This story is featured in CityBeat's April 19 print edition.
For those who remember its decline in recent decades, College Hill has become a surprisingly vibrant dining destination. The neighborhood’s renaissance started a few years ago with new residential construction along Hamilton Avenue. By 2021, a few restaurants had opened nearby, although they struggled through the slow times caused by the pandemic.
Within the past six months, a couple of developments got me up the hill to see what was cooking. In August, a new bakery called El Camino opened, and in January, the James Beard Foundation Award semi-final nominations included the husband-and-wife chefs at Kiki. It didn’t take long before I became a fan of both establishments — and found several other treats clustered nearby.
Clearly, Kiki is the shining star of the neighborhood. Though it opened in 2019, it took that James Beard nod to lure me in. (Kiki didn’t make the cut, however, in the final nomination round). With my lack of familiarity with Japanese food, most of the menu may as well be written in Japanese, so we relied on two Kiki veterans at the next table, and our cheerful server, to help us order. They came through, big-time, and everything was marvelous, resulting in the best meal I’d had in ages. The menu changes frequently, but if they have creamed crab spring rolls, pepe meshi or raspberry mochi cheesecake, I’d advise you to scarf them up.
Chef/owners Hideki and Yuko Harada refurbished a former bank building decorated with greenery and a large, whimsical mural. There are two small dining rooms and a charming, curved bar, all light wood and casual comfort. It’s open for dinner Thursday through Sunday, and I’m especially appreciative of the Sunday option as there aren’t many good choices for a Sunday dinner out.
Now there’s another fun place for libations at the newest addition to the neighborhood, Big Chill. Cincinnati bar veterans Hannah Wheatley and Evan Wallis opened the doors to this cozy full-service establishment that’s open seven days a week, beginning at either one or three p.m. They don’t have kitchen facilities, but they’ll have a soft-serve ice cream window this summer. It’s tiny, with only about a dozen bar stools and a few high-top tables along the wall, but in fair weather you also can sit at one of the patio tables out back.
Earlier in the day, you might consider sliding by El Camino Bakery, which sells spectacular pastries and very good coffee beginning at 7 a.m. Wednesday through Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturdays. There’s no seating, but if the weather’s fine you don’t have to go far to find outdoor places to enjoy fine breakfast treats. El Camino is a joint venture between pastry queen Megan Ketover and Sixteen Bricks head baker and owner Ryan Morgan.
I’ve been a fan of Ketover for countless years, going back to when she was pastry chef at Orchid’s, where I always saved room for her desserts — and everywhere else she went after moving on from Orchid’s about six years ago. After stints at Boca, Sotto and the original Khora, she partnered with Morgan to open the College Hill bakery. Her output at El Camino consists mostly of a variety of breakfast pastries along with occasional cookies and (if you’re lucky) brownies.
So far, Morgan makes only a few breads each week, and while you can count on pastries any time you visit, the bread choices may be limited. If you do luck into one of his hearty, unusual breads, I think you’ll be happy. On Saturday evenings, the bakery uses its ovens to make carryout pizzas, which are popular for patrons of nearby bars that don’t offer food, as well as folks from the neighborhood who know a good thing when they see it. And yes, the pizzas are first-rate.
Next door to El Camino is Brink Brewing Company, where my friend and I saw several tables with El Camino pizza boxes on them. Brink brews, and serves, up to a couple dozen beers in a wide variety of styles. Their frequently updated website gives in-depth descriptions of the sudsy offerings. There’s also a few hard seltzers, a couple of canned cocktails, one red and one white wine by the glass.
Two other worthy eateries round out the block surrounding Brink and El Camino. Having opened in 2019, Tortilleria Garcia is one of the College Hill renaissance pioneers. They do the thing that gets my attention for a Mexican restaurant by making their tortillas from scratch. You can enjoy their tacos, tamales and burritos indoors or out, and you also can buy their exemplary tortillas to try at home. They’re perfect for a pan of homemade enchiladas, a dish that reminds me of those my dad made during my Southern California childhood.
A few doors down, check out MashRoots Latin Street Food, one of the best carryout options on the north side of town. The mashed roots in question — yucca, taro, sweet potatoes or plantain — form the base for bowls topped by your choice of proteins, veggies and sauces. They also serve towering sandwiches and burgers that have developed quite a following in the neighborhood. The provenance of this unusual, tasty food is Puerto Rican, from whence one of the restaurant’s owners hails. MashRoots recently opened a stand at Element Eatery, the new food hall in Madisonville. At the College Hill location, there’s plenty of seating, including on a covered patio.
Across the street from El Camino, the local breakfast-and-lunch chain Sleepy Bee has opened its fourth restaurant, where they’ve been experimenting with the chain’s first dinner service. That’s going under the name Smoky Moth, but as of this writing they have temporarily suspended it while revamping their menu.
Rounding out the neighborhood’s drinking and dining options are the long-running Chinese place, Chung Ching Restaurant; the even longer-running diner-style restaurant, Bacall’s Cafe; and the inviting wine- and beer-oriented shop, Marty’s Hops and Vines. A variety of seating and table styles takes up half of the space at Marty’s, which offers organized wine tastings as well as everyday opportunities for patrons to hang out and sample their favorite drinks along with a small variety of food accompaniments.
With such an array of enticements, including a couple of “destination” establishments, College Hill deserves to be on your dining radar.
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