services from Cintas.

Two Cities Pizza Co., located in Mason’s former art deco city hall, won for its bathroom, modeled after a New York City subway station.

Here’s how the Cintas write-up describes it: “Walking into Two Cities Pizza Company is nothing short of an experience. Two of America’s most iconic cities, New York and Chicago, live loudly in the decor and atmosphere of this concept restaurant.

Taxis surround the building, steel girders line the ceiling, Wrigley Field is paid tribute to with an ivy wall and 400-foot marker, but the most talked about element of this

Provided by Mulberry MC

brand aside from the pizza itself, is the New York City subway station.

The restroom is fully outfitted with a subway platform, train car, station stops playing over the speaker, authentic subway handles above the sinks, and even graffiti on the walls. A properly taken selfie sent to a friend in New York is good enough to convince them you made a surprise visit to the Big Apple.

Just make sure you get off at the right stop before your pizza gets cold.”

The other finalists included a French-scountry-inspired port-apotty in Santa Rosa, California; a private restroom in New York’s JFK Airport Terminal 4; and Core24 GVL’s gym bathroom in Greenville, South Carolina. 202 W. Main St., Mason, twocitiespizza.com.

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Louis Langrée, Music Director

John Morris Russell, Pops Conductor

cincinnatisymphony.org 513.381.3300

CIN CINN ATI SY MP HO N Y O R CHEST RA & CI NCI NNAT I POPS OR CHEST R A MUSIC HALL | 1241 Elm Street | Cincinnati OH 45202

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Arts & Culture

Best of Cincinnati

Voting results from CityBeat’s 2021 readers’ poll

Art Gallery

1. Contemporary Arts Center 2. 21c Museum Hotel 3. Pendleton Art Center

Art Museum

1. Cincinnati Art Museum 2. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center 3. Contemporary Arts Center

Artworks Mural

The Swing House.

Hailey Bollinger

Unique Attractions

From ventriloquism and lucky cat museums to old-school amusement parks and oddities shops, the Queen City is full of strange and obscure attractions. You won’t find many of these destinations in most Cincinnati guide books, and that’s why we love them.

Vent Haven Museum

The world has just one museum dedicated to the art and history of ventriloquism, and it’s right here in the Greater Cincinnati area. Fort Mitchell’s Vent Haven Museum is home to 900 (and counting) unique sidekicks, some dating back to the 19th century. They’re joined by an exhaustive collection of ephemera and historical archives, documenting what many consider the world’s greatest art form. The museum also hosts the international ConVENTion every year for hundreds of ventriloquists.

To make more space for their large collection, they are currently in the process of adding more buildings to their campus — housed on the property of the now-deceased founder. 33 W. Maple Ave., Fort Mitchell, venthaven.org.

Lucky Cat Museum

Located inside Essex Studios, the museum boasts a one-of-a-kind collection of Japanese maneki neko “lucky cat” figures. The glass displays stretch across the walls, containing thousands of styles, colors and sizes of cats. Some are golden,

Annual Manual 2021/2022

others white with red ears and a green bib.

Some don black fur or are chipped. Some are stuffed, others ceramic and plastic.

There are some wacky ones, too. All of them, however, carry an undeniable charm.

There’s even a gift shop. 2511 Essex Place, Walnut Hills, luckycatmewseum.com.

The Swing House

The Swing House is a whole-building art project — a freestanding 1880s three-story brick home in Camp Washington where owner and artist Mark de Jong has removed the interior walls and upper floors and built a swing right in the middle of the opened-up interior. Made from pine that he salvaged from third-floor joists, the swing is attached by 30 feet of natural-fiber rope to a metal beam on the ceiling. The artist hosts open houses from time to time, but the space is also available for rent on Airbnb. 1373 Avon Place, Camp Washington, swing-house.com.

Loveland Castle

Former World War I army medic and Boy Scout troop leader Harry Delos Andrews

1. “Fiona and Bibi at the Cincinnati Zoo” 2. “Cincinnati Toy Heritage” 3. “Charley Harper’s Beguiled by the Wild” 4. “Martha, the Last Passenger Pigeon” 5. “Ezzard Charles: The Cincinnati Cobra” 6. “Democracy!”

7. “Mr. Dynamite” 8. “Dream Big and Fly High” 9. “Homecoming (Blue Birds)” 10. “Swing Around Rosie”

Charity Festival/Event 1. Cincinnati Pride 2. Flying Pig Marathon 3. My Furry Valentine

Church Festival

1. Panegyri Greek Festival 2. CincItalia 3. St. Cecilia Parish Festival

Fountain Square Event 1. Ice Rink on Fountain Square 2. Reds Opening Day Rally on the Square 3. Light Up the Square

Free Attraction

1. Findlay Market 2. Smale Riverfront Park 3. Cincinnati Art Museum 4. Jungle Jim’s International Market 5. Cincinnati Public Library 6. Washington Park 7. Tunes & Blooms at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 8. Contemporary Arts Center 9. Fountain Square 10. 21c Museum Hotel

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Haunted House

1. The Dent Schoolhouse 2. Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt 3. The USS Nightmare 4. Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park 5. All Hallow’s Eve Terror Town 6. Horror Hike Haunted Trail 7. Sandyland Acres 8. Brimstone Haunt 9. Fenwick Haunt 10. The Mayhem Mansion

Holiday Light Display

1. Festival of Lights (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden) 2. Christmas Nights of Lights (Coney Island) 3. Journey BOREALIS (Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum)

Instagram Account

1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (@cincinnatizoo) 2. Cincinnati Refined (@cincyrefined) 3. The Friends of the Public Library (@cincylibraryfriends)

Kid-Friendly Attraction

1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Kings Island 3. Duke Energy Children’s Museum at the Cincinnati Museum Center 4. Great Parks of Hamilton County 5. Cincinnati Parks 6. Newport Aquarium 7. Cincinnati Art Museum 8. Coney Island 9. The Friends of the Public Library Warehouse 10. ComedySportz

built Château Laroche over the course of 50 years with handmade bricks (formed with quart-sized paper milk cartons) and stones from the nearby Little Miami River.

Modeled after European castles, it features towers, a dry moat, hand-tiled ceilings, murder holes and a collection of period weaponry. The castle grounds are available for picnics, overnights and private parties and are rumored to be haunted by a variety of ghosts. 12025 Shore Drive, Loveland, lovelandcastle.com.

home to one of the largest number of donut shops per capita in the Midwest. And among these donut shops are 13 family-run establishments that have come together to offer humans a chance to test the limits of their interest in fried and filled dough, as well as their blood glucose levels. Get an official Donut Trail passport stamped at all nine and get a free T-shirt. Various locations throughout Butler County, gettothebc.com/ donut-trail.

Glendale’s Black Squirrels

The Mercantile Library — located on the 11th and 12th floors of a downtown office building — is Cincinnati’s own Room of Requirement (for those who aren’t Harry Potter fans, basically it’s just an extraordinarily cool, secret space). Open since 1835, this membership library (one of only a two dozenish left in the U.S.) is home to more than 80,000 books, dynamic lecture series — Ralph Waldo Emerson, Ray Bradbury, Tom Wolfe, Julia Child are just a handful of names who have spoken here — concerts, yoga classes and cocktail hours. While you have to be a member to check out books, the public is welcome to wander the stacks, attend events and marvel at the luddite luxury of this classic club. 414 Walnut St., Downtown, mercantilelibrary.com.

Stroll through the Cincinnati suburb of Glendale, and you might notice its rambunctious mascot scurrying up trees or across lawns. And we’re not talking about a human in a costume; the black squirrel, a color morph of the species Sciurus carolinensis, aka the eastern gray squirrel, is a unique inhabitant of the village. As the legend goes, businessman Thomas Carruthers III brought back two black squirrels from Harbor Springs, Michigan in the 1940s. The population grew in the following decades. And to pay tribute to this local quirk, 5-foot-tall fiberglass squirrel statues dot Glendale’s streets and yards. Twenty-five squirrel statues were revealed in 2005 as part of the village’s sesquicentennial celebration. Of those, 13 can still be viewed today; the others have been moved to private property or were sold. glendaleheritage.org/glendale-squirrels.

Butler County Donut Trail

Just a short 45-minute jaunt from Cincinnati is a magical place called Butler County,

The Mercantile Library

American Sign Museum

Get lost in the ads and landmarks of yesteryear. Winding pathways of colorful signage give way to a mocked-up Main Street, with faux storefronts, cobblestone and giant logos from Howard Johnson, McDonald’s and Marshall Field. From roadside nos-

Local Actor/Actress 1. Bob Herzog 2. Andrew Maloney 3. Annie Fitzpatrick

Local Artist 1. Leah Noumoff 2. Pam Kravetz 3. Shay Nartker

Local Author 1. Phil Nuxhall 2. Curtis Sittenfeld 3. Travis McElroy

Local Classical Music Group

1. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 2. Cincinnati Pops 3. MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir

Black squirrels statues can be seen all over Glendale.

Mackenzie Manley

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talgia and a looming Big Boy to pharmacy signs and gas station markers, the flashing lights, buzzing electricity and rotating wonders are almost a sensory overload.

Almost. Guided and self-guided tours available. 1330 Monmouth Ave., Camp Washington, americansignmuseum.org.

Cincinnati’s first police dog.

Stricker’s Grove

Stricker’s Grove is closed to the public for most of the year, save for a few special days in the summer and fall (or if you feel like renting it out for a private event). This family-owned and operated, 25-acre old-fashioned amusement park is home to tons of nostalgic games and classic rides. Play mini-golf and arcade games or take a ride on the Ferris wheel, tilt-a-whirl or swinging pirate ship. If it’s thrills you seek, hop on one of their two roller coasters: the Teddy Bear or Tornado. The wooden Tornado, completed in 1993, was constructed by park owner Ralph Stricker. 11490 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton, strickersgrove.com.

The Anderson Ferry

This nationally registered historic site has been in operation since 1817, transporting people and goods across the Ohio River, from the West Side to Northern Kentucky.

It used to be powered by horses walking on a treadmill, but now people use it as a shortcut to the airport. Still a fun novelty.

Buy a ticket, drive your car onto the barge, go across the river and come back. 1 Anderson Ferry Road, Delhi, andersonferry.com.

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum

With 15,000 square feet of treasures, the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum is a wonderland to any baseball fan. The interactive, historical museum celebrates those who paved the way for the Reds’ legacy of quality ball. Through memorabilia, vintage uniforms, art and powerful stories, the Hall explores Reds history with exhibits dedicated to the Negro Leagues, Cooperstown honorees, broadcasting greats, the team’s former ballparks and World Series wins. 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, mlb. com/reds/hall-of-fame.

Cincinnati Fire Museum

Cincinnati was the home of the first professional paid fire department in the country.

The museum preserves and exhibits Greater Cincinnati’s firefighting artifacts from the last 200 years. A permanent installation honors Paula Duncan-Anderson, one of the

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Megan Waddel

city’s first Black female firefighters. 315 W. Court St., Downtown, cincyfiremuseum.com.

Cincinnati’s First Police Dog at the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum

Handsome was the city’s first police dog.

Found by a patrolman in 1898 as an abandoned puppy, the mutt quickly became a fixture at the police station and soon joined daily patrols, chasing down thieves and murderers. He reportedly assisted in hundreds of arrests in the course of his career. After his death in 1912, the beloved Handsome was stuffed and placed in a glass case to honor his contributions. He is now on public view at the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum, also home to thousands of local law enforcement artifacts and a memorial wall to fallen local, state and federal officers. 308 Reading Road, Pendleton, police-museum.org.

Spring Grove Cemetery & Arboretum

One of the largest cemeteries in the U.S. — 773 sprawling acres — featuring a bird sanctuary and park. This National Historic Landmark is the final resting place of many famous (and not-so-famous) Cincinnatians,

Local Comedian 1. Gary Owen 2. Steve Caminiti (TIE) 2. Mark Borison (TIE) 3. Josh Sneed

Local Dance Group 1. Cincinnati Ballet 2. Cin City Burlesque 3. McGing Irish Dancers

Local Filmmaker 1. Cincy Stories 2. Mark Borison 3. Biz Young

Local Improv/Sketch Comedy Group 1. Improv Cincinnati 2. OTRimprov 3. ComedySportz

Local Theater Company 1. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park 2. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company 3. The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati

Local Tour

1. American Legacy Tours 2. Spring Grove Cemetery Tours 3. ArtWorks Mural Tours

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Local Vocal Arts Group

sites, public art and more. A number of guided tours are also available to complement the self-guided trail. Brewing Heritage Trail, brewingheritagetrail.com.

1. MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir 2. May Festival Chorus 3. Cincinnati Youth Choir

Movie Theater

The B-Line

1. Esquire Theatre 2. Mariemont Theatre 3. AMC Newport on the Levee 20

Museum

1. Cincinnati Museum Center 2. Cincinnati Art Museum 3. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Old Thing

1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Findlay Market 3. Union Terminal

Opportunities for Local Artists 1. The City Flea 2. ArtWorks 3. ArtsWave

Public Artwork

1. ArtWorks Murals 2. “Fiona the Ballerina” by Joshua Stout 3. Winold Reiss industrial murals at the Cincinnati Museum Center

Pumpkin Patch/Farm

1. Blooms & Berries Farm Market and Garden Center 2. Shaw Farms 3. Gorman Heritage Farm

Regional Arts Theater

1. Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (Dayton, Ohio) 2. Actors Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, Kentucky) 3. Human Race Theatre Company (Dayton, Ohio)

Regional Museum

1. COSI (Columbus, Ohio) 2. Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, Indiana) 3. National Museum of the United States Air Force (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio)

Washington Park Event 1. The City Flea 2. Summer Cinema 3. Opera in the Park

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Carew Tower Observation Deck Jesse Fox

from Salmon P. Chase and Skip Prosser to William Procter and James Gamble. But for local ale fanatics, it’s worth making a pilgrimage to the cemetery just for one of their Beer Baron tours, where guides lead you on a walk to visit the graves and ornate mausoleums of the likes of Christian Moerlein, John Kauffman of the Kauffman Brewing Company and more. Frequent other themed tours available. 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove, springgrove.org.

Carew Tower Observation Deck

Completed in 1930, Carew Tower is one of the world’s finest examples of French art deco architecture and includes Rookwood Pottery floral tiles, an Art Deco shopping center and the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza hotel (complete with a Great Gatsby-esque hotel bar and five-diamond restaurant). One of downtown’s tallest skyscrapers, the viewing area and observation deck on top of the building features a wonderful panoramic view of downtown, the Ohio River and Northern Kentucky. 441 Vine St., Downtown.

Brewing Heritage Trail Tour

Once one of the largest brewing boomtowns in 19th-century America, the Queen City was home to major pre-Prohibition beer kingpins and, in recent years, has bolstered an ever-expanding craft brewing scene. Over-the-Rhine’s Brewing Heritage Trail explores, preserves and celebrates the city’s storied past as a beer-producing capital with a series of guided tours and a free walking trail. “Hop on” the trail at either terminus — which stretches about three-fourths of a mile between Findlay Market (1801 Race St.) and Grant Park (73 E. McMillan Ave.) in Over-the-Rhine — and follow embedded medallions in the sidewalk to discover historic buildings, brewing

Cincinnati may be well known for its beer but, for something stronger, hop over the Ohio River into Kentucky, home of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Craft Trail Tour. The Craft Trail features almost two dozen artisan microdistilleries broken into four regions, including Northern Kentucky, where local New Riff Distilling (24 24 Distillery Way, Newport, newriff newriffdistilling. com) and Second Sight Spirits (301 Elm St., Ludlow, secondsightspirits.com) sit as two stops. It’s an artsy alternative to the big Bourbon Trail and still has its own passport at kybourbontrail.com. For something even more local, Northern Kentucky’s B-Line features stops at nearby distilleries and bourboncentric bars and restaurants to help enthusiasts find their sipping point. findyoursippingpoint.com.

Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum

Art appreciation and fresh air aren’t mutually exclusive, at least at Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum.

The 300-acre nonprofit outdoor art park features more than 80 “monumental outdoor sculptures displayed in a landscape of rolling hills, meadows, lakes and hiking trails” — from abstract metallic works to realistic figures hewn in stone. If you don’t feel like walking, the park rents out special Art Carts (aka golf carts) on a first-come, first-served basis. During select winter nights, you can also get in your own vehicle for a special 2.5-mile drive-through holiday light display. 1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton, pyramidhill.org.

Newport Aquarium Shark Bridge

Ever wonder what it would feel like to walk the plank into shark-infested waters? Well, you can get a little taste of the experience by venturing across Newport Aquarium’s Shark Bridge, the world’s first rope bridge to be suspended above a shark tank — just inches above the 3,000-gallon Surrounded

by Sharks exhibit. Thankfully, once you complete the 75-foot-long walk over more than a dozen sharks, shark rays, stingrays and fish, you’ll end up safely on the other side of the tank, not splashing down next to an apex predator. 1 Aquarium Way, Newport, newportaquarium.com.

CityBeat.com

Cincinnati Gets a Hard Rock Casino Get ready to add to your T-shirt collection. The iconic rock-memorabiliainfused tourist favorite Hard Rock Cafe is now open in Cincinnati’s freshly rebranded Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati (formerly JACK Casino).

And, yes, that means you can get your official Hard Rock Cafe Cincinnati shirt.

The cafe — which exclusively welcomes those 21 and older — opened to the public in July 2021.

The first Hard Rock Cafe premiered in London in 1971, and the brand now has more than 185 locations in over 74 countries.

Along with collectibles, the cafe offers lunch and dinner with a focus on freshground burgers and cocktails. The Cincinnati location will “continually” update its menu with limited-time offerings.

In addition to eats, there is gambling, of course — it’s a casino.

Hard Rock includes 1,800 slot and other gaming machines and 100 tables, as well as 33,000 square feet of conference

Hailey Bollinger

space, six restaurants and two bars.

Bonus: Hard Rock in fact “rocks” with plenty of live concerts.

And, as with other locations of the chain, the Cincinnati casino is also full of celebrity memorabilia. Inside you’ll see iconic keepsakes worn or owned by a wide genre of artists including outfits from

Stevie Nicks, KISS and Lady Gaga, plus Eddie Van Halen’s 1996 933 Porsche. Local artist Jenny Ustick also created a vibrant mural for the space, representing famous Ohio musicians including Tracy Chapman, Rosemary Clooney and Queen City Funk king Bootsy Collins. 1000 Broadway St., Pendleton, hardrockcasinocincinnati.com.

Explore The History

Indoor Tours of Music Hall Return!

TOUR through private and public spaces in this majestic structure led by our knowledgeable guides. SEE for yourself how it reflects the spirit of both past and present. DISCOVER our work to restore the finial ornamentations.

Tickets Available Weekly: Online @ FriendsofMusicHall.org –or– 513-621-ARTS Annual Manual 2021/2022

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ENSEMBLE THEATRE CINCINNATI among “three theaters… heightening [Cincinnati’s] cultural allure,” declares The New York Times.

SEASON PRESENTING SPONSOR

www.ensemblecincinnati.org

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SEASON FUNDER

OPERATING SUPPORT

The cast of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, 2018. Photo by Ryan Kurtz.

CityBeat.com

Music & Nightlife Best of Cincinnati

Top of the Park at The Phelps.

Voting results from CityBeat’s 2021 readers’ poll

New Bar

1. Green House Bar 2. Ghost Baby 3. e|19 4. Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge 5. Lost & Found 6. Wiseguy Lounge 7. Nomad 8. Saeso 9. Dug Out Bar 10. HomeMaker’s Bar

Overall Bar/Club (Not Brewery/Taproom)

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12 Rooftop Patios for Drinks with a View

What’s better than a drink with a view? Not much. The Queen City has plenty of rooftop patios boasting stunning sights of the skyline or surrounding neighborhoods.

Vista at Lytle Park Hotel

Cincinnati’s Lytle Park Hotel features a spectacular rooftop patio named the Vista at Lytle Park. The over 5,000-square-foot rooftop lounge offers panoramic views of the Queen City and Ohio River. The space is equipped with an “indoor” lounge (where the bar is located) lined with windows that open to the outdoor patio with two fireplaces, lounge seating and tables.

Vista’s menu differs from the in-house upscale Italian eatery Subito’s, offering a more shareable approach. Choose from a selection of cocktails, wine, beer and spirits, or opt for their large-format cocktails that serve four or more. 311 Pike St., Downtown, vistaatlytlepark.com.

21c Museum Hotel Cocktail Terrace

Take a secret elevator ride to the season-

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al 21c Museum Hotel rooftop terrace and watch the sun set over downtown with a cocktail in hand. 609 Walnut St., Downtown, 21cmuseumhotels.com/cincinnati.

Top of the Park at The Phelps

On the roof of this downtown hotel, catch 360-degree views of the city and the river from its vantage point at the base of Lytle Park. Amenities include tabletop fire features, TVs and live music, plus a tapas menu of shareable bites. 506 E. Fourth St., Downtown, topoftheparkcincinnati.com.

AC Upper Deck

On top of Cincinnati’s AC Hotel at The Banks, the Upper Deck boasts excellent views of the riverfront and Great American Ball Park. Lounge under string lights while gorging on Cincy Style Chili Dip and sipping a local craft beer or craft cocktail. 135 Joe

1. Hoppin’ Vines 2. Northside Yacht Club 3. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 4. Higher Gravity 5. Longfellow 6. Below Zero Lounge 7. Queen City Radio 8. rhinehaus 9. MOTR Pub 10. The Belle & The Bear

Bar/Club (Downtown/ OTR) 1.. Below Zero Lounge 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade

Bar/Club (Northern Kentucky) 1. Crazy Fox Saloon 2. Southgate House Revival 3. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar

Bar/Club (Central) 1. Northside Yacht Club 2. Tillie’s Lounge 3. The Comet

Bar/Club (East Side) 1. Streetside Brewery 2. Latitude’s Bar & Bistro 3. Mount Lookout Tavern

Bar/Club (West Side)

1. Knotty Pine Rock Club & Tiki Bar 2. The Crow’s Nest 3. Blue Note Harrison

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Bar/Club (Burbs)

The View at Shires’ Garden.

1. Village Tavern 2. The Monkey Bar & Grille 3. March First Brewing

Bar/Club for Live Music (Local Bands) 1. MOTR Pub 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. Southgate House Revival

Bar/Club for Live Music (National Acts) 1. Bogart’s 2. Southgate House Revival 3. Madison Theater

Bar/Club Staff

1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Northside Yacht Club 3. Longfellow

Bartender (Female)

1. Molly Wellmann (Japp’s) 2. Valerie Diehl (Northside Yacht Club; Lost & Found) 3. Ceris Christopher (The Belle & The Bear)

Bartender (Male)

1. Patrick Carnes (Tillie’s Lounge) 2. Alex Meece (Mellow Mushroom) 3. Zeque Walker (Northside Yacht Club)

Beer Selection (Bottles & Cans) 1. The Comet 2. Higher Gravity 3. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade

Beer Selection (Draft) 1. rhinehaus 2. Yard House 3. Hoppin’ Vines

Hailey Bollinger

Nuxhall Way, Downtown, acupperdeck.com.

The View at Shires’ Garden

Located on the 10th floor of downtown’s City Club Apartments, this spacious rooftop spot features an indoor dining room, an outdoor patio, two full bars, outdoor small and group dining and cocktail tables with impeccable views. To keep the fun going in the winter, the bar puts up special insulated and rentable igloos. 309 Vine St., 10th Floor, Downtown, theviewatshiresgarden.com.

Pins Mechanical Company

Catch some rays and take in the views at Pins — sip on cocktails, like the aptly named Pinball Wizard, while you enjoy their rooftop patio. Or choose from one of the 36 beers on tap. From the Columbus-based Rise Brands, this Over-the-Rhine bar has pinball machines and duckpin bowling lanes, plus other “old school” entertainment options like foosball, bocce ball and shuffleboard. 1124 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, pinsbar.com/cincy.

Bloody Mary

1. Northside Yacht Club 2. Crazy Fox Saloon 3. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 4. The Eagle 5. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provisions & Spirits 6. Streetside Brewery 7. Dead Low Brewing 8. Nation Kitchen & Bar 9. Hang Over Easy 10. Taste of Belgium

Bourbon Cocktail

1. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar 2. Longfellow 3. Japp’s

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Rhinegeist.

Hailey Bollinger

CityBeat.com

Rhinegeist

Rhinegeist has worked quickly over the past half-decade to become one of the city’s favorite local brewers. Their 25,000-square-foot warehouse tucked away on the north end of Elm is home to boozy alchemy and big house parties. Head upstairs to the weather-dependent giant patio. This very chill wooden rooftop deck features ample seating and an upstairs bar with 15 draft beers and ciders, plus a selection of wine and draft cocktails. 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, rhinegeist.com.

Bourbon Selection (Bar)

Downtown, blindpigcincy.com.

City View Tavern

Indulge in a spicy bloody mary while at this fine low-frills neighborhood bar that offers panoramic vistas of our fair metropolis and some locally loved burgers. 403 Oregon St., Mount Adams, cityviewtavern.com.

Incline Public House

While not technically a rooftop, this eatery boasts some spectacular views of the

Braxton Brewing Company.

1. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar 2. Longfellow’s Other Room 3. Wiseguy Lounge

Bourbon Selection (Retail)

1. The Party Source 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. DEP’s Fine Wine and Spirits

Bowling Alley 1. Madison Bowl 2. S&S Western Bowl 3. Stones Lanes

Casino

1. Miami Valley Gaming 2. Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati 3. Belterra Casino Resort

Celtic/British Pub

1. O’Malley’s in the Alley 2. Molly Malone’s Covington 3. Nicholson’s Pub

Club/Party DJ 1. DJ Björg 2. DJ NV Reckless 3. DJ Airborne

Cocktail Bar/Lounge 1. Tillie’s Lounge 2. Longfellow 3. Japp’s

College-Crowd Bar

1. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade 2. Murphy’s Pub 3. Mac’s Pizza Pub (Clifton Heights)

Comedy Club Hailey Bollinger

Braxton Brewing Company

Braxton Brewing Company’s 5,000-plussquare-foot seasonal patio features a living wall and some pretty neat views of Covington and downtown Cincinnati.

Guests can head to the rooftop to enjoy an entirely new experience when visiting the brewery, with plenty of seating, shady umbrellas and a full bar. 27 W. Seventh St., Covington, braxtonbrewing.com.

The Blind Pig

This downtown pub features a rooftop patio on top of Lola’s coffee shop. The bar is located just across the street from The Banks and serves a full menu of bar food and daily drink specials. A perfect stop for a Reds pregame party. 24 W. Third St.,

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Queen City. With a 1,400-square-foot deck for soaking in vistas and cocktails, IPH’s name is derived from the actual Cincinnati Incline that existed there from the late 1800s to the 1940s. Their upscale twist on pub food features sandwiches, salads, epicurean appetizers and a slew of craft cocktails and draft beers. 2601 W. Eighth St., Price Hill, inclinepublichouse.com.

Bishop’s Quarter

Bishop’s Quarter not only offers full service on the rooftop patio, but also regular live music entertainment. Outdoor seating is also available on the two other patios that wrap around the building (yes, that’s three patios total!). 212 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland, bishopsquarterbar.com.

1. Go Bananas Comedy Club 2. Liberty Funny Bone 3. Urban Artifact

Concert Venue

1. Riverbend Music Center 2. Bogart’s 3. Southgate House Revival

Dance Club

1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Tokyo Kitty 3. The Birdcage

Drag Queen

1. Penny Tration 2. Harlee Rainz 3. Sarah Jessica Darker

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Escape Room

Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center.

1. Breakout 2. The Escape Game 3. Houdini’s Room Escape

Happy Hour (Drinks)

1. Northside Yacht Club 2. Hoppin’ Vines 3. Streetside Brewery

Happy Hour (Food)

1. Ché 2. Delicio Coal Fired Pizza 3. Knockback Nat’s

Hard Cider

1. Karrikin Spirits Co. 2. Rhinegeist 3. March First Brewing

Hard Seltzer/ Sparkling Spirit

1. Karrikin Spirits Co. 2. March First Brewing 3. VIVE (Braxton Brewing Company)

Hotel Bar

1. The Bar at Palm Court 2. Coppin’s at Hotel Covington 3. Metropole at 21c

Jukebox

1. Crazy Fox Saloon 2. The Comet 3. Anchor Grill

Karaoke

1. Tokyo Kitty 2. Old Street Saloon 3. Northside Yacht Club

LGBTQ+ Bar

1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Old Street Saloon 3. The Birdcage

Local Band (Covers) 1. The Rusty Griswolds 2. The Naked Karate Girls 3. DV8

Local Band (Originals) 1. Over the Rhine (TIE) 1. Foxy Shazam (TIE) 2. 500 Miles to Memphis 3. The Cliftones

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Hailey Bollinger

Two New Riverside Music Venues

Greater Cincinnati is now home to two — yes, two — brand new music venues situated right along the waterfront: one on the north side of the Ohio River and one on the south.

Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center

The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center at The Banks is the new music venue on Cincinnati’s riverfront from Music and Event Management Inc. — aka MEMI, the concert arm of the nonprofit Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra that runs Riverbend Music Center and Taft Theatre.

The state-of-the-art venue, which opened in summer 2021, features one main floor and two balcony levels overlooking the inside stage. The venue has a capacity of 4,500 inside and 8,000 at the outdoor stage.

And while it’s common for new sports/ entertainment arenas to sell naming rights to companies or arts organizations to tag the name of a big donor on a new venue,

this spot is named for a longtime Cincinnati music educator and musician.

The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center is named after a 1938 University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music graduate, Andrew J. Brady. Brady went on to become the music director at Western Hills High School and a jazz musician who worked with various youth programs over the years.

The ICON hosted its inaugural concert on its outdoor festival stage in July 2021 featuring a sold-out performance by iconic rock band the Foo Fighters. 25 Race St., Downtown, iconmusiccenter.com.

PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION Newport is now home to the nation’s third indoor-outdoor concert venue. PromoWest

CityBeat.com

Pavilion at OVATION is modeled after PromoWest Productions venues like Columbus’ EXPRESS LIVE! and the Stage AE in Pittsburgh.

The Northern Kentucky music hub features three individual concert spaces — an outdoor amphitheater, an indoor music hall and an indoor club — and boasts “state-of-the-art” lighting and acoustical systems as well as a moveable stage.

OVATION plans to host a variety of live music, as well as sporting and special events like boxing, fundraisers, weddings and more. The innovative design helps accommodate indoor audiences of up to 2,700, with an outdoor capacity of up to 7,000 summer concertgoers.

OVATION plans to host an average of 150 events each year, spanning genres from rock, folk and blues to jazz, metal and country. 101 W. Fourth St., Newport, promowestlive.com.

PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION. Ron Valle

Local Brewery

1. Rhinegeist 2. March First Brewing 3. Urban Artifact 4. Streetside Brewery 5. MadTree Brewing Co. 6. Sons Of Toil Brewing 7. Dead Low Brewing 8. West Side Brewing 9. Braxton Brewing Company 10. Brink Brewing Co.

7. Dead Low Brewing 8. Braxton Brewing Company 9. Nine Giant Brewing 10. Fretboard Brewing Company

Local Winery

Music Festival/ Event

1. Bunbury Music Festival 2. Cincinnati Pride 3. Overcast Hip-Hop Festival

No-Frills Watering Hole

1. New Riff Distilling 2. Karrikin Spirits Co. 3. Cincinnati Distilling

1. Revel OTR Urban Winery 2. The Skeleton Root 3. Vinoklet Winery 4. Valley Vineyards 5. Henke Winery 6. Indian Spring Winery 7. Elk Creek Vineyards 8. Harmony Hill Vineyards 9. StoneBrook Winery 10. Burnet Ridge

Local Music Promoter

Margarita

Place to Drink While You Wait for a Table

Local Distillery

1. Leroy Ellington Productions 2. Dan McCabe/Chris Schadler 3. Nederlander Entertainment

Local Musician 1. Lauren Eylise 2. Arlo McKinley 3. Jake Speed

Local Taproom

1. MadTree Brewing Co. 2. Streetside Brewery 3. Rhinegeist 4. March First Brewing 5. Urban Artifact 6. Sons of Toil Brewing

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1. Bakersfield 2. Nada 3. El Rancho Grande 4. Cactus Pear 5. Taqueria Mercado 6. El Coyote 7. TAHONA Bar + Kitchen 8. Condado Tacos 9. e|19 10. Jefferson Social

Martini

1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Japp’s 3. Longfellow

1. Northside Tavern 2. rhinehaus 3. The Belle & The Bear

Open Mic Night 1. MOTR Pub 2. Urban Artifact 3. Stanley’s Pub

1. Taft’s Ale House 2. Longfellow 3. The Lackman

Place to Play Games 1. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade 2. Hoppin’ Vines 3. Arcade Legacy: Bar Edition

Place to Shoot Pool 1. The Comet 2. Mainstrasse Village Pub 3. Animations

Place to Throw Darts 1. Murphy’s Pub 2. Hap’s Irish Pub 3. Knockback Nat’s

Rooftop Bar

1. Rhinegeist 2. Braxton Brewing Company 3. Top of the Park 4. Bishop’s Quarter Bar 5. 21c Cocktail Terrace 6. City View Tavern 7. The View at Shires’ Garden 8. Pins Mechanical Company 9. AC Upper Deck 10. The Blind Pig

Sports Bar

1. The Holy Grail 2. Knockback Nat’s 3. rhinehaus

Trivia Night

1. Northside Yacht Club 2. March First Brewing 3. rhinehaus

Wine Bar

1. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant 2. Hoppin Vines 3. Unwind Wine Bar & Light Fare

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Comfort Station is One of the Best Bars in America Each year, Esquire magazine compiles a list of the best bars in America. And after the hell of 2020, the 2021 list was special — almost a “return to normal.”

“Bars are simultaneously a place to be by oneself and a place of community. An escape and a home away from home. That vanished as many were forced to transform into takeout joints or, worse yet, to permanently close,” reads the article intro. “In a time when life and work and family bled into one another in messy ways, the bar is that much-needed extra space — physically, emotionally — that we could all use right now.”

Esquire editors named 27 drinking destinations across the country to hold the coveted title of “best bar” ... and only one is in Cincinnati.

urge $ b

A cocktail at Comfort Station.

Hailey Bollinger

The jewel in the Queen City’s crown? Walnut Hills’ Comfort Station.

Writer Sarah Rense outlines the reason she picked this bar as her favorite: “You won’t stumble across Comfort Station. Even if you happen to be up in Cincinnati’s Walnut Hills neighborhood,

rs from participating resataura

nts

SAVE THE DATE! JULY 11–17, 2022 WWW.CINCINNATIBURGERWEEK.COM

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the likelihood of you taking a chance on a women’s restroom door on the front of what used to be a public bathhouse is slim. But should you tentatively push through, you’ll find what feels like the city’s spiritual center. Inside, the bartenders whip out gems like Heaven, My Reward — a

frothy sour with adobo chile that, yeah, is heaven — and Hot Damn, Son!, which any sucker for Manhattans and oatmeal cookies will buckle for.”

Opened in the summer of 2019, Comfort Station is helmed by the team behind creative Over-the-Rhine apothecary cocktail bar Sundry and Vice. Located in a former “Public Comfort Station,” this century-old building has been completely transformed and includes an expansive back patio and excellent libations. Enter the main bar through the bright blue former women’s restroom door.

Last year, Wodka Bar in Over-the-Rhine was the only local drinking destination to make Esquire’s coveted list.

973 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, comfortstationcincinnati. com.

BECOME A CULINARY TOURIST IN YOUR OWN CITY!

April 18–24, 2022 ,

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Shops & Services

Best of Cincinnati

Voting results from CityBeat’s 2021 readers’ poll

New Store

1. LK at Findlay Market 2. Fill More Waste Less 3. The Garage Pop-Up Shop

Overall Boutique (Local)

1. BlaCk OWned Outerwear (TIE) 1. Cincy Shirts (TIE) 2. Rose & Remington 3. Kismet 4. MiCA 12/v 5. Homage 6. Queen City Alchemy 7. Quince & Quinn 8. The Native Brand 9. Fleurish Home 10. Golden Day Boutique

Acupuncture Practice 1. Tiny Needle 2. Caldwell Family Wellness 3. Hamilton Health Associates

Adult Toy Store

1. HUSTLER Hollywood 2. Dusty Flynt Sexy Gifts 3. High on the Hill The City Flea.

Holden Mathis

Eight Shopping Pop-Ups

Find locally made arts, crafts and more at these markets

Art on Vine

Art on Vine started with just eight artists in a parking lot and now brings together more than 80 local craftspeople to sell handmade goods and fine art. Shoppers can find a one-on-one monthly buying experience at Rhinegeist in fall and winter, and at locations like Fountain Square, Washington Park and Court Street Plaza in spring and summer. artonvinecincy.com.

Burlington Antique Show

The Burlington Antique Show calls itself the Midwest’s premier antique market.

Expect to hunt through authentic wares — midcentury modern, art deco, pre-war, industrial and more — from more than 200 dealers offering the best antiques and vintage collectibles. If you’re a real

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hunter, aim for early bird admission (6-8 a.m.) The show lasts until 3 p.m. There’s an admission fee. Markets take place the third Sunday of the month, April through October, at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Kentucky. burlingtonantiqueshow.com.

Charm at the Farm

Held on the grounds of a 56-acre former horse farm in Lebanon, Ohio, the weekend pop-up features everything from vintage furniture and farmhouse-style gifts to clothing and jewelry from more than 100 vendors. There are also food trucks, photo ops and frequently live entertainment.

Entry is ticketed and must be purchased online in advance. Markets are held three times a year, in the summer and early fall. charmatthefarm.com.

Antique Store

1. Ohio Valley Antique Mall 2. Wooden Nickel Antiques 3. Florence Antique Mall

Arts & Crafts Classes 1. Cincinnati Art Museum 2. Clifton Cultural Arts Center 3. Brazee Street Studios

Arts & Crafts Supplies 1. Michaels 2. Indigo Hippo 3.Cappel’s

Auto Dealer (New Vehicles)

1. Jake Sweeney Automotive 2. Marshall Auto Group 3. Beechmont Subaru

Auto Detailer

1. Jake Sweeney Automotive 2. CarZmedics 3. Spick & Span Car Wash & Detailing

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Auto Repair Service

1. Tire Discounters 2. Donovan’s Auto & Tire Center 3. Jake Sweeney Automotive

Auto/Car Wash

1. Mike’s Carwash 2. Sharonville Car Wash & Detailing 3. AAA Auto Wash

Bank

1. Fifth Third Bank 2. PNC Bank 3. Chase

Barber Shop

1. Bishops 2. Clifton Barbers 3. Gil’s Barber Shop

Bed and Breakfast 1. The Inn of Hyde Park 2. The Clifton House 3. Gaslight Bed & Breakfast

Bicycle Store

1. Montgomery Cyclery 2. Spun Bicycles 3. Reser Bicycle Outfitters

Birthing/Maternity Center 1. Good Samaritan Hospital 2. The Christ Hospital 3. St. Elizabeth Healthcare

Bookstore (Chain) 1. Joseph-Beth Booksellers 2. Half Price Books 3. Barnes & Noble

Bookstore (NonChain)

1. Blue Manatee Literacy Project 2. The Friends of the Public Library Warehouse 3. Roebling Point Books & Coffee 4. Shake It Records 5. Blue Marble Books 6. Iris Bookcafe 7. Cincy Book Bus 8. Ohio Book Store 9. Homestead Used Books 10. Downbound Books

Bottled Beer Selection (Retail) 1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. The Party Source 3. Clifton Market

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Camera Store

1. Dodd Camera 2. Western Hills Photo & Hobby 3. Best Buy

Candy Store

1. Aglamesis Bro’s 2. Schneider’s Sweet Shop 3. Jungle Jim’s International Market

Carpet Cleaning 1. Widmer’s 2. Stanley Steemer 3. Excel Carpet Services

Carpet Store

1. McSwain Carpets & Floors 2. JP Flooring Design Center 3. Amelia Floor Store

Caterer

1. Vonderhaar’s Catering 2. Funky’s Catering 3. Elegant Fare

Catering (Restaurant)

1. Eli’s BBQ 2. City Barbeque 3. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants

CBD Retailer

1. Ohio CBD Guy 2. Kentucky Botanical Co. 3. Jungle Jim’s International Market

CD/Record Store (NonChain) 1. Everybody’s Records 2. Shake It Records 3. Plaid Room Records

CellPhone Service Provider 1. Verizon 2. AT&T 3. T-Mobile

Children’s Clothing Store 1. Once Upon A Child 2. The Spotted Goose 3. Homage

Chiropractic Practice/ Clinic

1. Norwood Chiropractic & Sports 2. Mt. Lookout Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center 3. King Chiropractic

Clothing Consignment 1. Snooty Fox 2. Once Upon A Child 3. Clothes Mentor

Comic Book Store

1. Queen City Comic and Card Company 2. Shake It Records 3. Paper Street Trading Co.

Costume Shop 1. Cappel’s 2. Party City 3. Talk of the Town

Craft Beer Store

1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. The Party Source 3. The Root Cellar

Credit Union

1. General Electric Credit Union 2. Kemba Credit Union 3. Cinfed Credit Union

Dance Classes

1 Cincinnati Ballet Academy 2. Arthur Murray 3. DANCEFIX by HBDC

Day Spa

1. Woodhouse Day Spa 2. Mitchell’s Salon & Day Spa 3. 501 Salon & Spa

Dental Practice/Clinic 1. Vita Dental 2. Andrew J. Marck 3. Bell Dental Group

Findlay Market Vendor

1. Eli’s BBQ 2. Blue Oven Bakery 3. Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices

Florist

1. Adrian Durban Florist 2. Daisy Jane’s Flower Truck 3. Robin Wood Flowers

Frame Shop

1. Michaels 2. Fabulous Frames & Art 3. frameshop

Fresh Seafood Store

1 Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. Luken’s Poultry, Fish & Seafood 3. Lobsta Bakes of Maine

Furniture Store

1. IKEA (TIE) 1. Furniture Fair (TIE) 2. Arhaus 3. Crate & Barrel 4. Bargains and Buyouts 5. Nadeau - Furniture With a Soul 6. Open Box Outlet 7. High St. 8. Algin Retro Furniture 9. Home Emporium 10. Macy’s

Drive-Thru Market

General Contractor

Dry Cleaner

Giftshop

Electronics Repair

Green/Sustainable Goods Store

1. Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru 2. Miami Market Deli & Drive-Thru 3. Big Daddy’s Liquor Store 1. Tide Cleaners 2. Widmer’s 3. Springdale Cleaners 1. Micro Center 2. Mt. Lookout Television & Electronics 3. iPhone Dude, LLC

1. Build It Brothers 2. Hyde Park Painting & Carpentry 3. Renovations by Rodier 1. Cincinnati Art Museum 2. Ten Thousand Villages 3. MiCA 12/v

1. Hemptations 2. The Green Store 3. Growing Trade Pet & Plant

Eyewear Store

Grocery Store

Financial Planning Service

Hair Removal Service

1. LensCrafters 2. Wing Eyecare 3. Oakley Square Eye Associates

1. Fidelity Investments 2. Fifth Third Bank 3. Edward Jones

1. Kroger 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Trader Joe’s 1. Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center 2. European Wax Center 3. Woodhouse Day Spa

CityBeat.com

Hair Salon

1. Bishops 2. High Five Salon 3. Zoe Grace Salon

Handyman 1. Mr. Handyman 2. Dadstasks 3. Chris Cochran

Hardware Store 1. Ace Hardware 2. Home Depot 3. Lowe’s

Health Food Store

1. Whole Foods Market 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Trader Joe’s

Home Accessories Store Second Sunday on Main.

Mitchell Parton

The City Flea

Cincinnati’s urban flea market showcases local artists, craftspeople and homegrown businesses. Find fine art, vintage clothing and fabulous food all in one place. Vendors have been sprawling throughout Washington Park since the Flea’s inception in 2011, with a special bonus Kids Market (offering children ages 4-14 the opportunity to showcase and sell their creative wares) and December holiday market. thecityflea.com.

Market Bleu

Market Bleu is a curated artisan market held quarterly at the Contemporary Arts Center. The twist? It’s in the evening.

The modern market showcases elevated handmade products and fine arts from vendors across the region. The more streamlined approach means there is a focus on high-quality works from working artists — think an upscale flea with vetted vendors. And the evening hours means it’s a perfect place to pop by before or after dinner or cocktails. Expect to see glasswork, ceramics, upcycled and ethical jewelry, small-batch candles, paper art and the like. marketbleu.com.

O.F.F. Market

The O.F.F. Market (aka the Oakley Fancy Flea Market) has been a staple in Cincinnati since its premiere in 2013. After six years of summer and winter markets at both Oakley Square and MadTree Brewing Company, O.F.F. Market moved to Summit Park in

Annual Manual 2021/2022

Blue Ash in 2021. The 130-acre park is built on the site of the former Blue Ash Airport and features everything from a dog park and catch-and-release fishing pond to an elaborate playground and 153-foot observation tower. There are also restaurants, including an outpost of Over-the-Rhine favorite Senate. O.F.F. Market will be popping up across the expanse, featuring up to 120 vendors per event selling everything from artisan eats to apothecary items, as well as vintage shops, flower stalls and T-shirt companies. theoffmarket.org.

Second Sunday on Main

Over-the-Rhine street festival Second Sunday on Main takes place every second Sunday (as the name suggests) from June through November. Entering its 17th year, the pop-up party features a biergarten, live entertainment and more than 100 vendors along Main Street, from 12th Street to Liberty. “Second Sunday on Main is more than just a street festival. It’s a community event that brings neighbors together. It’s a fun place for families to relax,” organizers say. “It’s an incubator for aspiring entrepreneurs to sell their goods.” secondsundayonmain.org.

WestSide Market

Eat, shop and support all things West Side.

More than 100 vendors set up their booths at Harvest Home Park, selling arts, crafts and artisan eats. Be on the lookout for specialty food trucks. westsidemarketcincy.com.

1. indigenous craft gallery 2. High St. 3. MiCA 12/v

Hospital

1. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 2. The Christ Hospital 3. University of Cincinnati Medical Center

Hotel

1. 21c Museum Hotel 2. Hotel Covington 3. Great Wolf Lodge

House Painter

1. Smith & Metz Painting & Decorating 2. Steady Hand Painting 3. Dadstasks

HVAC Company

1. Apollo Home 2. Durbin Heating & Cooling 3. Arlinghaus Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning

Insurance Agency

1. Cincinnati Insurance Companies 2. AAA 3. State Farm

Interior Designer 1. Pear Tree Interiors 2. Honor & Grace Designs 3. Lori Daniels

Jeweler

1. Richter & Phillips 2. Schwartz Jewelers 3. Genesis Diamonds

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Landscaping

1. Natorp’s 2. Seiler’s Landscaping 3. Wimberg Landscaping

Lasik Surgery Center 1. Cincinnati Eye Institute 2. Midwest Eye Center 3. LasikPlus

Law Firm

1. Treleven & Klingensmith 2. Keating Muething & Klekamp 3. Law Offices of Shannon C. Smith

Lawn Service

1. Oasis Turf & Tree 2. Royse Lawn Care 3. A & A Lawn Care & Landscaping

Lawyer (Individual) 1. John Treleven 2. Scott Knox 3. Pamela Hall

Lighting Store 1. IKEA 2. Menard’s 3. Switch

Liquor Store

1. The Party Source 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Hyde Park Wine & Spirits

Local Indie Craft Market

1. The City Flea 2. Second Sunday on Main 3. Art on Vine

Local Indie Craft Market Vendor 1. Fern 2. Stitches & Sass 3. Handzy

Locksmith

1. Larry’s Lock, Safe and Security 2. Ian O’Hara 3. Mr. Lock Security

Magazine/Newspaper Selection 1. Joseph-Beth Booksellers 2. Cincinnati Public Library 3. Shake It Records

Mall/Shopping Center 1. Kenwood Towne Centre 2. Rookwood Commons/Pavilion 3. Liberty Center

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Manicure/Pedicure 1. Ambiance Nail Salon & Spa 2. Alba Beauty Studio 3. Spruce Nail Shop

Martial Arts Studio 1. Club MMA 2. Mt. Washington Taekwondo 3. Patten’s Martial Arts

Massage Therapy Practice/Clinic 1. Woodhouse Day Spa 2. Massage Envy 3. Grace + Grit

Medi Spa

1. Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center 2. Transform Medspa 3. Somi Javaid, MD and Associates (HERmd)

Men’s Clothing Store 1. BlaCk OWned Outerwear 2. J.Salandino Brand 3. The Native Brand

Outdoor/Outfitters Shop 1. REI 2. Bass Pro Shops (TIE) 2. Cabela’s (TIE) 3. Roads Rivers and Trails

Paint Store

1. Sherwin-Williams 2. Oakley Paint & Glass 3. Ace Hardware

Papergood Store

1. M. Hopple & Co. 2. Handzy 3. Joseph-Beth Booksellers

Pawn Shop

1. Ted’s Pawn Shop 2. American Trading Company 3. Classic Pawn

Pet Adoption Service

1. SPCA Cincinnati 2. Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP) 3. Adore-A-Bull Rescue

Piercing Studio

1. Skincraft Piercing & Tattoo 2. Beelistic Tattoo & Piercing 3. Designs by Dana

Place for a Kids Birthday

1. Cincinnati Museum Center 2. Dave & Buster’s 3. Beechmont Rollarena

Place for an Adults Birthday

1. MadTree Brewing Co. 2. Coppin’s at Hotel Covington 3. Chroma Vino Paint Bar + Gift Shop

Place to Buy Art 1. Pendleton Art Center 2. Florence Antique Mall 3. MiCA 12/v

Place to Buy Sneakers 1. DSW 2. JackRabbit 3. Nordstrom

Motorcycle/ Motorsports Dealer

Pet Boarding/Daycare

1. CinCity Harley-Davidson 2. Honda of Fairfield 3. Eastgate Harley-Davidson

1. Animal Care Centers of Cincinnati 2. PetSuites 3. Camp Bow Bow

Moving Company

Pet Grooming

Plant Store

Musical Instrument Store

Pet Rescue/Shelter

Plastic Surgery

Neighborhood Shopping District

Pet Supply Store

1. Two Men and a Truck 2. All My Sons Moving & Storage 3. EkoMovers

1. Antonio Violins & Ukes 2. Willis Music 3. Buddy Roger’s Music

1. Rookwood Commons/Pavilion 2. Over-the-Rhine 3. Hyde Park Square

Nursery/Greenhouse 1. Natorp’s 2. A.J. Rahn Greenhouses 3. White Oak Gardens

OBGYN

1. Seven Hills Women’s Health Centers 2. TriHealth Women’s Services 3. For Women, Inc.

1. Wüf Pet Spa 2. Animal Ark Pet Resort 3. Animal Care Centers of Cincinnati 1. SPCA Cincinnati 2. Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP) 3. Joseph’s Legacy 1. PetSmart 2. Pet Wants OTR 3. Pet People

Pharmacy

1. Kroger 2. Mullaney’s Pharmacy & Medical Supply 3. Meijer

Physician/Healthcare Practice 1. TriHealth 2. The Christ Hospital 3. Mercy Health Physicians

Place to Buy Your Engagement Ring 1. Richter & Phillips 2. Schwartz Jewelers 3. Genesis Diamonds

1. Fern 2. Natorp’s 3. White Oak Garden Center 1. Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center 2. The Plastic Surgery Group 3. Mangat, Holzapfel & Lied Plastic Surgery

Plumbing Company 1. Apollo Home 2. DuPont Plumbing 3. Tarvin Plumbing

Real Estate Agent 1. Jordan Nicely 2. The Biggs Team 3. Keith Taylor

Real Estate Brokerage

1. Sibcy Cline 2. Keller Williams Realty 3. Coldwell Banker Realty

CityBeat.com

Fun on Fourth Developers hope Cincinnati’s West Fourth Street Historic District will soon parallel its former glory. The corridor was established in the early 19th century with hotels, mansions and luxurious entertainment sites housed in Italianate and Renaissance-style architecture. It landed a rank on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Since its prestigious inception, the area has shifted in and out of hot spot status.

High-end shopping destinations such as McAlpin’s and Tower Place Mall came and went, parking garages and hotels have been erected and dismantled. Beloved businesses like Koch Sporting Goods, Bromwell’s and Main Auction Galleries continue to thrive, but a focus on creating more residential space never trended down, distorting the neighborhood’s sense of place and direction.

Shoe Repair

1. Clarence Howell Shoe Repair 2. Lee & Hayes Shoe Services 3. Hillman’s Luggage & Shoes

Skin Care Service

1. Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center 2. Alba Beauty Studio 3. Kassandra Berry Nail and Beauty Spa

Smoke/Tobacco Shop

1. Hemptations 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Bell’s House of Tobacco

Sporting Goods 1. Dick’s Sporting Goods 2. Koch Sporting Goods 3. Play It Again Sports

Tailor/Seamstress 1. Janet Morris 2. Peppe Ramundo’s 3. Lisa Rumple

Tanning Salon 1. A Total Tan 2. Palm Beach Tan 3. Envy Tan

Tattoo Shop

1. Flying Tiger Tattoo 2. White Whale Tattoo 3. Body of Art Tattoo 4. Red Dragon Tattoo & Piercing

Annual Manual 2021/2022

Recent developments led by The Loring Group aim to reverse the distortion. The local real estate company seized properties in and around Fourth Street with over 30,000 square feet of vacant retail space.

This purchase solidified 17 to 20 new and pre-existing storefronts in the district.

“Fourth Street used to be this grandiose corridor that had retail and shopping. It had some of the old homes and mansions — the first apartment for William Howard Taft — it had this burgeoning history and now, as we are in 2019-2020, we’ve realized it’s making a comeback again,” says Andrew Naab, director of commercial development at the Loring Group.

The project, called Historic West Fourth (historicwestfourth.com), was officially launched in October 2019. Since then, a quiet reawakening has ensued from Plum Street, wrapping west around Central Avenue.

5. Skincraft Piercing & Tattoo 6. Designs by Dana 7. Nightshade Ink 8. The Decorated Body Tattoo & Piercing Shop 9. One Shot Tattoo 10. Immortal Canvas

Tax Service

1. Burke & Schindler 2. The Tax Man 3. Orcutt & Company

Tea Shop/Selection

1. Churchill’s Fine Teas 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Coffee Emporium

Thrift Shop

1. Valley Thrift Store 2. St. Vincent de Paul 3. Retail Therapy NKY

Tire Store

1. Tire Discounters 2. AAA | Bob Sumerel Tire & Service 3. Donovan’s Auto & Tire

Toy Store

1. King Arthur’s Court Toys 2. Coolest Toys on Earth 3. Puzzle Pieces - A Sensory Sensation

Tree Service

1. Back Tree Service 2. Shawnee Tree

Check out a few favorite destinations on the revitalized block: • Better Blend Nutrition (345 W. Fourth St., betterblendnutrition.com) • Deeper Roots Coffee (338 W. Fourth St., deeperrootscoffee.com) • Forage plant shop (320 W. Fourth St., forageplants.com/pages/cincinnati) • Gumdrop kids store (326 W. Fourth St., gumdroptots.com) • Handzy clothing and accessories boutique (324 W. Fourth St., handzyshopstudio.com) • Koko sustainable shop and refillery (318 W. Fourth St., kokotheshop.com) • Nina’s Yoga (342 W. Fourth St., ninasyoga. studio) • Rebel Mettle Brewery (412 Central Ave., rebelmettlebrewery.com) • Switch Lighting & Design (312 W. Fourth St., switchcollection.com)

3. Madison Tree Care and Landscaping

2. Drees Pavilion 3. Urban Artifact

Vape Shop

Wedding Venue (Indoors)

1. Cincy Vapors 2. Cloud 9 Vapor Lounge 3. Ground Zero Vaping

Veterinary Care

1. Animal Care Centers of Cincinnati 2. Mt. Pleasant Animal Hospital 3. Grady Veterinary Hospital

Vintage Clothing Store 1. Casablanca Vintage 2. Down to Mars Vintage 3. NVISION

Wedding Cakes 1. The BonBonerie 2. Tres Belle Cakes 3. A Spoon Fulla Sugar

Wedding Dresses

1. Bridal & Formal 2. Carrie Karibo Bridal Boutique 3. Lovely Bride

Wedding Photography Service 1. Jessica Wiggins Photography 2. Steph Keller Photography 3. Carly Sue Photography

Wedding Reception Hall

1. Monastery Event Center 2. Hotel Covington 3. The Transept

Wedding Venue (Outdoors) 1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Cincinnati Nature Center 3. Lake Lyndsay

Wine Shop

1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. DEP’s Fine Wine & Spirits 3. Oakley Wines

Women’s Clothing Store

1. Rose & Remington 2. Golden Day Boutique 3. Sloane Boutique 4. Kismet 5. The Native One 6. Idlewild 7. Pangea 8. MEAS Active 9. Continuum 10. Leeli + Lou (TIE) 10. TMBTITWI (TIE)

1. Bell Event Centre

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CityBeat.com

Sports & Recreation Little Miami Scenic Trail Named Top 5

This local bike trail received national recognition from multiple media outlets in 2021 of the region’s towns and cities, including the historic downtown areas of Loveland, Milford, and Lebanon. Two state parks, John Bryan and Caesar Creek, can be reached from the trail, as well as a number of eateries and breweries to unwind and refuel.

The entire Cincinnati region has 116,000 acres of protected greenspace, including 351 parks and nearly 40 nature preserves.”

It may be the “Little” Miami Scenic Trail, but it’s definitely been getting some big attention recently. The Little Miami Scenic Trail was also a factor in Forbes recently naming Cincinnati The Loveland portion as a top 2021 destination for of the trail. travelers.

The trail is continuing to expand. Construction began in February on the Beechmont Bridge Connector, a new halfmile link between the Little Miami Scenic Trail and the Ohio River Trail.

This will officially add the Little Miami Scenic Trail to the Cincinnati Riding or Walking Network (CROWN) project to Savana Willhoite link up over 100 miles of the single trail in the Miami Valley Trail network, area’s trails.

Led by Tri-State Trails (an initiative beginning just east of Cincinnati in Anderson of regional sustainability alliance Green Township and stretching up to Springfield, Umbrella), Wasson Way, Ohio River Way Ohio, via 78 miles of paved, multi-modal and a public-private partnership, the 34paths. What seems to be especially mile CROWN urban trail loop will connect important to Afar is not what the trail is like more than 100 miles of pre-existing and but where it can take you. The magazine to-be-constructed trail systems while makes special note of the trail’s stops in boosting economic development, improving Loveland, Milford and Lebanon, as well as transportation options, stimulating the accessibility of Caesar Creek and John businesses and promoting healthy activities.

Bryan State Parks.

Currently in mid-construction with various Here’s what Afar says: “The Little Miami segments complete and open for recreation, Scenic Trail runs 78 miles from Cincinnati it will serve as a hub to access the Little to Springfield in Ohio, making it one of Miami Scenic Trail, Ohio River Trail, Mill the nation’s longest paved multi-use trail networks. A large portion of the trail borders Creek Greenway, Wasson Way and Murray Path. It also will include downtown’s Smale the banks of the Little Miami River, allowing Riverfront Park, which was named one of pedestrians to get off foot to kayak or canoe USA Today’s top 10 riverwalks in 2021, and instead. As the longest single path in the Riverfront Commons in Northern Kentucky.

Miami Valley network, the well-shaded miamivalleytrails.org.

Little Miami Scenic Trail connects many

When it comes to seeing the sights and sounds of Greater Cincinnati by foot — or by bike — we’ve known for a while that the Little Miami Scenic Trail is one of the best around.

But it’s always nice when other people finally catch on, isn’t it?

Afar magazine, a guide focused on experiential travel, features the Little Miami Scenic Trail as one of the five best urban trails in the United States.

The Little Miami Scenic Trail is the longest

Annual Manual 2021/2022

Best of Cincinnati

Voting results from CityBeat’s 2021 readers’ poll

Barre

1. Pure Barre Oakley 2. The Barre Code 3. DEFINE: body & mind

Biking Trail

1. Loveland Bike Trail 2. Miami Whitewater Forest 3. Devou Park Backcountry Trails

Climbing Gym

1. University of Cincinnati Campus Recreation Center 2. Climb Time 3. Mosaic Climbing

Coach/Manager (Pro/College)

1. Luke Fickell (University of Cincinnati Football) 2. John Brannen (University of Cincinnati Men’s Basketball) 3. Matt Thomas (Cincinnati Cyclones)

Golf Course (Public) 1. Blue Ash Golf Course 2. Devou Park Golf Course 3. Aston Oaks Golf Club

Health Club/Gym

1. YMCA 2. Mercy Health HealthPlex 3. Planet Fitness

Hiking Trail

1. Cincinnati Nature Center 2. Loveland Bike Trail 3. Sharon Woods 4. Ault Park 5. Mount Airy Forest 6. Miami Whitewater Forest 7. Devou Park Backcountry Trails 8. Bender Mountain 9. East Fork State Park 10. Winton Woods

Jogging Route 1. Loveland Bike Trail 2. Eden Park 3. Ault Park

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Soccer City Cincinnati is ready for the pitch — but this time, we’re not talking about Reds baseball. With its exciting teams, supportive sports bars and festive culture, the Queen City has become quite a haven for soccer.

In fact, WalletHub has called it one of the best soccer cities in the country.

Cincinnati’s premier draw is FC Cincinnati ((fccincinnati.com), the region’s Major League Soccer team. Playing in the brand-new TQL Stadium in the historic West End, FC Cincinnati welcomes up to 26,000 fans for every game. The stadium also is home to other exciting matches.

In 2021, TQL Stadium hosted the 2022 World Cup qualifying match between the U.S. Men’s National Team and Mexico.

The stadium also saw Rose Lavelle — Cincinnati’s homegrown Olympian — and the U.S. Women’s National Team take on Paraguay in a FIFA international match. By the way, don’t miss the mural of Lavelle at The Banks downtown (44 W. Freedom Way).

And Cincinnati is ready for an even bigger stage: The city is in the hunt to become a host for future World Cup matches, a hearty endorsement of the exuberant soccer culture happening here

FC Cincinnati’s new TQL Stadium in the West End.

Francisco Huerta

in the Queen City.

Across the street from TQL Stadium, fans can gather at The Pitch (1430 Central Parkway, thepitchcincy.com), a soccer-themed bar. With artificial turf on the ceiling and soccer memorabilia everywhere, the bar is a fútbol fan’s dream.

Don’t forget about the collegiate level.

Personal Training/ Crossfit Gym

Running/ Biking Event

Pick-Up Basketball Court

Soccer Facility

1. ProForce Sports Performance 2. Trilogy Fitness Systems 3. Queen City CrossFit

1. Cincinnati Athletic Club 2. Blue Ash Recreation Center 3. LA Fitness (Oakley)

Pilates Studio

1. Body Alive 2. The Breathing Room 3. Prism Pilates

Place to Camp

1. Hocking Hills 2. Red River Gorge 3. East Fork State Park

Public Pool

1. Sunlite Pool at Coney Island 2. Ziegler Park 3. Versailles State Park

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1. Flying Pig Marathon 2. Queen Bee Half Marathon 3. Cyclones Frozen 5K/10K 1. Soccer City 2. Town & Country Sports Complex 3. GameTime Training Center

Softball Fields

1. River City West 2. Schmidt Boat Ramp & Ballfields 3. Mid-America Ballyard

Sports Coverage

1. FOX Sports Ohio 2. 700WLW 3. Pardon The Punctuation

Summer Camp

1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Camp Ernst 3. Camp Joy

Catch women’s soccer games at the University of Cincinnati (Gettler Stadium, W. Corry and Dennis, gobearcats.com) and both men’s and women’s soccer at Xavier University (Corcoran Field, 3800 Victory Parkway, goxavier.com). The region has plenty of club, amateur and youth teams as well.

4. Camp Kern 5. DAAPcamp 6. Cincinnati Nature Center 7. Cincinnati Museum Center 8. Cincinnati Art Museum 9. Camp at the J 10. Cincinnati Reds Baseball and Softball Camp (TIE) 10. Great Parks of Hamilton County (TIE)

Team (Professional)

Team (Amateur/Minor League)

Volleyball Courts

1. Cincinnati Rollergirls 2. Florence Y’alls 3. Black-n-Bluegrass Roller Girls

Team (College)

1. University of Cincinnati Football 2. Xavier University Men’s Basketball 3. University of Cincinnati Men’s Basketball

1. Reds 2. FC Cincinnati 3. Cincinnati Cyclones

Tennis Courts

1. Queen City Racquet & Fitness Club 2. Sawyer Point Park 3. Camargo Racquet Club 1. Fifty West Brewing Company Production Works 2. Cabana on the River 3. Grand Sands Volleyball

Yoga Studio

1. Body Alive 2. Aloha Yoga Center 3. College Hill Yoga

CityBeat.com

More Caves at Mammoth Cave National Park

Just a short road trip away from Cincinnati, Mammoth Cave National Park in September 2021 announced the discovery of eight more miles of caves within what is already the largest cave system in the world.

Park officials said in a statement on Facebook that the discovery brings the

number of known miles of passages in the southern Kentucky landmark to 420.

The discovery was made, officials said, by mapping and exploration by the Cave Research Foundation.

According to the National Park Service (NPS), volunteers from the Cave Research Foundation come to the park every year

to map newly discovered passages.

Mapping caves can be difficult, the NPS says, because openings can easily hide in the dark, under piles of rock and behind narrow crevices. The team uses compasses to measure direction, laser range finders to measure distance and an instrument called an inclinometer to measure slope.

Although the work may be treacherous at times, the NPS says mapping cave systems allows officials to see what parts of a cave might be vulnerable to a highway chemical spill or where park trail improvement plans should be cautious due to historic artifacts.

Mammoth Cave National Park is a three-hour drive south of Cincinnati and offers tours of the caves, hikes, canoeing on the Green River, horseback riding and camping. 1 Visitor Center Parkway, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, nps.gov/maca/ index.htm.

Garden State Hiker/Creative Commons

2021 Best of Cincinnati

Celebrate Tastefully

Bakery

◊

Café

◊

Tearoom

513.321.3399 ◊ BONBONERIE.COM

Annual Manual 2021/2022

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Best of Cincinnati

Voting results from CityBeat’s 2021 readers’ poll

Apartment Community

City Life

1. Aqua on Levee 2. The Lofts at Shillito Place 3. One Lytle Place Apartments

Builder

1. Drees Homes 2. Fischer Homes 3. Urban Sites

Developer

1. 3CDC 2. Over-the-Rhine Community Housing 3. Messer Construction

Building

1. Union Terminal 2. Music Hall 3. Cincinnati Art Museum

Cincinnati Neighborhood 1. Northside 2. Over-the-Rhine 3. Hyde Park

Cincinnatian 1. Fiona the Hippo 2. Brian Garry 3. Anthony Muñoz 4. Bob Herzog 5. Pete Rose 6. Molly Wellmann 7. Rose Lavelle 8. Nick Lachey 9. Drew Lachey 10. Cam Hardy

City of Hamilton

11 DORA Districts to Sip and Stroll Open containers are A-OK in these neighborhoods DORA districts — or Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas — are a fun fact of life in Greater Cincinnati. In these specific spaces, you are able to grab an alcoholic beverage to sip while you stroll.

While the new 85-acre DORA at The Banks is a major player, many neighborhoods have their very own areas where visitors can have an open beer or cocktail, as long as they follow some simple rules:

1. John Cranley 2. Joe Deters 3. Bill Cunningham

• Alcoholic beverages must be in specific DORA cups.

• DORA beverages must stay within the boundaries of the district.

• Guests may take their DORA beverages from participating businesses but are not permitted to bring their drink into another business.

• Visitors are subject to open-container laws when outside of the district.

• You must be 21 and up to drink.

Here’s your guide to exploring local DORA districts.

Progressive

The Banks

College/ University

1. University of Cincinnati 2. Xavier University 3. Northern Kentucky University

Conservative

1. Aftab Pureval 2. Brian Garry 3. Mike Moroski

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The DORA at The Banks spans from Paul Brown Stadium to Heritage Bank Center and to the south sidewalk of Second Street and north sidewalk of Mehring Way. (Smale Park is not included in The Banks’ DORA

district.) The city has also permanently closed Freedom Way from Joe Nuxhall Way to Walnut Street to make it a pedestrian pathway. The DORA is open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., seven days a week, during which time visitors may purchase their adult beverages in DORA cups from participating businesses and traverse the district.

Cheviot

Cheviot’s DORA district covers three blocks of Harrison Avenue. Hours are 4 p.m.midnight Monday through Thursday and noon-midnight Friday through Sunday.

Deerfield Township

Deerfield’s DORA district encompasses Deerfield Towne Centre. The district is open 6 p.m.-midnight Monday through Thursday and noon-midnight Friday through Sunday.

Deerfield Township’s government says: “Once a DORA cup has left the business it was purchased at, it must be consumed before you re-enter that business or any other business that sells alcoholic beverages. However, you can enjoy your beverage in the public gathering spaces within the designated boundaries.”

Hamilton

Hamilton has one of the first DORAs in the

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Greater Cincinnati area, which launched in 2018. The Hamilton DORA is open noon-midnight daily, with Richard’s Pizza, Municipal Brew Works and Neal’s BBQ serving up DORA beverages.

Loveland

Loveland’s DORA was established almost two years ago, in April 2019. The boundaries run along Karl Brown Way into Nisbet Park and around to West Loveland Avenue. Some local businesses that sell DORA drinks are Bishop’s Quarter, Casual Pint and Narrow Path Brewing. Loveland’s DORA is open noon-11 p.m. daily.

Mason

Mason’s DORA runs from Dawn Street to Fourth Avenue, and the city has signs signaling boundaries. The Common Beer Company, Two Cities Pizza and Quatman Cafe are some of the businesses taking part in the Mason DORA district. The area is open 6 p.m.-midnight Monday through Thursday and noon-midnight Friday through Sunday.

Middletown

Middletown has its very own DORA, running from the riverfront to Clark Street in downtown Middletown. The DORA hours are noon-midnight daily. Middletown requires the purchase of a $1 DORA bracelet, which is good for the entire day. Participating locations include the Canal Pub at the Landing, Gracie’s and The White Dog Distilling Company.

Milford

Milford joins the list with their own DORA. The boundaries cover Main Street, parts

of Water Street and some of Lila Avenue.

The entirety of Riverside Park is included in the DORA district. The Governor, 20 Brix and Little Miami Brewing Company are all participating businesses. Hours are 4-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m.midnight Friday through Sunday.

Montgomery

Montgomery’s DORA district runs from the edge of State Route 126 to Go Bananas Comedy Club on Montgomery Road. The DORA hours for Montgomery are 5-11 p.m.

Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m.-midnight Friday, noon-midnight Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Participating businesses have maps showing the limits of DORA. And locations may charge $1 for the DORA cup.

Wyoming

Wyoming has its own DORA, which is open 2-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 2 p.m.-midnight Friday and noon-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Wyoming Community Coffee, Tela Bar + Kitchen and Station Family + BBQ are some of the businesses licensed to sell DORA drinks.

Bellevue

Bellevue, Kentucky, has something a bit different, but the concept is the same.

The Bellevue Entertainment District (BED) allows those over 21 to roam with open containers as they shop. The BED is open between O’Fallon Avenue and Riviera Drive on Fairfield Avenue. Hours of operation are noon-11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.

BED patrons must purchase a reusable cup for 50 cents from a participating business.

10 Stunning Scenic Overlooks It is said that Cincinnati is built on seven hills, like Rome — the city is actually named for Roman agrarian and military general Cincinnatus — but the reality is that we have plenty more hills, heights and neighborhood names that begin with “Mount” than that. The alternating peaks and valleys of the city create excellent views from a variety of vantage points.

There are about 50 classified scenic overlooks throughout the Tri-State area and many other secret spots from which to see the lights of the city and the winding Ohio River.

• Devou Park, 854 Park Lane, Covington • Licking Riverside Historic District, Fourth Street, Covington

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• Mount Adams Steps, 99-1 Guido St., Mount Adams • Mount Echo Park, 202 Crestline Ave., East Price Hill • Jackson Hill Park, 2027 Eleanor Place, Mount Auburn • Eden Park Twin Lakes Overlook, 950 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams • Prospect Hill Park, Between Milton and Boal Streets, Prospect Hill • Olden View Park, 2610 Eighth St. W, East Price Hill • Fairview Park, 501 West McMillan St., Clifton Heights • Celestial Street overlook, Celestial and Hill streets, Mount Adams

Do Gooder

1. Matthew 25: Ministries 2. Ohio Innocence Project 3. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Friend to the Environment

1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Great Parks of Hamilton County 3. Cincinnati Nature Center (TIE) 3. Krohn Conservatory (TIE)

Journalist

1. Jessica Schmidt (WXIX) 2. Bob Herzog (WKRC) 3. Tricia Macke (WXIX) 4. Paul Daugherty (Cincinnati Enquirer) 5. John Matarese (WCPO) 6. Tana Weingartner (WVXU) 7. Kathrine Nero (Cincinnati Enquirer) 8. Nick Swartsell (WVXU) 9. Megan Mitchell (WLWT) 10. Lucy Mays (WCPO)

Local Activist 1. Brian Garry 2. Jim Tarbell 3. Triiibe

Local Cause

1. Matthew 25: Ministries 2. Freestore Foodbank 3. Maslow’s Army 4. Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio 5. SPCA Cincinnati 6. Cincinnati Public Radio 7. The Friends of the Public Library 8. ArtWorks 9. ArtsWave 10. Save the Animals Foundation

Local Elected Official 1. Aftab Pureval 2. John Cranley 3. Denise Driehaus

Local Podcast

1. Accused 2. Art Palace 3. True Crime Historian

MBA Program

1. University of Cincinnati 2. Xavier University 3. Northern Kentucky University

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Downtown Unveils New Court Street Plaza After a year-and-a-half of planning and construction, Cincinnati Center City Development Corp.

(3CDC) unveiled its $5.5 million Court Street Plaza revitalization project in June 2021.

The plaza — located on Court Street between Vine and Walnut streets — is a pedestrianfriendly urban promenade with sidewalks wide enough to accommodate outdoor dining, events and pop-ups. With wide sidewalks and a “festival-style street,” says 3CDC, the area can easily be closed to cars and vehicle traffic as needed.

Court Street Plaza also features public art, including the first work, a mural by local Gee Horton.

New bars and restaurants have popped up along the development including the Ernest Hemingway/Key West-inspired cocktail lounge Pilar (pilarcincinnati.com), and Mid-City (midcitycinti.com), a grill-food-focused eatery and bar from the team behind popular Over-theRhine spot Longfellow. For upcoming events, follow @courtstreetcincy or visit courtstreetcincy.com.

Hailey Bollinger

Northern Kentucky Neighborhood 1. Covington 2. Newport 3. Bellevue

Northern Kentuckian 1. George Clooney 2. Nick Clooney 3. Cris Collinsworth 4. Amy McGrath 5. Jean-Robert de Cavel 6. Kathrine Nero 7. Otto M. Budig, Jr. 8. Maryanne Zeleznik 9. Tom Browning 10. Michael Monks

Park (City)

1. Smale Riverfront Park 2. Eden Park 3. Ault Park

Park (County)

1. Cincinnati Nature Center 2. Sharon Woods 3. Miami Whitewater Forest

Philanthropist 1. Anthony Muñoz 2. Bootsy Collins 3. Carl Lindner III

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Place to Take a Visitor

1. Findlay Market 2. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 3. Jungle Jim’s International Market 4. Over-the-Rhine 5. Smale Riverfront Park 6. Cincinnati Reds Game 7. The Banks 8 Cincinnati Museum Center 9. Cincinnati Art Museum 10. Carew Tower Observation Deck

Playground

1. Smale Riverfront Park 2. Washington Park 3. Summit Park

Private School

1. Cincinnati Waldorf School 2. Saint Xavier High School 4. Elder High School

Public School

1. Walnut Hills High School 2. School for Creative and Performing Arts 3. Oak Hills High School

Radio Show

Troublemaker

Radio Station

TV Anchor

Radio Talk Show Host

TV Newscast

Religious Leader

TV Sportscaster

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Suburban Neighborhood

Weekend Getaway (Within 150 Miles)

1. “Jeff & Jenn” (Q102) 2. “All Things Considered” (WVXU) 3. “Cincinnati Edition” (WVXU) 1. 91.7 (WVXU) 2. 101.9 (Q102) 3. 105.1 (B105)

1. Jeff, Jenn, Fritsch and Tim (Q102) 2. Natalie Jones (Q102) 3. Maryanne Zeleznik (WVXU) 1. Chuck Mingo (Crossroads) 2. Fr. Michael Graham (Xavier) 3. Brian Tome (Crossroads) 1. Eden Park 2. Devou Park 3. Ault Park

1. Mariemont 2. Loveland 3. Liberty Township (TIE) 3. Wyoming (TIE)

1. The Gang of Five 2. Mike Brown 3. Brian Garry

1. Sheree Paolello (WLWT) 2. Jessica Schmidt (WXIX) 3. Bob Herzog (WKRC) 1. WXIX (Channel 19) 2. WLWT (Channel 5) 3. WCPO (Channel 9) 1. George Vogel (WLWT) 2. Dan Hoard (Bengals, Bearcats) 3. Joe Danneman (WXIX) 1. Frank Marzullo (WXIX) 2. Steve Horstmeyer (WXIX) 3. Randi Rico (WLWT)

1. Hocking Hills, Ohio 2. Red River Gorge, Kentucky 3. Yellow Springs, Ohio

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