This story is featured in CityBeat's July 12 print edition.
A decade or so ago, when the Rookwood development expanded to its current size, I worried that nearby Hyde Park Square might suffer a noticeable decline. After all, people love the free parking around Rookwood, and the variety of upscale and mid-scale chain eateries could move diners away from the restaurants around Square. At the intersection of Erie Avenue and Edwards Road, it’s not much more than a half-mile from the Rookwood dining and shopping complex.
But if a slowdown at the Square did happen, the rebound now seems well underway. Based on my recent visits to a few of the neighborhood’s dining spots, the scope and quality of eating and drinking options near HPS remains impressive. You can choose among a few fine-dining establishments, casual diner-style places, a first-rate wine bar, a couple of ethnic spots and storefronts specializing in niche food items.
In fact, there are so many places to chow down that it’s a wonder the neighborhood also squeezes in quite a few interesting boutiques and specialty stores having nothing to do with food.
Among the higher-end choices, Alfio’s Buon Cibo (Italian for good food) has been open the longest, since 2012. Its menu is mostly Italian, with an emphasis on stuffed pastas/ravioli, although it also incorporates several Argentinian influences — from an Argentine pasta dish with chimichurri cream sauce, to an appetizer of assorted empanadas and an intriguing selection of Malbec wines (Argentina’s preeminent red wine). Chef Alfio Gulisano, an Italian-American who was raised in Buenos Aires, blends international influences throughout the menu, including a selection of grilled meats. I’m a little sorry we didn’t try an entree our server said was a recent addition to the menu: braised beef short ribs served over gnocchi with a truffle and spinach cream sauce. Prices are on the high side, making Alfio’s a special-occasion spot for many diners.
It’s also not hard to run up a tab at Al-Posto, the new Italian restaurant a few doors down from Alfio’s, in part because the appetizers and desserts at Al-Posto border on irresistible. There’s little overlap in the two restaurants’ pasta selections, with Alfio’s tending to serve larger portions — at higher prices. The ambiance is completely different at the two places: Al-Posto is bright and modern, while Alfio’s has a cozy, lived-in vibe. (For more about Al-Posto, see the CityBeat dining review last month).
At a similar level of culinary ambition, E+O Kitchen is in its eighth year serving what it describes as Asian fusion cuisine. Not having eaten there since before COVID, I took out-of-town guests for lunch recently, and we enjoyed it very much. The front room faces Edwards Road and gets lots of light from windows and skylights, making for a pleasant feel. I much prefer those tables to the larger back dining room. The restaurant’s crispy Brussels sprouts salad with shrimp, mild chilis and plenty of crunchy, chopped greens is as good as I remembered from long-ago visits — a perfect lunch entree or dinner appetizer. Otherwise, you can choose from among five Buddha Bowls, a wide selection of well-prepared sushi rolls, and entrees based on Vietnamese, Filipino and Korean influences.
For less elevated but often quite satisfying full-service fare, the Square includes the Mexican restaurant, Mesa Loca, and two longtime standbys: Arthur’s — opened in 1947—and the diner-style breakfast and lunch place, The Echo, in business since 1945. I’ll admit I haven’t tried either Arthur’s or The Echo, but they obviously must be doing something right. I thought Mesa Loca started strong, with interesting variations on standard Mexican fare, when it opened late in 2019. But after menu and management changes, it seems to have lost its luster. I hope they can turn things around, as the place includes one of the largest patios in the neighborhood as well as an expansive bar and multiple dining rooms.
The hole-in-the-wall Neko Sushi is bare bones casual, but the fish is top quality and ultra-fresh. Don’t miss Unwind Wine Bar & Light Fare, a block off the square on Michigan Avenue, not only for the dozens of carefully selected wines by the glass, bottle or flight, but also to enjoy the inviting indoor and outdoor seating (where dogs are welcome).
The coffee shop, Awakenings, has been caffeinating locals since 1985, with an array of treats from local bakers including quiche, French pastries and bagels. I’m enticed by their wine by the bottle offerings that encompass all the major wine regions of the world. In fact, I’d be shocked if you can’t find a wine you like in your price range on the Square, since Hyde Park Gourmet Food & Wine also has an extensive selection, including hard-to-find half bottles of champagne. They make good sandwiches, too, which you can enjoy on a sidewalk table out front or on a shady bench in the Square.
I haven’t tried the Hyde Park branch of Green Farm Juicery, specializing in organic, cold-pressed juices and smoothies. It’s been up and running for almost four years, but closes at 3 p.m. each day, so I miss it on my evening visits to the neighborhood. The small, local chain is serious about our health and well-being — a mission I definitely can get behind.
Additional food and drink spots — mostly without dine-in facilities — are sprinkled nearby, on Edwards Road and Erie and Michigan Avenues, mostly local outposts of companies based elsewhere. For instance, Breadsmith Bakery can fulfill all your loaf desires along with a variety of other oven-fresh goodies. For specialty sweets, try the Hyde Park location of Macaron Bar or have fun at the whimsical Peace, Love and Little Donuts.
As a lifelong tea aficionado, I would be remiss if I didn’t include Churchill’s Fine Teas, which opened its most recent location on Edwards Avenue in 2021. Roomier and somehow also cozier than their longtime Findlay Market store, there’s no better place to explore the endlessly fascinating world of loose-leaf teas.
Overall, I can’t think of many other Cincinnati neighborhoods that can match the breadth and depth of dining options of those found around Hyde Park Square.
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