Chef Clendon Springer has created a dining menu at Final Cut Steakhouse at the Hollywood Casino that’s pretty much a sure bet, with Midwestern-aged, corn-fed beef; free-range Amish chicken from Ohio; bourbon creamed corn; and Indiana goat cheese croquettes as examples of what wants to achieve with local products and dishes.  

Mayberry Foodstuffs (203 E. Seventh St., Downtown, 513-621-5555) is billing itself as “Cincinnati’s newest urban grocery store.” It’s definitely that … and more. Foodstuffs is the latest venture from Josh Campbell, chef/owner of Mayberry Restaurant on Vine Street and World Food Bar at Findlay Market.  

If you’ve never had Blue Oven Bakery bread, you are missing out on something truly extraordinary. Sara and Mark Frommeyer own and operate the bakery from their family farm in Williamsburg, Ohio, on the banks of the Little Miami River. Blue Oven breads can be purchased year-round on Saturdays at Findlay Market.  

CityBeat’s dining team had some pretty delicious moments in the running for their “Best Bite” finalists this year. Personally, I thought back to the creamy goat cheese my neighbor brought from Paris that we ate in her garden one spring night. Our other writers have some great memories too, as you will see.  

Jim Gilliece and his wife Pati have owned the MainStrasse fixture Chez Nora since 1994 when they bought the bar/restaurant from the legendary Nora Dempsey. So, yes, at one time there actually was a “Nora”! Previously, Gilliece was a stand-up comic living in Manhattan, but upon reaching “a fork in the road,” he decided to move back to his native Covington.  

I had no reason to doubt the disgustingness of fruitcake, which resembles a dessert pimento loaf with green and red acne (16th-century bakers came up with fruitcake using fruit scraps left over from other baking). Great for a doorstop or maybe a weapon, but to eat? No thanks. My perception of fruitcake shifted when I actually tried some. Not that I instantly became a fruitcake fiend, but I did wonder how this innocuous spice cake got such a bad rap.  

Brij Mohan started out as an Indian sweets shop in Sharonville and expanded in July to include a full dinner menu. They still have a few bugs to work out, but the food is top notch. And I needn't have worried about the satisfaction of my omnivorous husband. As it turned out, Brij Mohan doesn't need to offer anything more.  

I am about to reveal my secret favorite Mexican eatery. If you think you can guess it, you can’t. You’ve probably never heard of it. You might have driven past it and never noticed that it’s there. But, believe me, it’s worth a stop. Taqueria Yolandita can’t really be called a taco “truck.” It’s more like a taco trailer.  

Many times, the sign of a restaurant’s success can be found at the bar. You can find libations anywhere, but a great bartender can make you cancel your table reservation. Bill Rose is one bartender you will choose to share your dining experience with, and he has been sharing his expertise with the city for 18 years.  

When you recall the Rock & Roll clubs of your youth, you might remember cover charges, smoky bars, sticky floors, cheap beers and drinking way too many shots. You might have grown up and become more responsible, but that doesn't mean you still don't like your live music. MOTR Pub is helping to put Main Street back on the entertainment map with free live music (Rock, Indie, Folk and more) every night and great food day and night. How many shots you choose to take is your business.   

The family-owned Schoolhouse Restaurant in Camp Dennison recently reopened after a kitchen fire in June. Luckily, the fire was contained and the dining room suffered only smoke and water damage. As before, this old schoolhouse teaches lessons in the language of home-style cooking. You're provided so many bowls of starters and sides with your entrée that you're guaranteed to catch on quickly.  

Last week we covered family-friendly dining suggestions to accompany holiday activities. Date night is a little different. I don't want to be the one to say that Scuba Santa's not sexy — hey, roly poly people in wetsuits might be just the ticket for some. But when you're fueling up for fun under the mistletoe, I think I have some better ideas.  

Hong Kong native Alex Chin has been an innovator in Asian cuisine in Cincinnati for over 25 years, from his first small restaurant in Clifton to his critically acclaimed Pacific Moon Café. Currently Chef Chin is overseeing the kitchen at Suzie Wong's. The sleek dining room serves as the backdrop for Chin's modern take on all things Asian.  

Every so often I stumble onto a restaurant that makes me say “Wow, that was insanely good!” Aunt Flora’s House of Soul in Silverton is the embodiment of that statement. Aunt Flora (aka Katrina Mincy) and her gregarious husband, Ron, opened their new restaurant in August on Montgomery Road in a slightly hard-to-find storefront that used to house a Chinese restaurant.  

When you’re headed out for holiday activities, there’s no one-size-fits-all restaurant recommendation. If you’re going to Holiday of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo, you’re probably not going to want the same pre- or post-event dining suggestion as a couple headed to date night under the mistletoe. So here are a few activity-specific, family-friendly recommendations that might help during the holiday happenings ahead.