I love historic buildings about as much as I love food and eating. That’s why I was eager to dine at My Three Chefs in historic Longworth Hall: The chance to appreciate fine dining in a fine old building doesn’t come along often.
At the distant edge of downtown, past the stadia, next to the Brent Spence bridge, is Longworth Hall, built 100 years ago as a freight terminal. On the National Register of Historic Places, it’s a quarter-mile long, made from 4 million bricks, and serves as a dramatic reminder of Cincin-nati’s bygone glory days. It’s also home to some 75 small companies — and My Three Chefs, a restaurant that opened a year-and-a-half ago serving breakfast and lunch, and that began offering dinner in March.
I went for dinner one recent Saturday. To start, my companion and I split the Rail Yard Cheese ($7.95), a wedge of fried American Parmesan cheese that came with mango chutney and lingonberries. I never thought I’d hear myself say this, but it wasn’t quite fried enough. Where the cheese was thin, it had melted until soft and delicious, and eaten with the outstanding chutney and lingonberries, it was divine. However, in the thick of the wedge, the cheese was hardly melted, and it was kind of like eating, well, a big hunk of cheese.
The menu has evocative descriptions of lovingly crafted food. I found myself reading slowly, dreamily imagining the dishes. Like the Pork and Winter Apples with Smirnoff Cream Applesauce ($19.95), which consisted of pork tenderloin sautéed with apples and deglazed with apple Smirnoff and cream. (See what I mean.) Although the pork was tender and perfectly cooked, it could have been better seasoned; a shake of salt really brought out the subtle flavors. Apple slices that had been cooked with the pork were extraordinary, imbued with the rich flavor of the cream sauce.
I tried the Pan-Seared Sea Bass ($25.95), served on sage polenta with a sake citrus glaze, topped with corn and black bean salsa. The salsa created a nice contrast with the delicate flavor of the fish, but the fish was chewy, and lacked the usual buttery, soft, melt-in-your-mouth consistency of sea bass. One nice touch at My Three Chefs: smaller, “petite” portions of entrées are available. There were only a few dessert choices (clearly not a focus for the restaurant); we tried the Key Lime Cheesecake ($4.95), which was OK but would have been better without the whipped cream-like topping.
Although its menu stacks up against Cincinnati’s finest dining places in breadth and sophistication, My Three Chefs is in a class all its own — offering fine dining in a casual, unpretentious setting (remember, they used to unload freight trains here) that might be a little rough around the edges. But I guess that’s the charm of the place. The chef/owner, Michael Belanger wanders out of the kitchen at intervals to drop by tables, while his wife and co-owner, Judy Rugel-Belanger, greets and seats. The service seems more earnest and homespun than elegant. Live piano music on Friday and Saturday evenings adds to the atmosphere.
I haven’t had an opportunity to lunch at My Three Chefs yet, but I’m planning to: The lunch menu looks diverse and appealing, with a big selection of sandwiches, salads and wraps, perfect for enjoying on the patio at the foot of looming Longworth Hall.
I encourage you to give My Three Chefs a try. Finding the place is something of an adventure, and you’ll get to sample eclectic, lovingly prepared meals in relaxed and unusual surroundings. In an increasingly homogenized world, My Three Chefs is unique, quirky and genuine. This is reason enough to go. ©
MY THREE CHEFS
Go: Longworth Hall, 700 Pete Rose Way, Downtown
Call: 513-684-0242
Hours: Breakfast and lunch: 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Friday; Dinner: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday
Prices: Dinner: Expensive. Breakfast/Lunch: Reasonable
Payment: Major credit cards
Red Meat Alternatives: Dinner: chicken, seafood. Lunch: multiple sandwiches and salads.
Accessibility: Yes. Curb ramp from parking lot at entrance. Restaurant fully accessible.
Grade: B
This article appears in Jun 2-8, 2004.
