As we wrap up 2012 in Cincinnati, we’ve got a helluva story to tell — and some bragging to do. I write about drinks and dining, and I can’t even get around to all the new places that are opening.  

Chef Josh Campbell knows something about spinning plates. Over a three-year span, he manned the World Food Bar at Findlay Market, opened Mayberry’s original location on Vine Street, tried his hand at a small grocery on Seventh Street and experimented with a flatbread concept in The Skinny Pig. All but Mayberry are now footnotes in Cincinnati’s culinary past.  

With CityBeat’s Dining Guide hot off the presses, you’d think there’d be nothing new to report on the local eating front, but you’d be wrong. The food scene just keeps booming, and you need a scorecard to know the players. Here’s some news, and an important June-time reminder.  

Early spring has us all outdoors, exploring gardens, ballparks and eateries. If you’re not drifting through the daffodils or noshing on an outrageous hot dog topped with baked beans, Fritos, French-fried onions and cheese at the Machine Room Grille at Great American Ball Park, you should be exploring one of the following shiny new dining spots.   

Mayberry, which calls its niche "grassroots American food," has been open for just over a month for breakfast and lunch. It's in a great location, right between Hamburger Mary's and Scotti's on Vine Street, but is so small that it's easy to overlook. Now open for dinner as well, the tiny diner is quite welcoming, complete with candlelight.