Cincinnati’s dining scene has been heating up this July, from a cool new ice cream place opening in Northern Kentucky to the announcement of upcoming dining concepts. We did say goodbye to some classics like Holtman’s Donuts' Over-the-Rhine location and Uncle Mo’s Cafe downtown. On the bright side, Cold Spring now has a sushi conveyor belt and Northside is getting a new coffeeshop. Salazar and Deeper Roots are collaborating on a bodega-inspired concept that is set to open in August and Dean’s Mediterranean Imports announced the impending arrival of a new dining concept in Northside. Read on to discover more Greater Cincinnati food news.
Restaurant Openings
Hello Honey Newport Location
Cincinnati craft ice cream shop and bakery Hello Honey added another location to its rapidly expanding dessert empire. Located in Fort Thomas, Hello Honey’s new location opened its doors July 16. Co-owner Brian Nicely and his wife Nitima started serving their homemade, small-batch desserts on Vine Street downtown in 2012. Hello Honey is known for its creative dessert flavor combos, made with fresh ingredients and free from artificial flavors and coloring. If you've never paid a visit before, it's imperative you top your ice cream with one of their homemade, vegetarian marshmallows (yes, standard marshmallows are made with gelatin and therefore not vegetarian-friendly). 18 N. Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, hellohoneyicecream.square.site. Newport's Flow Coffee Location in Northside
A new Northside coffeeshop will soon combine two of the neighborhood's favorite things: craft coffee and good music. Newport's flow is hosting the grand opening of its second location at Liberty Exhibition Hall on July 31, complete with the brand's uniquely brewed coffee and a hand-built live music speaker system. flow first opened in Newport in February 2022 in a shared space with plant shop Fleurish Grounds. The Northside coffeeshop will also be a symbiotic operation in concert with the Liberty Exhibition Hall arts theater and its adjacent retro-themed bar, The Lounge. flow will serve its coffee and kombucha, along with cocktails that utilize both ingredients. 846 Monroe St., Newport and 3938 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, facebook.com/flowfuturecoffee.
Cold Spring's Arawan Thai Sushi Reopened With New Sushi Conveyer Belt
Have you ever eaten sushi delivered via conveyor belt? Now you can without having to book a flight to Tokyo thanks to Arawan Thai Sushi, located in Cold Spring. The Northern Kentucky restaurant known for its Thai and East Asian cuisine re-opened July 14 following a temporary dining room closure. The restaurant recently celebrated its second anniversary serving the community and, along with the conveyor belt, has also added what they call “SuShef,” a robotic sushi-maker that spreads rice onto seaweed sheets before the sushi chef fills it with the proteins and vegetables, then “SuShef” wraps it up. 56 Martha Layne Collins Blvd., Cold Spring, arawanthaisushi.com.
Restaurant Closings
Holtman's Donut Shop Over-the-Rhine Location
Iconic Cincinnati donut shop Holtman's Donut Shop closed its Over-the-Rhine location July 24. The family-owned donut shop has been around since the 1960s and has been operating its Vine Street location for nine years. “This decision has been the most difficult decision we have ever had to make. Thank you for your support, your love for our passion, and your company,” read the announcement on Facebook. No specific reason was given for the closure. Holtman's has four other locations in Loveland, Oakley, West Chester and Williamsburg. holtmansdonutshop.com.
Uncle Mo’s Cafe, a Greek restaurant that served up gyros and shawarma downtown, closed its doors for good. A sign taped to the front of the restaurant in late July announced that the cafe had closed due to the building being sold and the rent tripling. “We thank you for all the years of support and will truly miss you!” read the note signed by Uncle Mo and Aunt Carrie.
Other Dining News
Salazar and Deeper Roots Announced the Opening of Bodega-Inspired Daylily Deli in Columbia TusculumTwo Cincinnati culinary and coffee favorites are banding together to bring a little bit of the Big Apple to the Queen City. Chef Jose Salazar and his JPS Restaurant Group and Deeper Roots Coffee have partnered to open Daylily, a New York City-inspired bodega and deli in Columbia Tusculum. "Jose and (his wife) Ann Salazar grew up in Queens. They grew up going to bodegas in New York and there isn't a New York-style bodega in Cincinnati. It's something they've been craving for a long time and could not scratch that itch. So they were like, 'Let's make it. Let's bring one to Cincinnati,'" says Daylily General Manager Sami Stewart. The project's opening date is early August, and the hours are slated to be 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily. 3751 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum, daylilydeli.com.
Owner of Dean’s Mediterranean Imports Announced the Opening of a New Concept in Northside
Some of Findlay Market's flavor will soon be making its way to Northside. Kate Zaidan, the owner of the market's Dean's Mediterranean Imports, is slated to open a new eatery at 4024 Hamilton Ave. Zaidan says the storefront won't be a replica of Dean's — or like anything that currently exists in Cincinnati. "Our new concept will transport our customers to our ancestral home of Lebanon where delicious food and hospitality reign," she says in a release. "We will be curating a culinary experience unlike anything else in Cincinnati, reminiscent of the ancient souks of the Middle East.” Construction is scheduled to begin soon, with a goal of opening by summer 2023. instagram.com/northsidenest.
Reader's Digest Named Price Hill Chili as Ohio's 'Best Traditional Restaurant'
Reader's Digest has been around since 1922, so when the publication makes a list of the "Best Traditional Restaurant in Every State," it makes sense to trust it knows what it's talking about. And what better state food to represent Ohio than Cincinnati-style chili? Reader's Digest named Price Hill Chili as the Buckeye State's most traditional spot, emphasizing the chili parlor's 3-Ways (4-Ways and 5-Ways) as well as its chili dogs and chili cheese sandwiches. The publication also nods to hometown WhoDey favorites, listing Price Hill Chili's Golden Fleece Lounge as a great spot to catch a Bengals game. 4920 Glenway Ave., Price Hill. pricehillchili.com.
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