CityBeat’s staff of underpaid but relatively well-fed dining writers spend their year eating, drinking and reporting back on Cincinnati’s latest restaurants, food trends and au courant culinary wizardry to either mildly entertain you or help you decide where to eat dinner. And as this year comes to a close, we asked our dedicated reviewers to list their favorite gastronomic indulgences of 2016, from clever cocktails and can’t-quit classics to $5 finds — all of which make eating in the Queen City an experience worth writing home about.Â
Anne Mitchell
Favorite Should-Be Menu Item: Lisse Steakhuis is a fancy new steakhouse in MainStrasse Village. And right after Lisse’s soft opening, MainStrasse held its annual Maifest, generally a celebration of large sausages. Not that I don’t celebrate the occasional large sausage, but when Lisse decided to sell little steak sandwiches out their side windows, I went petite. And damn, it was outstanding: cross-grained slices of meat that were tender and tasty, grilled onions and melty cheese, served on a crusty roll. I walked around the fest raving about it — and it was only five bucks! I obviously sold tons of them by personal testimonial because when I went back to get another, they were gone. And no sausage could console me. Lisse, bring back that meaty morsel and make me a happy woman. 530 Main St., Covington, Ky., lisse.restaurant.
Favorite Pre-Gaming Comfort Food: Lalo used to be Huit before Huit opened Neuf. And now Lalo is on Court Street, cooking up “Chino Latino” Asian fusion food for you. Lalo is a good lunch spot, but it’s also strategically placed on the edge of Drinkopolis, formerly known as OTR. Lalo serves a humungous plate of arroz con pollo with gooey sauce that will prepare you for any boozathon. The soup at Lalo is also outstanding, and the tacos are delish — the Drunken Brisket one especially. But this rice? Prevent your hangover before it happens. 29 E. Court St., Downtown, lalocincinnati.com.
Favorite Dessert: Yes, honey pie, as the Beatles sang: I’m in love and I’m not too lazy to get over to Commonwealth Bistro and grab a slab of their honey pie. On a menu of really amazing Southern cuisine, this pie is the pinnacle, the top, the “Mona Lisa.” It has that sweet and salty thing going on that makes your mouth want more. And the homemade buttermilk ice cream on top? Yes. 621 Main St., Covington, Ky., commonwealthbistro.com.
Favorite “I Did It All For The Cookie”: When the smell of freshly baked bread stops you in your tracks at Em’s Sourdough Bread stand at Findlay Market, get some. Then ask for a peanut butter cookie — a cookie that will make up for almost any bad mojo that life is bringing. Pro-tip: Get more than one if there’s any possibility you might have to share. 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, emsbread.com.
Favorite Reason to Eat Off the Floor: No, it’s not the five-second rule. Coppin’s restaurant in Hotel Covington is swanky and cool, an amazing eatery in Covington’s up-and-coming city center. And several of their delicious dishes are served on hand-crafted planks that were originally floorboards in the 1910 building. The sweet corn fritters are savory bite-sized delights spiced with smoked togarashi, a Japanese pepper blend — which in this case is made in Kentucky by Bourbon Barrel Foods — and served with buttermilk dressing.638 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky., hotelcovington.com.
Garin Pirnia
Favorite New Restaurant: It’s all in the name: “pleasant.” The folks behind 1215 Wine Bar stepped it up a notch when they opened Pleasantry in the spring. Their focus is on natural wines — something rarely seen outside of big cities. Besides the array of vinos, the seasonal dishes and housemade chai lattes are standouts. 118 W. 15th St., Over-the-Rhine, pleasantryotr.com.
Favorite Old Restaurant: Because hipster Asian gastropub AmerAsia is tucked away in a cozy spot on Madison Avenue in Covington, I sometimes forget about it. But not only is it one of the best eateries in Covington, it’s also one of the best Asian spots in the city. Their beer list features a plethora of rare brews on draft and in bottles, and you’ve got to love eating their unpretentious food while watching Kung Fu movies on multiple TVs. 521 Madison Ave. B, Covington, Ky., facebook.com/kungfoodchu.
Favorite Rebranding of a Perfectly Good Restaurant: When NuVo opened in Covington in 2014, it became the area’s first tasting-menu-only restaurant. Apparently diners gave it a tepid reception, so owner Mark Bodenstein began offering an à la carte menu along with the original. When that didn’t gel, he and his team decided to change the name and concept to a neighborhood red sauce joint: Piccolo Casa. So far, it seems to be working. The more casual dining room offers housemade pastas, pizza bread topped with burrata, affordable wines by the bottle, a long bourbon list and a tiramisu-inspired dessert called zuccotto. 308 Greenup St, Covington, Ky., piccolocovington.com.
Favorite Slow-Bar Coffee Shop: Even though it’s been located inside Reser Bicycle for a few years, many locals still don’t know about Trailhead, an intimate four-seater coffee bar. Manager/barista extraordinaire Joe Humpert takes his time making pour overs and cortados from Dayton, Ohio’s Wood Burl beans — one of the only places in town to source the regional coffee. 35½ E. Seventh St., Newport, Ky., facebook.com/trailheadcoffee.
Favorite Five-Dollar “Milkshake”: The newly opened bar/vintage video store The Video Archive boasts a cocktail menu and dĂ©cor inspired by Quentin Tarantino movies, including Pulp Fiction. In the film, Mia (Uma Thurman) and Vincent (John Travolta) visit a retro diner and she orders a $5 milkshake, which was at one time shockingly expensive. The Video Archive puts a spin on the “pricey” milkshake and eschews ice cream for vanilla bean-infused bourbon, cream and whipped cream, served on the rocks. While Vincent gives Mia grief for ordering the drink, the Video Archive’s shake seems like quite the bargain. 965 E. McMillan, Walnut Hills, facebook.com/videoarchivecincinnati.Â
Ilene Ross
Favorite New Thing: Local culinary startup Grass Fed Gourmet’s CocoGhee is a gourmet spread made from raw organic coconut oil and grass-fed clarified butter that comes in both sweet and savory flavors — think cinnamon honey, mocha hazelnut or garlic and salt. Swirl the sweet flavors into hot coffee for a twist on “Bulletproof Coffee,” or melt them on top of pancakes. As for the savory flavors, try slathering a whole roasting chicken with the rosemary garlic flavor or melt and drizzle any of them on popcorn.gfgcocoghee.com.
Favorite French Pastry Purveyor: Whether it’s rich, all-butter shortbread or the most decadent cream puffs and eclairs, Baudry’s pastries are the some of the most authentic you’ll find anywhere this side of the Atlantic. While Monsieur Frederic Baudry maintains no brick-and-mortar or website, you can find him at most farmers markets in summer and at the Findlay Market and Hyde Park farmers markets in winter. (Or you can place orders via email or phone). Frederic@baudrycreampuff.com, 513-886-7019, facebook.com/baudrycreampuff.Â
Favorite Flavor Addition: Greek seasoning from Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices is the one spice blend to put on/in absolutely every savory dish you cook from grilled chicken to baked fish. It miraculously changes the flavor profile to season anything perfectly. As that one hot sauce commercial says, “I put that shit on everything.” Multiple locations including 1801 Race St., Findlay Market, Over-the-Rhine, colonelde.com.Â
Favorite Dish: Anything served on or with Sixteen Bricks Artisan Bakehouse bread. A good one is the veggie burger at Maplewood Kitchen and Bar with Havarti cheese, avocado, lemon-caper dijonaise and iceberg slaw on a Sixteen Bricks sesame seed bun. Don’t forget a side of shoestring fries and a housemade cookie for dessert. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar, 525 Race St., Downtown, maplewoodkitchenandbar.com, facebook.com/sixteenbricks.Â
Madge Maril
Favorite New Restaurant: The change from La Poste to Harvest Bistro & Wine Bar exemplifies a subtle shift in branding and a larger change in philosophy for the Clifton standby. The swanky date-night restaurant transitioned to embodying a popular farm-to-table concept and serves selections such as a $5 tomato soup du jour so good I forgot about my entrée. The menu is local and seasonal and cushioned with an esoteric wine selection and candle-lit ambience. 3410 Telford St., Clifton, harvest-bistro.com.
Favorite Old Creamy Whip: There’s a reason that Putz’s Creamy Whip only has to operate seasonally during warm weather and has kept its seating outdoor-only since it opened in 1938. That’s because the soft serve is unlike any other, expertly balancing an authentic dairy cream taste with a silky smooth consistency that scored the family-owned restaurant the sixth spot on MentalFloss’ “12 Most Satisfying Soft Serve Stops in the U.S.” list this year. 2673 Putz Drive, Westwood, putzscreamywhip.com.
Favorite Dish: For authentic Thai cuisine and street food that doesn’t skimp on the oil or slip kale in where it shouldn’t be, visit Thai Express in Clifton. Their tofu pad thai, a favorite of University of Cincinnati students, is loaded with bean sprouts and chopped peanuts. The behemoth of rice noodles and golden tofu is served in a to-go container — even if you opt to dine in. Cincinnati street food at its best. 213 W. McMillan St., Clifton Heights, facebook.com/thaiexpresscincinnati.
Favorite Drink: Collective Espresso will not make you a crème brûlée mocha with five extra pumps of caramel and low-fat whipped cream. The artistically minded espresso shop will, however, make you a damn fine cup of coffee. And Collective has gone ahead and crafted a latte for those of us with a sweet tooth: the honey latte. While it sounds simple compared to the extravagant concoctions from most coffee shops in America, the honey latte’s simplicity allows the nuances within the tart espresso, smooth organic whole milk and sweet honey to shine with each sip. Multiple locations including 4037 Hamilton Ave., Northside, collectiveespresso.com.
Favorite 5 a.m. Donut: The wee hours between when the Ludlow Avenue Skyline closes its doors at 3 a.m. and the Blue Jay diner in Northside opens at 8 a.m. can feel like a bottomless void, leaving hungry after-party-goers eating saltines at home. If you’re not interested in 24-hour-fast food (or too inebriated to get to it), stroll over to Bonomini Bakery. At around 3 or 4 a.m., the smell of the freshly baked donuts and pastries spills out onto Blue Rock Street and the glowing red Bonomini sign becomes a beacon of hope on a dark morning. 1677 Blue Rock St., Northside, 513-541-7501.
McKenzie Graham
Favorite New Thing: A housemade red wine flight full of berry flavors at The Skeleton Root urban winery makes any evening/afternoon working from “home” a lot more enjoyable. The big space makes me feel unnoticed in the best, library-with-wine way possible and they’re always having fun workshops, like wreath-making classes with OTR florist Gia and the Blooms. 38 W. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine, skeletonroot.com.
Favorite Old Thing: The turtles at Gomez Salsa. I thought Mazunte had tugged on my heartstrings like no other Mexican place could until I tried a turtle shell. And now that Gomez has opened a second location a stone’s throw from my apartment, I’m both scared for my waistline and overjoyed. Their turtles are like the Crunchwrap Supreme you never knew existed — a cheese-sealed burrito-tostado hybrid — and at the walk-up location in OTR, you can add as many fillings as you want. 107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine; 2437 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, gomezsalsa.com.
Favorite Dish: The signature Pizza Alla Vodka at Strong’s Brick Oven Pizza. It’s almost painful to try and narrow down the amazing pizza choices around town, but this is my go-to every time I’m near the river. There are other toppings to try at Strong’s, but the only ones that matter are cream vodka sauce and salty-sweet prosciutto di Parma. There are no such things as leftovers with this pizza. 336 Monmouth St., Newport, Ky., strongsbrickovenpizza.com.
Favorite Drink: Maverick Chocolate Co.’s cold brew coffee. Maverick’s cold brew is barely carbonated and kept inside a kegerator. It’s brewed with a combination of coffee and cocoa beans, but doesn’t taste thick and sweet like a bite of actual chocolate. Instead, it’s refreshing and subtly flavored, and I stop by for a cup even in the colder months for a luxurious (but affordable) start to the day. 129 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, maverickchocolate.com.
Favorite Arcade-Bar Cocktail: The peach fizz at Arcade Legacy: Bar Edition is creamy, fizzy and sweet and it comes with a peach gummy. What more does a person need while they binge-play a vintage-edition Simpsons? Plus, there are convenient drink holders between every gaming station so you can grab a quick sip between Marge’s fierce vacuum thwacks. 3929 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, arcadelegacyohio.com.
Pama Mitchell
Favorite Supplement to a Flu Shot: The Penicillin cocktail at Sundry and Vice. No, not the miracle drug, but close to a miraculous drink. They call it a variation on a whiskey sour, but it’s so much better. It starts with blended Scotch, followed by lemon, honey and ginger, shaken over ice, strained into a coupe and topped with a float of even more fine Scotch. The fragrance knocks me over! Always sit at the bar so you can watch the cocktail-geek staff (I mean that in the best possible way) ply their craft. 18 W. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine, sundryandvice.com.
Favorite Reason to Reconsider Bread Pudding: Yes, it’s an overused, tired dessert in many restaurants. Mostly, it’s too thick and bready and makes me wonder why anyone would call it “pudding.” Then I had the banana bread pudding at Bistro Grace. Caramelized bananas make all the difference as a main ingredient. 4034 Hamilton Ave., Northside, bistrograce.com.
Favorite Excuse to Parlez-Vous: All three of Jean-Robert de Cavel’s new ventures —Frenchie Fresh, French Crust Café and L — have already lured me for multiple visits. But while the Taft Theatre houses the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra during the renovation of Music Hall, restaurant L also happens to be in the same building as the parking garage suggested to CSO patrons. Stopping post-symphony for a drink and bite at the bar could become a lovely habit. 301 E. Fourth St., Suite 450, Downtown, lcincinnati.com.
This article appears in Dec 21-28, 2016.