10 Best Crypto Betting Sites in The US

Are you looking for top crypto sports betting sites to try? There are many of them out there and making a choice could be a tad challenging, but that’s where we come in. In this guide, we’ve handpicked 10 of the best crypto betting sites for you. Keep reading to discover these highly recommended Bitcoin…

by Max Jones

10 Best Telegram Casinos + Latest Bonus Codes

From popular games like online slots and Plinko to instant payouts, Telegram casinos provide everything you need for an enjoyable and responsible gambling experience. To help you save precious time, we tested countless online gambling platforms to create this list of the 10 best Telegram casinos, with CoinCasino taking first place. However, all the crypto…

by Max Jones

UC Student Sent Islamophobic Letter to Home Address

A University of Cincinnati student is calling on school leaders and local law enforcement to take action after an Islamophobic letter with threatening language was sent to her home address. “There’s no action being taken,” said Laila Shaikh, founder and president of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) at UC. “They just are like, you…

by Madeline Fening

Social Darts Gaming Venue and Bar to Open in Downtown Cincinnati

A new entertainment, food and drinks concept is coming to downtown Cincinnati later this year. State of Play Hospitality, an international social entertainment company that has created several tech-enabled concepts, signed a lease for a space in 3CDC’s new mixed-use development in the former Saks Fifth Avenue building at 101 W. Fifth St. to bring…

by Katherine Barrier

10 Best Crypto Casinos in the US

Online casinos in the US are still a delicate subject for both players and regulators. Online gambling is still only legal in seven states, including NJ, PA, RI, MI, CT, DE, and WV. Players outside of the regulated zones have to pursue other avenues, and crypto casinos have become a remarkably convenient option. They are…

by Max Jones

Under Cover Book Club: April 2025 Book Reviews

In celebration of National Poetry Month, I’ve selected works by incredible poets whose words inspire, challenge and uplift. Among them is Ariana Reines, a UCBC alum, whose last book of poetry, The Sand Book, won the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. These books will be hidden on Saturday, April 26, starting at 11 a.m. in Norwood…

by Under Cover Book Club

10 Best Online Casinos Reviewed + Latest Casino Bonus Codes

Wherever you are, if you’re looking for the best online casinos, we’re here to help. We’ve done thorough research to come up with a list of the best online gambling sites available. It was tough to choose which were our favorites but we’ve tried to choose a variety to suit all types of people, from…

by Max Jones

Ohio Republican Senators Propose Eliminating Drop Boxes, Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voting

Two Republican Ohio state senators want to eliminate drop boxes for absentee ballots and require Ohioans to show proof of citizenship to vote. The proof-of-citizenship requirements trigger when voters register or update their existing registration. So, registered voters won’t notice any changes until they update information to reflect changes like a new name or address.…

by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal

Ohio House Budget Requires Private Colleges Comply With Diversity Ban to be Eligible for Scholarship

The Ohio House’s version of the two-year state operating budget added new requirements for private colleges if they want to continue to participate in the Governor’s Merit Scholarship, including complying with Ohio’s new higher education ban on diversity and inclusion efforts. According to language from the House’s version of the budget, private colleges must automatically…

by Megan Henry, Ohio Capital Journal

Mount Adams to Host Golf-Themed Bar Crawl Series

Grab your best golf skirt, polo or flat cap because Mount Adams is hosting the Mt. Adams Masters, a golf-themed bar crawl, on April 12. Signing up for the event is free. The Mt. Adams Masters will include prizes for the top “golfers,” specialty drink deals and golf-themed mini-games and challenges. Participating locations include Hi-Fi…

by Jillian Kohls

10 Best Offshore Sportsbooks + Latest Betting Bonuses

If you’re in the U.S. and want to have a great sports betting experience, why not consider offshore sports betting? There are many advantages to exploring new offshore sports books, including potentially higher bonus amounts and wider payment options. In this guide, we’ve pulled together the best offshore sportsbooks. Below, you’ll find our top list…

by Max Jones

Best Chinese

Oriental Wok KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia First Wok Uncle Yip’s Blue Gibbon Dragon City Shanghai on Elm China Gourmet Fortune Noodle House Casual Chinese

by Katherine Barrier

Best Phallic-Themed Weather Report

Ever watch the weather and think, “I should call him?” That was certainly the case for many Cincinnatians when AccuWeather shared images of a hot pink, phallic-shaped snowstorm moving through the area just after the new year. The storm dropped its load of white stuff on Greater Cincinnati, essentially shutting down the city for days.…

by Deirdre Kaye

Best Museum Exhibit

Discovering Ansel Adams, Cincinnati Art Museum POMPEII: The Exhibition, Cincinnati Museum Center The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, Cincinnati Art Museum

by CityBeat Staff

Best Improvisational Shakespeare

The theatrical and improv wizards who constitute the Improvised Shakespeare Company came to Cincinnati in October. Picking a whimsical title — Did He or Didn’t He? — from several shouted out by the audience, the team’s four actors put together a remarkable and hilarious 90-minute performance that included songs, choreography and other silliness in the…

by Rick Pender

Best Fish & Chips

Alabama Fish Bar The Pub Incline Public House Nicholson’s Molly Malone’s Cock & Bull Public House Greyhound Tavern Dead Low Brewing Gaslight Bar & Grill Gilligan’s on the Green

by CityBeat Staff

Best Place to Buy Art

Summerfair Pendleton Art Center The Collective Flamingo Haven Antique Mall Fabulous Frames & Art Row House Gallery MiCA 12/v Jack Wood Gallery Wave Pool (DSGN)CLLCTV

by CityBeat Staff

Best Bookstore that Could be a Fairytale Setting

Located in the heart of Harrison, Ohio’s adorable shopping district, Enchanted Novelties understood the assignment when it came to opening a much-wanted bookstore along this Main Street with Hallmark movie small-town vibes. A charming space for bookworms of every genre, Enchanted Novelties features fantasy-themed decor and accents throughout the shop, including cozy reading nooks, faux…

by Katherine Barrier

Best Takeout

Dewey’s Pizza Eli’s BBQ City Barbeque Pig Candy BBQ Catch-a-Fire Pizza Gomez Mazunte Pho Lang Thang Currito Sweets & Meats BBQ

by CityBeat Staff

Best Boutique that Upcycles to Make Cincinnati Merchandise

An article of clothing that simultaneously shows off your love for Cincinnati and your own sense of style is exactly what you need. Told Ya Sew Studio is the best place to look for apparel that is freshly embroidered with Cincy love. The merchandise in the shop includes shoutouts to several Cincinnati sports teams, including…

by Jillian Kohls

Best Hotel Restaurant

Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar at Hotel Covington Metropole at 21C Museum Hotel The National Exemplar at Best Western Premier Mariemont Inn

by CityBeat Staff

Best Place to Get Dole Whip and Avoid Spilling it on Your Corset

Think a fresh swirl of this zesty ambrosia will cost you a trip to your nearest Disney park? Think again. It’s light, it’s airy, it’s extremely susceptible to warm temperatures, and apparently it can be found in Waynesville, Ohio, during the unofficial months-long holiday that is the Ohio Renaissance Festival. If you feel like risking…

by Nadya Ellerhorst

Best Tacos

Agave & Rye Mazunte Condado Tacos OLLA Taqueria Gutierrez Tortilleria Garcia Bakersfield Gomez La Mexicana (TIE) El Coyote and Taqueria Mercado Pata Roja

by CityBeat Staff

Best Creative Campus for Food, Shops and More

The Warsaw Avenue Creative Campus in East Price Hill is a $10-million mixed-use revitalization project from neighborhood nonprofit Price Hill Will. The development takes up a full block along Warsaw Avenue and features eight newly renovated historic buildings, along with 13 affordable apartments, the new home of the MYCincinnati Youth Orchestra in a former historic…

by Katherine Barrier

Best Cincinnatian

Fiona the Hippo Joe Burrow Bob Herzog Colleen the Goose Bootsy Collins Megan Mitchell Molly Wellmann Emilio Estevez Rose Lavelle Anthony Munoz

by CityBeat Staff

Best Do Gooder

Matthew 25: Ministries Longbottom Bird Ranch Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden La Soupe ArtWorks Ohio Innocence Project Life Food Pantry ArtsWave The Friends of the Public Library Aubrey Rose Foundation

by CityBeat Staff

Welcome to the Best of Cincinnati® 2025

Every day, we all go about our business in Greater Cincinnati. We work. We eat. We shop. We party. We unwind. But as we mark things from our neverending to-do lists, how often do we stop to think about how lucky we are to have so much of what we need within a short walk,…

by CityBeat Staff

Best Brewpub

Madtree Fifty West Brewing Co. West Side Brewing Nine Giant Brewpub & Fermentorium HighGrain Brewing Co. Dead Low Brewing Third Eye Brewing Moerlein Lager House Barleycorn’s Brewhouse Voodoo Brew Pub

by CityBeat Staff

Best Hilarious Holiday-Themed Improv Comedy

The Cincinnati Playhouse’s non-Christmas Carol holiday show by Chicago’s Second City marked the legendary improv comedy troupe’s 65th anniversary in November and December. They’ve performed at the Playhouse’s Shelterhouse Theatre before, and every time they sell out every outing with songs, sketches and characters developed by the likes of Tina Fey, Eugene Levy, Bill Murray…

by Rick Pender

Best Candy Store

Aglamesis Bro’s Doscher’s Candy Co. Schneider’s Sweet Shop Esther Price Jungle Jim’s International Market Supreme Nut and Candy Fawn Candy Minges Candy Winans Chocolates + Coffees Tickled Sweet

by CityBeat Staff

Best Tattoo Shop

Soul Rage Tattoo The Decorated Body Designs by Dana Skincraft Piercing & Tattoo Flying Tiger Tattoo White Whale Tattoo Crying Heart Tattoo Wicked Dragon Tattoo & Piercing Red Dragon Tattoo & Piercing Barber’s Electric Tattoo

by CityBeat Staff

Best Vietnamese

Pho Lang Thang Wild Ginger DOPE! Asian Street Fare Pho Kimmy Pho Viet Saigon Noodle Bar Saigon Subs and Rolls Pho96 iPho Vietnamese Cuisine Lalo

by CityBeat Staff

Best New Chili and Pasta Dish

While many Cincinnatians had been (and still are) mourning the loss of Mountain Dew and Pepsi products at Skyline Chili, the restaurant softened the blow by introducing the Mac and Cheese Way. The limited-time menu item featured cavatappi in a three-cheese blend in place of the usual spaghetti, and was topped with Skyline chili and…

by Lauren Serge

Best Place for a Hangover Breakfast

When you are finally getting up and out of bed on a Saturday or Sunday after a long night out and the only thing on your mind is a coffee and meal, Press on Monmouth has you covered. The shop offers options ranging from smashed avocado egg sandwiches to Mediterranean salads with feta and citrus…

by Jillian Kohls

Best Explosion in Popularity of a Cincinnati Musician

Largely rooted in folk rock, Michael Marcagi’s debut American Romance is centered around experiencing love and loss growing up in Cincinnati and the Midwest. After experiencing success with local band The Heavy Hours, Marcagi began gaining a large following on TikTok, where he posted several videos of himself performing his original music in the months…

by Brooke Burkhardt

Best Place to Play a Game of Jenga Giant

Are you ever out with your friends and you feel you need a game to spice up the fun? Look no further than Covington Yard with their game of giant Jenga (or Jenga Giant, as it’s officially called). Alongside local food trucks, a fully stocked bar and cornhole, you and your friends can play the…

by Jillian Kohls

Best Cincinnati Offensive Lineman With a Hat Brand

Many NFL players in Cincinnati have foundations in their name to serve the community. Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Ted Karras has a foundation with a stylistic spin to it. The Cincy Hat supports adults with developmental disabilities, with 100% of the proceeds from hat sales going to either the Village of Merici (which provides independent…

by Jillian Kohls

Best Game Promotion

Yes, we are all upset that dollar beer night no longer exists for the Cincinnati Cyclones, but it is undeniable that $2 per can is still a phenomenal deal. Hockey is a great sport for casual fans and this kind of in-game promotion makes it approachable for all. cycloneshockey.com.

by Evan Shibel

Best Friend to the Environment

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub Longbottom Bird Ranch Great Parks of Hamilton County Cincinnati Parks Keep Cincinnati Beautiful Krohn Conservatory Cincinnati Nature Center Indigo Hippo The Friends of the Public Library

by CityBeat Staff

Best Tall Stacks Revival Event

Those who may have been wistful and nostalgic about Tall Stacks were in for a treat this year when it was announced that a new festival would be launching to celebrate our Ohio River roots. River Roots is set to celebrate Cincinnati’s river culture with a festival Oct. 8-12 along the Ohio River. The festivities…

by Lauren Serge

Best Chicken

The Eagle Galactic Fried Chicken Silver Spring House Ron’s Roost Restaurant & Bar The Hitching Post Libby’s Southern Comfort CityBird Greyhound Tavern Revolution Rotisserie Joella’s Hot Chicken

by CityBeat Staff

Best Regional Museum

COSI Indianapolis Children’s Museum National Museum of the United States Air Force Speed Art Museum Dayton Art Institute Otherworld Armstrong Air & Space Museum Boonshoft Museum of Discovery Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art Carillon Historical Park

by CityBeat Staff

Best Bagels

Marx Bagels The Bagelry Bruegger’s Bagels OTR Bagel Bar Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli Big Apple Bagels Everything Bagels Skip’s Bagel Deli Livia Jo’s Bagels Bagel Brothers

by CityBeat Staff

Best Wine Shop

Jungle Jim’s International Market The Party Source Hyde Park Wine & Spirits Oakley Wines Marty’s Hops and Vines Wine Merchant Market Wines Crafts & Vines Water Tower Fine Wines Bridgetown Finer Wines

by CityBeat Staff

Best Overall Restaurant

Sotto Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct Ivory House Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Pepp & Dolores Abigail Street Jeff Ruby’s Carlo and Johnny’s Boca Mita’s Wildweed

by CityBeat Staff

Best Korean

Riverside Korean BIBIBOP Decibel Korean Fried Chicken Kanji Drunken Bento Stone Bowl Red Sesame BBQ Korea House Restaurant Dolsot Bistro CM Chicken

by CityBeat Staff

Best Thai

Teak OTR Thai Express Green Papaya Siam Orchid Wild Ginger Buddha Barn Thai Asiana (TIE) Bangkok Bistro and Mai Thai Lemongrass Thai Namtip

by CityBeat Staff

Best Damned Chocolate, Still

Aglamesis Bro’s is consistently under the radar when it comes to Cincinnati sweets but when it comes to dark chocolate nonpareils, nothing else comes close. Made in the company’s local candy kitchen, the deeply rich dollops of dark chocolate are known to produce reactions bordering on orgasmic, according to first-time tasters. The company recently updated…

by Anne Arenstein

Best Steakhouse

Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny Losanti Ivory House Walt’s Hitching Post Maury’s Tiny Cove (TIE) Lonely Pine and MRBL Tony’s of Cincinnati Son of a Butcher

by CityBeat Staff

Best Concert for Exploring Female Rage

Alanis Morrissette has never shied away from making a statement. Accompanied by Joan Jett and Morgan Wade, last summer’s “Triple Moon Tour” that paid a visit to Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center was an embodiment of powerful female rage and power. Apart from powerful musical performances from Morissette and others, the show also included powerful visuals,…

by Brooke Burkhardt

Best Reaction to a Setback

When Four Entertainment Group (4EG) bought The Drinkery — a favorite among young revelers since 2010 — they planned to close it for a short time to renovate and rebrand with a new name: Nice Life. After a very brief closing last August, 4EG announced they were facing some setbacks on the grand renovation, and…

by Brian Cross

Best Clown of the People

From his earlier videos wandering around beloved Cincinnati events like Taste of Cincinnati and the Northside Fourth of July Parade, to his more recent content involving dubious dips in the Ohio River, softmaxplus (real name Michael Sawan) has built a brand being a kind of nonchalant, everyday bizarre. As a vintage-suit-wearing, Miller-High-Life-drinking clown, his videos…

by Leyla Shokoohe

Best Bar With a Zoltar Machine

Holiday Liquor Bar offers drinks like Malört and food like hot dogs. In a separate area next to the bar is the fun center, featuring pool tables and Skee-Ball. But in the bar area lies possibly Cincinnati’s only Zoltar machine. If you recall, in the movie Big, Tom Hanks wishes on a Zoltar machine to…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Journalist

Bob Herzog (WKRC) Jessica Schmidt (FOX19) Megan Mitchell (WLWT) Tana Weingartner (WVXU) Lucy May (WVXU) Tricia Mackie (FOX19) John Matarese (WCPO) Keith Pandolfi (Cincinnati Enquirer) Nick Swartsell (WVXU) Becca Costello (WVXU)

by CityBeat Staff

Best Mural of a Local Legend

The late Jerry Springer is now forever memorialized in Cincinnati. The former Cincinnati mayor and TV talk show host is the subject of a mural in Over-the-Rhine, which is located on the outside of the Tender Mercies building. The art features an image of Springer backlit with splashes of bright, cheerful colors and is adorned…

by Lauren Serge

Best Charity Festival/Event

Cincinnati Pride Flying Pig Marathon Asian Food Fest ​​My Furry Valentine Walk to End Alzheimer’s Bockfest Cindependent Film Festival Let’s Dance for the Heart of It! Zoofari Cincy Beerfest

by CityBeat Staff

Best Fresh Air for Serious Theater

Fans of serious theater — be it dramas, comedies or solo performances — have found excellent productions of such shows by Falcon Theatre on Monmouth Street in Newport, Kentucky’s historic district. They offer a five-show season that’s typically stocked with regional premieres of plays that are being staged locally for the first time. Falcon is…

by Rick Pender

Best Way to Get Back into Film Photography and Drink Good Coffee

Last year, photographer Taylor Kubik installed a film vending machine inside Collective Espresso Newport. He calls the company Camera Vitamins. The state-of-the-art machine dispenses different types of film. Once the roll is used, drop it off because Kubik processes the film in a darkroom. You can get scans, and he’ll make 8×10 prints. Film photography…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Cheap Eats

Skyline Chili Goodfellas Pizzeria Zip’s Cafe Blue Ash Chili Gomez Salsa Mazunte Dixie Chili Camp Washington Chili Price Hill Chili Gold Star

by CityBeat Staff

Best Food Festival or Event

Taste of Cincinnati Oktoberfest Asian Food Festival Goettafest Cincinnati Pizza Week Cincinnati Burger Week Panegyri Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week Cincinnati Food Truck Association Festival Germania Society Oktoberfest

by CityBeat Staff

Best Ice Cream

Graeter’s Ice Cream Aglamesis Bro’s United Dairy Farmers Schneider’s Sweet Shop Hello Honey Jeni’s Sugar Shack by the Tracks Dojo Gelato Whipty-Do! Gold Spoon Creamery

by CityBeat Staff

Best Late-Night Eatery

Goodfellas Pizzeria Skyline Chili Camp Washington Chili Gomez Salsa Anchor Grill Dixie Chili Pleasant Ridge Chili Shanghai on Elm Mikey’s Late Night Slice Longfellow

by CityBeat Staff

Best New Coffee Shop Located Inside a Service Garage

Until Elliott Coffee arrived last year, Dayton, Kentucky, lacked a solid coffee hangout spot. Owners Elijah Knapp, his wife Isabelle, and Elijah’s brother Asa tout “a celebration of ordinary days,” but there’s nothing ordinary about the place. First of all, they transformed an old service station into a separate room to order the coffee, outdoor…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Handheld, No-Fuss Way to Enjoy Some Slassic Skyline Dip

A newfound staple of Bengals season is Starlight Doughnut Lab’s Skyline Chili Dip Doughnut. The doughnut is exactly as it sounds — a delicious, hot doughnut made to taste exactly like the staple game day snack. The made-from-scratch brioche doughnut is packed with aromatic Skyline chili, cheese, onions and cream cheese, creating an explosion of…

by Lauren Serge

Best On-the-Spot News

Where do you get your news? Reading this venerable publication? Turning on the TV? TikTok? (Please, no.) How about Lamenuel Scales, aka Hilarious Scales, aka Hood News 75? The Greater Cincinnati resident has blown up on social media thanks to his, yes, hilarious recountings of various regional news items. The Ohio River’s flooding? He’s wading…

by Leyla Shokoohe

Best CCM Callout by a Pop Star

In November, pop artist Allie X visited Bogart’s on her “Weird World Tour.” Allie X has been releasing music since 2011, first gaining widespread attention for her hit, “Bitch,” off her debut EP CollXtion I. Nearly two decades after her rejection from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), Allie X had a few…

by Brooke Burkhardt

Best Rebirth of a Downtown Corner

Perhaps downtown Cincinnati’s oldest corner took on new life with the renovation of Lytle Park on the east end of Fourth Street. After a long-term argument about tree removal, Lytle Park now features a lovely fountain, a jogging path, a bocce ball court, a playground with picnic tables and beautiful seasonal flower beds (supported by…

by Rick Pender

Best Library Makeovers

A pair of downtown libraries experienced some much-needed updates that have made each of them more attractive. The main Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library location has a spiffy new entry courtyard and an airy, bright lobby with a magnificent staircase featuring colored bars of information about musicians, bands, singers and composers from the 1940s…

by Rick Pender

Best Reimagining of a Shakespeare Classic

Shakespeare wrote Hamlet four centuries ago. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company toured a production to regional parks in the summer of 2024. But that was just the beginning: It opened its season with Fat Ham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning translation of the show into a funny, backyard barbecue, and more recently staged A Room in the Castle, a…

by Rick Pender

Best Kid-Friendly Attraction

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden The Children’s Museum at the Cincinnati Museum Center Longbottom Bird Ranch Kings Island Newport Aquarium Cincinnati Art Museum Great Parks of Hamilton County Cincinnati Parks Smale Riverfront Park Behringer-Crawford Museum

by CityBeat Staff

Best New Thing

BLINK’s Expansion to Newport Joe Burrow’s Batmobile Lebanon Pride Elephant Trek at the Cincinnati Zoo Wildweed DJ Boywife’s Revitalization of Cincy’s Club Scene Skyline’s Mac and Cheese Way Camp Snoopy at Kings Island Mae Moiselle Presents Safi Wine Bar

by CityBeat Staff

Best Skin Care Service

Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center CryoOH Mona Dermatology Hand & Stone 501 Salon & Spa Oasis Face Bar Salt + Light Salon and Spa Grace + Grit Spa Livio Med Spa New Body Aesthetics

by CityBeat Staff

Best Local Makeup Store to Break Your Sephora Habit

Repeat after me: There’s no reason to shop at a major retailer when a cute local boutique has exactly what you need. Launch Party in Over-the-Rhine totally eclipses the experience of trudging through a strip mall Ulta or braving the Kenwood crowds just to swatch concealers. The charming boutique — right across the street from…

by CityBeat Staff

Best View From Your Table

Incline Public House Primavista Montgomery Inn Boathouse MRBL City View Tavern The Chart House Moerlein Lager House Eighteen at the Radisson Shires Rooftop Buckhead Mountain Grill

by CityBeat Staff

Best Shop to Get Seafood, Meat, Bagels and Pasta

Rekas Butchery and Delicatessen, a sister to Wyoming Meat Market, brings their meats and pasta to Covington. Owner Shelby Nation and her wife, Ashley, created a deli and Italian grocer. Buy burger patties, sausages, Ohio wagyu ribeye and salmon to cook at home. To go, get side dishes like curry chicken salad and gourmet mortadella…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Happy Hour (Drinks)

Queen City Exchange The Belle and The Bear Bay Horse Cafe Juniper’s Somerset Dead Low Brewing The Comet Northside Yacht Club Longfellow Righteous Room

by CityBeat Staff

Best Organized Running Events

You’ve heard of the Flying Pig Marathon, Pig Works’ biggest event that draws runners from across the globe to take part in a weekend-long celebration of all things health and fitness. But they also produce other race events too, and there’s always a fun event attached. Runners often get a free beer ticket or two…

by Brian Cross

Best Personnel Upgrade for a Cincy Sports Team

After a historic offseason for FC Cincinnati, parting ways with fan-favorite and ever-talented Luciano Acosta, it was time to see how the team would re-tool. The additions of Evander and Kévin Denkey have already made an empirical difference for this FCC team as they look to continue their run of successful campaigns with the new…

by Evan Shibel

Best Yeehaw Moments in the Least Expected Venue

Most of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s audience for the Oct. 4 and 5 concerts showed up for Bela Fleck but he was almost upstaged by guest conductor Thomas Wilkins, who led a raucous and occasionally tender performance of Aaron Copland’s score for the ballet Rodeo. The CSO clearly relished the opportunity to let loose in…

by Anne Arenstein

Best Local Cause

Cincinnati Animal CARE Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio Longbottom Bird Ranch Matthew 25: Ministries Freestore Foodbank SPCA Cincinnati ArtWorks Cincinnati Public Radio Aubrey Rose Foundation ArtsWave

by CityBeat Staff

Best Radio Talk Show Host

Jeff and Jenn (Q102) Lucy May Cincinnati Edition (WVXU) Maryanne Zeleznik (WVXU) Mo Egger (ESPN 1530) Bill Cunningham (700WLW) Sara Elyse Jon “JonJon” Curl (KISS 107) Big Dave Show (B105) Kidd Chris Hot List – Tim, Fritsch, & Mollie (Q102)

by CityBeat Staff

Best TikTok Account

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (@cincinnatizoo) Longbottom Bird Ranch (@longbottombirdranch) The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County (@cincylibrary)

by CityBeat Staff

Best Efforts to Re-establish an Endangered Bird Species

This year, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is celebrating its 150th anniversary by ensuring birds of a feather can indeed stick together. Yes, there’s a lot more to this globally known and respected attraction than its holiday lights. Behind the scenes, the zoo’s conservation efforts reign supreme. A medium-sized bird called the sihek —…

by Jonathan Keilholz

Best Brunch

Sleepy Bee Cafe First Watch Maplewood Kitchen and Bar HangOverEasy Taste of Belgium Greyhound Tavern Coppin’s at Hotel Covington National Exemplar Sacred Beast Cedar

by CityBeat Staff

Best Furniture Store

Nadeau – Furniture With a Soul Arhaus IKEA Furniture Fair Habitat for Humanity Restore High St. Crate & Barrel Bargains and Buyouts Algin Home Emporium

by CityBeat Staff

Best Plant Store

Natorp’s Fern White Oak Garden Center A.J. Rahn’s Adrian Durban Gia and the Blooms Reading Feed & Garden Benken Frond The Budding Florist

by CityBeat Staff

Best Wedding Venue (Indoors)

Cincinnati Art Museum Hotel Covington The Bell Event Centre The Monastery Event Center Hilton Netherland Plaza The Transept The View at Mount Adams Lytle Park Hotel Mojave East The Palomar

by CityBeat Staff

Best Local Chain

Skyline Chili Dewey’s Pizza LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria Catch-a-Fire Pizza Mazunte Thunderdome Restaurant Group Agave & Rye Bridges Nepali Cuisine Gold Star Taste of Belgium

by CityBeat Staff

Best Hiking Trail

Cincinnati Nature Center Miami Whitewater Forest Ault Park Mt. Airy Forest Loveland Bike Trail East Fork State Park Sharon Woods Winton Woods Bender Mountain Nature Preserve Devou Park Backcountry Trail

by CityBeat Staff

Best Jazz Venue That insists You Listen

Caffè Vivace is that remarkable rarity: an intimate venue featuring outstanding jazz all week long. And you’re expected to listen. The audience rarely exceeds 40 and the bar service is efficient and unobtrusive. In a given month, you can hear The Blue Wisp Big Band, Camille Saba Smith, Paul Patterson and Phil DeGreg’s ensembles or…

by Anne Arenstein

Best Local Taproom

Little Miami Brewing Urban Artifact Rhinegeist West Side Brewing MadTree Brewing Fretboard Brewing Co. Dead Low Brewing Braxton Brewing Taproom Esoteric Brewing Co. Darkness Brewing

by CityBeat Staff

Best Playlist that Captures the Sounds of Cincy

We can’t drink at work, but we can listen to Cincinnati beer being made! Play Audio Agency spent a day capturing the sounds of Rhinegeist Brewery, making a score out of a Cincinnati hotspot “from the clinking of glasses to the hum of the brewing machinery, the bubbling of fermenters and the tapping of kegs,”…

by Jonathan Keilholz

Best Post-Round-of-Golf Beers

Now that spring is in full swing, morning golf rounds are returning to the rotation of weekend activities for many. While most courses in the area have impressive beer selections, sometimes the food can be hit or miss, and you don’t want to ruin that post-round beer on the clubhouse patio with just a mediocre…

by Evan Shibel

Best Radio Show

Jeff and Jenn (Q102) All Things Considered (WVXU) Cincinnati Edition (WVXU) Mo Egger ( ESPN1530) Bill Cunningham (700WLW) Eddie and Rocky (700WLW) Kidd Chris (WEBN) The Big Dave Show (B105) JonJon & Friends ( KISS1071) Brian Thomas

by Madeline Fening

Best Bathroom Art Gallery

DANCEFIX, a repeat CityBeat Best of Cincinnati winner for Best Dance Classes, has had quite the year. Founder Heather Britt opened a long-awaited new headquarters space in Walnut Hills in October, setting up shop in the burgeoning arts corridor on East McMillan Street. The studio is over 3,000 square feet, with a variety of dance…

by Leyla Shokoohe

Best Barbecue

Eli’s BBQ City Barbeque Montgomery Inn Lucius Q Pig Candy BBQ Just Q’in Bee’s Barbecue Smoke Justis Sweets & Meats BBQ Beards & Bellies Barbeque

by CityBeat Staff

Best Chef (w/ Restaurant Affiliation)

Jose Salazar (Mita’s, Safi Wine Bar, Daylily) Dylan Jones (Jeff Ruby Steakhouse) Hideki Harada (Kiki, Sen by Kiki) Jacob Wood (Sotto) Drew Rath (Tuba Baking Co.) Alfio (Alfio’s) Cristian Pietoso (Via Vite, Forno, Nicola’s) Jeffrey Harris (Nolia) (TIE) Jawuan Coleman (Incline Public House) and Paul Barraca (The Governor) Mary Paff (Ivory House)

by CityBeat Staff

Best Hidden Gem

The Blind Lemon Tickle Pickle Incline Public House Tuba Baking Co Pig Candy BBQ The Governor Kiki College Hill Maury’s Tiny Cove Mazunte Galactic Fried Chicken

by CityBeat Staff

Best Ribs

Montgomery Inn Eli’s BBQ Pig Candy BBQ Walt’s Hitching Post Just Q’in City Barbeque Lucius Q Bee’s BBQ Sweets & Meats BBQ El Coyote

by CityBeat Staff

Best Themed Kids Menu

Tucked almost perfectly between Great American Ball Park and Paycor Stadium, The Filson serves some of Cincinnati’s best burgers — like the juicy, sticky Porkopolis “handheld.” But the menu goes beyond burgers, offering thin pizzas, loaded fries and unique appetizers like KY Sticky Ribs with housemade bourbon barbecue sauce. It’s not just another sports bar;…

by Deirdre Kaye

Best Jumbo Chicken Wing on Top of a Bloody Mary

A perfectly crafted Bloody Mary strikes just the right balance of savory and spicy. And what could make it even better? A jumbo chicken wing, of course. Smoke Justis in Covington takes brunch to the next level with their signature Bloody Mary, featuring a shooter of Wheatley Vodka, olives and a perfectly smoked chicken wing…

by Jillian Kohls

Best Celebrity Costume of an NFL Quarterback

Joe Burrow has drawn plenty of lookalike comparisons over the years. When he flares his nose in frustration, it’s hard not to see Beavis of Beavis and Butt-Head fame. And who could forget the time he channeled The Rock with a pregame fit? But, somehow, everyone missed his resemblance to Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister —…

by Deirdre Kaye

Best Unofficial Canine Bar Spokesman

Snugs has likely accomplished more in his dog years than most of us have in our mortal lifetimes. He’s modeled hats, ruthlessly guarded arcade apparatuses and sat behind the wheel of (mini) autonomous vehicles. Yet he hasn’t let the fame get to his head. A stoic little fella, this big-eyed, long-haired chihuahua carries himself like…

by Nadya Ellerhorst

Best Soon-to-be-Famous Post-Punk Band

When critics and fans talk about post-punk, rarely do American bands come up. Like its predecessor, the post-punk movement has been centered in the U.K., with bands like Idles, Fontaines D.C., Yard Act, Black Country, New Road and others defining the genre. Our understanding of post-punk — how it sounds, its recurring themes, its worldview…

by Zurie Pope

Best Rooftop Bar

Rhinegeist Bishop’s Quarter Braxton Brewing Co. 21c Cocktail Terrace Second Story City View Tavern Top of the Park/The Phelps Bar The Blind Pig AC Upper Deck The Aquifer Tasting Room at New Riff

by CityBeat Staff

Best Retro Uniforms

This could cause some fierce debate, but the debut of Xavier University’s early 2000s white retro uniforms was one of the most well-executed campaigns we have seen in this city for some time. Beginning early in the week, the athletic department at Xavier began planting mysterious QR codes around the campus and surrounding areas, including…

by Evan Shibel

Best Local Author with an Upcoming Netflix Adaptation

Visit any bookstore or scroll through BookTok and you’ll find mentions of Emily Henry’s romance novels. Henry, who grew up and currently resides in Cincinnati, became an overnight success in 2020 with her novel Beach Read. The colorful, animated styles of her book covers reflect their content well – cheery, sweet and containing the rom-com…

by Lauren Serge

Best Coffee Shop (Local)

Coffee Emporium Mom ‘n ‘em Deeper Roots Roebling Books and Coffee Kitty Brew Cat Cafe Proud Hound Coffee Unataza Coffee Urbana Cafe Sayler Park Coffee Carabello Coffee

by CityBeat Staff

Best Three-Day Storytelling Extravaganza

For the better part of a decade, storyteller Paul Strickland has been entertaining audiences at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival (as well as fringe festivals across North America) with his whimsical tall tales from the Big Fib Trailer Park. He’s cultivated a captivating art form and developed a national following. He’s building on that as the…

by Rick Pender

Best Antique Store

Ohio Valley Antique Mall Wooden Nickel Antiques Flamingo Haven Antique Mall Riverside Centre Antique Mall Grand Antique Mall Every Now & Then Antique Furniture Mall Astute Furnishings West Chester Antique Center Beardo’s Curiosities Early Bird Resale

by CityBeat Staff

Best Catering (Restaurant)

Eli’s BBQ Artemis Mediterranean Bistro City Barbeque Mazunte Sweets & Meats BBQ Gomez Salsa Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants Lucius Q Soul Secrets Alabama Que

by CityBeat Staff

Best Farmers Market

Findlay Market Hyde Park Farmers Market Northside Farmers Market Covington Farmers Market Fort Thomas Farmers Market Montgomery Farmers Market Newtown Farmers’ Market Loveland Farmers Market Madeira Farmers Market Bellevue Farmers Market

by CityBeat Staff

Best Food Truck

Red Sesame Korean BBQ Sweets & Meats BBQ Tacos Locos Marty’s Waffles Jorge’s Taco Truck Texas Joe Tex-Mex SEA Cuisine Cackleberry Mexi-Q Twisted Greek

by CityBeat Staff

Best Outdoor/Patio Dining

Incline Public House Little Miami Brewing Co. Cabana on the River Fifty West Burger Bar The Monkey Bar & Grille Pig Candy BBQ Arnold’s Bar & Grill Northside Yacht Club Dead Low Brewing Catch-a-Fire Pizza

by CityBeat Staff

Best Overall Burgers (Non-Chain)

Zip’s Café Tickle Pickle Sammy’s Craft Burgers & Beers Roney’s Quatman Cafe + Bard’s Burgers & Chili Turf Club Arthur’s Nation Kitchen & Bar Milkman 50 West Burger Bar

by CityBeat Staff

Best Overall Restaurant (Northern Kentucky)

Walt’s Hitching Post Pompilios KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia Greyhound Tavern Tuba Baking Co. (TIE) Agave & Rye and Libby’s Southern Comfort Coppin’s at Hotel Covington Bouquet Restaurant & Wine Bar Blinkers Oriental Wok

by CityBeat Staff

Best Place to Buy Your Kid a Brand New Wardrobe on a Budget

Once Upon a Child has numerous locations and each one offers an abundant stock of clothes for kids from infants up to preteens, all in good condition. Clothes are conveniently displayed by age and color and there are always seasonal offerings for Halloween, Christmas and Fourth of July, plus a lot of Disney-themed clothing. They…

by Anne Arenstein

Best Macaroni & Cheese

The Eagle Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Eli’s BBQ Keystone’s Mac Shack Pig Candy BBQ Lucius Q El Coyote Tavern on the Bend Ivory House Incline Public House

by CityBeat Staff

Best New Zen Kentucky Coffee and Tea Shop

Last April, AmerAsia co-owners Johnny and Hana Chu opened the coffee and tea shop KungBrew Cafe in Mainstrasse. It became the first tea shop in Covington. They import some of their teas from Taiwan. Johnny collects antiques and has installed many of them in the building. The upstairs contains an Asian-themed painted mural with soothing…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Purple Croissant

Cafe Mochiko is not your average bakery — or your average ramen restaurant. For starters, it is both, serving baked goods early in the day and ramen in the evening. The flavors are inspired by cuisines throughout Asia, as well as Cincinnati area favorites. The highlight of the menu? The ube halaya croissant. Ube is…

by Caroline Beckman

Best Park for a Woah Woah Season Photo Shoot

For the uninitiated, woah woah season refers to that magic of the fall season when the weather is gloomy and the vibes are oh-so-vampy — very similar to the movie Twilight and its accompanying soundtrack that included the song “Eyes on Fire” by Blue Foundation, which is where the title of the season gets its…

by Ashley Moor

Best Local Winery

Revel OTR Urban Winery Vinoklet Winery & Restaurant Indian Spring Winery Valley Vineyards & Cellar Dwellers The Skeleton Root Elk Creek Winery Burnet Ridge Winery StoneBrook Winery FRUITBLOOD Wines Hanover Winery

by CityBeat Staff

Best Band to Headbang To

Overflow delivers an electrifying blend of raw energy, tight musicianship and unapologetic passion that defines the very essence of hardcore. Their latest release, an EP entitled DEMO 2024, is a relentless onslaught of crushing riffs, breakneck tempos and guttural vocals that command attention from the first note to the last. Every track pulses with intensity,…

by Zurie Pope

Best Highly-Anticipated, Solo Debut Record from Local Musician

It’s hard to think of the Ohio music scene without thinking of Kim Deal. Since the 1980s, the Dayton native has been making music with influential bands The Breeders and The Pixies, and last year, finally released her debut solo album, Nobody Loves You More. In February, Deal played two sold-out hometown shows in Dayton…

by Brooke Burkhardt

Best Summer Camp

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Cincinnati Nature Center YMCA Camp Ernst Camp Kern Camp Joy Club MMA Clifton Cultural Arts Center Cincinnati Art Museum Cincinnati Reds Baseball Camp Mutual Dance Theatre & Arts Centers

by CityBeat Staff

Best Antiracism Action Activation

On Feb. 7, white supremacists waved swastika flags on the I-75 overpass in Lincoln Heights. No arrests were made by officials. Lincoln Heights residents took matters into their own hands. They flocked to the overpass to let the agitators know their actions wouldn’t fly under the radar. No physical altercations took place — as much…

by Leyla Shokoohe

Best Reason to do the Time Warp

In Covington, the Carnegie’s summer production of the cult classic was the surprise hit of the summer 2024 season. The 1973 musical The Rocky Horror Show inspired the 1975 cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show that still draws audiences for midnight showings at movie houses like Clifton’s Esquire Theatre. It proved so popular…

by Rick Pender

Best Local Tour

Spring Grove Cemetery Tours Cincinnati Zoo Tours ArtWorks Mural Tours American Legacy Tours Cincinnati Food Tours Cincinnati Brewing Heritage Trail Tour Pedal Wagon Cincy Brew Bus SS Tiki Tours Riverside Food Tours

by CityBeat Staff

Best Men’s Clothing Store

Duluth Trading Post BlaCk OWned OuterWear Hellman Clothiers Cincy Shirts Romualdo The Native Brand Blaine’s Fine Men’s Apparel Trevor Furbay Bespoke Corporate J.Salandino Collection

by CityBeat Staff

Best Spot to Take Your Wedding Photos in the Winter

If you are planning the winter wedding of your dreams, but don’t want to take wedding photos in the cold, we have the best spot for you. studio821 photography studio in Newport offers a wide variety of rooms and spaces for everyone’s interest; there is an auditorium, a ballroom, a lounge and more. The studio…

by Jillian Kohls

Best Locally Made Cards Making Fun of Trump

Since Donald Trump won the 2024 election, few things have been joyful. But, Keli Spanier, the owner of the greeting card company Colette Paperie, has offered a reprieve to those filled with grief since Election Day. Spanier, who created the company to flip the script on typical greeting cards, went viral for her Trump-themed grief…

by Lauren Serge

Best Thrift Shop with Vintage High-End Clothing

Clothing shopping, especially in the Clifton Heights area, can be difficult. If you’re a University of Cincinnati student, your options are limited. The main stores that sell clothing are Target and Urban Outfitters — both of which are expensive — along with a smattering of shops offering discounted streetwear. Anything else, and you’ll need to…

by Zurie Pope

Best Indian

Ambar India Restaurant Jot India Maya Indian Restaurant Baba India Restaurant Dusmesh Indian Restaurant & Bar Delhi Palace Indian Cuisine Krishna Indian Restaurant & Carryout Amol India Shaan Indian Cuisine Adeep India

by CityBeat Staff

Best Local Snack

Grippo’s Hen of the Woods Tuba Baking Co. Pretzel Babushka Pierogies Doscher’s French Chew Bridges Nepali Cuisine’s Momos Honey Child Artisan Pops Urban Stead quark Makers Bakers’ banana pudding Al’s Delicious Popcorn

by CityBeat Staff

Best Celtic/British Pub

Molly Malone’s O’Malley’s in the Alley The Pub – Rookwood Nicholson’s Hap’s Irish Pub RP McMurphy’s Crowley’s Crow’s Nest Cock & Bull Murphy’s

by CityBeat Staff

Best Late-Night Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is a lot of things to a lot of people. For some, it’s a favorite side. For others, it’s straight from the kids’ menu. When you think of mac and cheese, you may not necessarily associate it with late nights on the town, but Keystone’s Mac Shack on Short Vine is open…

by Caroline Beckman

Best Bloody Mary

Northside Yacht Club The Eagle The Belle and The Bear Juniper’s Nation Kitchen & Bar Dead Low Brewing TIE HangOverEasy Crazy Fox Saloon Taste of Belgium Maplewood Kitchen and Bar Coppin’s at Hotel Covington

by CityBeat Staff

Best Place to Not Miss a Moment During the Big Game

While The Pitch is synonymous with its connection to FC Cincinnati and soccer-crazed fans all over the city (obviously, as it is across the street from TQL stadium), their television setup is second to none. With a large screen visible from both the main bar and upstairs overhang, as well as a multitude of TVs…

by Evan Shibel

Best Sports Bar

MVP Sports Bar & Grille Knockback Nat’s Queen City Exchange The Holy Grail Second Place Anderson Township Pub Higher Gravity Blue Goose Sports Cafe rhinehaus The Pitch

by CityBeat Staff

Best Pharmacist to Fill an Equity Gap in Avondale

Emmanuel Ayanjoke opened the Altev Community Pharmacy in Avondale Town Center last year, helping many residents of the predominantly Black neighborhood reconnect with their health care needs. Before opening Altev Community Pharmacy, Ayanjoke said Avondale had gone years without a CVS or Walgreens. But growing up in a local pharmacy back home in Nigeria gave…

by Madeline Fening

Best Creamy Whip/Soft Serve

Putz’s Creamy Whip Dairy Queen Zip Dip Silver Grove Dari Bar Mt. Washington Creamy Whip & Bakery The Cone Loveland Dairy Whip Sugar Shack by the Tracks Whipty-Do! Mt. Healthy Dairy Bar

by CityBeat Staff

Best Local Museum Fossil Dig

Dust off your “-saurus” flashcards because dinosaurs still roam Cincinnati — in fossil form, at least. Cincinnati Museum Center recently expanded its already massive fossil collection with a nine-week dig out west. Partnering with Elevation Science Institute, teams of paleontologists and volunteers unearthed prehistoric treasures, from a Hadrosaurus with skin impressions to a Triceratops frill…

by Jonathan Keilholz

Best OBGYN

TriHealth Women’s Services The Christ Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Planned Parenthood

by CityBeat Staff

Best New Boutique for Local Goods and Tarot Readings

Last year, Wendy Braun and Tatum Davis opened a lifestyle boutique and apothecary named Monmouth St. Mercantile inside the old Baker’s Table Bakery location in Newport. They focus on self-care, wellness and self-love — and we all need those things right now — in the form of teas, clothing, astrology, candles and bath bombs. They…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Mediterranean/Greek

Aladdin’s Eatery Abigail Street Sebastian’s Greek Restaurant Artemis Phoenecian Taverna Andy’s Mediterranean Grille Cafe Alma Greek to Me Santorini’s Cafe Mediterranean

by CityBeat Staff

Best Dance Club

Alice Tokyo Kitty MixWells Bloom OTR Good Judy’s Mr. Pitifuls The Birdcage Main Event Cincinnati Galaxie Lost & Found Tulua

by CityBeat Staff

Best Golf Course (Public)

Aston Oaks Golf Club Blue Ash Golf Course Devou Park Golf Course The Golf Club at Stonelick Hills Avon Fields Little Miami Golf Center Shaker Run Golf Club Twin Oaks Elks Run Beckett Ridge Golf Club

by CityBeat Staff

Best Margarita

Agave & Rye Mi Cozumel El Coyote Mazunte Bakersfield Condado Tacos El Rancho Grande Cancun Frida 602 Nada

by CityBeat Staff

Best New Floor at a Cincinnati Institution

For nearly a century and a half, Cincinnati Music Hall audiences have been walking across the lobby’s red-and-white checkerboard stone floor. All those footsteps, as well as well-intended but harsh cleaning processes and acrylic coatings, made for a lot of wear and tear on the marble and limestone pavers. So the Friends of Music Hall,…

by Rick Pender

Best Block Party That Feels Like a Giant Slumber Party

The Middletown Women’s Wine & Chocolate Walk is a lot cooler than you think. Blocks of downtown Middletown are reserved for local ladies to shop, sip and snack while a DJ plays hits that will take you (and your mom) back to slumber parties past. One ticket gets you a swag bag, tasting map and…

by Madeline Fening

Best Scenic Overlook

Eden Park Devou Park Ault Park Mt. Echo Park Bellevue Park Smale Riverfront Park Shawnee Lookout Alms Park Fairview Park Mt. Storm Park

by CityBeat Staff

Best Breakfast

Sleepy Bee Cafe First Watch Sugar n’ Spice The Echo Original Pancake House Maplewood Kitchen and Bar HangOverEasy Anchor Grill Taste of Belgium Proud Hound

by CityBeat Staff

Best Book Uplifting the LGBTQIA+ Community

In American Teenager: How Trans Kids Are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era, award-winning author Nico Lang captures the resilience and realities of trans youth in today’s America. Through the personal stories of eight trans and nonbinary teenagers, the book explores the struggles, triumphs and challenges they face with increasing political attacks…

by Jonathan Keilholz

Best Giftshop

Cincinnati Art Museum Cincinnati Museum Center Village Junction I Love Cincinnati Shop Ten Thousand Villages MiCA 12/v indigenous craft gallery The Collective Metallic Giraffe Manitou Candle Co.

by CityBeat Staff

Best Wedding Venue (Outdoors)

Ault Park Cincinnati Art Museum Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Drees Pavilion Cincinnati Nature Center WoodBottom Farms Pinecroft at Crosley Estate Carriage House Farm Lake Lyndsay French Park

by CityBeat Staff

Best Romantic Restaurant

Sotto Primavista Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Nicola’s Scotti’s Italian Restaurant The 1931 at Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Pepp & Dolores Boca Ivory House Losanti

by CityBeat Staff

Best Jogging Trail

Loveland Bike Trail Sharon Woods Wasson Way Smale Riverfront Park Lunken Airport Bike Path Ault Park Eden Park Winton Woods Voice of America MetroPark Cincinnati Nature Center

by CityBeat Staff

Best Waterfront Dining

Montgomery Inn Boathouse Cabana on the River Moerlein Lager House Buckhead Mountain Grill Chart House MRBL The Monkey Bar & Grille Pirates Cove Tropical Bar and Grill Enson Harbor Cancun

by CityBeat Staff

Best Yemini Coffee

Overwhelmingly, cafes and coffee shops in the Cincinnati area cater to a specific clientele: white students and urban professionals. Though there are some exceptions — blaCK Coffee Lounge in downtown Cincy comes to mind — most of them tick the same boxes: similar menus, similar design choices, similar upwardly mobile white people with white collar…

by Zurie Pope

Best Food Activation at BLINK

The fan-favorite Asianati Night Market once again exceeded expectations during its setup on Court Street Plaza during BLINK. The attraction brings the energy of a bustling night market in Asia to Cincinnati, offering a glimpse into Asian culture, style and cuisine. The 14 food vendors involved — including Bridges Nepali Cuisine, Cafe Mochiko and Thai…

by Lauren Serge

Best Performance Venue to See Punk Rock and Modern Art

No one goes to a music venue expecting The Ritz. When a business packs large quantities of people together for an extended period of time — their sweat, spittle and other bodily fluids mingling together for hours on end — a degree of grime is expected by most visitors. Likewise, art lovers don’t often experience…

by Zurie Pope

Best Musical Accompaniment to Silent Movies

Mighty Wurlitzer Organs provided soundtracks for silent movies back in the 1920s, including one at the Albee Theatre, which stood on Fifth Street south of Fountain Square (where the Westin Hotel is located today). It’s moved around more than once, but it’s now a cherished feature of the ballroom in Cincinnati Music Hall. Several times…

by Rick Pender

Best Definitive Live Album by a Cincinnati Band

In December, The National released a live album, Rome, recorded in Rome that previous June and dubbed the “definitive live document of The National.” The band also released a compilation of fan footage from over 25 years of touring to accompany the album. This marks the second time the band has released a live album.…

by Brooke Burkhardt

Best Way to Discover Random Cult Movies at Local Theaters

For the past few years, film organizations Secret Base Cinema and Outer Cinema have hosted repertory movie nights at the Esquire and Mariemont Theaters. Their films tend to skew toward the cult and fringe genres, including Outer Cinema’s Flesh for Frankenstein and Secret Base’s Demon Wind. Last year, Secret Base put on the Nasty ‘90s…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Pumpkin Patch/Farm

Blooms & Berries Farm Market and Garden Center Gorman Heritage Farm Neltner’s Farm Irons Fruit Farm Burger Farm & Garden Center Niederman Family Farm Shaw Farms McGlasson Farms Burwinkel Farms Kinman Farm Market

by CityBeat Staff

Best Free Attraction

BLINK Cincinnati Art Museum Findlay Market The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Jungle Jim’s International Market Smale Riverfront Park Washington Park Tunes & Blooms at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Contemporary Arts Center FotoFocus

by CityBeat Staff

Best Local Artist

Pam Kravetz Kiwi the Duck Anthony “Tank” Mansfield Joshua Stout Technique2012 Gee Horton James Billiter Leah Noumoff Kevin Necessary Cedric Michael Cox

by CityBeat Staff

Best Burritos

Gomez Salsa Chipotle Mazunte El Rancho Grande The Comet Agave and Rye Olla Tortilleria Garcia Cancun Mexican Restaurants La Mexicana Restaurante

by CityBeat Staff

Best Marijuana Dispensary

Nectar Sunnyside Verilife The Landing Dispensary Ascend Queen City Cannabis Medical Dispensary The Forest Dispensary Bloom Medical Zen Leaf (formerly Have a Heart) Ethos Ohio (formerly About Wellness)

by CityBeat Staff

Best French Fries

Penn Station Zip’s Cafe CityBird Northside Yacht Club Taste of Belgium Senate Tuba Baking Co 50 West Gold Star Bard’s Burgers & Chili

by CityBeat Staff

Best Overall Bakery (Breads)

Sixteen Bricks Blue Oven Bakery Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli North College Hill Bakery Breadsmith El Camino Baking Co. Wyoming Pastry Shop North South Baking Bluegrass Sourdough Co. Allez Bakery

by CityBeat Staff

Best Hot Dog/Sausage

Senate The Root Beer Stand Wunderbar! Costco Mr. Gene’s Dog House Eli’s BBQ Tuba Baking Co. Chicago Gyros & Dogs Larry’s Lucius Q

by CityBeat Staff

Best Italian

Pepp & Dolores Pompilios Giovanni’s Family Italian Restaurant Mama’s on Main Nicola’s Scotti’s Italian Restaurant Ferrrari’s Little Italy Primavista Via Vite Carmelo’s

by CityBeat Staff

Best Mexican

Mazunte OLLA Taqueria Agave & Rye Tortilleria Garcia Cancun Mexican Restaurant El Rancho Grande Crown Cantina La Mexicana Restaurante El Jinete Mi Cozumel

by CityBeat Staff

Best Happy Hour (Food)

Knockback Nat’s The Faded Cow Juniper’s Dead Low Brewing The Comet Arnold’s Bar and Grill Oakley Pub Yard House Hoppin’ Vines Nada

by CityBeat Staff

Best Nonprofit That Goes Above and Beyond

The world isn’t kind to impoverished people. In a city with increasing housing prices, fewer well-paying jobs and a lack of social mobility, even buying groceries can be a struggle for some. This is why the work of the Freestore Foodbank is so valuable. The foodbank dedicates itself to fighting food insecurity and poverty in…

by Zurie Pope

Best Local Brewery

Little Miami Brewing Company Urban Artifact Rhinegeist Fretboard Brewing Co. MadTree Brewing Westside Brewing Fifty West Brewing Company Dead Low Brewing HighGrain Brewing Fabled Brew Works TIE Streetside Brewery

by CityBeat Staff

Best Mentality Change for a Cincinnati Sports Team

Similar to FCC, the Cincinnati Reds also made some big-time noise during the offseason, but more so in the dugout. The well-accomplished manager Terry Francona has taken over the team, and while he brings with him plenty of credibility from past accomplishments, he also provides a new mentality that the Reds have not had in…

by Evan Shibel

Best Show about a Dildo Runner

Sometimes when the world is burning down around you, the only thing left to do is laugh and make others laugh. That’s exactly what Know Theatre did with Texas Annie. It’s a story of a “dildo runner” delivering banned sex toys to desperate customers across Texas, with the bawdy and hysterical show including singalongs and…

by Deirdre Kaye

Best Chili (Non-Chain)

Camp Washington Chili Pleasant Ridge Chili Price Hill Chili Zip’s Cafe Empress Chili Pig Candy BBQ (TIE) Bard’s Burgers & Chili and Melt Revival Lucius Q Blue Jay Restaurant Gourmet Chili

by CityBeat Staff

Best Gallery Exhibit

A Pig-ment of Your Imagination at REC, Cincinnati Art Museum The Culture: Hip Hop and Contemporary Art in the 21st Century, Cincinnati Art Museum NUDE: Exploring the Uncovered Human Form, Manifest Gallery

by CityBeat Staff

Best New Elephant Home

Since its opening in October, the Harry and Linda Fath Elephant Trek at the Cincinnati Zoo has been a sanctuary for the herds of elephants who call it home. The space is the zoo’s largest habitat to date, offering large indoor and outdoor roaming areas, swimming pools, gardens and enrichment activities for the elephants to…

by Lauren Serge

Best Locally-Made Candle to Enjoy Without Even Burning

Serious candle obsessives need to know about Hermit’s Hearth Apothecary. Chet the “Hermit” makes luxury-level candles by hand in his Green Township kitchen, and his Smoke & Mirrors scent is a knockout. It’s spicy, earthy, warm and loud – simply removing the lid offers home dwellers olfactory glimpses into the candle’s top notes of clove…

by Madeline Fening

Best New Restaurant

Wildweed Carmelo’s (TIE) The Davidson and The Green Line Kitchen & Cocktails Sudova Young Buck Deli Pata Roja Taqueria Safi Wine Bar Bourbon’s Craft Kitchen & Bar Court Street Kitchen MaineTowne

by CityBeat Staff

Best Calzone Bigger Than Your Head

At first glance, Martino’s on Vine, located on Short Vine in Corryville, looks like just another sports bar in a college town. Though the menu boasts many delightful offerings, from wings to cheese curds to a Philly cheese steak, it’s nothing unusual for a bar or Italian restaurant. That is, until you get to the…

by Caroline Beckman

Best Sushi

Cloud 9 Sushi Wabi Sabi Ichiban Japanese Restaurant E+O Kitchen Teak OTR Drunken Bento Kanji Green Papaya Wild Ginger Asiana

by CityBeat Staff

Best Way to Catch Stars on The Rise

The folks who produce Matinée Musicale have been doing it for more than 110 years. They scour the world of classical music for rising talent — pianists, violinists, small ensembles, singers and more — and present them in recitals, mostly at OTR’s Memorial Hall. You might not have heard of them now, but Matinée Musicale’s…

by Rick Pender

Bengal With the Best Stadium Entrance Style

DJ Turner II strutted into Paycor Stadium this season decked out in incredibly fashionable outfits. Number 20 did not disappoint, showing off perfectly tailored suits throughout the season. With only two seasons under his belt, he has the entrance outfit down perfectly with the help of stylist Mariah Modkins. This cornerback knows how to rock…

by Jillian Kohls

Best DJ Leading the Nightclub Renaissance in Cincinnati

Nightlife in Cincinnati is being revitalized by DJ Boywife (among others, of course), who embodies club glamour and brings a fresh dose of club culture to the Queen City. Growing up in a small town in northern Ohio, DJ Boywife cites discovering the music of queer pop icon SOPHIE as an “epiphany” moment that inspired…

by Brooke Burkhardt

Best Trails to Act Like You’re in the Tour de France

The Loveland connector trail that takes you all the way from Milford to Loveland gets a lot of attention when it comes to the long-distance cycling community in Cincinnati, and rightfully so. It is worth noting, though, that coming closer to the city allows for more twists and turns along your cycling route. The portion…

by Evan Shibel

Best Place to Take a Visitor

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Findlay Market Jungle Jim’s International Market Over-the-Rhine Smale Riverfront Park The Banks Cincinnati Art Museum Cincinnati Reds Game Cincinnati Museum Center The Friends of the Public Library Warehouse

by CityBeat Staff

Best Cupcakes

The BonBonerie Abby Girl Sweets Cupcakery Gigi’s Cupcakes The Cheesecakery 3 Sweet Girls Cakery North College Hill Bakery Cakes & Pastries by George SugarSnap! Truck Happy Chicks Bakery Wyoming Pastry Shop

by CityBeat Staff

Best (and Most Adorable) Homage to Our City’s Swine History

“When pigs fly?” It’s about damn time. Alan P. Marrero’s installation in Piatt Park was perhaps one of the most heart-emoji-inducing masterpieces we saw at this year’s iteration of BLINK – just look at those potbellies! A more tranquil installation amid the technicolor festival, visitors strolled under dozens of illuminated resin sculptures of our city’s…

by Nadya Ellerhorst

Best New Regime for Avant-Garde Theater

A new leadership team at Know Theatre has resuscitated the Jackson Street avant-garde theater company. Local veteran director Bridget Leak is now artistic director, leading a team that includes Ri Moodie as managing director and Fringe artist and Cincy Fringe producer Katie Hartman, who’s now handling marketing. They’re reviving Know’s kick-ass ambiance, especially with a…

by Rick Pender

Best New Film Series Focused on Women Directors

Less than a year ago, Garin Pirnia and Ann Driscoll founded Leontine Cinema, a repertory series dedicated to screening monthly films directed by women, hosted at the Esquire, the Woodward Theater and the Contemporary Arts Center. Since August, it’s built up a reputation for high-quality screenings and well-researched, thoughtful discussions. They’ve even gotten participation from…

by CityBeat Staff

Best Findlay Market Vendor

Eli’s BBQ Blue Oven Bakery Pet Wants Eckerlin Meats Earthganics Silverglades Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices Dojo Gelato Makers Bakers Company Saigon Market

by CityBeat Staff

Best Veggie Burger

Tickle Pickle Krueger’s Tavern Arthur’s Nine Giant Dead Low Brewing Coppin’s at Hotel Covington Nation Kitchen & Bar Taste of Belgium W Bar + Bistro Ludlow Garage

by CityBeat Staff

Best Place for Tacos and Electronic Music

Last fall, Covington received a Galaxie, a Louisville-based cocktail bar and music venue. Their motto is “dine, dance, and drink,” and they know what they’re doing. The dine part features Wakatakas, a flatbread taco. Order Vader fries, stacked nachos and salsas, as well. The dance part showcases EDM and DJ nights, held in a large…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Name for a Pasta and Pizza Restaurant

We love a good portmanteau. We love a bad one too! Pastizza…pasta and pizza. It’s definitely straight to the point, as is this Madeira restaurant’s whole vibe: no-nonsense Italian in a no-frills space. That’s not a bad thing. The focus is on the food, and it shows. Come for some of the best New York-style…

by Brian Cross

Best Brewery to Drink and Get Some Work Done

It’s a little off the beaten path, even for the West Side, but that’s part of what makes 13 Below Brewery a great spot to slip away to during the week – even when it’s not so much drinking that’s on your mind, but checking off some to-dos. You won’t be competing for a table…

by Brian Cross

Best Series for Hiking and Eating Soup

For a cozier adventure, the Great Parks’ Winter Hike Series offers scenic hikes in January and February across different Great Parks locations, such as Sharon Woods, Woodland Mound, Shawnee Lookout and Miami Whitewater Forest. This year, hikers were able to select themed hiking experiences if desired, with customizations for speed, exploration and educational opportunities. At…

by Lauren Serge

Best Way to Discover New Music Without the Intervention of Mainstream Algorithms

Northern Kentucky filmmaker Brandon Faris launched his All the Bins project in October with the idea that he could help people discover new music without the intervention of mainstream algorithms. Faris builds music playlists based around specific moods or feelings, crafting playlists like ”Hold My Robe,” “Absynthe Minded,” “Beats and Bonfires” and “Concrete Petals.” Faris…

by Brooke Burkhardt

Best Controversial Cincinnati Icon

The name Pete Rose, when mentioned in Cincinnati, elicits one of two reactions: disgust or joy. Rose played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1963-1978, and again from 1984-86, eventually becoming the team’s manager. During that time, Rose built a reputation as one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball, and quickly…

by Zurie Pope

Best Local Musician Who Incorporates Queer Joy in Their Music

Bershy (AKA Brea Shay) didn’t always want to be a pop star. Bershy started off her musical journey admiring more folksy musicians like Joni Mitchell and Joan Baez, but she was later entranced by the campy, ‘80s sounds of Bjork and Kate Bush that inspired her to create pop music. Releasing queer love song “4U”…

by Brooke Burkhardt

Best Pub With the Most Eclectic Customer Base

The second oldest bar in Cincinnati, O’Malley’s in the Alley is a name commonly seen on lists like this one. However, when O’Malley’s is mentioned, it’s often for the same reasons: the menu, the history, its place as a Cincinnati landmark, etc…What’s often forgotten is how O’Malleys stands as one of the last meeting places…

by Zurie Pope

Best Park (City)

Smale Riverfront Park Eden Park Ault Park Washington Park Devou Park French Park Mt. Airy Forest Alms Park A. J. Jolly Park Bellevue Beach Park

by CityBeat Staff

Best Free Movie Night at a Library

Library worker Fritz Pape knows the value of a good movie night. Last year, he started hosting free movies inside the main branch of the Cincinnati Library’s atrium. The after-hours screenings take place on the third Thursday of every month, at 6:30 p.m., once the library’s closed. The screenings include free freshly popped popcorn and…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Artworks Mural

“Cincinnati Toy Heritage” “Love Wins” “Fiona and Bibi at the Cincinnati Zoo” “Martha, the Last Passenger Pigeon” Charley Harper’s “Beguiled by the Wild” “Ezzard Charles: The Cincinnati Cobra” “Democracy!” “Homecoming (Blue Birds)” “Dream Big and Fly High” CROWN Trail Mural

by CityBeat Staff

Best Musical on the Road to Broadway

It’s fun to head to New York City to see Broadway shows, but in the fall the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park offered local audiences the world premiere of Rutka: A New Musical that already has producers steering it toward the Great White Way. With an indie rock score, the diary of a young Jewish…

by Rick Pender

Best Nature Photography Exhibit

Last fall’s special photography exhibition, Discovering Ansel Adams, was a big draw for the Cincinnati Art Museum. Eighty of his starkly, magnificently composed black-and-white images of the American Southwest from early in his career (1916-1940) dazzled art lovers from across the region, and crowds were still coming through mid-January. With classic images from Yosemite and…

by Rick Pender

Best Museum

Cincinnati Art Museum Cincinnati Museum Center American Sign Museum Contemporary Arts Center National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Taft Museum of Art Behringer-Crawford Museum Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum Heritage Village Museum

by CityBeat Staff

Best Exhibition Showcasing the Wrath of Mother Nature

August 24, 79 A.D. was not a great day to be home in Pompeii, Italy. That’s when the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted violently and unexpectedly, smothering the nearby towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum and more than 20,000 people. The death toll is unknown, but the remains of more than 1,500 people have been unearthed. Pompeii:…

by Rick Pender

Eats

Here are the 2025 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for Eats.

by CityBeat Staff

Best Manicure for Anxious Nail-Biters

Look, times are weird. If biting your nails is your coping mechanism of choice, Spruce Nail Shop in Over-the-Rhine and Walnut Hills has got you covered. Whether you’re chewing away every time you get a breaking news alert, or you’re recovering from acrylics or SNS, Spruce’s “repair mani” will help you reset the damage. In…

by Madeline Fening

Best Bookable Murder Mystery Party Theater Company

If you get a chance to attend a murder mystery party put on by Murder and Merriment, put on your detective cap and get to work. This theater company’s Clue-like, carefully plotted murder mysteries give you the chance to be a detective for a night of fun crime-solving, with actors who stay in character as…

by Katherine Barrier

Best Catering for Authentic Syrian Dishes

If you’re looking for an authentic taste of the Middle East, with fresh, healthy Mediterranean dishes crafted with love, Olive Tree Catering has all the kibbeh and baklava you could want. Proprietor Ibtisam Masto fled war in Syria with her family and came to Cincinnati in 2016. While Masto says she struggled to adapt to…

by Katherine Barrier

Best Wings

Knockback Nat’s Wild Mike’s Catch-a-Fire Pizza Buffalo Wings and Rings Knuk n’ Futz Oak Tavern Dead Low Brewing Barleycorn’s Northside Yacht Club Smoke Justis

by CityBeat Staff

Best Monster-Themed West Side Boutique Tea Room

Known for selling Bigfoot black tea and Firebird chai, Wendigo Tea owner and Foxy Shazam keyboardist Sky White has been slinging his high-quality teas for 10 years at markets, restaurants and coffee shops all over the city. Finally, on Halloween, he opened a brick-and-mortar tea shop in East Price Hill. Customers can sample rare teas…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Renaming of an Iconic Tennis Tournament

Cincinnati deserves international name recognition, and now the Queen City is back in a big way thanks to an ACE move from a local tennis icon. For more than a century, the Western & Southern Open has played host to Wheaties-worthy tennis stars such as Serena Williams, Roger Federer, Coco Gauff, Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova,…

by Madeline Fening

Best Pre-Game Ritual for FC Cincinnati Fans

While most of us never got to live out our childhood athletic dreams, there are still plenty of avenues to feel like you are a part of the team when supporting your favorite squads here in Cincinnati. As many have noticed, the rocking Bailey section at FC Cincinnati games has a clear impact on the…

by Evan Shibel

Best Music Festival/Event

Cincinnati Pride Festival Cincinnati Music Festival Northside Rock n Roll Carnival VOA Country Music Festival Paradise Music and Beer Festival Blues, Brews & BBQ Fest Cincinnati Winter Blues Experience Whispering Beard Folk Festival Burritofest at The Comet Wednesdays in the Woods at CCAC

by CityBeat Staff

Best Vocal Activist for LGBTQ+ Issues

Missy Spears isn’t just an advocate — she’s a force. Whether she’s rallying for LGBTQ+ rights, amplifying marginalized voices or speaking out against discrimination, Spears brings an unwavering passion to the fight for equality. Though she’s been part of numerous organizations dedicated to helping others throughout her career (in her own words, “half of the…

by Ashley Moor

Best Hilarious Weather Updates From a Local News Anchor

Back in early January, when Cincinnati received a nearly record-breaking 6.4 inches of snow, Local 12 anchor Bob Herzog became our fearless guide to the worsening weather conditions, making us cackle with every pun and joke he made while out in the elements. In a Reel that has now received millions of views, Herzog is…

by Ashley Moor

Best Racial Justice Museum Exhibit

Stories about racial justice are always relevant, but just scroll your push alerts or turn on the news — perhaps no moment in recent history calls for a re-examination more than this one. The Emmett Till & Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See exhibit at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is immersive in a…

by Jonathan Keilholz

Best Butcher Shop

Avril-Bleh Meat Market & Deli Eckerlin Meats Jungle Jim’s International Market Lehr’s Prime Market Bridgetown Finer Meats Humbert Meats Wyoming Meat Market Bill Finke & Sons LK at Findlay Market (TIE) Hyde Park Meats and Redden Fine Meats & Seafood

by CityBeat Staff

Best Free Movie Night at an Art Studio

Every Tuesday night at 7 p.m., a group of cinephiles hosts free films inside nonprofit art studio and gallery PAR-Projects in Northside. Originally named Movies at the Lounge and held at The Lounge in Northside, last summer founders and curators Zachary Severt and Lillian Currens renamed the organization Open Source Cinema and moved the operation…

by Garin Pirnia

Best Florist

Adrian Durban Swan Floral & Gift Shop Scarlet Begonia’s Flower Truck Gia & the Blooms Benken Florist & Greenhouses Fort Thomas Florist Robin Wood Flowers Daisy Jane’s Flower Truck Budding Florist Emerald La Fleur

by CityBeat Staff

Best Donuts

Holtman’s Donuts Moonrise Doughnuts Busken Bakery Starlight Doughnut Lab North College Hill Bakery Marcella’s Doughnuts & Bakery Peace, Love, and Little Donuts Graeter’s Ice Cream Hurts Donut Golden Hands Donuts

by CityBeat Staff

Best Thrift Store for Dirt-Cheap Treasures You Didn’t Know You Needed

No matter how experienced you are at sifting through piles of treasure at thrift stores, nothing can quite prepare you for the divine chaos that awaits you at One Stop Thrift Shop in Cheviot. From antique dishware to clothing and furniture, there are treasures stuffed into every nook and cranny of this store. The best…

by Ashley Moor

Best Overall Bakery (Sweets)

The BonBonerie Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli Brown Bear Bakery The Cheesecakery Cafe Mochiko North College Hill Bakery Wyoming Pastry Shop Happy Chicks Bakery Sebastian’s Bakehouse North South Baking Co.

by CityBeat Staff

Best Overall Pizza (Non-Chain)

Taglio Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria Adriatico’s Catch-a-Fire Pizza Fireside Pizza Cork N Crust Two Cities Pizza Co. Krimmer’s Italianette Pizza Saint Francis Apizza Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru

by CityBeat Staff

Best Japanese

Kiki College Hill Ichiban Japanese Restaurant Cafe Mochiko Miyako Sushi & Steakhouse Quan Hapa Kyoto Japanese Cuisine Soho Japanese Bistro Matsuya Japanese Restaurant Nagomi Mei Japanese Restaurant

by CityBeat Staff

Best Creative Uses for Naan

Naan, a delicious flatbread hailing from India, is most often seen alongside flavorful Indian meals. Some creative minds use it in lieu of pizza dough for a flatbread pizza. One Madisonville genius, Ryan Saadawi, thinks even more outside the box. The chemistry student-turned-owner of fast-casual popup Hurry Curry used his education and the flavors of…

by Caroline Beckman

Best Karaoke

Tokyo Kitty MixWells MVP Sports Bar and Grille Tillie’s Lounge Bay Horse Cafe The Belle and The Bear Tostados Grill The Birdcage Northside Yacht Club Gypsy’s Lebo’s

by CityBeat Staff

Best Cheap Seats at the Symphony

As good as the Cincinnati Symphony is, it doesn’t sell every seat in Music Hall for every concert. So the CSO this season launched a different kind of subscription, the “Harmony Pass.” For as little as $10.99/monthly, you can get pre-sale access to CSO and Pops concert tickets at no additional expense — a weekly…

by Rick Pender

Best Watering Hole Bathroom for Unsolicited Advice

Forget obscene graffiti. If you haven’t really been living, if you’ve stopped laughing, if you need a little loving — or if you’ve had one too many specialty Spaghett’s – toddle on back to the bathroom of Uncle Leo’s on Race Street for some floor-to-ceiling encouragement on all sides. You think your aunt’s overdoing it…

by Nadya Ellerhorst

Best Repair of an Essential Cincinnati Bridge

The folks who started a fire under the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, aka the “Big Mac,” on Nov. 1 probably didn’t intend to disrupt Cincinnati’s traffic patterns for months as repairs were made to replace a section of melted steel girders. But that was the result since southbound I-471 traffic had to snake through Newport…

by Rick Pender

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