New year, new Queen City restaurants and bars to add to your bucket list. From an upscale brewery and a vintage bus bar to a downtown restaurant by two acclaimed Louisville chefs, a Greek bake shop and more — 2020 is looking quite tasty.
e+o Kitchen 645 Walnut St., Downtown e+o Kitchen is opening its New Asian eatery downtown at 645 Walnut St. in “early winter.” The concept continues the theme of the original Chicago location with “The Food Buddha,” aka chef Rodelio Aglibot, overseeing “the conception, creation and launch” of the downtown restaurant, says a press release. He will also be the executive chef of both Cincinnati e+o locations (the first is in Hyde Park). “The concept of e+o is about harnessing the best Asian flavors while utilizing fresh, local ingredients,” says Aglibot in the release. “It all starts with the dish, then we find the highest quality ingredients to create that flavor.” The menu will feature a New Asian concept the blends the cuisine of the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam and more with “contemporary techniques and inventive ingredients.” Photo: Tony Frank
Khora at Kinley Hotel 37 W. Seventh St., Downtown A chic new restaurant by two notable Louisville chefs is slated to open inside of downtown’s forthcoming Kinley Hotel. Chefs Edward Lee and Kevin Ashworth plan to open Khora in the spring, with a global approach and vegetable-forward menu. Chef Edward Lee is the owner of several popular restaurants in Louisville, including 610 Magnolia and MilkWood, in addition to being an author and a host of PBS’s Mind of a Chef. Photo via marriot.com
Ghost Baby A new subterranean nightclub/music venue is slated to open beneath the streets of Over-the-Rhine this winter. The venue will hold 160 guests and is located five stories below Vine Street in a 170-year-old lagering tunnel formerly used by Champion Brewing (beer was aged and cooled in lagering tunnels before the advent of refrigeration). The historic, dimly-lit space, which has been vacant since the 1850s, features soaring ceilings with stone archways and will be adorned with “crushed velvet and unpredictability,” says a release. Guests can expect an immersive experience with art, design, cocktails, music and more. Photo: Provided
Ruby’s Chocolates 3923 Isabella Ave., Oakley Oakley is about to get a little bit sweeter with the addition of Ruby’s Chocolates sweet shop. After 10 years of crafting made-from-scratch treats, they’re expanding their business with a second location in Oakley Square. Visitors can look forward to enjoying a variety of favorites from Ruby’s, including their signature truffle cakes, which are similar to cake pops and come in a variety of flavors; “Joy Sticks,” which are pretzels enrobed in caramel, chocolate, peanut butter and other toppings; no-bake cookies; chocolate bark; and a new menu item dubbed “Phatty Cakes,” which are two petite cakes with a layer of icing in between. The new shop will offer a different experience from their flagship shop in Hamilton. While their original location focused primarily on production and retail, the Oakley spot will offer a more cafe-like atmosphere, where friends can gather, lounge and enjoy their treats together. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
Nomad 225 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue New Bellevue bar Nomad will serve craft cocktails, coffee, carefully-selected wine and beer and late-night donuts out of a renovated vintage 1976 Bristol double-decker bus and a dreamy outdoor courtyard. The space is meant to bring together the adventurers in life to relax, connect and reflect on their journeys. The bar is slated to open officially this spring, but they plan to host soft opening events throughout the winter leading up to it. Photo: Meagan White
Esoteric Brewing Co. The team behind East Walnut Hills’ forthcoming Esoteric Brewing Co. is in the process of renovating a century-old building on the corner of East McMillan Street and Gilbert Avenue. They plan to offer an elevated beer drinking experience, using locally-sourced and -grown ingredients and creating “a sumptuous experience that changes the way you think about beer.” Photo via Google Maps
Boi Na Braza
Fillo Greek Bake Shop 1505 Race St., Over the Rhine It’s no secret that Cincinnatians love their gyros and Cincinnati-style chili, both of which have Greek roots. So rest easy because the owners behind Fillo Greek Bake Shop, a cafe coming soon to Over-the-Rhine, know what they’re doing. Evan Papanikolaou is slated to open his 2,300-square-foot day-to-night bakery concept on the ground floor of the Rennen & Beecher Flats project at 1505 Race St. in Over-the-Rhine. The name is inspired by phyllo (or filo), a pastry dough used to make everything from sweet baklava to savory spanakopita. Photo via Facebook/FilloGreekBakeShop
North South Baking Co. Kate Nycz is realizing her goal of operating North South Baking Co. as a brick-and-mortar bakery. North South Baking produces artisan baked goods with a focus on local and sustainable ingredients. Find handmade breads and pastries like peach cruffins, pistachio rose croissants, apricot and raspberry pocket pies and savory options like croissants filled with local beets, arugula and feta — as seen in drool-worthy photos on their Instagram. Nycz currently operates out of the Incubator Kitchen Collective, a commercial kitchen in Newport geared toward start-up businesses. Photo via Facebook/NorthSouthBaking
Sugar ‘n Spice OTR 1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine Back in 2016, we chatted with then-owner of Paddock Hills cult favorite eatery Sugar n’ Spice about the restaurant’s 75th anniversary. Opened in 1941 by Mort Keller — using a “wispy thin” pancake recipe he bought from an eatery during a trip to California — Steve Frankel took over the restaurant from a friend in 2010. In that interview, Frankel said, “It’s been here for so long at this point, everyone has a story here… We aren’t considered an ‘East Side’ or ‘West Side’ establishment. We are just a Cincinnati establishment.” Now, almost eight decades in, it remains one of the city’s most popular places for people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds to grab breakfast. Earlier this year, Adam Mayerson — the sixth owner — bought Sugar n’ Spice from Frankel and has no plans to change the original location. But a second Sugar n’ Spice in the former Joe’s Diner in Over-the-Rhine is in the works (hopefully with more seating and the same rubber ducky toys to go). Photo: Hailey Bollinger
C’est Cheese 900 E. McMillan St., East Walnut Hills Food truck turned brick-and-mortar C’est Cheese will offer the same favorite grilled cheeses that were available on wheels, plus other cheese-centric food items. Located next to the forthcoming Esoteric Brewing in East Walnut Hills, C’est’s bites can be enjoyed to-go or at the brewery. They will also offer take-and-bake options. From the same cheese-genius behind Share: Cheesebar in Pleasant Ridge, Emily Frank. Photo via Facebook/CestCheeseCincy
Cream + Sugar Coffeehouse 3546 Montgomery Road, Evanston Cincinnati’s Evanston neighborhood will soon be home to a coffee spot called Cream + Sugar Coffeehouse. Slated to open in February or March of 2020, the cafe will serve coffee, breakfast and lunch with plant-based options to patrons throughout the Evanston neighborhood and beyond, including the Xavier community. Photo via Facebook/CreamandSugarCoffeehouse
Davis Cookie Collection 4926 Reading Road, Bond Hill Christina Davis, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and the Mortar Entrepreneurship Academy, is taking her Findlay Kitchen cookie bakery to a permanent location in Bond Hill. Davis Cookie Collection bakes more than 15 varieties of cookies, as well as muffins and fudge brownies. Photo via Facebook/DavisCookieCollection
BOL A fresh, new food truck concept is slated to open early next year in the Queen City. BOL will specialize in acai bowls (with five different varieties to choose from), plus “pops” and build-your-own bowls. Founded by husband-and-wife duo Michael and Angel Moore, they wanted to take their passion for acai and share it with the Cincinnati community while offering a health-conscious option to the food truck mix. Photo via Facebook/CincyAcaiBol
Catch-a-Fire Pizza 9290 Kenwood Rd., Blue Ash Popular food truck and an Oakley brewery/pizzeria favorite, Catch-a-Fire announced on Oct. 3 their plans to open a second location in downtown Blue Ash in early 2020. The new location will be a full-service restaurant, with a bar and bottle service. The dining and bar spaces will offer a casual atmosphere with a view of the kitchen where chefs will be making the pizzas. In warmer seasons, guests will be able to enjoy a spacious outdoor patio. Photo via Facebook/CatchaFiref
Westwood Nation Kitchen & Bar 3435 Epworth Ave., Westwood Nation Kitchen & Bar might not agree with the anti-booze ideology of its namesake, the axe-wielding teetotaler Carrie Nation, but it has embraced her love of hatchets. The restaurant offers a variety of burgers and sandwiches like the popular Nation burger, with a 6 oz. brisket patty, smoked cheddar, whiskey barbeque sauce, onion straws and horseradish aioli on a challah bun. They also offer a boozy bottomless brunch on the weekends. After slingin’ patties in Pendleton since 2015, the Best of Cincinnati-winning eatery will open a second location in Westwood in the revitalized Junietta Avenue Firehouse. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
The Coffee Exchange of Pleasant Ridge 6041 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge After a fire closed down the Pleasant Ridge coffee shop in 2018, the owners are planning to reopen in early 2020. Photo via Facebook/CoffeeExchangePR
Mon Petit Choux W. 24th Court St., Downtown A combined bakery from Maribelle Cakery and Baudry French Pastries, the cafe will feature lunch and breakfast in addition to beautiful baked goods. Photo via Facebook.com/MonPetitChoux
La Ofrenda 30 Findlay St., Over the Rhine Gorilla Cinema, the group that created Tokyo Kitty and Video Archive, opened a retro Mexican cinema bar concept near Findlay Market on Dec. 31, 2019. Inspired by the owner’s grandparents, the bar serves up tequila, mezcal and sotol in its small, indoor space with an outdoor patio. Photo via Facebook/LaOfrendaTequila
Twenties 2733 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills Twenties, a 1920s-themed cocktail bar, officially opened to the public on Thursday, Jan. 2. “Twenties was inspired by the roaring (’20s) and the progress of cocktail culture over the last 100 years,” a press release from Red Brick Hospitality reads. The cocktail menu, led by mixologist and general manager Michael Callahan, offers a variety of classic and new cocktails that caters to both generations of drinkers. In addition to cocktails, Twenties also offers 16 beers on draft and as well as spirits, with a strong focus on local breweries and distilleries. Twenties takes over the space formerly occupied by Cincinnati bar owner and mixologist Molly Wellmann’s Myrtle’s Punch House, which closed in early 2019. Photo via Google Maps