Indulge in a multi-course tasting menu at the five-diamond Orchids
Orchids, nestled in the historic 1930s French Art Deco Hilton Netherland Plaza hotel, is the only five-diamond AAA restaurant in Ohio (and one of only 63 in America). Surrounded by rare Brazilian rosewood, ceiling frescoes and locally made historic Rookwood tiles, chef Todd Kelly creates rotating, seasonal, high-skill menus with ingredients sourced so locally a few of them even grow on the hotel’s roof. The 16th-floor terrace features an herb garden and a host of rooftop bees. Chef Kelly’s five-course tasting menu serves up dishes like asparagus salad with housemade goat’s milk cheese, marinated Elysian Fields lamb loin with summer truffle and a dessert duet from as-seen-on-TV in-house pastry chef Megan Ketover. You also have your choice of adding paired sommelier-selected wines for an upcharge, or opting for an indulgent multi-course vegetarian menu. Finish off the night at one of the most awe-inspiring bars in the city, the Great Gatsby-esque Bar at Palm Court, with one of the best cocktails in the city: a barrel-aged Negroni. $70; $100 with wine. 35 W. Fifth St., Downtown, 513-421-9100, orchidsatpalmcourt.com.
Spend the evening with Pete Rose
You can catch Cincinnati’s favorite son, Pete Rose, live and onstage in 4192 – An Evening with Pete Rose, his sort of one-man show. This theatrical event recreates the feeling of going to the ballpark, on a stage complete with a home plate and batter’s box. The baseball icon and hit king will take the audience through his life and career, from his childhood growing up on Cincinnati’s West Side to his Big Red Machine days and what it felt like to break Ty Cobb’s hit record. 8 p.m. July 11; doors open at 7 p.m. $32.50-$125 VIP. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown, 513-232-6220, tafttheatre.org.
Shop local at Article menswear and provisions
A luxury indie menswear shop for guys that ride vintage motorcycles (or look like they do), Article believes clothing should be both stylish and durable, and that men shouldn’t be forced to shop in the back of the store at a corporate retail chain. The concrete-floored boutique smells like leather and sandalwood and proffers everything from high-end Wolverine boots and waxed wilderness rucksacks to all sorts of chambray and plaid shirts, $100 sweatpants and Faribault wool blankets. They’re also home to Noble Denim, a local raw-selvage jean company that produces high-end American-made jeans (and other casual-wear) for the true connoisseur; they cost $250, but they’ll last a lifetime. Sister store Idlewild Woman (1230 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine) carries clothing for women, as well as accessories and homegoods, including brands like Imogene + Willie, Free People and Billy Reid. Closed Monday. 1150 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-721-1150, articlemenswear.com.
Savor a hand-selected whiskey flight at the Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar
Nestled in the heart of MainStrasse, Covington, Ky.’s historically inspired mock-Bavarian village, the Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar carefully curates daily whiskey flights from their selection of more than 300 bottles of domestic spirits — a fitting homage, considering bourbon is Kentucky’s native spirit. The knowledgeable ’tenders, under the tutelage of renowned cocktologist and all-around alcohol-diva and bar-owner Molly Wellmann, make a series of flights of three bourbons each (prices range between $10 to $30), many utilizing private selection or unavailable-in-store bottles. Wellmann spends her time building relationships with bourbon distillers, so you can rest assured that if it’s rare and worth it, OKBB’s got it. Four Roses, Colonel E.H. Taylor, Angel’s Envy and even Pappy Van Winkle make comfortable bedfellows. If you don’t want your bourbon straight, the bar also serves up select pre-Prohibition cocktails and an ice-cold sweet tea bourbon and lemonade. Open daily. 629 Main St., Covington, Ky., 859-581-1777, wellmannsbrands.com/okbb.
Take a car, cab or ride-share to The Precinct for steaks named after sports figures
Jeff Ruby, the king of Cincinnati steakhouses, started his beef empire in 1981 with The Precinct, located in a turn-of-the-century former Cincinnati Police patrol house. It’s a huge hotspot for locals who want to be seen and celebs — photos of Ruby with everyone from George Clooney and Bobby Flay to Lenny Kravitz and Muhammad Ali line the walls — who all flock for his dry-aged meats, ice-cold raw bar (served tableside with glowing blue ice) and flambéed bananas foster prepared in the center of the dining room. People also love The Precinct’s nicknamed steaks, like the Brandon Phillips ($48.75), a peppercorn-crusted filet with cognac peppercorn sauce, or The Brennaman ($57.75), a 12-ounce barrel-cut filet mignon. Round out the meal with a nice $175 bottle of Nickel & Nickel Cab Sauv. Open daily. 311 Delta Ave., Columbia-Tusculum, 513-321-5454, jeffruby.com.
Opera?
Cincinnati Opera is the nation’s second-oldest opera company, staging four to five productions every summer with national and international opera stars. Currently, the opera is staging a zany version of Don Pasquale at Over-the-Rhine’s historic Music Hall. Set in 1950s Hollywood, Don Pasquale was once the star of Tinseltown. Now faded, he’s yearning for someone to bring a splash of color into his life — a lovely ingenue seems just the ticket. Features Turkish bass-baritone Burak Bilgili in the title role, with support from Cuban-American soprano Eglise Gutiérrez. Cincinnati Opera is also staging the world premiere of Morning Star, a tale of immigration and struggle in 1900s New York, at the School for Creative and Performing Arts’ Corbett Theater. Don Pasquale: 7:30 p.m. July 9 and 11; Morning Star: 7:30 p.m. July 10 and 3 p.m. July 12. Tickets start at $25. Venue details at 513-241-2742 or cincinnatiopera.com.
Book the ‘Maisonette Table’ at Boca
You probably have a nice per diem to spend on food, so spend it on great food. Downtown eatery Boca, chef David Falk’s ode to Italian and French cuisine, is simultaneously opulent and modern. A bright red door and balconied façade give way to communal tables, leather banquettes and an open kitchen, which turns out simple and comfortable yet sumptuous entrées like hot-smoked Verlasso salmon with puffed black rice, crème fraîche and horseradish, and roast Pekin Duck. Call to reserve Table 75, a holdover from the restaurant’s former life as the five-star Maisonette, and enjoy oysters Rockefeller and a Moscow Mule in the sinfully red semi-private booth. Or head downstairs to chef Falk’s other restaurant, Sotto, a subterranean Italian trattoria. It’s truly rustic Italian, with dark wood, dripping candles and fresh-made pasta. Find grilled octopus antipasti, house-cured meats, a beef-heart-and-black-truffle bruschetta or a perfectly prepared and giant Bistecca Fiorentina ($85; serves several). Boca closed Sundays. Reservations are highly recommended for both. 114 E. Sixth St. and 118 E. Sixth St., Downtown, bocacincinnati.com, sottocincinnati.com.
Watch the 86th MLB All-Star Game (you already have a ticket, right?)
Cincinnati’s fifth time hosting the Midsummer Classic, watch the National League square off with the American League for home-field advantage during the World Series. Tickets are sold out. 7 p.m. July 14; red carpet All-Star player show starts at 1 p.m. at the Westin Hotel, 21 E. Fifth St., Downtown. Game at Great American Ball Park, Downtown, allstargame.com.
This article appears in Jul 8-14, 2015.