Maize, a new Over-the-Rhine eatery which opened in early July, specializes in a unique fusion menu that honors traditional recipes from across Latin America, with an emphasis on Venezuelan cuisine.
Maize is owned by Louisa Reckman of Queen City Radio and Angel Batista, a native of Puerto Rico. The executive chef is Curtis McGlone, most recently of Italian-Argentinian Alfio’s Buon Cibo and contemporary Southern Hotel Covington.
The restaurant takes its name from maize, a corn flour dating back some 10,000 years and first utilized by indigenous Mexicans. The flour serves as the basis for the arepas, cachapas and empanadas served at Maize, and indeed, Batista looks at the stuff as the starting point for the restaurant’s whole concept. He calls it Maize’s “delivery system,” acting as an access point for the rich world of Latin American cuisine.
To that end, the menu is colorful and varied, with dishes from across the region that complement one another while retaining their traditional roots. Batista rattles off the geographically-assorted origins of such dishes as the Peruvian ceviche, Mexican street corn and Venezuelan cachapas and asado negro.
Hours: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; 5 p.m.-midnight Thursday; 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Maize OTR, 1438 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-381-1608, maizeotr.com.
