Best Of Cincinnati Sports & Recreation (Staff Picks)
Staff Picks Best News for Football (aka Futbol) Fans Best Way to Rep the Reds in 2-D Best (Only) Way to Attend the Bengals 2020 Season Opener Best Reason to Rename a Stadium Best Confirmation that Cincinnati Parks Are, In Fact, Excellent Best Sports Uniform to Pay Homage to a Water Tower Best Soccer MVP…
Best Of Cincinnati Shops & Services (Staff Picks)
Staff Picks Best Buds Best Place to Buy a Horse-Drawn Carriage Best Over-the-River Expansion Best Garage Plant Shop Turned Brick-and-Mortar Best Cabinet of Vintage Books Best Herbal Tincture to Help You Relax Best T-Shirt Shop with a Message Best Place to Find the New Silhouette for Pants Best “This Old House” Resource Center Best Homage…
Best Of Cincinnati City Life (Staff Picks)
Staff Picks Best City to Visit in 2021 Best Worst Cincinnati City Council Trend Best Early Commuter Christmas Present Best Fake-Out Best Docuseries That Could Oust Jim Jordan Best Mistake on Cable News Best News for Fans of International Style Architecture Best Reason to Continue to Thank and Appreciate Cincinnati Sanitation Workers Best Plan to…
Best Of Cincinnati Music & Nightlife (Staff Picks)
Staff Picks Best Place to Party Like It’s Sunday Best Boozy Hand Sanitizer Best Inadvertent Patio Movie Sing-Alongs Best Li’l Sebastian That Isn’t a Mini Horse Best Book About Cincinnati’s Music History to Come Along in 2020 Best Member of The National to Win a Grammy for His Work on Taylor Swift’s folklore Best Swift Gift…
Best Of Cincinnati Eats (Staff Picks)
Staff Picks Best Sunday Pizza Pop-Up to Open a Brick-and-Mortar Best Psychedelic Gelatin Creations Best Way to Increase Outdoor Dining (and Drinking) Options in Cincinnati Best Taste of Honduras without Leaving Kentucky Best Reason to Wake Up Before 9 a.m. on a Saturday Best Hot Chocolate Bombs Best Peanut Butter Curry Donuts Best Century-Old Pickle…
Best Of Cincinnati Arts & Culture (Staff Picks)
Staff Picks Best Way to Work Your Quads While Making Your Way to the Cincinnati Art Museum Best News for Broadway Stans Who Don't Want to Throw Away Their Shot Best Amusement Park Accolades Best Enclosed Encounter in Which to Meander with Marsupials Best Animated Skyline Chili Cameo Best Star-Studded Stand-Up Sets in Rural Ohio…
DORA at The Banks Shares COVID-19 Guidelines Ahead of Opening Day
A Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA, officially opened at The Banks on March 25, but it comes with some important guidelines to help keep COVID-19 at bay during one of Cincinnati's favorite weeks. In a DORA, you can walk around a defined space with a boozy beverage in hand. The Banks' 85-acre DORA spans…
Here Are Some of Cincinnati’s Best Arts and Culture Experiences That Saved Us During a Dreadful Year
“Are you not entertained?” Russell Crowe bellows to a stunned crowd during 2000’s Gladiator. In Cincinnati, we certainly are. Even during a damn pandemic, Cincinnati is full of amazing ways to experience arts and culture. Coronavirus may have hindered or changed some things over the last year, but local artists, performers, venue owners, event planners…
Cincinnati Art Museum Offers ‘Picnic in the Park’ Art-Themed Lunches To Go
The Cincinnati Art Museum is offering a quaint way to enjoy lunch al fresco via their new Picnic in the Park dining packs. The in-house Terrace Cafe is offering several art-themed carryout picnics including the Van Gogh To-Go, with cheese and wine; Dining with Duncanson, two sandwiches or salads plus a cookie and drink; and Cassatt Cuisine Bites,…
Cleveland’s Baseball Team Will Not Allow Fans with Red-Face, Native American Headdresses in Stadium
The Cleveland baseball team announced today that fans will not be permitted to wear Native American-style headdresses or red-face paint inside Progressive Field any longer. Coming in the middle of the franchise's rebranding process, the move dovetails with the team's efforts to distance itself from the racism and hurtful imagery associated with the Indians' moniker…
Proud Boys Join ‘White Lives Matter’ Rallies Slated to Take Place Across America April 11
White supremacists on Telegram are organizing a series of simultaneous rallies under the banner of "White Lives Matter" in major American cities scheduled for April 11, with active participation and promotion in some locales by members of the Proud Boys. The rallies mark a rare instance of overt white nationalists openly mobilizing in the streets…
Here’s How to Register for Appointments at Cincinnati’s New Mass COVID-19 Vaccination Site
Cincinnati is about to have a lot more people who are vaccinated for COVID-19. Ohio’s new regional mass-vaccination site launches Thursday, April 1, at Xavier University’s Cintas Center, 1624 Herald Ave. The site is expected to operate until it is no longer needed. The Cincinnati location is one of 15 long-term, state-sponsored mass-vaccination sites opening…
Cincinnati Native Steven Spielberg to Direct Film About His Childhood
Cincinnati-born Steven Spielberg soon will direct a film inspired by his childhood, Deadline reports. In addition to directing duties, Spielberg, who lived in Avondale during his early years, reportedly will be the screenwriter for the film — his first such role since 2001’s A.I. The coming-of-age film will loosely revolve around Spielberg’s time in Arizona,…
Despite COVID-19, Some Awesome Stuff Has Happened in Cincinnati Music and Nightlife in the Last Year
Squeezing into a club booth with strangers. Pogoing in the front row of a raucous concert. Doing an off-key karaoke rendition of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” COVID-19 reduced or even completely eliminated these and other Cincinnati nightlife traditions in 2020 and even now in 2021. Nevertheless, we persisted. Despite hardships from the coronavirus…
These Were the Best Things to Happen in Cincinnati Sports in the Last Year
Argue about wins and losses all you want, but there’s still no denying it — Cincinnati is a sports town, even during a global pandemic. From big pro teams to college favorites to high-school squads, fans in the Queen City can cheer for athletes at every level. But there’s even more to keep us all active…
Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra to Host Free ‘Spring Serenade’ This May at Pyramid Hill
People will be able to take a long stroll through Pyramid Hill while listening to live music from Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra in the upcoming Spring Serenade. The free, outdoor event will be held 4-6 p.m. Sunday, May 2. The teams behind Pyramid Hill and Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra have partnered to deliver a socially-distanced event. Three…
Coppin’s at Hotel Covington to Host Easter Brunch and Egg Hunt
Grab the fam and join the Easter Bunny this year at Hotel Covington for some festive egg hunts for the kids and a gourmet Easter brunch served by Coppin’s Restaurant & Bar. Brunch will be available from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Easter Sunday, April 4. Reservations are requested, per the website; outdoor seating will be…
The Afghan Whigs’ Greg Dulli Presents Limited-Ticket Encore of Live Gold Diggers Concerts
Singer/songwriter Greg Dulli — a Hamilton, Ohio native and co-founder of The Afghan Whigs, one of Cincinnati's all-time greatest musical exports — released his first official solo album, Random Desire, last February. Dulli was slated to kick-off the North American leg of his tour behind Random Desire in April 2020, with a stop at the Woodward Theater. But…
Best Bourbon Offering Relief to Restaurant Workers
New Riff Distilling released almost 900 bottles of a 15-year-old straight bourbon whiskey in order to raise funds for the Ohio Restaurant Employee Relief Fund and The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. They sold out in minutes. “We sprung this extremely limited bottling from our warehouse to support the bar and restaurant community that has…
Best Surprise Christmas Concert Livestream
Cincinnati favorite Folk duo Over the Rhine had to cancel their annual and much-anticipated Christmas tour this year due to COVID-19. But instead of a dark, music-less holiday, Over the Rhine offered a special streaming Christmas concert and “tour” from Nowhere Else, their 20-acre Clinton County farm. The “tour” — featuring tunes from albums Darkest…
Best Use of a Theater Marquee During a Pandemic
Covington’s Madison Theater and its “Wash your hands y’all” sign… because you should wash your hands, y’all. madisontheater.com.
Best Way to Turn America’s Largest Oktoberfest into a Socially Distant Celebration
Oktoberfest Zinzinnati — America’s largest Oktoberfest celebration — called off its giant in-person party and transferred things online to host Oktoberfest Zinzinnati “In Za Haus” so people could still prost during the pandemic. The initiative enabled Oktoberfest lovers to get their German on safely at home by ordering do-it-yourself Oktoberfest Zinzinnati Zelebration Packs full of…
Best Over-the-Rhine Craft Beer and Bottle Shop
Standard Beer, a bottle shop and taproom that opened in Over-the-Rhine just before the pandemic, offers a curated selection of craft beer — unique brews like lambics, Oude Gueze, wild ales, saisons and grisettes — on a local, national and international level. While it is a carry-out spot, Standard also offers 16 constantly rotating taps…
Best Groovy Suburban Brewery
“LIVE LIFE. DO GOOD. DRINK BEER.” is the mantra of Sharonville’s Third Eye Brewing. Walk into the brewery — located in the neighborhood’s Northern Lights District — and you’ll encounter a vibrant and whimsical atmosphere, with a colorful and slightly psychedelic mural by David Jonathan Uy serving as the centerpiece of the bar. The space…
Best Themed Outdoor Patio
This summer, Over-the-Rhine’s HomeMakers Bar opened a new outdoor pop-up on the corner of Jackson and 13th streets called HomeMakers Outpost to welcome guests back and celebrate the bar’s one-year-anniversary. The Outpost featured a vintage Airstream trailer, handcrafted cocktails inspired by the 1968 sci-fi cult classic Barbarella and tunes from Cincinnati Music Accelerator. Then in…
Best Funky Cocktail Kits You Can Make at Home — with a Playlist to Boot
Over-the-Rhine bar Lost & Found celebrated its one-year anniversary during the pandemic, so they put the in-person festivities on hold while coming up with a creative way to bring the party to the people. After releasing some teasers leading up to the big reveal, Lost & Found announced their new Booze Boxes, which offer a…
Best Brewery That Hosts Its Own Farmers Market
Mt. Healthy’s Fibonacci Brewing Company — which turned five this summer — offers more than just a taproom. In fact, their campus houses two taprooms along with an expansive outdoor beer garden and urban farm filled with plenty of friendly chicken and goats. (If you’re looking for a getaway, they rent out two rooms in…
Best Beer Collaboration to Use Turkish Coffee
Cincinnati’s beloved Turkish coffee pop-up Rüya teamed up with Over-the-Rhine brewery Rhinegeist on a limited-edition brew, just in time for Halloween. Ghost Dreams, a stout made with Rüya coffee and cardamom, brought together the two cultures — “geist” means “ghost” in German and “ruya” means “dreams” in Turkish. Described as “Dark as Hell, Strong as…
Best Beer Collaboration to Foster Inclusion in the Industry and Raise Awareness of Social and Racial Injustice
This summer, Weathered Souls Brewing Co., a Black-owned brewery based out of San Antonio, Texas, invited brewers nationwide to participate in its Black is Beautiful campaign to foster inclusion and raise awareness of social and racial injustice. They shared their base imperial stout recipe with craft brewers across the country and encouraged them to give…
Best Blend of Interpretative Composition and Historic Spaces
University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music alumna, Classical pianist and music professor Brianna Matzke created The Response Project in order to commission artists and composers to “respond” to existing artworks or ideas. Since its inception in 2014, the project has produced concerts, short films, art shows and interpretive dances, to name a few. These installments…
Best Online Cocktail Class with its Own DIY Kit
Japp’s owner and mixologist Molly Wellmann began her video series 5 O’Clock Tales near the beginning of the coronavirus shutdown to continue to engage with the customers from her bar, entertain them with interesting stories and offer guidance on making stellar cocktails at home — just a few of her favorite things. It was also…
Best Bar Making Its Own Amaro
This winter, Longfellow crafted and bottled their own amaro, a popular herbal digestif, for purchase and in special themed snack packs. They also began making their own line of cocktail bitters, infused with chamomile and coriander, which fans can get to-go. longfellowbar.com.
Best Local Front Porch Happy Hour Movement To Go National
During the pandemic, AGAR — the Over-the-Rhine creative marketing and event agency known for its work on local experiences including the Ubahn Fest, BLINK, Danger Wheel and more — invited neighbors from across the city to head to their front porches for a socially distant happy hour hang-out. Named Front Porch Pours, the event garnered…
Best First Solo Album
Siri Imani, a member of Cincinnati’s popular Hip Hop and community service group Triiibe, debuted her solo album Duality in September. The nine tracks offer an intimate glimpse into the yin and yang that encompass the artist’s life journey. It presents a “coming of age” song-story with some narration by Imani’s mother Jennie Wright, a…
Best and Only Cincinnati Drinking Destination to Make “Esquire” Magazine’s Best Bars in America 2020 List
Over-the-Rhine’s Wodka Bar was the only one of the two dozenish bars across the country praised by Esquire in their most recent “Best Bars in America” list to be located in Cincinnati. Food & Drinks editor Jeff Gordinier wrote of the cocktail lounge, “The very existence of a bar devoted to vodka feels like a…
Best Brewery Expansion Across the Ohio River
This summer, the ever-expanding Braxton Brewing Co. took over the 3 Points Urban Brewery taproom in Pendleton, marking the Northern Kentucky brewery’s first move into Ohio. (And probably not their last.) braxtonbrewing.com.
Best Cover Song Performance Organized by Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
As everyone went into lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital wanted to offer their patients and the greater community some happiness, so they asked a slew of Cincinnati musicians to collaborate on a cover of Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me” from their respective living rooms. In the resultant YouTube video, Cincinnati…
Best New DORA District
Cincinnati has officially declared 85 acres around The Banks downtown a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, or DORA. A DORA means you can walk around a specific space with an alcoholic drink in hand — as long as it’s in a special designated DORA cup and you’re of drinking age. The district spans from Paul Brown…
Best Over-the-Top Alcoholic Milkshakes
Nomad in Bellevue makes the most elaborate boozy milkshakes, featuring mason jars filled to the brim with your choice of shake (plus 3 ounces of alcohol), topped with whipped cream, flavor drizzles and assorted accouterments including marshmallows and graham cracker crumbles. facebook.com/nomadky.
Best Local Brewery Making a Beer Alternative That Isn’t Hard Seltzer
After changing their marquee to “When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade” during the pandemic, Fifty West Brewing Company took their own advice to heart and launched 50W Hard Lemonade. As a “beyond beer” beverage, this drink uses the same brewing technique as a hard seltzer, but it’s made with Meyer lemon juice and has…
Best New Tiki Bar with a River View
Kon-Tiki at Newport on the Levee’s new outdoor drinking and dining hub Bridgeview Box Park is “inspired by the Sheraton-Gibson Hotel’s Cincinnati venture of the 1960s, the Kon-Tiki, by Steve Crane.” The drinkery transports visitors to an island getaway — with an Ohio River view — offering classic tropical mixes and tiki-style cocktails at their…
Best Sold-Out Local Reunion Concert We Hope Happens Eventually
After months of teasers, Cincinnati Rockers Foxy Shazam announced their comeback with a performance planned at the Taft Theatre in April 2020. The show sold out in just one hour. Due to the pandemic, the concert was eventually postponed to Jan. 30, 2021. And then in November, as the virus hit another surge, the band…
Best Botanical Ice Cubes
Findlay Kitchen start-up Mixicles offers small-batch frozen mixers in ice-cube form. They are non-alcoholic, preservative-free fruit and herb concoctions that cool your cocktail (or mocktail) and flavor it as it melts. Infusions include jalapeno citrus, cucumber lime sage and lavender peach, among others. Find them online or at Spirits of Madeira, Crafts & Vines and…
Best Jazzy Wine Bar with a Focus on Female and BIPOC Winemakers
Cincinnati native Tammie Scott opened Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge in Over-the-Rhine this summer, inspired by local 1940s Jazz clubs and her time spent in Washington, D.C. The bar promises to capture the vibe of historic Queen City establishments while supporting minority winemakers from all over the world. The menu highlights wines made by women,…
Best Makeover for MainStrasse’s Pachinko
After 26 years, MainStrasse’s Pachinko Bar was transformed into a chic and breezy, West Coast-inspired drinking establishment called Green House Bar. Owners Amy and Tom Fessler were inspired by a trip to California’s Venice Beach when designing the space and menu. They offer several seasonal drinks, like Amy’s Paloma and The Green House, a vodka,…
Best Wussy Benefit Concert
Wussy pedal steel guitarist John Erhardt died in May 2020, with vocalist Chuck Cleaver posting to the band’s Facebook page: “John gave us a beauty that we’ll never see again. A combination of love, friendship, stability and that amazing swirling sound. Truly a wonder. A backdrop to everything that we are, in the band and…
Best Very Specific Happy Hour Gimmick
Spring Grove Village’s Taft’s Brewpourium has decided to embrace its proximity to a railroad track by inviting patrons to participate in a rather unique weekly drink special. During Train Tuesdays, guests can enjoy half-priced beer pints when a locomotive goes by. So when you hear the rumble approach, “chuga chuga” your drink and head to…
Best Petite Pendleton Cocktail Escape
If you’re looking for an otherworldly escape without leaving the city, or a cocktail menu that takes the work out of ordering, Saeso might just be your new neighborhood bar. Designed by duo Christy Wulfson and Michael Guilfoil, the bar is adjacent to their other project The Carriage House, a posh Pendleton Airbnb just off…
Best Gift to Northern Kentucky’s The Lodge Recording Studio
You’re most likely familiar with Rock star Jack White from his leading role in bands The White Stripes and The Raconteurs. And while his musical career may be what introduced you to the man of many talents, you’ll be pleased to discover (if you haven’t already) that he’s also a master upholsterer. One of White’s…
Best Socially Distant Concert on Wheels
While many musicians moved to online platforms during the pandemic to share their music, a Northern Kentucky music teacher opted for something different. Bryan McCartney, a Bellevue resident with a studio in the neighborhood, kicked off his Trunk Bed Sing-Along Tour in March 2020 to bring music to those stuck in lockdown. Folks could sign…
Best Repurposed Gas Station
The team behind popular Covington dining and drinking destinations Otto’s, Frida 602 and Larry’s opened The Standard this past summer, breathing new life into a historic corner garage and filling station. The Standard’s eclectic food menu features bright and playful flavors, mimicking the bar’s colorful decor (the front door is hot pink), and popular cocktails…
Best Holiday Bar Pop-Up to Wear Your Worst Ugly Christmas Sweater
Overlook Lodge’s holiday bar pop-up Miracle returned in November, gracing us once again with a festively immersive yuletide celebration, and boasting a socially distant spin. The all-inclusive and ticketed event offered two themed cocktails and one shot per guest for a one-hour duration. Drink names and glassware were kitschy and festive and included the Bad…
Best Basic Pumpkin Spice in a Can
Braxton Brewing Co. took the PSL trend a step further this fall by introducing VIVE Pumpkin Spice Hard Seltzer. The bubbly beverage contains only 100 calories and 2 grams of carbs, but packs plenty of cinnamon and spice into its slim-can design. viveseltzer.com.
Best Worst Name for a Pumpkin-Flavored Beer
Blumpkin, the seasonal black pumpkin ale from Bellevue’s Darkness Brewing. (If you don’t know what it means, don’t Google it.) facebook.com/darknessbrewing.
Best Place for a Casual Gathering If You Don’t Have a Backyard
Long-anticipated outdoor hangout Covington Yard opened this fall, offering a small community of repurposed shipping containers housing local restaurants like Django Western Taco, Mr. Bulgogi and Yard Bird, plus a bar. The containers surround a greenspace — a blend of AstroTurf-like lawn and decking — with plenty of seating, string lights and even TVs; like…
Best Swift Gift
In support of her surprise album folklore, Taylor Swift sent off signed CDs to independent record stores across the country. News began spreading on social media that various stores, including Shake It Records in Northside, had gotten their hands on this precious Taylor treasure. The folks at Shake It shared a photo of signed copies…
Best Book About Cincinnati’s Music History to Come Along in 2020
David Bottoms’ long-in-the-works 550-page Stacks of Wax: The Complete Story of the Record Labels of Cincinnati, Ohio.
Best Inadvertent Patio Movie Sing-Alongs
Have you ever danced in the rain while David Bowie sings the end credits of The Labyrinth, 1986’s finest film? This past summer, East Walnut Hills bar Nightdrop transformed its outdoor parking lot into a drive-in cinema of sorts, minus the cars. Classic and cult movies were streamed outside and bartender Giacomo Ciminello crafted a…
Best Boozy Hand Sanitizer
When the general public heard the word “pandemic,” they started hoarding toilet paper, guns and hand sanitizer, prompting a nationwide shortage of at least two out of those three. So people got creative. And when the Centers for Disease Control said, “If you’re going to make your own sanitizer, you need to make sure it…
Best Place to Party Like It’s Sunday
The team behind Cincinnati’s monthly Sunday Tea Dances opened an LGBTQ+ nightclub called e|19 near Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine, so you can party like it’s Sunday all week long. e19bar.com.
Best Li’l Sebastian That Isn’t a Mini Horse
Plenty of breweries offer growlers to-go so folks can take home their favorite beers to enjoy until their next visit. But Walnut Hills’ Esoteric Brewing decided to go bigger by offering mini pony kegs. Delightfully dubbed “The Li’l Sebastian” (a nod to the beloved star on hit sitcom Parks and Recreation), this two-gallon keg holds…
Welcome to the Best of Cincinnati 2021
CityBeat has been in the business of curating the Best Of Cincinnati® for 25 years, highlighting the city’s most outstanding selections in Arts & Culture, Eats, Shops & Services, Music & Nightlife, City Life and Sports & Recreation. And the responsibility of selecting these exceptional entities is divided between our readers and staff. Readers logged…
Best New Humane Society
Cincinnati Animal CARE Humane Society took over animal welfare operations for Hamilton County from the SPCA (the SPCA didn’t renew their contract), which includes overseeing the main shelter in Northside. With a no-kill mission, they are focused on “The Five Freedoms” for each animal. cincinnatianimalcare.org.
Best Place to Sweat It Out
Over-the-Rhine’s Sage Yoga Hot is a health-minded millennial’s dream studio. They offer infrared-heated vinyasa, yin and power yoga classes in a studio adorned with plants, as well as a little boutique with eco-friendly yoga mats, chlorophyll water and CBD seltzer. sageyogahot.com.
Best Historic Woodworking Machine Co. to Transform into a Wedding Venue
Just a short stroll from the Northside Tavern and Shake It Records is a 118-year-old building that was once home to the Parks Woodworking Machine Co., now christened simply The Factory. This wedding and event space was previously used for production purposes until the late 1980s, when it was converted into a shared artist studio…
Best Remodel of an Over-the-Rhine Eatery
Cincinnati-based clothing and home goods boutique The Native One first opened the doors of their Over-the-Rhine shop in the spring of 2018. They have since expanded, adding a second storefront in Covington in 2019. But when the opportunity presented itself to move the OTR location into the larger, shuttered Kaze restaurant space on Vine Street,…
Best LEGO Depot
HHH Brick Depot in West Chester is a dream for LEGO fans. The shop offers new and used sets, plenty of parts and bins for little fingers to dig through to find their favorite Minifigs. facebook.com/hhhbrickdepot.
Best Wedding Gowns for Good
Sharonville atelier Renée Grace Bridal donates a percentage of every dress sale to international organizations that combat human trafficking. reneegrace.com.
Best Women-Led Tattoo Shop
Over-the-Rhine’s new appointment-only tattoo studio Lonesome Town offers retro flash vibes and three hyper-talented owners/tattooers: Jaclin Grace Hastings, Annie Bone and Emily Sites Karns. instagram.com/lonesometowntattoo.
Best Shop for Beginning Woodworkers
If you took up woodworking as a hobby during COVID, Woodcraft in Tri-County has everything you need to develop your skills, whether you’re just starting out or want to become a master carpenter. They offer fun project kits, like one to make your own cutting board, as well as computer-controlled carving machines, hand tools and…
Best Bellevue Baby Shop
The duo behind Bellevue’s Coda Co. boutique have opened a new storefront: Sage & Scout. Named after owners Tanner and Kelti Ziese’s fur kids (aka their dogs), the shop offers products for human babies and toddlers. And as a sister shop to Coda Co., it has the same bohemian lean with a focus on ethical…
Best Place to Find a Dog Statue for Your Yard
Milford’s Fountain Specialist is a unique shop that offers a slew of garden decor. You’ll be able to locate the storefront on the neighborhood’s main drag by the dozens upon dozens of stone figures, religious iconography, fountains and urns lining the street. They also happen to have a nice selection of dog statues (as well…
Best Rotating Makers Market
The first floor of Newport on the Levee’s former Barnes & Noble bookstore has been turned into The Exchange, an 11,000-square-foot storefront that houses a rotating roster of local craftspeople, makers and indie merchants. Visit the Levee’s website to see who’s selling what now. newportonthelevee.com.
Best Place to Find Kitschy Antiques
Spring Grove Village’s Flamingo Haven Antique Mall. facebook.com/flamingohavenantiquemall.
Best Local Online Clothing Swap to Clean Out Your Closet and Get New Threads
The Sustainable Fashion Initiative is a project by students from the University of Cincinnati aimed at breaking the chain of consumerism and fast fashion. Visit @sfi_cincinnati on Instagram to learn more about their mission and upcoming meetings and events, or @sfi.swap to shop and swap clothing with other people and their closets. instagram.com/sfi_cincinnati.
Best Covington Shop Helping Urban Homesteaders Get Their Start
Sage + Garden originally launched as a plant shop, but has since evolved into a sort of eco-friendly resource aimed at “cultivating a fully sustainable community,” reads the website. Inside you’ll find houseplants, gardening supplies, ethically produced pet products from local Applehead City Pet, compostable bags, how-to books, make-your-own kombucha kits and even organic menstrual…
Best Homage to Crazy Ladies Bookstore
Downbound Books fills a hole in the Northside community as an independent bookstore offering a selection of curated titles. Before returning to Cincinnati, owner Gregory Kornbluh lived on the East Coast for more than a decade where he worked as a bookseller at a shop outside Boston and later in sales and marketing for Harvard…
Best “This Old House” Resource Center
If you own an old home and don’t know about Hyde Park Lumber, consider this the best piece of advice you’ll ever receive. This historic Cincinnati business has been around for more than a century and deals in a plethora of craftsman creations you won’t find at your average Home Depot. The showroom is filled…
Best Place to Find the New Silhouette for Pants
If Gen-Z-ers told you skinny jeans are out and you need to update your wardrobe, head to Over-the-Rhine’s Continuum. The modern concept shop carries clothing from emerging and independent designers. Here you’ll find the most up-to-date and original silhouettes and patterns. Think barrel leg, kick flare, wide knits and straight styles from designers like Paloma…
Best T-Shirt Shop with a Message
Khisha Asubuhi printed her first T-shirt more than a decade ago, thus launching Originalitees, her local clothing line that specializes in creating apparel boasting state, city and neighborhood pride. What started as an online operation became a brick-and-mortar last year when Asubuhi opened a storefront in Walnut Hills. Originalitees has always been dedicated to paying…
Best Herbal Tincture to Help You Relax
No, we aren’t talking CBD or medical marijuana (although both of those work, too). But if you’re looking for something with more of a witchy-goddess flair, look no further than Queen City Alchemy. Emily Little first launched her line of soaps and body products as “Little Organics,” with a focus on herbal medicine, informed and…
Best Cabinet of Vintage Books
If you’re like us, there’s nothing quite as intoxicating as the smell of old books — and there’s no better place to find them than downtown’s five-story Ohio Book Store. It’s easy to get lost among the racks of classic literature, cookbooks and secondhand fiction, but wherever you wander, be sure to take a look…
Best Garage Plant Shop Turned Brick-and-Mortar
When wedding photographer Christine Funke found herself out of work and stuck at home at the start of the pandemic, she began putting her time and energy into her houseplants and realized, “I’m sure if I’m redecorating my house right now, everyone else is doing it, too,” she says. With this thought, Funke took to…
Best Over-the-River Expansion
Adjacent Covington boutiques Handzy and Gumdrop expanded with new locations this year. The shops — the first one aimed at grown-ups and the latter at kids (and their parents) — opened storefronts in downtown Cincinnati’s Historic West Fourth district this past fall. And just like in Northern Kentucky, their Queen City Handzy and Gumdrop locations…
Best Place to Buy a Horse-Drawn Carriage
If you’re looking to live out a torrid historical romance à la Bridgerton, Grand Antique Mall has the perfect prop: a vintage horse-drawn buggy. Yes, you could purchase your very own surrey with the fringe on top. Now all you need is a corset to rip. And a steed. facebook.com/grandantiquemall.
Best Buds
Colerain Township’s Buds is ready to meet all your flower needs — and then some. The shop is run by Donna Hoffman and Emily Bosse-Woolum, who decided to take the next step after years of creating centerpieces and bouquets at home for weddings. They wanted the ability to still function as a floral shop while…
Best Sunday Pizza Pop-Up to Open a Brick-and-Mortar
Parlor Pizza Project went from a weekly “Sunday Slice” pop-up at Oakley Wines to opening their own carry-out restaurant in Hyde Park. parlorpizzaprojectcincy.com.
Best Way to Increase Outdoor Dining (and Drinking) Options in Cincinnati
The City of Cincinnati’s outdoor, pandemic-friendly dining pop-ups in Over-the-Rhine and downtown have become a permanent fixture of the streetscape. The temporary solution to allow restaurants and bars more COVID-friendly seating on select sidewalks and in select streets launched in May 2020 to help businesses stay open while following indoor dining capacity restrictions from the…
Best Taste of Honduras without Leaving Kentucky
Unataza Coffee was born from owner Alejandra Flores’ desire to bring together two places she loved dearly: Northern Kentucky and her native country of Honduras. Flores initially opened Unataza as a pop-up shop and facilitated coffee origin trips to her home country to show the process behind the beloved beverage. In fall of 2019, Unataza…
Best Reason to Wake Up Before 9 a.m. on a Saturday
A local staple for almost-too-beautiful-to-eat baked treats, Over-the-Rhine’s Brown Bear Bakery didn’t just survive the pandemic, it became an even hotter spot for those in need of a buttery, flaky pick-me-up. Early into the pandemic, Brown Bear quickly developed an online ordering and carry-out platform, offering a safe and streamlined approach for folks to get…
Best Hot Chocolate Bombs
After 10 years of crafting made-from-scratch treats in Hamilton, Ruby’s Chocolates expanded their business with a second location off of Oakley Square last winter. In addition to their signature truffle cakes, which are similar to a cake pop and come in a variety of flavors, visitors can satisfy their sweet tooth with a selection of…
Best Peanut Butter Curry Donuts
Saturdays are donut days at Northside’s 100% vegan Happy Chicks Bakery. Made with croissant dough, the resulting creations are delightfully flaky and light. But you’d be hard-pressed to find your average chocolate sprinkle donut here. The bakery offers creative new weekly flavors like a spicy peanut-butter-curry-glazed donut or one with a bourbon-ginger-cherry glaze. happychicksbakery.com.
Best Century-Old Pickle Purveyor
Launched in 1920 by Harry T. Kaiser Sr., the West End’s Kaiser Pickles celebrated 100 years of fine brining in 2020. Using farm-fresh produce, the company produces 90 million pounds of pickles (and peppers) per year and is still a family-owned operation. You may have even tried their pickles without knowing it: They produce them…
Best Coffee Pop-Up Shop
Fans of Proud Hound Coffee can pick up their beans at shops throughout the city or grab a drink via their multi-colored truck, which they park at various events. But the ethical roasters also sling damn fine brews via pop-ups at their Silverton-based roastery on Saturdays. Lucky for us, Proud Hound’s first brick-and-mortar location is…
Best Egg Hoagie
The Governor diner in Milford makes a hearty and satisfying egg hoagie, topped with scrambled eggs, cheese, caramelized onion, salsa verde and peppers. Get it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. governordiner.com.
Best Scratch-Made-Tortilla-Slinging Taco Truck That Will Leave You Craving More
What sets Dayton, Kentucky’s Taqueria Nogal food truck apart from other options in the area is their scratch-made tortillas and simple, but flavorful meats and fresh toppings (like cucumber, radish, cilantro and onion). They offer a small and affordable menu of tacos, burritos, tortas and quesadillas, but often feature daily specials, like birria tacos, elotes…
Best Tater Tot Waffles
Newport’s Press on Monmouth offers delectable rice/quinoa bowls and sandwiches suited for breakfast, lunch and everything in-between. Regardless of what you order, add a side of crispy waffle-ironed tater tots (which can also replace the grains as the base in their bowls). pressonmonmouthnky.com.
Best Tater Tot Nacho Bowl
Bellevue’s Nomad bar and bistro offers a menu of creative totcho bowls — a portmanteau of the words “tot” and “nacho.” The totchos are devilishly crispy seemingly all the way through to the bottom of the basket, with several different options to choose from — a favorite is the Korean BBQ, which comes with Korean-style…
Best Roman-Style Artichokes
The artichokes alla giudia at OTR’s Pepp & Dolores are flash fried and served with creamy lemon vinaigrette, just like they’ve been prepared for centuries in Rome’s Jewish Ghetto neighborhood; “alla giudia” translates to “Jewish style.” Simple and perfect. peppanddolores.com.
Best Focaccia Sandwich You Can Only Get On Saturdays
On Saturdays only, Oakley carry-out The Wheel offers a curated selection of sandwiches, nestled on housemade focaccia. The best? The rosemary roasted carrot with kale, garlic yogurt and romesco. thewheeloakley.com.
Best Stripmall Sub Shop
Although its exterior is modest — as is its interior, really — build-your-own-sandwich shop Sub Station II in Fort Wright handcrafts above-average subs. The ingredients and toppings are fresh, most of them are cut right in front of you, and the salty rye bread adds a hint of sophistication you won’t find at most sandwich…
Best Farmers Market Pickles with a Kick
Maysville, Kentucky-based Springcreek Farm presents a tongue-scorching twist on a cookout classic: Kickles. Pick them up at the Covington or Fort Thomas farmers market. They also carry more traditional flavors, like dill and bread and butter. facebook.com/springcreekfarmky.
Best Vegetarian “Chicken” Nugget
Former food truck Galactic Fried Chicken opened a brick-and-mortar in Dayton, Kentucky in early 2020. The restaurant serves fried chicken, chicken tenders and sandwiches, along with a variety of sides ranging from mac and cheese to deviled eggs. They also offer vegetarian fried jackfruit nuggets. And these ain’t your average tendies. The eatery uses rice…
Best Vegan Wings
Housed in Findlay Kitchen, Vegan Avenue LLC serves up plant-based soulful eats including cauliflower wings, Cajun fries, jackfruit barbecue, chicken and waffles and swoon-worthy sweets. All of their grub is made sans soy, meat and dairy, with gluten-free options available. facebook.com/veganavenuellc.
Best Fake Popeyes Sandwich
Chef Kayla Robison of Arnolds Bar and Grill makes a perfect fake Popeyes chicken sandwich featuring a mammoth slab of cauliflower, breaded and double-dipped in a Southern-style buttermilk batter, with Frank’s RedHot hot sauce and Cajun spices. It’s then fried and topped with pickles. And it always sells out. arnoldsbarandgrill.com. Related Stories
Best Chili Melt
Camp Washington Chili offers a Cincinnati-chili-infused melt — essentially a grilled cheese sandwich with a ladle of chili in the middle. campwashingtonchili.com.
Best Green Beans
Oriental Wok serves a vegetarian dinner dish of green beans and rice (it also comes as a side), which sounds slightly boring but it’s truly not. The veggies come with tree ear mushrooms and carrots in a kicky brown sauce. orientalwok.com.
Best Type of War
Cincinnati’s restaurant tip wars — inspired by the rivalry between Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati — started in January 2021, when an XU-loving patron and his two daughters stopped by Zip’s Cafe in Mount Lookout and left a hefty $1,000 tip on their $54.95 bill. The strangers also left a note acknowledging the…
Best Upscale Riff on a Classic 3-Way
After landing on both Food & Wine and Vogue magazines’ lists of the “most anticipated” American restaurant openings of 2020, Khora opened its doors inside of downtown’s Kinley Hotel this past fall. The restaurant offers “modern pasta dishes and small plates with a Midwest sensibility,” which includes a Cincinnati-style 3-way made with lamb ragù. A…
Best Expansive Vegetarian Options at an Indian Restaurant (That Isn’t Strictly Vegetarian)
Price Hill’s Maya Indian Restaurant isn’t a vegetarian Indian joint (whereas Amma’s Kitchen in Roselawn is), but the menu boasts more options for the non-meat-eating set than most; 28 different dishes are listed under the “vegetarian specialties” header. The more unique offerings include paneer bhurji, vegetable mango, gobi manchurian and a buttery, creamy, you’ll-eat-the-whole-serving-at-once paneer…
Best Psychedelic Gelatin Creations
Food stylist and baker Amanda Bowman has launched Calliope Sweets, a slightly psychedelic and retro-inspired bakery that specializes in pastries, cakes, brightly colored Swiss rolls and wild gelatin creations. Modern, complex and vividly pigmented flavor combos are layered in 1950s-style molds, like a lychee-rose jelly in the shape of a heart, or a carrot, cardamom-vanilla…
Best Fake Fast Food Franchise
The Northside Yacht Club is no stranger to mock restaurant franchise pop-ups, having previously transformed into other edibly-themed entities like SkyRosa’s — a Skyline and LaRosa’s mashup — and, perhaps most infamously, an Applebee’s. But Nihilist Arby’s took it a step further, actually getting permission from Punk musician and Nihilist Arby’s Twitter account operator Brendan…
Best Almost-Unachievable Deep-Fried Coney Challenge
The Northside Yacht Club really wasn’t fucking around this year and in February 2021, they brought back their deep-fried cheese coney, also known as the “Cincinnati chimichanga.” The now-annual infamous Midwestern monstrosity features a chili cheese coney topped with more chili and cheese, wrapped in a flour tortilla and then deep-fried (they also make vegetarian…
Best Use of Walnuts
As the name suggests, Rooted Juicery + Kitchen offers both health-focused beverages and solid food. In addition to the different made-to-order menus at each location, they also have a walk-up cooler — one full of cold-pressed juices and mylks and one with grab-and-go eats. You’ll find options like banana chocolate or matcha power bites, a…
Best Homemade Black Bean Burger
If you are a black bean burger connoisseur — or have ever even just eaten one — you know that the patties must strike a delicate balance: too wet and they crumble before you can get the burger to your mouth; too dry and they’re basically flavorless pucks. Delwood in Mount Lookout has somehow mastered…
Best Sunday Self-Care Smoothie
BanaSun Smoothie Bar’s Bana Cocoa smoothie, made with banana, chocolate and peanut butter. Pro tip: Add a shot of cold brew coffee. facebook.com/banasun513.
Best Curry Dumpling
The curry pan at Kiki College Hill is a sort of fried, breaded dumpling, which chef Hideki Harada has described as a “curry donut.” Stuffed with potato, onion and carrot, the savory, crispy veggie ball has a flaky crust and is seriously addicting. kikicincinnati.com.
Best Taco Pop-Up to Find a New Place to Park
If you enjoy washing down your tacos with some boozy beverages, your taste buds will be set up for success at Pata Roja Taqueria’s new home. The taco spot has partnered with owners of Pendleton’s Saeso to bring Mexican-style street tacos to the bar’s patio. Pata Roja offers four taco varieties from its parked cart:…
Best Trompe-L’Oeil Treats
Have you ever been torn between wanting a cake or pizza? With Fat Ben’s Bakery, you can have both. Benjamin Arington, known for his over-the-top, imaginative pastry creations, has been in the food field for over 15 years. Arington creates aesthetically pleasing treats, all while keeping it “weird” and pushing the boundaries of what conventional…
Best Traditional Japanese Kaiseki Dinner
If you’re looking for a multi-course Japanese dinner, look no further than Matsuya Japanese in Florence (you may have to look a little harder than expected; the hidden gem is truly tucked away in a nondescript strip mall). The restaurant offers a traditional kaiseki menu with zensai (three small appetizers), sunomono (cucumber and seaweed salad),…
Best German Spaghetti Ice Cream
Covington’s Eishaus is a family-run walk-up window that specializes in spaghetti eis. Yes, spaghetti. But the dessert isn’t made of pasta; it’s actually ice cream pushed through an extruder to resemble the classic Italian dish. Spaghetti eis was invented in Mannheim, Germany in the 1960s and is traditionally topped with fruit. But at Eishaus, they…
Best Way to Make Sotto or Boca at Home
Chef David Falk — the restaurateur behind downtown’s Boca, Sotto and Nada — launched a new culinary concept during the pandemic to bring restaurant-quality cuisine into Cincinnati homes. Domo is a meal delivery service that offers ready-to-bake family-style dinners, dropped at your door (as long as you’re within a certain radius of downtown). Domo preps…
Best Grandma-Inspired Small-Batch Covington Bake Shop
Covington’s rose&mary bakery and cafe pays homage to co-owner and lead baker Chase Maus’ late grandmother and aunt — Mary and Rose, respectively — who helped to raise him. The pop-up turned brick-and-mortar offers scratch-made pastries, breads and cafe bites, like stuffed-charcoal croissants, sweet and savory danishes, donuts, pies and more. But what makes this…
Best Reopening of a Thai Favorite
After closing its doors in Mount Adams in 2017, the owners of Teak Thai reopened in a new space across from Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine. The eatery is known for its top-notch Thai cuisine and sushi offerings, crafted by longtime chef John Lee from the Mount Adams location. The revamped Teak OTR features many of…
Best 150-Year-Old Birthday Cake
For its 150th anniversary, Graeter’s released a special birthday cake-flavored ice cream. Described as a “blend of cake pieces and sprinkles in cake batter ice cream,” it’s like Funfetti in a cone. Or cup. Or pint. graeters.com.
Best Alternative to Asian Food Fest
While Cincinnati’s super popular Asian Food Fest was canceled in 2020, fans were still able to enjoy a ton of local Asian eats in the fall. Asian Food Week ran from Nov. 2-8 and more than 20 eateries from across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky offered either a special $20 prix fixe, three-course meal or a…
Best Food Legends We Said Goodbye To
Two iconic Cincinnati food legends died this past year. The longtime owner of Aglamesis Bro’s passed away on Jan. 23 at the age of 93. James Aglamesis, also known as “Jim” or “Mr. A,” led the family ice cream parlor chain for more than 60 years. The over-a-century-old ice cream brand was founded by Greek…
Best Community-Minded Creamy Whip
Roughly five years ago, a bright blue-and-green soft serve truck parked itself smack dab in the center of Walnut Hills. With its colorful branding and playful slogan, “Life is hard enough, your ice cream should be soft,” Green Man Twist quickly became a soft serve staple in its community. However, this ice cream food truck…
Best Adult Happy Meal
Over-the-Rhine’s Dunlap Cafe started making their own grown-up “happy meals” for carry-out during the pandemic. The perfect lil’ combo pack included an entree with a side of fries, Twizzlers, a Dunlap Koozie as a prize and an adult beverage — a beer, hard seltzer or a cocktail. Entree options included cheeseburgers, chicken tenders or a…
Best Farmers Market Tech Innovation
The Northside Farmers Market implemented some new technology to make the weekly Wednesday market more safe, socially distant and efficient for shoppers this year. Customers can now order and pre-pay on the Farmnivorous app for curbside pickup or even limited delivery. northsidefm.org.
Best Pasta at Pompilio’s That Isn’t Made with Red Sauce
Yeah, Pompilio’s is a classic red-sauce Italian joint, but try opting for the Ronaldo pasta instead. The spicy and garlicky dish is topped with olive oil, red pepper flakes, sun-dried tomato, black olives and feta cheese. It’s got a kick. pompilios.com.
Best Sausage Spot to Replace Kroeger & Sons Meats in Findlay Market
LK, from Ryan Lillis and John Knodel (the L and the K), offers 40 varieties of handcrafted sausage, plus smoked meat, fresh pork products and seasonal specials from the former Kroeger & Sons booth in Findlay’s markethouse. Lillis comes from a Findlay family line — his mother’s family owned a produce stand at the market…
Best Sweet Potato Latte
Evanston’s Cream + Sugar Coffeehouse, owned by friends Taren Kinebrew and Crystal Grace, serves coffee, breakfast and lunch with a focus on locally-sourced and plant-based ingredients — including a specialty sweet potato latte. creamandsugarcoffeehouse.com.
Best Floral Matcha Latte
Downtown-based Lola’s coffee offers springy floral tea lattes: either a rose matcha or a lavender matcha. Get them for a dollar off during “latte happy hour” from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. lolascincy.com.
Best Retro Breakfast Expansion
Cult favorite breakfast eatery Sugar n’ Spice officially opened their much-anticipated Over-the-Rhine location in the former Joe’s Diner in July 2020. The tiny and almost-always-on-a-wait Paddock Hills original, which opened in 1941, is well-known for its “wispy thin” pancakes, vibrant decor and rubber duckies that come with every meal — elements that traveled to its…
Best Wild One-Day-Only Lattes
Covington’s Haven Cafe offers a variety of classic coffee and espresso drinks, along with creative alternatives such as an organic matcha mango lemonade and turmeric-infused lattes (plus local pastries, assorted toasts and smoothies). They use organic syrups, local dairy with zero hormones or antibiotics and dairy alternatives. Check their instagram page (@havencafecov) for unique latte…
Best Local Meal Kit Service
Gene and Lou Turner, husband-and-wife veterans of the food-service industry, were laid off during the pandemic, so they decided to start MOXY. MOXY offers a variety of local, chef-driven meal kits. Each themed MOXY box comes with prepped and portioned ingredients, plus instructions, so you’re ready to cook as soon as you get it home.…
Best Kitchen Collective Supporting the Local Food Community
Since 2013, the Incubator Kitchen Collective has been living its mission to help people start their small business dreams. With two locations -— The Incubator and The Hatchery in Newport — the Incubator Kitchen Collective is Greater Cincinnati’s hub for food ideas. Over 150 food-based small businesses, including Grandola Granola and Harmony Plant Fare (which…
Best Puerto Rican Pop-Up Turned Permanent
Known originally as a popular pop-up, MashRoots Puerto Rican-inspired eatery recently opened a brick-and-mortar in College Hill. Offering a sort of fast-casual Latin American cuisine, the most iconic menu item is the “build-your-own Mofongo bowl,” which allows customers to hand-select ingredients for the famous Puerto Rican dish. mashroots.com.
Best Free Fridge
Located at Wave Pool’s Welcome Project in Camp Washington, Fridge Etc. is a free community fridge that “advocates for food rescue, small business, local farms/gardens and unifying the community through food and art.” Everything placed inside the fridge is free, to anyone. Just remember to check the expiration dates and other relevant info before consuming.…
Best Toilet Paper with a Side of Fried Chicken
At the start of the pandemic, when there was nary a sheet of toilet paper on store shelves, Libby’s Southern Comfort in Covington came up with a creative way to feed its customers and outfit their bathrooms: they started offering a carry-out menu that came with a roll of toilet paper. It was much appreciated. libbyssoutherncomfort.com.
Best Restaurant Worker Relief Center
At the start of the pandemic, chef Jose Salazar teamed up with chef Edward Lee’s The LEE Initiative to transform his downtown restaurant Mita’s into a relief center for employees in the food and beverage industry affected by coronavirus-related closures. The center provided aid in the form of meals and groceries for restaurant workers who…
Best Coffee Subscription
Camp Washington’s Mom ‘n ‘em coffee is now offering a coffee subscription, so you don’t have to leave home for that perfect cup. Named one of the best coffee shops in America by Food & Wine, you can have the Ferrari Bros. beans delivered to your home on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis. Opt…
Best Random Acts of Cheese
During the start of the pandemic, OTR cheese shop The Rhined asked local folks to nominate some members of the Greater Cincinnati community who deserved a cheesy pick-me-up. Anyone who could benefit from some kindness — a frontline worker you’d like to show some support, a family member who lives alone, a teacher (or mom-turned-teacher),…
Best Curry Jalapeño Hot Sauce
Farmer Nate’s Hot Sauce — crafted by Nate Nunemaker — is a line of locally harvested and processed hot sauces. Launched as a way to preserve the massive amounts of peppers and other vegetables he harvested in Covington, flavors include Kentucky Tang, Smokehouse Habanero and, our favorite, the Curry Jalapeno. Reminiscent of a really nice…
Best Eateries Getting National Recognition
Not surprisingly, plenty of Cincinnati restaurants, bakeries and other food purveyors made it on some national “best” lists this year. Here’s a sampling: Northstar Café in Liberty Township and Two Cities Pizza Company in Mason both made Yelp’s “Top 100 Places to Eat in 2021” list; Findlay Market’s Eckerlin Meats was named as one of…
Best Fry Sauce
Fifty West Burger Bar is a retro-style root beer and burger stand serving up classic milkshakes, flat-top hot dogs and 12 specialty burgers named for the 12 states that U.S. Route 50 runs through. They’re loaded with staple ingredients inspired by each, including Cincinnati-style chili, Maryland tartar sauce, West Virginia apple butter and Kansas smoky…
Best Relocation of a Late-Night Staple
After the downtown building that late-night noodle shop Shanghai Mama’s was located in was suddenly sold this past fall, the owners of the Chinese eatery were forced to close and find a new space. After several months and more than $13,000 raised through GoFundMe, the restaurant reopened as Shanghai on Elm. facebook.com/shanghaionelm.
Best Frozen Momos
The Chipalu family has served authentic Nepalese food from their Northside restaurant Bridges Nepali Cuisine since 2017, expanding with a second location on Court Street downtown in 2019. You can certainly dine-in or get carry-out from either, but Bridges also offers frozen momos, or Nepali dumplings. Take the frozen treats home and prepare them by…
Best Local Bike Courier and Food Delivery Service
53T Courier. 53tcourier.com.
Best Syrian Flatbread Wrap
The Barazi family opened Baladi in Clifton in 2017, serving a broad menu of Arabic eats with an emphasis on desserts and welcoming hospitality. On the list of dishes, you’ll find familiar hits with influences from Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan. But branch out and try something you won’t find on other Middle Eastern-leaning menus,…
Best Transformation from a Seafood Chain to a Sprawling Foodie Destination
Bridgeview Box Park is a cluster of small food, drink and shopping vendors conglomerated where Mitchell’s Fish Market used to sit at Newport on the Levee. The establishments are housed next to each other in shipping-like containers — hence the “box park” part of the name — and are interspersed among a common outdoor area.…
Best Cantonese-Style Wontons
Findlay Kitchen’s Yee Mama offers wonton kits that include a dozen Hong Kong-style wontons, your choice of sauce, herbs for garnish and instructions for how to cook them. yeemama.square.site.
Best Second Sweet Spot
Hello Honey has been serving up small-batch ice cream in the heart of downtown since 2012. Now, they’re expanding into East Walnut Hills. Hello Honey ice cream is crafted with fresh ingredients and options rotate based on the seasons. Flavors have included Thai iced tea, honey pistachio and brown butter caramel, as well as vegan…
Best Outdoor Dance Classes
Cult-favorite dance/workout studio DANCEFIX by HBDC started offering live and pre-recorded virtual classes when the pandemic hit. But they also took things outdoors. Dance classes were held at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Blue Ash or on Schmidlapp Lawn at The Banks so fans could get their fix — even in winter. dancefixcincinnati.com.
Best DORA District to Grab a Brew and Ride Your Bike
Best DORA District to Grab a Brew and Ride Your Bike The flat, paved Loveland Bike Trail/ Little Miami Scenic Trail is a joy to pedal — even more so when you stop at a local bar for a drink to-go. Loveland is a DORA district, or a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area, meaning you can…
Best Worst “In Memoriam” Super Bowl Snub
The Cincinnati Bengals are calling foul on the NFL for ignoring a city legend who passed away last year. On Feb. 8, just a few hours before the kickoff for Super Bowl LV and shortly before Miley Cyrus began her TikTok tailgate performance, the Bengals tweeted their dissatisfaction with the National Football League for omitting…
Best Long-Overdue High School Mascot Retirement and Rebrand
This past summer, the Forest Hills Board of Education voted to officially retire the Anderson High School Redskins mascot. In what most humans would consider an overdue move, a release about the decision says it came after “community discussion, input and significant work to support inclusivity and diversity across the district.” On their Twitter, the…
Best Parade (and Fake Day Off) We Hope Returns in 2021
The Cincinnati Reds Findlay Market Opening Day Parade, which was canceled in 2020, claims it will return for Opening Day 2021 — whenever that is. Per a letter from Parade Chairman Neil Luken, the festivities will be postponed until “the Cincinnati Reds are permitted to fill the stadium to full capacity and there are no…
Best Other New Bike Trail
A new .6-mile bike and walking path on the southern edge of Lower Price Hill was unveiled in August. That swath of pavement, part of the planned Ohio River West Trail, could someday allow Price Hill residents to ride the roughly 2-and-a-half miles downtown in a matter of minutes — a key, non-automotive link between…
Best New Bike Trail
Wasson Way is the area’s most recent railroad-turned-bike-trail. “Right now there’s about 1.5 miles between Madison Road and Montgomery Road,” Tri-State Trails Director Wade Johnston told CityBeat this past summer. “Tri-State Trails helped secure $6 million last year to extend the trail west to Avondale and east through Ault Park to the Murray Trail. Through…
Best Bengals Uniform Tease
The Cincinnati Bengals are hoping for a touchdown when it comes to their new look, which was teased in a January Twitter post and will be unveiled this spring. The team will sport new stripes on its uniforms, according to a video posted on their social media channels. The short clip offers a timeline of…
Best Reds Broadcaster Addition
Cincinnati legend and Cooperstown inductee Barry Larkin will join the Cincinnati Reds’ television broadcast team on FOX Sports Ohio beginning with the 2021 season. The former Reds shortstop will serve as a color analyst. Larkin previously had been an analyst for ESPN’s pre-game shows and live color commentary. He also served as an analyst for…
Best Reds Broadcaster Ouster
During a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals in August 2020, longtime Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman used a gay slur on air — he was caught on a hot mic saying the phrase “the fag capitals of the world” (not sure to what or where he was referring). In a statement, the Reds said…
Best Burrow Bobbleheads
In 2020, Milwaukee’s National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited-edition bobblehead of one very special Cincinnati Bengal: Joe Burrow. The bobblehead design featured quarterback Burrow riding a Bengal tiger. (“Bobbleheads riding stuff” is apparently a thing and the museum also produced Al Kaline riding a Detroit Tiger, Carson Wentz riding a Philadelphia…
Best Goodbye to a Baseball Legend
Former Cincinnati Reds pitcher and Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver died in August 2020 at the age of 75. Seaver — also known as “Tom Terrific” — played six seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (1977-’82), and also played for the Chicago White Sox (1984-’86), Boston Red Sox (1986) and spent 12 seasons with the…
Best Boozy Fan Base
Cincinnati Reds fans have some experience drowning their sorrows. And a recent survey from NJ Online Gambling about the drinking habits of MLB fanbases seems to confirm it. The survey shows that Reds fans are No. 3 in the country for boozing it up, consuming 3.8 drinks per game and spending about $40 on alcohol.…
Best X Games Win
A familiar skier has returned to the gold-medal podium: Lawrenceburg, Indiana’s own Nick Goepper placed first in men’s ski slopestyle at the 2021 X Games Aspen in January. The champ had fostered his love of the sport at Perfect North Slopes in Lawrenceburg, about 30 minutes west of Cincinnati. Goepper’s medal makes him the only…
Best Soccer MVP
Winning a World Cup just wasn’t enough for Rose Lavelle. And why should it be? Lavelle, a midfielder for the U.S. Women’s National Team and Cincinnati native, is clearly MVP material and literally won that honor in the 2021 SheBelieves Cup’s winning match. Lavelle helped her team to a tournament victory over all three days…
Best Sports Uniform to Pay Homage to a Water Tower
The recently rebranded Northern Kentucky Frontier League baseball team the Florence Y’alls introduced a new look to go with their new name. Previously known as the Florence Freedom, the team was purchased by a new ownership group in 2019, after which it was announced that a name and branding change was forthcoming. The team solicited…
Best Confirmation that Cincinnati Parks Are, In Fact, Excellent
The Trust for Public Land announced that Cincinnati’s park system ranked fifth in the nation in the Annual ParkScore Index Report, climbing three spots above its ranking in 2019. (Minneapolis had the No. 1 ranking park system in the nation. Oklahoma City was ranked the worst.) ParkScore rankings are based on park access, acreage, investment…
Best Reason to Rename a Stadium
Because the namesake was a bigot. In 2020, the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees unanimously voted to remove late Cincinnati Reds owner, philanthropist and racist-comment-maker Marge Schott’s name from the school’s baseball stadium and a portion of the archives library. Former UC Baseball player Jordan Ramey launched a change.org petition to change the name,…
Best (Only) Way to Attend the Bengals 2020 Season Opener
Banning living, breathing human fans from stadiums across the country (because of COVID-19) continued into football season, as did the cardboard avatar trend. For the Bengals’ home opener in September, Who Dey Cutouts were available for purchase, with net proceeds benefiting six of the team’s community partners: The Boys & Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati,…
Best Way to Rep the Reds in 2-D
Just because you couldn’t physically attend a Reds game this season didn’t mean you couldn’t be there in spirit — and in cutout form. The Cincinnati Reds kicked off gameplay in late July and sold limited-time Reds Fans Cutouts to help keep the seats at Great American Ball Park warm (metaphorically, of course — it…
Best News for Football (aka Futbol) Fans
FC Cincinnati has announced that the team will play Inter Miami CF in a match that will serve as both the 2021 season’s home opener and West End Stadium’s very first Major League Soccer game. The match begins at 4 p.m. May 16 and will be nationally televised on FOX and FOX Deportes. Tickets are…
Best Women’s Clothing Store
1. Rose & Remington 2. Golden Day Boutique 3. Sloane Boutique 4. Kismet 5. The Native One 6. Idlewild 7. Pangea 8. MEAS Active 9. Continuum 10. Leeli + Lou (TIE) 10. TMBTITWI (TIE)
Best Wine Shop
1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. DEP’s Fine Wine & Spirits 3. Oakley Wines
Best Wedding Venue (Outdoors)
1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Cincinnati Nature Center 3. Lake Lyndsay
Best Wedding Venue (Indoors)
1. Monastery Event Center 2. Hotel Covington 3. The Transept
Best Wedding Reception Hall
1. Bell Event Centre 2. Drees Pavilion 3. Urban Artifact
Best Wedding Photography Service
1. Jessica Wiggins Photography 2. Steph Keller Photography 3. Carly Sue Photography
Best Wedding Dresses
1. Bridal & Formal 2. Carrie Karibo Bridal Boutique 3. Lovely Bride
Best Wedding Cakes
1. The BonBonerie 2. Tres Belle Cakes 3. A Spoon Fulla Sugar
Best Vintage Clothing Store
1. Casablanca Vintage 2. Down to Mars Vintage 3. NVISION
Best Veterinary Care
1. Animal Care Centers of Cincinnati 2. Mt. Pleasant Animal Hospital 3. Grady Veterinary Hospital
Best Vape Shop
1. Cincy Vapors 2. Cloud 9 Vapor Lounge 3. Ground Zero Vaping
Best Tree Service
1. Back Tree Service 2. Shawnee Tree 3. Madison Tree Care and Landscaping
Best Toy Store
1. King Arthur’s Court Toys 2. Coolest Toys on Earth 3. Puzzle Pieces – A Sensory Sensation
Best Tire Store
1. Tire Discounters 2. AAA | Bob Sumerel Tire & Service 3. Donovan’s Auto & Tire
Best Thrift Shop
1. Valley Thrift Store 2. St. Vincent de Paul 3. Retail Therapy NKY
Best Tea Shop/Selection
1. Churchill’s Fine Teas 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Coffee Emporium
Best Tax Service
1. Burke & Schindler 2. The Tax Man 3. Orcutt & Company
Best Tattoo Shop
1. Flying Tiger Tattoo 2. White Whale Tattoo 3. Body of Art Tattoo 4. Red Dragon Tattoo & Piercing 5. Skincraft Piercing & Tattoo 6. Designs by Dana 7. Nightshade Ink 8. The Decorated Body Tattoo & Piercing Shop 9. One Shot Tattoo 10. Immortal Canvas
Best Tanning Salon
1. A Total Tan 2. Palm Beach Tan 3. Envy Tan
Best Tailor/Seamstress
1. Janet Morris 2. Peppe Ramundo’s 3. Lisa Rumple
Best Sporting Goods
1. Dick’s Sporting Goods 2. Koch Sporting Goods 3. Play It Again Sports
Best Smoke/Tobacco Shop
1. Hemptations 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Bell’s House of Tobacco
Best Skin Care Service
1. Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center 2. Alba Beauty Studio 3. Kassandra Berry Nail and Beauty Spa
Best Shoe Repair
1. Clarence Howell Shoe Repair 2. Lee & Hayes Shoe Services 3. Hillman’s Luggage & Shoes
Best Real Estate Brokerage
1. Sibcy Cline 2. Keller Williams Realty 3. Coldwell Banker Realty
Best Real Estate Agent
1. Jordan Nicely 2. The Biggs Team 3. Keith Taylor
Best Plumbing Company
1. Apollo Home 2. DuPont Plumbing 3. Tarvin Plumbing
Best Plastic Surgery
1. Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center 2. The Plastic Surgery Group 3. Mangat, Holzapfel & Lied Plastic Surgery
Best Plant Store
1. Fern 2. Natorp’s 3. White Oak Garden Center
Best Place to Buy Your Engagement Ring
1. Richter & Phillips 2. Schwartz Jewelers 3. Genesis Diamonds
Best Place to Buy Sneakers
1. DSW 2. JackRabbit 3. Nordstrom
Best Place to Buy Art
1. Pendleton Art Center 2. Florence Antique Mall 3. MiCA 12/v
Best Place for an Adults Birthday
1. MadTree Brewing Co. 2. Coppin’s at Hotel Covington 3. Chroma Vino Paint Bar + Gift Shop
Best Place for a Kids Birthday
1. Cincinnati Museum Center 2. Dave & Buster’s 3. Beechmont Rollarena
Best Piercing Studio
1. Skincraft Piercing & Tattoo 2. Beelistic Tattoo & Piercing 3. Designs by Dana
Best Physician/Healthcare Practice
1. TriHealth 2. The Christ Hospital 3. Mercy Health Physicians
Best Pharmacy
1. Kroger 2. Mullaney’s Pharmacy & Medical Supply 3. Meijer
Best Pet Supply Store
1. PetSmart 2. Pet Wants OTR 3. Pet People
Best Pet Rescue/Shelter
1. SPCA Cincinnati 2. Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP) 3. Joseph’s Legacy
Best Pet Grooming
1. Wüf Pet Spa 2. Animal Ark Pet Resort 3. Animal Care Centers of Cincinnati
Best Pet Boarding/Daycare
1. Animal Care Centers of Cincinnati 2. PetSuites 3. Camp Bow Bow
Best Pet Adoption Service
1. SPCA Cincinnati 2. Stray Animal Adoption Program (SAAP) 3. Adore-A-Bull Rescue
Best Pawn Shop
1. Ted’s Pawn Shop 2. American Trading Company 3. Classic Pawn
Best Papergood Store
1. M. Hopple & Co. 2. Handzy 3. Joseph-Beth Booksellers
Best Paint Store
1. Sherwin-Williams 2. Oakley Paint & Glass 3. Ace Hardware
Best Outdoor/Outfitters Shop
1. REI 2. Bass Pro Shops (TIE) 2. Cabela’s (TIE) 3. Roads Rivers and Trails
Best OBGYN
1. Seven Hills Women’s Health Centers 2. TriHealth Women’s Services 3. For Women, Inc.
Best Nursery/Greenhouse
1. Natorp’s 2. A.J. Rahn Greenhouses 3. White Oak Gardens
Best Neighborhood Shopping District
1. Rookwood Commons/Pavilion 2. Over-the-Rhine 3. Hyde Park Square
Best Musical Instrument Store
1. Antonio Violins & Ukes 2. Willis Music 3. Buddy Roger’s Music
Best Moving Company
1. Two Men and a Truck 2. All My Sons Moving & Storage 3. EkoMovers
Best Motorcycle/ Motorsports Dealer
1. CinCity Harley-Davidson 2. Honda of Fairfield 3. Eastgate Harley-Davidson
Best Men’s Clothing Store
1. BlaCk OWned Outerwear 2. J.Salandino Brand 3. The Native Brand
Best Medi Spa
1. Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center 2. Transform Medspa 3. Somi Javaid, MD and Associates (HERmd)
Best Massage Therapy Practice/Clinic
1. Woodhouse Day Spa 2. Massage Envy 3. Grace + Grit
Best Martial Arts Studio
1. Club MMA 2. Mt. Washington Taekwondo 3. Patten’s Martial Arts
Best Manicure/Pedicure
1. Ambiance Nail Salon & Spa 2. Alba Beauty Studio 3. Spruce Nail Shop
Best Mall/Shopping Center
1. Kenwood Towne Centre 2. Rookwood Commons/Pavilion 3. Liberty Center
Best Magazine/Newspaper Selection
1. Joseph-Beth Booksellers 2. Cincinnati Public Library 3. Shake It Records
Best Locksmith
1. Larry’s Lock, Safe and Security 2. Ian O’Hara 3. Mr. Lock Security
Best Local Indie Craft Market Vendor
1. Fern 2. Stitches & Sass 3. Handzy
Best Local Indie Craft Market
1. The City Flea 2. Second Sunday on Main 3. Art on Vine
Best Liquor Store
1. The Party Source 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Hyde Park Wine & Spirits
Best Lighting Store
1. IKEA 2. Menard’s 3. Switch
Best Lawyer (Individual)
1. John Treleven 2. Scott Knox 3. Pamela Hall
Best Lawn Service
1. Oasis Turf & Tree 2. Royse Lawn Care 3. A & A Lawn Care & Landscaping
Best Law Firm
1. Treleven & Klingensmith 2. Keating Muething & Klekamp 3. Law Offices of Shannon C. Smith
Best Lasik Surgery Center
1. Cincinnati Eye Institute 2. Midwest Eye Center 3. LasikPlus
Best Landscaping
1. Natorp’s 2. Seiler’s Landscaping 3. Wimberg Landscaping
Best Jeweler
1. Richter & Phillips 2. Schwartz Jewelers 3. Genesis Diamonds
Best Interior Designer
1. Pear Tree Interiors 2. Honor & Grace Designs 3. Lori Daniels
Best Insurance Agency
1. Cincinnati Insurance Companies 2. AAA 3. State Farm
Best HVAC Company
1. Apollo Home 2. Durbin Heating & Cooling 3. Arlinghaus Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning
Best House Painter
1. Smith & Metz Painting & Decorating 2. Steady Hand Painting 3. Dadstasks
Best Hotel
1. 21c Museum Hotel 2. Hotel Covington 3. Great Wolf Lodge
Best Hospital
1. Cincinnati Children’s Hospital 2. The Christ Hospital 3. University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Best Home Accessories Store
1. indigenous craft gallery 2. High St. 3. MiCA 12/v
Best Health Food Store
1. Whole Foods Market 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Trader Joe’s
Best Hardware Store
1. Ace Hardware 2. Home Depot 3. Lowe’s
Best Handyman
1. Mr. Handyman 2. Dadstasks 3. Chris Cochran
Best Hair Salon
1. Bishops 2. High Five Salon 3. Zoe Grace Salon
Best Hair Removal Service
1. Mandell-Brown Plastic Surgery Center 2. European Wax Center 3. Woodhouse Day Spa
Best Grocery Store
1. Kroger 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Trader Joe’s
Best Green/Sustainable Goods Store
1. Hemptations 2. The Green Store 3. Growing Trade Pet & Plant
Best Giftshop
1. Cincinnati Art Museum 2. Ten Thousand Villages 3. MiCA 12/v
Best General Contractor
1. Build It Brothers 2. Hyde Park Painting & Carpentry 3. Renovations by Rodier
Best Furniture Store
1. IKEA (TIE) 1. Furniture Fair (TIE) 2. Arhaus 3. Crate & Barrel 4. Bargains and Buyouts 5. Nadeau – Furniture With a Soul 6. Open Box Outlet 7. High St. 8. Algin Retro Furniture 9. Home Emporium 10. Macy’s
Best Fresh Seafood Store
1 Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. Luken’s Poultry, Fish & Seafood 3. Lobsta Bakes of Maine
Best Frame Shop
1. Michaels 2. Fabulous Frames & Art 3. frameshop
Best Florist
1. Adrian Durban Florist 2. Daisy Jane’s Flower Truck 3. Robin Wood Flowers
Best Findlay Market Vendor
1. Eli’s BBQ 2. Blue Oven Bakery 3. Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices
Best Financial Planning Service
1. Fidelity Investments 2. Fifth Third Bank 3. Edward Jones
Best Eyewear Store
1. LensCrafters 2. Wing Eyecare 3. Oakley Square Eye Associates
Best Electronics Repair
1. Micro Center 2. Mt. Lookout Television & Electronics 3. iPhone Dude, LLC
Best Dry Cleaner
1. Tide Cleaners 2. Widmer’s 3. Springdale Cleaners
Best Drive-Thru Market
1. Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru 2. Miami Market Deli & Drive-Thru 3. Big Daddy’s Liquor Store
Best Dental Practice/Clinic
1. Vita Dental 2. Andrew J. Marck 3. Bell Dental Group
Best Day Spa
1. Woodhouse Day Spa 2. Mitchell’s Salon & Day Spa 3. 501 Salon & Spa
Best Dance Classes
1. Cincinnati Ballet Academy 2. Arthur Murray 3. DANCEFIX by HBDC
Best Credit Union
1. General Electric Credit Union 2. Kemba Credit Union 3. Cinfed Credit Union
Best Craft Beer Store
1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. The Party Source 3. The Root Cellar
Best Costume Shop
1. Cappel’s 2. Party City 3. Talk of the Town
Best Comic Book Store
1. Queen City Comic and Card Company 2. Shake It Records 3. Paper Street Trading Co.
Best Clothing Consignment
1. Snooty Fox 2. Once Upon A Child 3. Clothes Mentor
Best Chiropractic Practice/Clinic
1. Norwood Chiropractic & Sports 2. Mt. Lookout Chiropractic & Sports Injury Center 3. King Chiropractic
Best Children’s Clothing Store
1. Once Upon A Child 2. The Spotted Goose 3. Homage
Best Cellphone Service Provider
1. Verizon 2. AT&T 3. T-Mobile
Best CD/Record Store (Non-Chain)
1. Everybody’s Records 2. Shake It Records 3. Plaid Room Records
Best CBD Retailer
1. Ohio CBD Guy 2. Kentucky Botanical Co. 3. Jungle Jim’s International Market
Best Catering (Restaurant)
1. Eli’s BBQ 2. City Barbeque 3. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants
Best Caterer
1. Vonderhaar’s Catering 2. Funky’s Catering 3. Elegant Fare
Best Carpet Store
1. McSwain Carpets & Floors 2. JP Flooring Design Center 3. Amelia Floor Store
Best Carpet Cleaning
1. Widmer’s 2. Stanley Steemer 3. Excel Carpet Services
Best Candy Store
1. Aglamesis Bro’s 2. Schneider’s Sweet Shop 3. Jungle Jim’s International Market
Best Camera Store
1. Dodd Camera 2. Western Hills Photo & Hobby 3. Best Buy
Best Bottled Beer Selection (Retail)
1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. The Party Source 3. Clifton Market
Best Bookstore (Non-Chain)
1. Blue Manatee Literacy Project 2. The Friends of the Public Library Warehouse 3. Roebling Point Books & Coffee 4. Shake It Records 5. Blue Marble Books 6. Iris Bookcafe 7. Cincy Book Bus 8. Ohio Book Store 9. Homestead Used Books 10. Downbound Books
Best Bookstore (Chain)
1. Joseph-Beth Booksellers 2. Half Price Books 3. Barnes & Noble
Best Birthing/Maternity Center
1. Good Samaritan Hospital 2. The Christ Hospital 3. St. Elizabeth Healthcare
Best Bicycle Store
1. Montgomery Cyclery 2. Spun Bicycles 3. Reser Bicycle Outfitters
Best Bed and Breakfast
1. The Inn of Hyde Park 2. The Clifton House 3. Gaslight Bed & Breakfast
Best Barber Shop
1. Bishops 2. Clifton Barbers 3. Gil’s Barber Shop
Best Bank
1. Fifth Third Bank 2. PNC Bank 3. Chase
Best Auto/Car Wash
1. Mike’s Carwash 2. Sharonville Car Wash & Detailing 3. AAA Auto Wash
Best Auto Repair Service
1. Tire Discounters 2. Donovan’s Auto & Tire Center 3. Jake Sweeney Automotive
Best Auto Detailer
1. Jake Sweeney Automotive 2. CarZmedics 3. Spick & Span Car Wash & Detailing
Best Auto Dealer (New Vehicles)
1. Jake Sweeney Automotive 2. Marshall Auto Group 3. Beechmont Subaru
Best Arts & Crafts Supplies
1. Michaels 2. Indigo Hippo 3.Cappel’s
Best Arts & Crafts Classes
1. Cincinnati Art Museum 2. Clifton Cultural Arts Center 3. Brazee Street Studios
Best Antique Store
1. Ohio Valley Antique Mall 2. Wooden Nickel Antiques 3. Florence Antique Mall
Best Adult Toy Store
1. HUSTLER Hollywood 2. Dusty Flynt Sexy Gifts 3. High on the Hill
Best Acupuncture Practice
1. Tiny Needle 2. Caldwell Family Wellness 3. Hamilton Health Associates
Best Overall Boutique (Local)
1. BlaCk OWned Outerwear (TIE) 1. Cincy Shirts (TIE) 2. Rose & Remington 3. Kismet 4. MiCA 12/v 5. Homage 6. Queen City Alchemy 7. Quince & Quinn 8. The Native Brand 9. Fleurish Home 10. Golden Day Boutique
Best New Store
1. LK at Findlay Market 2. Fill More Waste Less 3. The Garage Pop-Up Shop
Best Yoga Studio
1. Body Alive 2. Aloha Yoga Center 3. College Hill Yoga
Best Volleyball Courts
1. Fifty West Brewing Company Production Works 2. Cabana on the River 3. Grand Sands Volleyball
Best Tennis Courts
1. Queen City Racquet & Fitness Club 2. Sawyer Point Park 3. Camargo Racquet Club
Best Team (Professional)
1. Reds 2. FC Cincinnati 3. Cincinnati Cyclones
Best Team (College)
1. University of Cincinnati Football 2. Xavier University Men’s Basketball 3. University of Cincinnati Men’s Basketball
Best Team (Amateur/Minor League)
1. Cincinnati Rollergirls 2. Florence Y’alls 3. Black-n-Bluegrass Roller Girls
Best Summer Camp
1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Camp Ernst 3. Camp Joy 4. Camp Kern 5. DAAPcamp 6. Cincinnati Nature Center 7. Cincinnati Museum Center 8. Cincinnati Art Museum 9. Camp at the J 10. Cincinnati Reds Baseball and Softball Camp (TIE) 10. Great Parks of Hamilton County (TIE)
Best Sports Coverage
1. FOX Sports Ohio 2. 700WLW 3. Pardon The Punctuation
Best Softball Fields
1. River City West 2. Schmidt Boat Ramp & Ballfields 3. Mid-America Ballyard
Best Soccer Facility
1. Soccer City 2. Town & Country Sports Complex 3. GameTime Training Center
Best Running/Biking Event
1. Flying Pig Marathon 2. Queen Bee Half Marathon 3. Cyclones Frozen 5K/10K
Best Red (Current)
1. Joey Votto 2. Eugenio Suarez 3. Michael Lorenzen
Best Public Pool
1. Sunlite Pool at Coney Island 2. Ziegler Park 3. Versailles State Park
Best Place to Camp
1. Hocking Hills 2. Red River Gorge 3. East Fork State Park
Best Pilates Studio
1. Body Alive 2. The Breathing Room 3. Prism Pilates
Best Pick-Up Basketball Court
1. Cincinnati Athletic Club 2. Blue Ash Recreation Center 3. LA Fitness (Oakley)
Best Personal Training/ Crossfit Gym
1. ProForce Sports Performance 2. Trilogy Fitness Systems 3. Queen City CrossFit
Best Jogging Route
1. Loveland Bike Trail 2. Eden Park 3. Ault Park
Best Hiking Trail
1. Cincinnati Nature Center 2. Loveland Bike Trail 3. Sharon Woods 4. Ault Park 5. Mount Airy Forest 6. Miami Whitewater Forest 7. Devou Park Backcountry Trails 8. Bender Mountain 9. East Fork State Park 10. Winton Woods
Best Health Club/Gym
1. YMCA 2. Mercy Health HealthPlex 3. Planet Fitness
Best Golf Course (Public)
1. Blue Ash Golf Course 2. Devou Park Golf Course 3. Aston Oaks Golf Club
Best FC Cincinnati Player
1. Frankie Amaya 2. Beckham Sunderland 3. Nick Hagglund
Best Coach/Manager (Pro/College)
1. Luke Fickell (University of Cincinnati Football) 2. John Brannen (University of Cincinnati Men’s Basketball) 3. Matt Thomas (Cincinnati Cyclones)
Best Climbing Gym
1. University of Cincinnati Campus Recreation Center 2. Climb Time 3. Mosaic Climbing
Best Biking Trail
1. Loveland Bike Trail 2. Miami Whitewater Forest 3. Devou Park Backcountry Trails
Best Bengal (Current)
1. Joe Burrow 2. A.J. Green (joined Arizona Cardinals March 2021) 3. Tee Higgins
Best Barre
1. Pure Barre Oakley 2. The Barre Code 3. DEFINE: body & mind
Best Wine Bar
1. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant 2. Hoppin Vines 3. Unwind Wine Bar & Light Fare
Best Trivia Night
1. Northside Yacht Club 2. March First Brewing 3. rhinehaus
Best Sports Bar
1. The Holy Grail 2. Knockback Nat’s 3. rhinehaus
Best Rooftop Bar
1. Rhinegeist 2. Braxton Brewing Company 3. Top of the Park 4. Bishop’s Quarter Bar 5. 21c Cocktail Terrace 6. City View Tavern 7. The View at Shires’ Garden 8. Pins Mechanical Company 9. AC Upper Deck 10. The Blind Pig
Best Place to Throw Darts
1. Murphy’s Pub 2. Hap’s Irish Pub 3. Knockback Nat’s
Best Place to Shoot Pool
1. The Comet 2. Mainstrasse Village Pub 3. Animations
Best Place to Play Games
1. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade 2. Hoppin’ Vines 3. Arcade Legacy: Bar Edition
Best Place to Drink While You Wait for a Table
1. Taft’s Ale House 2. Longfellow 3. The Lackman
Best Open Mic Night
1. MOTR Pub 2. Urban Artifact 3. Stanley’s Pub
Best No-Frills Watering Hole
1. Northside Tavern 2. rhinehaus 3. The Belle & The Bear
Best Music Festival/Event
1. Bunbury Music Festival 2. Cincinnati Pride 3. Overcast Hip-Hop Festival
Best Martini
1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Japp’s 3. Longfellow
Best Margarita
1. Bakersfield 2. Nada 3. El Rancho Grande 4. Cactus Pear 5. Taqueria Mercado 6. El Coyote 7. TAHONA Bar + Kitchen 8. Condado Tacos 9. e|19 10. Jefferson Social
Best Local Winery
1. Revel OTR Urban Winery 2. The Skeleton Root 3. Vinoklet Winery 4. Valley Vineyards 5. Henke Winery 6. Indian Spring Winery 7. Elk Creek Vineyards 8. Harmony Hill Vineyards 9. StoneBrook Winery 10. Burnet Ridge
Best Local Taproom
1. MadTree Brewing Co. 2. Streetside Brewery 3. Rhinegeist 4. March First Brewing 5. Urban Artifact 6. Sons of Toil Brewing 7. Dead Low Brewing 8. Braxton Brewing Company 9. Nine Giant Brewing 10. Fretboard Brewing Company
Best Local Musician
1. Lauren Eylise 2. Arlo McKinley 3. Jake Speed
Best Local Music Promoter
1. Leroy Ellington Productions 2. Dan McCabe/Chris Schadler 3. Nederlander Entertainment
Best Local Distillery
1. New Riff Distilling 2. Karrikin Spirits Co. 3. Cincinnati Distilling
Best Local Brewery
1. Rhinegeist 2. March First Brewing 3. Urban Artifact 4. Streetside Brewery 5. MadTree Brewing Co. 6. Sons Of Toil Brewing 7. Dead Low Brewing 8. West Side Brewing 9. Braxton Brewing Company 10. Brink Brewing Co.
Best Local Band (Originals)
1. Over the Rhine (TIE) 1. Foxy Shazam (TIE) 2. 500 Miles to Memphis 3. The Cliftones
Best Local Band (Covers)
1. The Rusty Griswolds 2. The Naked Karate Girls 3. DV8
Best LGBTQ+ Bar
1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Old Street Saloon 3. The Birdcage
Best Karaoke
1. Tokyo Kitty 2. Old Street Saloon 3. Northside Yacht Club
Best Jukebox
1. Crazy Fox Saloon 2. The Comet 3. Anchor Grill
Best Hotel Bar
1. The Bar at Palm Court 2. Coppin’s at Hotel Covington 3. Metropole at 21c
Best Hard Seltzer/Sparkling Spirit
1. Karrikin Spirits Co. 2. March First Brewing 3. VIVE (Braxton Brewing Company)
Best Hard Cider
1. Karrikin Spirits Co. 2. Rhinegeist 3. March First Brewing
Best Happy Hour (Food)
1. Ché 2. Delicio Coal Fired Pizza 3. Knockback Nat’s
Best Happy Hour (Drinks)
1. Northside Yacht Club 2. Hoppin’ Vines 3. Streetside Brewery
Best Escape Room
1. Breakout 2. The Escape Game 3. Houdini’s Room Escape
Best Drag Queen
1. Penny Tration 2. Harlee Rainz 3. Sarah Jessica Darker
Best Dance Club
1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Tokyo Kitty 3. The Birdcage
Best Concert Venue
1. Riverbend Music Center 2. Bogart’s 3. Southgate House Revival
Best Comedy Club
1. Go Bananas Comedy Club 2. Liberty Funny Bone 3. Urban Artifact
Best College-Crowd Bar
1. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade 2. Murphy’s Pub 3. Mac’s Pizza Pub (Clifton Heights)
Best Cocktail Bar/Lounge
1. Tillie’s Lounge 2. Longfellow 3. Japp’s
Best Club/Party DJ
1. DJ Björg 2. DJ NV Reckless 3. DJ Airborne
Best Celtic/British Pub
1. O’Malley’s in the Alley 2. Molly Malone’s Covington 3. Nicholson’s Pub
Best Casino
1. Miami Valley Gaming 2. Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati 3. Belterra Casino Resort
Best Bowling Alley
1. Madison Bowl 2. S&S Western Bowl 3. Stones Lanes
Best Bourbon Selection (Retail)
1. The Party Source 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. DEP’s Fine Wine and Spirits
Best Bourbon Selection (Bar)
1. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar 2. Longfellow’s Other Room 3. Wiseguy Lounge
Best Bourbon Cocktail
1. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar 2. Longfellow 3. Japp’s
Best Bloody Mary
1. Northside Yacht Club 2. Crazy Fox Saloon 3. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 4. The Eagle 5. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provisions & Spirits 6. Streetside Brewery 7. Dead Low Brewing 8. Nation Kitchen & Bar 9. Hang Over Easy 10. Taste of Belgium
Best Beer Selection (Draft)
1. rhinehaus 2. Yard House 3. Hoppin’ Vines
Best Beer Selection (Bottles & Cans)
1. The Comet 2. Higher Gravity 3. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade
Best Bartender (Male)
1. Patrick Carnes (Tillie’s Lounge) 2. Alex Meece (Mellow Mushroom) 3. Zeque Walker (Northside Yacht Club)
Best Bartender (Female)
1. Molly Wellmann (Japp’s) 2. Valerie Diehl (Northside Yacht Club; Lost & Found) 3. Ceris Christopher (The Belle & The Bear)
Best Bar/Club Staff
1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Northside Yacht Club 3. Longfellow
Best Bar/Club for Live Music (National Acts)
1. Bogart’s 2. Southgate House Revival 3. Madison Theater
Best Bar/Club for Live Music (Local Bands)
1. MOTR Pub 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. Southgate House Revival
Best Bar/Club (Burbs)
1. Village Tavern 2. The Monkey Bar & Grille 3. March First Brewing
Best Bar/Club (West Side)
1. Knotty Pine Rock Club & Tiki Bar 2. The Crow’s Nest 3. Blue Note Harrison
Best Bar/Club (East Side)
1. Streetside Brewery 2. Latitude’s Bar & Bistro 3. Mount Lookout Tavern
Best Bar/Club (Central)
1. Northside Yacht Club 2. Tillie’s Lounge 3. The Comet
Best Bar/Club (Northern Kentucky)
1. Crazy Fox Saloon 2. Southgate House Revival 3. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar
Best Bar/Club (Downtown/OTR)
1. Below Zero Lounge 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. 16-Bit Bar+Arcade
Best Overall Bar/Club (Not Brewery/Taproom)
1. Hoppin’ Vines 2. Northside Yacht Club 3. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 4. Higher Gravity 5. Longfellow 6. Below Zero Lounge 7. Queen City Radio 8. rhinehaus 9. MOTR Pub 10. The Belle & The Bear
Best New Bar
1. Green House Bar 2. Ghost Baby 3. e|19 4. Nostalgia Wine & Jazz Lounge 5. Lost & Found 6. Wiseguy Lounge 7. Nomad 8. Saeso 9. Dug Out Bar 10. Homemaker’s Bar
Best Of Cincinnati Shops & Services (Reader Picks)
Reader Picks Best New Store Best Overall Boutique (Local) Best Acupuncture Practice Best Adult Toy Store Best Antique Store Best Arts & Crafts Classes Best Arts & Crafts Supplies Best Auto Dealer (New Vehicles) Best Auto Detailer Best Auto Repair Service Best Auto/Car Wash Best Bank Best Barber Shop Best Bed and Breakfast Best Bicycle Store Best Birthing/Maternity Center Best Bookstore (Chain) Best Bookstore (Non-Chain) Best Bottled Beer Selection (Retail) Best Camera Store Best Candy Store…
Best Of Cincinnati Sports & Recreation (Reader Picks)
Reader Picks Best Barre Best Bengal (Current) Best Biking Trail Best Climbing Gym Best Coach/Manager (Pro/College) Best FC Cincinnati Player Best Golf Course (Public) Best Health Club/Gym Best Hiking Trail Best Jogging Route Best Personal Training/ Crossfit Gym Best Pick-Up Basketball Court Best Pilates Studio Best Place to Camp Best Public Pool Best Red (Current) Best Running/Biking Event Best Soccer Facility Best Softball Fields Best Sports Coverage Best Summer Camp Best Team (Amateur/Minor League) Best Team (College)…
Best Of Cincinnati Music & Nightlife (Reader Picks)
Reader Picks Best New Bar Best Overall Bar/Club (Not Brewery/Taproom) Best Bar/Club (Downtown/OTR) Best Bar/Club (Northern Kentucky) Best Bar/Club (Central) Best Bar/Club (East Side) Best Bar/Club (West Side) Best Bar/Club (Burbs) Best Bar/Club for Live Music (Local Bands) Best Bar/Club for Live Music (National Acts) Best Bar/Club Staff Best Bartender (Female) Best Bartender (Male) Best Beer Selection (Bottles & Cans) Best Beer Selection (Draft) Best Bloody Mary Best Bourbon Cocktail Best Bourbon…
Best Wings
1. Knockback Nat’s 2. Good Plates Eatery 3. Lucius Q 4. Buffalo Wings & Rings (TIE) 4. Dead Low Brewing (TIE) 5. Wild Mike’s 6. Northside Yacht Club 7. Buffalo Wild Wings 8. The Oak Tavern 9. Nine Giant Brewing 10. Shooters Sports Gril 1. Knockback Nat’s 2. Good Plates Eatery 3. Lucius Q 4.…
Best Wine Selection (Restaurant)
1. Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants 2. Somm Wine Bar 3. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse
Best Waterfront Dining
1. Montgomery Inn Boathouse 2. Moerlein Lager House 3. Buckhead Mountain Grill
Best Waitstaff/Service
1. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 2. Sotto 3. Court Street Lobster Bar
Best View From Your Table
1. Incline Public House 2. Primavista 3. Montgomery Inn Boathouse
Best Vietnamese
1. Pho Lang Thang 2. Wild Ginger 3. Song Long
Best Veggie Burger
1. Tickle Pickle 2. Krueger’s Tavern 3. Arthur’s Cafe 4. Nation Kitchen & Bar 5. Fork & Greens 6. ESSEN Kitchen (TIE) 6. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar (TIE) 7. BrewRiver Kitchen at Sonder Brewing 8. Nine Giant Brewing 9. S.W. Clyborne Co. Provisions & Spirits 10. Taste of Belgium
Best Vegetarian
1. Melt Revival 2. Rooted Juicery + Kitchen 3. Harmony Plant Fare
Best Thai
1. Green Papaya 2. Thai Express 3. Teak OTR
Best Tea Selection
1. Churchill’s Fine Teas 2. Jungle Jim’s International Market 3. Coffee Emporium
Best Takeout
1. Eli’s BBQ 2. Dewey’s Pizza 3. City Barbeque 4. Good Plates Eatery 5. Gomez Salsa 6. Currito 7. Mazunte 8. Lucius Q 9. Tuba Baking Co. 10. Revolution Rotisserie
Best Tacos
1. Mazunte 2. Condado Tacos 3. Agave & Rye 4. Tortilleria Garcia 5. Bakersfield 6. Gomez Salsa 7. La Mexicana Restaurante Cantina & Tienda 8. Taco Casa 9. Frida 602 10. Taqueria 251
Best Sushi
1. Ichiban Japanese Cuisine 2. Cloud 9 Sushi 3. Green Papaya 4. Wild Ginger 5. Izen’s Drunken Bento 6. Wabi Sabi Covington 7. Kyoto Sushi Bar 8. E+O Kitchen 9. Dancing Roll (TIE) 9. Teak OTR (TIE) 10. FUSIAN
Best Subs/Sandwiches
1. Penn Station 2. Jersey Mike’s 3. Melt Revival
Best Steakhouse
1. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 2. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 3. Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny 4. Losanti 5. Maury’s Tiny Cove 6. Jag’s Steak & Seafood 7. Ivory House 8. Eddie Merlot’s 9. Walt’s Hitching Post 10. Tony’s of Cincinnati
Best Specialty Food Market
1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. Findlay Market 3. Kremer’s Market
Best Soup
1. Pho Lang Thang 2. La Soupe 3. Zoup!
Best Soul Food
1. Lucius Q 2. Alabama Fish Bar 3. Richie’s
Best Smoothie/Juice Bar
1. Rooted Juicery + Kitchen 2. Smoothie King 3. BanaSun Smoothie Bar
Best Small Plates
1. Mita’s 2. Nada 3. Ché
Best Seafood
1. Court Street Lobster Bar 2. Bonefish Grill 3. Pelican’s Reef
Best Salads
1. Dewey’s Pizza 2. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 3. Olive Garden
Best Romantic Restaurant
1. Sotto 2. Orchids at Palm Court 3. Primavista
Best Ribs
1. Montgomery Inn 2. Eli’s BBQ 3. Lucius Q 4. City Barbeque 5. Pickles & Bones Barbecue 6. Walt’s Hitching Post 7. Sweets & Meats BBQ 8. Just Q’in 9. Dead Low Brewing 10. Midwest Best BBQ
Best Restaurant to Take Visitors
1. Montgomery Inn Boathouse 2. Incline Public House 3. Skyline Chili 4. Taste of Belgium 5. Good Plates Eatery 6. Sotto 7. Primavista 8. Ivory House (TIE) 8. Salazar (TIE) 9. Dead Low Brewing 10. Alfio’s Buon Cibo
Best Restaurant to Take the Kids
1. Skyline Chili 2. Chick-fil-A 3. Dewey’s Pizza
Best Restaurant to Take a Foodie
1. Good Plates Eatery 2. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 3. Court Street Lobster Bar 4. Sotto 5. Please 6. Salazar 7. The Eagle (TIE) 7. Lucius Q (TIE) 8. Ivory House 9. Bouquet Restaurant 10. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse
Best Restaurant for Large Parties
1. Montgomery Inn 2. Moerlein Lager House 3. Lucius Q
Best Restaurant for Fine Dining
1. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 2. Sotto 3. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 4. Boca 5. Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny 6. Orchids at Palm Court 7. Nicola’s 8. Ivory House 9. Primavista 10. Tony’s of Cincinnati
Restaurant for a First Date
1. Sotto 2. Nada 3. Incline Public House
Best Restaurant Design
1. Orchids at Palm Court 2. Sotto 3. Lucius Q
Best Raw Bar
1. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 2. Jeff Ruby’s Carlo & Johnny 3. Jag’s Steak & Seafood
Best Pub Food
1. Incline Public House 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. Knockback Nat’s
Best Oysters
1. Court Street Lobster Bar 2. Washington Platform Saloon & Restaurant 3. Dear Restaurant & Butchery
Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Burbs)
1. Dewey’s 2. Mio’s Pizza 3. Mellow Mushroom
Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (West Side)
1. Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru 2. LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria 3. Dewey’s Pizza
Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (East Side)
1. Dewey’s Pizza 2. Taglio Bar + Pizzeria 3. Joe’s Pizza Napoli
Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Central)
1. Adriatico’s 2. Dewey’s Pizza 3. Fireside Pizza
Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Northern Kentucky)
1. Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria 2. Goodfellas Pizzeria 3. Dewey’s Pizza
Best Neighborhood Pizza Joint (Downtown/OTR)
1. Goodfellas Pizzeria 2. Taglio Bar + Pizzeria 3. Lucy Blue Pizza
Best Overall Pizza (Non-Chain)
1. Trotta’s Pizza & Drive Thru 2. Taglio Bar + Pizzeria 3. Adriatico’s 4. Catch-a-Fire Pizza 5. Joe’s Pizza Napoli 6. Krimmer’s Italianette Pizza 7. Two Cities Pizza 8. Fireside Pizza 9. Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria 10. Ramundo’s Pizzeria
Best Overall Pizza (Chain)
1. LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria 2. Dewey’s Pizza 3. Goodfellas Pizzeria
Best Outdoor/Patio Dining
1. Incline Public House 2. Cabana on the River 3. Fifty West Burger Bar 4. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 5. Dead Low Brewing 6. Little Miami Brewing Company 7. Lucius Q 8. Northside Yacht Club 9. Ramsey’s Trailside 10. BrewRiver Creole Kitchen
Best Noodles
1. Pho Lang Thang 2. KungFood Chu’s Amerasia 3. Kiki College Hill
Best Mexican
1. Mazunte 2. La Mexicana Restaurante Cantina & Tienda 3. El Rancho Grande
Best Menu (Most Innovative)
1. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 2. Sotto 3. Please
Best Mediterranean/Greek
1. Aladdin’s Eatery 2. Phoenician Taverna 3. Sebastian’s Gyros
Best Macaroni & Cheese
1. Keystone Bar & Grill 2. Mama Bear’s Mac 3. The Eagle 4. Court Street Lobster Bar 5. Eli’s BBQ 6. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 7. Lucius Q 8. The Mac Shack 9. Revolution Rotisserie 10. Sweets & Meats BBQ
Best Macaron
1. Macaron Bar 2. The BonBonerie 3. Taste of Belgium
Best Local Snack
1. Grippo’s 2. Hen of The Woods 3. Stellar Street Eats’ Pimento Cheese
Best Local Farm
1. Gorman Heritage Farm 2. WoodBottom Quail Farms 3. Carriage House Farm
Best Local Chain
1. Skyline Chili 2. Thunderdome Restaurant Group 3. Holtman’s Donuts 4. Buffalo Wings & Rings 5. LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria 6. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli 7. Gold Star 8. Taste of Belgium 9. Dewey’s Pizza 10. Keystone Bar & Grill (4EG)
Best Live Music While You Eat
1. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 2. The Comet 3. Lucius Q
Best Late-Night Eatery
1. Skyline Chili 2. Goodfellas Pizzeria 3. Gomez Salsa
Best Korean
1. BIBIBOP Asian Grill 2. Riverside Korean Restaurant 3. Red Sesame BBQ
Best Japanese
1. Ichiban Japanese Cuisine 2. Kiki College Hill 3. Quan Hapa
Best Italian
1. Sotto 2. Pompilio’s 3. Nicola’s
Best Indian
1. Ambar India Restaurant 2. Baba India Restaurant 3. Dusmesh Indian Restaurant
Best Ice Cream
1. Graeter’s 2. Aglamesis Bro’s 3. United Dairy Farmers
Best Hot Dog/Sausage
1. Senate 2. The Root Beer Stand 3. Avril-Bleh Meat Market
Best Hidden Gem
1. Mazunte 2. Good Plates Eatery 3. Incline Public House 4. Joe’s Pizza Napoli 5. The Poutine Machine 6. Ivory House 7. The Governor 8. Nine Giant Brewing 9. Kiki College Hill 10. Tuba Baking Co.
Best Guacamole
1. Mazunte 2. Bakersfield 3. Nada
Best Goetta
1. Glier’s Goetta 2. Eckerlin Meats 3. Avril-Bleh Meat Market
Best Gluten-Free Selections
1. Sleepy Bee Cafe 2. Pho Lang Thang 3. Melt Revival
Best German
1. Hofbräuhaus 2. Mecklenburg Gardens 3. Wunderbar Covington
Best Gelato/Sorbetto/Frozen Ice
1. Aglamesis Bro’s 2. Graeter’s 3. Dojo Gelato
Best Frozen Yogurt
1. Yagööt 2. Orange Leaf 3. Rhino’s Frozen Yogurt & Soft Serve
Best French Fries
1. Penn Station 2. Five Guys 3. Zip’s Cafe
Best Food Truck
1. Rock N Rolls 2. Tacos Locos 3. The Poutine Machine
Best Food Festival or Event
1. Taste of Cincinnati 2. Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 3. Cincinnati Food Truck Association Food Festival
Best Food Delivery Service
1. DoorDash 2. Uber Eats 3. Grubhub
Best Fish & Chips
1. Alabama Fish Bar 2. The Pub 3. Nicholson’s Pub
Best Farmers Market Food Stall
1. Blue Oven Bakery 2. Colonel De Gourmet Herbs & Spices 3. WoodBottom Quail Farms
Best Farmers Market
1. Findlay Market 2. Hyde Park Farmers Market 3. Northside Farmers Market
Best Donuts
1. Holtman’s Donuts 2. Dunkin’ 3. Moonrise Doughnuts 4. Starlight Doughnut Lab 5. Busken Bakery 6. Peace, Love and Little Donuts 7. Marcella’s Doughnuts & Bakery 8. Graeter’s 9. Bonomini Bakery 10. North College Hill Bakery (TIE) 10. Stan the Donut Man (TIE)
Best Overall Bakery (Breads)
1. Sixteen Bricks 2. Blue Oven Bakery 3. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli
Best Neighborhood Bakery (Burbs)
1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli 2. Holtman’s Donuts (Loveland) 3. Wyoming Pastry Shop
Best Neighborhood Bakery (West Side)
1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli 2. St. Lawrence Bakery 3. Busken Bakery
Best Neighborhood Bakery (East Side)
1. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli 2. Marcella’s Doughnuts & Bakery 3. Busken Bakery
Best Neighborhood Bakery (Central)
1. The BonBonerie 2. North College Hill Bakery 3. Servatii Pastry Shop & Deli
Best Neighborhood Bakery (Downtown/OTR)
1. Holtman’s Donuts 2. Brown Bear Bakery 3. Blue Oven Bakery
Best Desserts (Retail)
1. The BonBonerie 2. Graeter’s 3. Brown Bear Bakery
Best Desserts (Restaurant)
1. O Pie O 2. Grand Finale 3. Sotto
Best Delicatessen
1. Izzy’s 2. Jason’s Deli 3. Silverglades
Best Cupcakes
1. The BonBonerie 2. Abby Girl Sweets 3. Gigi’s Cupcakes
Best Creamy Whip/Soft Serve
1. Putz’s Creamy Whip 2. The Cone 3. Dairy Queen
Best Cooking Classes
1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. Findlay Kitchen 3. Tablespoon Cooking Co.
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Burbs)
1. Kitty Brew Cafe 2. Wyoming Community Coffee 3. Kidd Coffee & Wine Bar
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (West Side)
1. Muse Cafe 2. BLOC Coffee Company 3. White Oak Coffee House
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (East Side)
1. Coffee Emporium (Hyde Park) 2. Deeper Roots Coffee 3. Luckman Coffee
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Central)
1. College Hill Coffee Co. and Casual Gourmet 2. Sidewinder Coffee 3. Highland Coffee House
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Northern Kentucky)
1. Carabello Coffee 2. Unataza Coffee 3. Flow Koffee + Kombucha
Best Neighborhood Coffee Shop (Downtown/OTR)
1. Coffee Emporium 2. Deeper Roots Coffee 3. BlaCk Coffee Lounge
Best Coffeehouse (National)
1. Starbucks 2. Dunkin’ 3. Caribou Coffee
Best Coffeehouse (Local)
1. Coffee Emporium 2. The Coffee Exchange of Pleasant Ridge 3. Deeper Roots Coffee 4. Sayler Park Coffee 5. Mom ‘n ‘em 6. BlaCk Coffee Lounge 7. Carabello Coffee 8. Urbana Cafe 9. Unataza Coffee 10. Kitty Brew Cafe
Best Chocolates
1. Aglamesis Bro’s 2. Maverick Chocolate Co. 3. Esther Price
Best Chinese
1. Oriental Wok 2. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia 3. First Wok
Best Chili (Non-Chain)
1. Camp Washington Chili 2. Pleasant Ridge Chili 3. Price Hill Chili
Best Chili (Chain)
1. Skyline Chili 2. Gold Star 3. Dixie Chili (TIE) 3. Blue Ash Chili (TIE)
Best Chicken Sandwich
1. Chick-fil-A 2. The Eagle 3. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey
Best Chicken
1. The Eagle 2. Silver Spring House 3. Revolution Rotisserie 4. Libby’s Southern Comfort 5. Ron’s Roost Restaurant & Bar 6. Roney’s 7. CityBird 8. Good Plates Eatery 9. Raising Cane’s 10. Galactic Fried Chicken
Best Chef (w/Restaurant Affiliation)
1. Jean-Robert de Cavel (French Crust, Le Bar a Boeuf, Frenchie Fresh Burger Bar) 2. Christian Gill (Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey) 3. Jose Salazar (Salazar, Mita’s, Goose & Elder) 4. Kayla Robison (Arnold’s Bar and Grill) 5. Michael Kelly (Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse) 6. Andrew Schlanser (Good Plates Eatery) 7. Danny Combs (Sotto) 8. Drew Rath…
Best Cheesesteak
1. Penn Station 2. Melt Revival 3. Cincy Steak & Lemonade
Best Cheese Shop
1. Jungle Jim’s International Market 2. Share: Cheesebar 3. The Rhined
Best Cheap Eats
1. Skyline Chili 2. Zip’s Cafe 3. Blue Ash Chili
Best Cake Shop
1. The BonBonerie 2. Nothing Bundt Cakes 3. 3 Sweet Girls Cakery
Best Cajun/Creole
1. Swampwater Grill 2. Knotty Pine on the Bayou 3. Allyn’s Cafe
Best Butcher Shop
1. Avril-Bleh Meat Market 2. Lehr’s Prime Market 3. Eckerlin Meats
Best Business Lunch
1. Skyline Chili 2. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 3. Court Street Lobster Bar
Best Burritos
1. Gomez Salsa 2. Mazunte 3. The Comet
Best Neighborhood Burger Spot (Burbs)
1. Arthur’s Cafe (Anderson) 2. Quatman Cafe (Mason) 3. Gas Light Cafe
Best Neighborhood Burger Spot (West Side)
1. Incline Public House 2. Nation Kitchen & Bar (Westwood) 3. Chandler’s Burger Bistro
Best Neighborhood Burger Spot (East Side)
1. Zip’s Cafe 2. Arthur’s Cafe 3. Five Guys
Best Neighborhood Burger Spot (Central)
1. Quatman Cafe 2. Tickle Pickle 3. Gordo’s Pub & Grill
Best Neighborhood Burger Spot (Northern Kentucky)
1. Bard’s Burgers & Chili 2. Herb & Thelma’s Tavern 3. Coaches Corner
Best Neighborhood Burger Spot (Downtown/OTR)
1. Nation Kitchen & Bar 2. Arnold’s Bar and Grill 3. Krueger’s Tavern
Best Overall Burgers (Non-Chain)
1. Zip’s Cafe 2. Roney’s 3. Stellar Street Eats 4. Nation Kitchen & Bar 5. Good Plates Eatery 6. Tickle Pickle 7. Arthur’s Cafe (TIE) 7. Quatman Cafe (TIE) 8. Sammy’s Craft Burgers & Beer 9. The Turf Club 10. Gordo’s Pub & Grill
Best Overall Burgers (Chain)
1. Five Guys 2. Red Robin 3. Frisch’s
Best Brunch
1. Taste of Belgium 2. Sleepy Bee Cafe 3. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 4. First Watch 5. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 6. The National Exemplar 7. Nation Kitchen & Bar 8. Hang Over Easy 9. Orchids at Palm Court 10. Grand Finale
Best Breakfast
1. Sleepy Bee Cafe 2. First Watch 3. Sugar n’ Spice 4. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 5. Taste of Belgium 6. The Echo 7. The Original Pancake House 8. Hang Over Easy 9. Maplewood Kitchen and Bar 10. Half Day Cafe
Best Bourbon Selection (Restaurant)
1. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 2. Goodfellas Pizzeria/Wiseguy Lounge 3. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse
Best Beer Selection (Restaurant)
1. Yard House 2. Taft’s Ale House 3. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia
Best Barbecue
1. Eli’s BBQ 2. Lucius Q 3. City Barbeque 4. Montgomery Inn 5. Pickles & Bones Barbecue 6. Just Q’in 7. Sweets & Meats BBQ 8. Midwest Best BBQ 9. Pontiac 10. Harmon’s Barbecue
Best Bagels
1. Marx Hot Bagels 2. Bruegger’s Bagels 3. The Bagelry
Best Appetizers
1. Sotto 2. Incline Public House 3. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse
Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Burbs)
1. Silver Spring House 2. Phoenician Taverna 3. Blue Ash Chili
Best Neighborhood Restaurant (West Side)
1. Incline Public House 2. Price Hill Chili 3. Primavista
Best Neighborhood Restaurant (East Side)
1. Mazunte 2. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 3. El Coyote
Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Central)
1. Adriatico’s 2. Quatman Cafe 3. Ruth’s Parkside Cafe
Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Northern Kentucky)
1. Pompilio’s 2. Otto’s 3. Greyhound Tavern
Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Downtown/OTR)
1. The Eagle 2. Sotto 3. Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey
Best Overall Restaurant (Northern Kentucky)
1. Pompilio’s 2. Bouquet Restaurant 3. KungFood Chu’s AmerAsia 4. Greyhound Tavern 5. Otto’s 6. Agave & Rye 7. Libby’s Southern Comfort (TIE) 7. Walt’s Hitching Post (TIE) 8. Coppin’s at Hotel Covington 9. Tuba Baking Co. 10. York Street Café
Best Overall Restaurant
1. Sotto 2. Jeff Ruby’s The Precinct 3. Good Plates Eatery 4. Court Street Lobster Bar 5. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse 6. Ivory House 7. Boca (TIE) 7. The Eagle (TIE) 8. Taste of Belgium 9. Incline Public House 10. Pepp & Dolores
Best New Restaurant
1. Ivory House 2. The Governor 3. Fifty West Burger Bar 4. Good Plates Eatery 5. Khora 6. Galactic Fried Chicken 7. Pepp & Dolores 8. Dear Restaurant & Butchery 9. Taqueria 251 10. OTR Chili Co.
Best Of Cincinnati Eats (Reader Picks)
Reader Picks Best New Restaurant Best Overall Restaurant Best Overall Restaurant (Northern Kentucky) Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Downtown/OTR) Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Northern Kentucky) Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Central) Best Neighborhood Restaurant (East Side) Best Neighborhood Restaurant (West Side) Best Neighborhood Restaurant (Burbs) Best Appetizers Best Bagels Best Barbecue Best Beer Selection (Restaurant) Best Bourbon Selection (Restaurant) Best Breakfast Best Brunch Best Overall Burgers (Chain) Best Overall Burgers (Non-Chain) Best Neighborhood Burger Spot…
Here’s the COVID-19 Stuff to Know if You’re Going to Reds Opening Day 2021
Take in that Opening Day scent! The Cincinnati Reds are preparing to hit the field, the sun is emerging, the Cracker Jack is popping and COVID-19 is almost in the rearview mirror. Emphasis on almost. COVID-19 cases seem to be on the rise again in Ohio and the surrounding states, so be careful. Because of…
10 Ways to Celebrate Reds Opening Day in Cincinnati
While the annual — and gigantic — Findlay Market Opening Day Parade is once again on hold this year due to COVID safety concerns, baseball season is plunging ahead with Reds Opening Day on April 1. The team takes on the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park at 4:10 p.m. And if you…
Cincinnati Zoo Launches Curated Tunes & Blooms Playlist and Self-Guided Zoo Blooms Audio Tour
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's annual Tunes & Blooms concert series is canceled this year because of COVID safety concerns, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the sight of thousands upon thousands of radiant tulips while listening to some sweet sounds. The Cincinnati Zoo’s Zoo Blooms event runs from April 1-30 and "features more…
Great Parks of Hamilton County Host Guided Wildflower Walks
As the weather turns warmer, we are all looking for excuses to get outside. And Great Parks of Hamilton County has just the thing with a series of guided, small-group wildflower walks. The first of these two-hour walks will happen on Sunday, April 11 at 1 p.m. at the Warren Wells Preserve and Garnett Wildflower…
Emilio Estevez Gushes About Cincinnati in New ‘Vanity Fair’ Interview
We admit it — we love when celebs earnestly go on and on about how great Cincinnati is. Actor/director Emilio Estevez is the latest to talk up the Queen City. In a March 25 Vanity Fair interview, Estevez calls Cincinnati “so cool” and “the Paris of the Midwest,” noting that his mother Janet Sheen was…
Hyde Park’s Parlor Pizza Project Is Changing Its Name
Parlor Pizza Project, which opened in Hyde Park in February, is rebranding after just over a month of business. The new name? Saint Francis Apizza. Owner Alex Plattner, a Cincinnati native, has been making pizza under the moniker Parlor Pizza Project for many years now, from when he lived in Minneapolis to after he moved…
Cincinnati Is One of the Top 20 Places to Celebrate Easter in the U.S., According to Study
Want to know one of the best places to celebrate Easter in America, at least according to website WalletHub? Surprise: You're here. Yes, Cincinnati has been ranked one of the top 20 cities in which to celebrate Easter in the U.S. — and it's not just because we have a lot of churches. OK. It's…
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Begins COVID-19 Vaccine Trials on Kids
Adults and older teens have been approved for COVID-19 vaccines from Johnson & Johnson, Moderna and Pfizer, but kids generally have been left out of the vaccine scramble so far. That may change in the coming months, though, as Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center began its Pfizer vaccine trials for children ages 5-11 this week.…
Cincinnati to Change a Portion of Hatch Street to Pat Barry Way This Thursday
A legendary media personality who recently passed will soon have a permanent place among Cincinnati’s streets. This week, the city will change a portion of Hatch Street to Pat Barry Way in honor of Pat Barry, the longtime local television and radio broadcaster who died from COVID-19 in February. Pat Barry Way will be marked…
Groups Urge Continued Support for H2Ohio Water Quality Programs
In less than two years, H2Ohio has spurred dozens of water-quality improvement projects from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, and supporters say the program is just getting started. Gov. Mike DeWine's biennial budget plan includes continued funding for the H2Ohio Initiative, which was launched in late 2019 to reduce harmful algal blooms, improve wastewater infrastructure and address lead…
COVID Cases in Ohio and Neighboring States Might Be Inching Back Up
After a disastrous January, coronavirus cases in Ohio steadily marched downward. Then in recent weeks, they hit a plateau. Now, even as greater numbers of Ohioans get vaccinated, case numbers might be inching back up. Ohio might be part of a disturbing national trend. The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center published a set of…
Best Lifeline for Domestic Violence Survivors During Stay-at-Home Orders
According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, intimate partner violence (IPV) affects more than 12 million Americans a year. And when much of the country was under stay-at-home orders at the start of the pandemic, it became clear that it was more difficult for victims of IPV to seek help or support — finding a…
Best Bicycle Equity Investment
Cincinnati’s Red Bike is one of five bikeshares across the country to win a “Living Lab” Grant from the Better Bike Share Partnership. Red Bike says the two-and-a-half-year, $200,000 grant will help them in their mission to grow equitable access via the Red Bike Go program. Red Bike will “develop and test innovative, new strategies…
Best COVID Customer Service
Figuring out how to sign up for and receive the COVID vaccine has been a real clusterfuck — especially if you aren’t, or even if you are, tech-savvy — but every person on the other end of the line at the health departments of Norwood, Cincinnati and Hamilton County has been consistently helpful, kind and…
Best Lawsuit to Prevent Absentee Ballots from Being Rejected
Despite the fact mail is a proven and effective method of casting a vote (if not one that takes seemingly forever to tally), several concerns cropped up as millions of Americans took to the post-office box instead of the ballot box this presidential election as a result of the pandemic. There was a cluster of…
Best Reason to Avoid the I-275 Loop
Cincinnati Trump parades. This past year, thousands of locals adorned their cars with their flashiest Trump flair and took to the interstate to show their pride for the former President’s re-election bid. With patriotic embellishments safely secured to their vehicles, the hoard descended on I-275 — already an interminable traffic loop — and remained in…
Best Win for the First Amendment
Protests against the death of George Floyd and other Black citizens drew thousands in Cincinnati this summer — and a heavy police presence, with officers sometimes in riot gear and deploying pepper spray and flash-bang explosives. In the aftermath of marches on the first two nights, small groups broke windows downtown and in Clifton Heights.…
Best Cincinnati Instagram to Follow for Local Architecture Enthusiasts
With almost 24,000 followers, @cincinnati_revealed takes a photographic journey through the Queen City’s “architecture, art, anecdotal history and hidden gems,” per the account description. Photos of everything from Carl Strauss-designed modern abodes and newer Jose Garcia renovations to Italianate masterpieces and folksy Swiss Chalet-style homes dot the feed, with architecture quizzes on the stories. Read…
Best Reproductive Rights Argument by the Satanic Temple
On Dec. 30, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 27 into law, which basically says fetal remains from a surgical abortion must be either cremated or buried (by the abortion facility, or, under certain circumstances, the woman). Prior to the signing of the bill, fetal remains were already required to be disposed of “humanely.”…
Best Repurposing of Protest Art
Black-led and artist-driven “Our Tables” took place on Juneteenth on Over-the-Rhine’s Main Street. Cincy Nice partnered with a coalition of Black leaders to host the free event, which invited the neighborhood to come together to “symbolically take down boarded up window art and turn those walls of separation into two city-blocks of open table conversations.”…
Best Legislation News for Ohio’s Oldest Black Cemetery
Two cemetery associations were founded in Cincinnati in 1844. Both created burial grounds that were revolutionary in their own ways, but the tales of these two cities of the dead are remarkably divergent. The Cincinnati Horticulture Society produced Spring Grove Cemetery, and the United Colored American Association created United Colored American Cemetery, later shortened to…
Best Kentucky Daddy
Gov. Andy Beshear. The end.
Best Reason to Play with Poop
This past summer, the Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency teamed up with the U.S. EPA in Cincinnati and the Ohio Water Resources Center to test Ohio’s sewage and wastewater treatment systems to determine the presence of coronavirus RNA fragments in, well, poo. Fragments of coronavirus RNA can be found in the…
Best New Holiday in Hamilton County
In 2020, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to make Juneteenth a paid holiday. Starting June 19, 2021, all county employees will have a paid day off. The resolution, introduced by Commissioner Victoria Parks, “recognizes the significance of Juneteenth to our country, county and community,” she said. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s…
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Developers hope Cincinnati’s West Fourth Street Historic District will soon parallel its former glory. The corridor was established in the early 19th century with hotels, mansions and luxurious entertainment sites housed in Italianate and Renaissance-style architecture. It landed a rank on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Since its prestigious inception, the area…
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Earlier this year, a set of images by Greater Cincinnati-based photographer Scott Beseler went locally viral on Facebook after they revealed some history hidden behind the brick façade of a downtown building. The building, formerly owned by Chong Inc., is being redeveloped by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC). Joe Rudemiller, 3CDC’s vice president…
Best Repurposing of an Abandoned Ammunition Factory
After all those years of sadly driving or biking by the tattered ruins of Warren County’s massive Peters Cartridge Factory, it’s now been beautifully transformed by the innovative, high-quality Bloomfield/Schon development company into a complex that has apartments, office space and a new brewery — the aptly named Cartridge Brewing.
Best Streetcar Surprise
The Cincinnati Streetcar (aka Cincinnati Bell Connector) became free to ride, forever, starting Nov. 1, 2020. The road to get there was convoluted, with Mayor Cranley saying the streetcar mostly benefits wealthy downtown residents at the expense of the city’s working poor, who still have to pay for bus fare. Other Cincinnati City Council members…
Best Plan to Streamline Metro Bus Fare
Changes are coming to Cincinnati Metro in April that could save riders some dough while making others pay slightly more than they are now. Metro’s fare simplification plan goes into effect April 4 and will streamline the zone-based fare structure. The current fare structure is based on six zones of different fares, depending on where…
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As essential workers, sanitation employees did their job while the rest of us were locked down and went above and beyond the call of duty — one in particular. While on his daily rounds in Colerain Township in January, Rumpke Waste & Recycling truck driver Aaron Kinsel stumbled across an unlikely surprise. After noticing something…
Best News for Fans of International-Style Architecture
Downtown Cincinnati’s Terrace Plaza Hotel has been placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s list of the 11 most endangered historic places in America. That’s not great news in and of itself, unless you consider that more than 300 sites have made it to the endangered list over the past 33 years and only…
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During a February liveblog of weather updates around the country, cable news network CNN highlighted Gov. Mike DeWine’s proclamation declaring a state of emergency for Lawrence County, Ohio. The county had been hit hard by a recent winter storm, with ice, snow and debris causing dangerous conditions. That’s bad news, indeed. But it’s how CNN…
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The Hollywood Reporter says that actor/director/producer/hometown hero George Clooney plans to produce a docuseries about the sexual abuse scandal that has dogged Ohio State University for decades. The series will be based on an October 2020 Sports Illustrated story by L. Jon Wertheim that takes a deep dive into the abuse from 1978-1998, with many…
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Hope you enjoyed getting into Northern Kentucky without an hour-long wait. In March, the Brent Spence Bridge again closed some of its lanes to traffic for almost the remainder of the year to complete some “maintenance.” The good news… well, there really isn’t any. The two westernmost lanes of the bridge — which the American…
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The Brent Spence Bridge reopened to traffic a day early (on Dec. 23) after a structure-damaging crash and fire in November closed both levels and required extensive repairs.
Best Worst Cincinnati City Council Trend
Being arrested on federal corruption charges. Three of the nine members of city council — Tamaya Dennard, Jeff Pastor and P.G. Sittenfeld — were charged with bribery by the FBI this past year. Ope.
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Surprise: You’re here. Travel + Leisure magazine puts out an annual list of the best places to travel in the coming year — generally beautiful and exotic locales from across the globe. But this year’s compilation, titled the “50 Best Places to Travel in 2021,” did something a little different as a result of the…
Best Weekend Getaway (Within 150 Miles)
1. Hocking Hills, Ohio 2. Red River Gorge, Kentucky 3. Yellow Springs, Ohio
Best TV Weathercaster
1. Frank Marzullo (WXIX) 2. Steve Horstmeyer (WXIX) 3. Randi Rico (WLWT)
Best TV Sportscaster
1. George Vogel (WLWT) 2. Dan Hoard (Bengals, Bearcats) 3. Joe Danneman (WXIX)
Best TV Newscast
1. WXIX (Channel 19) 2. WLWT (Channel 5) 3. WCPO (Channel 9)
Best TV Anchor
1. Sheree Paolello (WLWT) 2. Jessica Schmidt (WXIX) 3. Bob Herzog (WKRC)
Best Troublemaker
1. The Gang of Five 2. Mike Brown 3. Brian Garry
Best Suburban Neighborhood
1. Mariemont 2. Loveland 3. Liberty Township (TIE) 3. Wyoming (TIE)
Best Scenic Overlook
1. Eden Park 2. Devou Park 3. Ault Park
Best Religious Leader
1. Chuck Mingo (Crossroads) 2. Fr. Michael Graham (Xavier) 3. Brian Tome (Crossroads)
Best Radio Talk Show Host
1. Jeff, Jenn, Fritsch and Tim (Q102) 2. Natalie Jones (Q102) 3. Maryanne Zeleznik (WVXU)
Best Radio Station
1. 91.7 (WVXU) 2. 101.9 (Q102) 3. 105.1 (B105)
Best Radio Show
1. “Jeff & Jenn” (Q102) 2. “All Things Considered” (WVXU) 3. “Cincinnati Edition” (WVXU)
Best Public School
1. Walnut Hills High School 2. School for Creative and Performing Arts 3. Oak Hills High School
Best Private School
1. Cincinnati Waldorf School 2. Saint Xavier High School 4. Elder High School
Best Playground
1. Smale Riverfront Park 2. Washington Park 3. Summit Park
Best Place to Take a Visitor
1. Findlay Market 2. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 3. Jungle Jim’s International Market 4. Over-the-Rhine 5. Smale Riverfront Park 6. Cincinnati Reds Game 7. The Banks 8 Cincinnati Museum Center 9. Cincinnati Art Museum 10. Carew Tower Observation Deck
Best Philanthropist
1. Anthony Muñoz 2. Bootsy Collins 3. Carl Lindner III
Best Park (County)
1. Cincinnati Nature Center 2. Sharon Woods 3. Miami Whitewater Forest
Best Park (City)
1. Smale Riverfront Park 2. Eden Park 3. Ault Park
Best Northern Kentuckian
1. George Clooney 2. Nick Clooney 3. Cris Collinsworth 4. Amy McGrath 5. Jean-Robert de Cavel 6. Kathrine Nero 7. Otto M. Budig, Jr. 8. Maryanne Zeleznik 9. Tom Browning 10. Michael Monks
Best Northern Kentucky Neighborhood
1. Covington 2. Newport 3. Bellevue
Best MBA Program
1. University of Cincinnati 2. Xavier University 3. Northern Kentucky University
Best Local Podcast
1. Accused 2. Art Palace 3. True Crime Historian
Best Local Elected Official
1. Aftab Pureval 2. John Cranley 3. Denise Driehaus
Best Local Cause
1. Matthew 25: Ministries 2. Freestore Foodbank 3. Maslow’s Army 4. Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio 5. SPCA Cincinnati 6. Cincinnati Public Radio 7. The Friends of the Public Library 8. ArtWorks 9. ArtsWave 10. Save the Animals Foundation
Best Local Activist
1. Brian Garry 2. Jim Tarbell 3. Triiibe
Best Journalist
1. Jessica Schmidt (WXIX) 2. Bob Herzog (WKRC) 3. Tricia Macke (WXIX) 4. Paul Daugherty (Cincinnati Enquirer) 5. John Matarese (WCPO) 6. Tana Weingartner (WVXU) 7. Kathrine Nero (Cincinnati Enquirer) 8. Nick Swartsell (WVXU) 9. Megan Mitchell (WLWT) 10. Lucy Mays (WCPO)
Best Friend to the Environment
1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Great Parks of Hamilton County 3. Cincinnati Nature Center (TIE) 3. Krohn Conservatory (TIE)
Best Do Gooder
1. Matthew 25: Ministries 2. Ohio Innocence Project 3. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
Best Progressive
1. Aftab Pureval 2. Brian Garry 3. Mike Moroski
Best Conservative
1. John Cranley 2. Joe Deters 3. Bill Cunningham
Best College/University
1. University of Cincinnati 2. Xavier University 3. Northern Kentucky University
Best Cincinnatian
1. Fiona the Hippo 2. Brian Garry 3. Anthony Muñoz 4. Bob Herzog 5. Pete Rose 6. Molly Wellmann 7. Rose Lavelle 8. Nick Lachey 9. Drew Lachey 10. Cam Hardy
Best Cincinnati Neighborhood
1. Northside 2. Over-the-Rhine 3. Hyde Park
Best Building
1. Union Terminal 2. Music Hall 3. Cincinnati Art Museum
Best Developer
1. 3CDC 2. Over-the-Rhine Community Housing 3. Messer Construction
Best Builder
1. Drees Homes 2. Fischer Homes 3. Urban Sites
Best Apartment Community
1. Aqua on Levee 2. The Lofts at Shillito Place 3. One Lytle Place Apartments
Best Take-Out Popcorn for a Movie Night at Home
When movie theaters closed, the people were clamoring for some cinema-quality popcorn and the Esquire and Mariemont theaters delivered. They started selling giant $12 bags (the equivalent of four regular bags) of their incomparable popped corn for pick-up. facebook.com/emktheatres.
Best Art Replay
Pakistani-American artist Anila Quayyum Agha’s super popular sculptural installation All the Flowers Are for Me (Red) returned to the Cincinnati Art Museum (on view until May 30, 2021). First on view at the CAM in 2017, this immersive artwork features a decorative 5-foot laser-cut cube, which illuminates and splays geometric and floral shadows across the…
Best Stephen Sondheim Publication by a CityBeat Theater Critic
CityBeat theater critic Rick Pender has spent the past three years putting together The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia. A former editor for The Sondheim Review (a now-defunct publication about the musical theater composer), Pender says this reference work is “a comprehensive A-to-Z encyclopedia with 131 entries that include discussions of Sondheim’s 18 Broadway productions — covering…
Best Mural Milestone
ArtWorks dedicated its 200th mural this past fall. Titled “Time Saved vs. Time Served,” the piece was part of the New Voices-themed season. In this case, the voices receiving a platform through the mural were those of returning citizens — formerly incarcerated people — who are often stigmatized and given fewer opportunities than others in…
Best Mural Commemorating the Rich History of Lincoln Heights
A new 80-foot long mural was unveiled in Lincoln Heights in September. Titled “Black Excellence in Zone 15,” the artwork — located at Serenity Park — aims to celebrate the rich history and famous residents of this neighborhood, “the first primarily Black self-governing community north of the Mason-Dixon line.” A project of The Heights Movement…
Best Explosive Street Art Exhibit
Portuguese street artist Alexandre Farto, aka Vhils, is best known for his pioneering bas-relief carving technique, in which he literally scratches the surface of urban environments by carving large-scale portraits of everyday people directly into outdoor walls. He does so through industrial means — drilling, controlled explosions, ripping away debris, etc. And in February 2020,…
Best Retro Way to Enjoy Local Theater
As local theaters had to close productions to live audiences, several turned to a retro art form to keep fans engaged: radio dramas. The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) got creative by producing H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds as an audio drama. Debuting on public radio just in time for Halloween, the original 1930s…
Best One-Woman FEAST.
Over-the-Rhine’s Know Theatre opened its 23rd season with FEAST., a “bespoke online production” that invited guests to “virtually break bread” with Grendel’s monstrous mother from the epic tale Beowulf. The one-woman performance was a manic monologue spoken by Grendel’s mother, now given the name “Agathae,” and played by Jennifer Joplin. She oscillated back and forth…
Best Exhibit to Bring Awareness to Human Trafficking
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s interactive Motel X took visitors inside a recreated motel room where they could hear stories of those forced into sex slavery or slave labor. The exhibit provided statistics and facts, different warning signs and actionable ways for the public to fight against human trafficking. Designed by area filmmaker Christine…
Best Digital Events Celebrating Cincinnati’s Jewish Community
ish, Cincinnati’s nonprofit Jewish and Israeli arts and culture group, created a calendar of creative virtual and streaming events to connect community this year — especially important because they were unable to host their annual in-person ish Festival. Programming ranged from High Holidays in a Box (featuring local honey and artwork to celebrate Rosh Hashanah)…
Best Badass Babes on Boards
Keep Her Wild is a locally spawned skate initiative that empowers women to overcome their fear of starting something new when barriers like age, gender and social stigma may prevent them from doing so. Founded by Megs Gelfgot, KWH has become a community of meetups, retreats and member support, helping people chase what they thought…
Best Drive-In Movie Theater Pop-Up
Over Memorial Day weekend, the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation transformed the neighborhood’s historic Hollywood Theater parking lot into a drive-in experience for the community — the Hollywood Drive-In Theater — with films played on a large screen tacked to the back of the building. Originally, the event was planned for one evening, but…
Best Dance Team Anniversary
For the past 39 years, Marquicia Jones-Woods has devoted her life to the children of the West End. Born and raised in the neighborhood, Jones-Woods — known affectionately as Ms. Quicy — began her outreach when she was just a teenager. She started hosting beautification projects with the kids — painting rocks and benches, planting…
Best Pride Party Pack
Cincinnati Pride’s 2020 in-person parade and festival were canceled due to COVID-19, but that didn’t stop the city from celebrating Pride Month. Kroger, 8451, HRC Cincinnati, Cincinnati Black Pride and DANCEFIX by HBDC collaborated with creative agency AGAR to bring “Outside for Pride’’ to the front yards, porches, patios and balconies of the Queen City…
Best Flower Field Trend
Over the summer and fall, Greater Cincinnati farms exploded with an abundance of sunflower fields as a way to spark some joy — and fabulous selfies — to counteract the claustrophobia of lockdown. Some destinations allowed guests to explore the beautiful blooms for free; some required a fee. For example, Lebanon’s Black Barn greenhouse and…
Best Pivot from a Film Fest to a Pop-Up
Fans and filmmakers were disappointed when the annual Cindependent Film Festival was postponed until 2021 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The festival was founded in 2017 by current Executive Director Allyson West as a way to bring Cincinnati filmmakers together to share their work, as well as draw international filmmakers to the city…
Best New Collaborative Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show
For the last 20 years, Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum has offered a drive-thru experience that is often ranked among the region’s best holiday light displays. But this year, Holiday Lights on the Hill did a glow-up into Journey BOREALIS, an illuminated spectacle and “visual art experience that showcases local and regional new…
Best Fireplaces to Watch on YouTube
As part of their “Home for the Holidays’’ line-up, the Taft Museum of Art launched a livestream of the former home’s historic fireplaces — cozy and flaming — which viewers could access via YouTube (the Taft was once the private residence of notable locals including Nicholas Longworth and Charles Phelps Taft). A riff off of…
Best Literal Street Art
This past Juneteenth, Cincinnati’s Black Lives Matter mural — located literally on Plum Street outside of City Hall between Eighth and Ninth streets downtown — was officially unveiled and dedicated. Each letter of the elaborate and collaborative artwork was led and designed by local Black artists and painted with a team of assistants. The ordinance…
Best Streaming Silent Movies with Organ Accompaniment
Unable to have live audiences at the Music Hall Ballroom for its popular Mighty Wurlitzer Organ concerts accompanying silent-movie classics, Friends of Music Hall brought its presentation of Trent Sims’ organ-playing with the 1922 vampire classic Nosferatu to the public for free via YouTube. Beginning April 9 of this year, the Friends plan to stream…
Best First Exhibit at Bunk Spot’s New Location
Pendleton artist collective and gallery Bunk Spot got a new home in Northside in 2020. And the space at 4148/4150 Hamilton Ave. is shared with (DSGN)Cllctv, an arts consulting business. Bunk Spot — also known as Bunk News — has a strong DIY bent and has been behind a slew of local art and music…
Best Dads Doing Good for Little Skaters
This holiday season, Cincinnati’s Dad Skate Squad — a group of 40-plus skateboarding dads (and sometimes their kids) who started riding together each week during COVID-19 with the goal of “spreading positivity and good vibes in our communities and putting smiles on peoples’ faces” — turned into the “Santa Skate Squad” to donate new skateboards,…
Best Locally Produced Public Television Documentary of 2020
Waking the Giant, part of Dayton PBS station ThinkTV’s Originals series, was a well-reported and beautifully shot film focusing on the initial planning, funding and early restoration work for the Gem City’s game-changing effort to restore and reopen its famous early-20th-century Dayton Arcade, an architectural jewel of the Midwest. There are two more parts to…
Best Inclusive, Free Boxing Classes
Brooklyn-based artist Nola Hanson brought Trans Boxing — a collaborative art project that doubles as a boxing club — to Camp Washington’s Wave Pool gallery via a virtual art residency this spring and summer. Hanson offered free boxing classes (via Zoom) to transgender and gender-variant participants. They say “Trans Boxing critically intervenes in the rigidly…
Best Print Museum with a Purpose
Lower Price Hill’s Cincinnati Type & Print Museum operates under a mission with three main purposes: to preserve the illustrious history of printing in the Queen City, to give artists the opportunity to create and learn letterpress and printing operations, and to provide training and jobs to people in the neighborhood struggling with addiction. Founded…
Best Drive-In Musical Theater
Every summer, C.A.S.T. (Commonwealth Artists Student Theatre) brings together teens from area high schools to perform musicals, but 2020 presented some big challenges. The smart folks in charge overcame them by staging a production of Newsies — drive-in style — in the parking lot at Coney Island. Audiences sat in or on their cars as…
Best Place to Live (or at Least One of the Best) If You Want to Work on a Feature Film
Cincinnati came in at No. 13 on MovieMaker Magazine’s “2021 Best Places to Live & Work as a Filmmaker” list, making it the fourth straight year the Queen City has earned the honor. (The city moved up one spot from its No. 14 showing in 2020.) The magazine highlights the downtown skyline, low cost of…
Best Showing by a Cincinnati Artist During the Presidential Inauguration Luncheon
A painting by a 19th-century artist with local ties was in the spotlight after the January inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. For the traditional Inaugural Luncheon on Jan. 20, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden chose to display “Landscape with a Rainbow” by Robert S. Duncanson, an African-American artist who was…
Best Virtual Gallery for Soon-to-Be Art Grads
In March 2020, Benjamin Cook — an adjunct professor at the Art Academy of Cincinnati — launched on Instagram the Social Distance Gallery, a digital platform that allows BFA and MFA art students from across the country to display their thesis work. Particularly important when COVID-19 restrictions eliminated the ability for the public to view…
Best Addition to the Fountain Square Ice Rink
Socially-distant bumper cars on ice. Here’s hoping they become an annual attraction. myfountainsquare.com.
Best Neighborhood to Find Tiny Fairies
In need of a real-life fairy tale? Hop over the river to search for the playful and adorable — and teeny-tiny — fairy doors that are popping up all over Newport’s East Row Historic District. These Tinkerbell-sized porticos are the entrances to the homes of fairies. Typically thought of as forest denizens, these little pixies…
Best Mouse King on TV
The Cincinnati Ballet’s annual performance of holiday classic The Nutcracker was closed to in-person attendance and instead aired on WLWT as “The Nutcracker at Home.” Complete with an experiential gift box, score performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and all the other magical moments fans have come to expect from the show, this was the…
Best Adorable Pup-litical News of 2020
Since 1998, Rabbit Hash, Kentucky has been electing dogs as mayors of the unincorporated hamlet instead of humans. And on Nov. 3, 2020, a six-month-old French bulldog named Wilbur caused a national stir when he was declared the new ruler, unseating the former mayor: a pitbull named Brynneth Pawltro. Adding to the attraction, Rabbit Hash’s…
Best Retrospective Art Exhibits
Faced with all the challenges of staying open and keeping visitors safe in 2020, the Cincinnati Art Museum still managed to launch several important exhibitions, including a groundbreaking Frank Duveneck retrospective and a memorable address to racial understanding, Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal…, which featured two decades’ worth of Thomas’ work exploring how…
Best One-Night (Theater) Stand
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati opened a stunning production of Dominique Morisseau’s Pipeline on March 15, 2020, then had to close the tough story about class, race and parental responsibility after just one performance, when the world was abruptly locked down. The runner-up could be Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s fresh adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, which…
Best Dog Park Comeback
The popular Newport Dog Park was forced to close in 2020 due to overcrowding and infrastructure issues, which led to greener pastures. The community teamed up with the City of Newport to raise funds and resources to reopen the park even bigger and better than before — just 500 feet away and behind the Campbell…
Best Reason to Continue Collecting Shoes
The Taft Museum of Art’s Walk This Way exhibit features the historic shoe collection of designer Stuart Weitzman, displaying everything from early-1800s satin wedding shoes and silk boudoir shoes created for the 1867 International Exposition in Paris to 1940s leather-and-suede pumps signed by the New York Yankees. The 200-plus years of footwear touch on the…
Best Open-Air Art Displays
The Kennedy Heights Arts Center used COVID-19 capacity restrictions to its advantage this year, bringing art out of the galleries and onto its grounds. For select exhibitions — including UPRISING, a collaboration with Art Beyond Boundaries in which people responded to 2020’s protests and calls for racial equity, and the SOS ART Retrospective (2016-2020) —…
Dojo Gelato’s Baked Goods Pop-Up Shop Returns to Northside This Weekend
Dojo Gelato will begin hosting its BAKED bakery pop-ups featuring made-from-scratch pastries and biscuits at its Northside location this spring. The first pop-up will be held Sunday, April 4 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. — or until all dishes are sold out. People will be able to take their order to-go or dine on the Dojo patio.…
Best Socially Distanced Swimming Experience
Timed entry at Ziegler Pool in Over-the-Rhine and vigorous sanitation after each session made every dip in the pool this summer feel like a sweet memory of “The Before.” zieglerpark.org.
Best Local Tech Innovation for Luddites
The Cincinnati Public Library recently installed Amazon-style lockers at its Oakley and Clifton branches. The automated containers allow patrons to pick up their holds 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. cincinnatilibrary.org.
Best Literary Instagram Live
The Mercantile Library’s stellar Tuesday Book Chat series on Instagram Live brings together Merc book advisor Hillary Copsey and a guest reader to discuss all things literary. The program also posts a round-up of that week’s recommended reads on social, but you can always rewatch the convos on the library’s IGTV page (@themercantilelib). mercantilelibrary.com.
Best Job Pivoting Arts Programming
After having to cancel in-person concerts, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, maestro Louis Langree and CEO Jonathan Martin totally revamped and re-envisioned their season, presenting works by Black composers — Contemporary and Classical — and featuring Black soloists at almost every concert during the virtual autumn season, streamed from Music Hall. Anthony Davis’ You Have the…
Best Way to Name (But Not Claim) a Theater Seat
The Aronoff Center for the Arts celebrated its 25th anniversary this past year. And the Cincinnati Arts Association — the nonprofit that oversees the Aronoff, Music Hall and Weston Art Gallery — wanted to take the opportunity to thank those who have been supporting the center for a quarter-century with the Name-A-Seat drive. (Like most…
Best Economic Lifeline for Local Artists and Performers
As a result of the economic fallout from the pandemic, nonprofit ArtsWave offered financial relief in the form of emergency grants, interest-free loans and other funding to local artists and performers in need through their Community Campaign. They also put together a broader COVID toolkit with info on how to find and apply for additional…
Best Goodbye to Thunder-Sky
Northside’s Thunder-Sky, Inc. closed its doors in December 2020 after a decade of innovative and inventive art exhibits. Founded by Bill Ross and Keith Banner, the beloved art space first opened on Oct. 30, 2009. But it was earlier, in 1999, that Ross first met the gallery’s namesake: Raymond Thunder-Sky. Ross was a social worker…
Best Artistic Celebrity Troll
Hundreds of celebrities have received strange drawings from local comedian Alex Leeds of Dumb Celebrity Drawings, who has the uncanny ability to convey simple-yet-esoterically contrived irreverent jokes and jabs at their intended recipient. And celebrities tend to autograph and return the drawings with a shocking frequency. Some recent items of mail? Alec Baldwin signed a…
Best Star-Studded Stand-Up Sets in Rural Ohio
During lockdown, Dave Chappelle began hosting intimate, socially distanced comedy shows (that included a branded keepsake face mask) at Wirrig Pavilion, a private outdoor event space amid cornfields and Christmas tree farms in the idyllic village of Yellow Springs, Ohio — all with the approval of Gov. Mike DeWine. The rotating, surprise lineups featured an…
Best Animated Skyline Chili Cameo
The Simpsons’ episode “The Road to Cincinnati” follows Principal Skinner and Superintendent Chalmers on an “800-mile” voyage to the Queen City for an administrators’ convention. As it’s set in Cincinnati, the episode features some iconic local spots including the Roebling Suspension Bridge, Duke Energy Convention Center and a flying pig wearing a Reds uniform —…
Best Enclosed Encounter in Which to Meander with Marsupials
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden’s highly anticipated Roo Valley opened this past summer. The interactive experience allows visitors to enter a kangaroo walkabout — a 15,000-square-foot green space where ’roos roam as you wander by. As in: You are in the same space with the animals. No barrier. If you don’t feel like socializing…
Best Amusement Park Accolades
Kings Island’s Orion giga coaster — one of only seven giga coasters in the world — won USA Today’s Best New Amusement Park Attraction in this year’s 10Best.com readers poll, beating out rides at Disney, Six Flags and Universal Studios. To be specified as a “giga coaster,” a ride must have a height or drop…
Best News for Broadway Stans Who Don’t Want to Throw Away Their Shot
Despite being postponed several times due to the pandemic, the touring production of Broadway mega-hit (and Tony, Grammy and Pulitzer Prize winner) Hamilton is slated to return to the Aronoff Center in September 2022. cincinnati.broadway.com.
Best Way to Work Your Quads While Making Your Way to the Cincinnati Art Museum
Starting near the intersection of Eden Park Drive and Gilbert Avenue, the expansive Art Climb is a flight of 164 steps that ascends from the sidewalk, zig-zags up a hill and connects to the Cincinnati Art Museum parking lot. Flanked on either side by greenery and modern light beams, the nine-story structure includes 16 landings…
Best Washington Park Event
1. The City Flea 2. Summer Cinema 3. Opera in the Park
Best Regional Museum
1. COSI (Columbus, Ohio) 2. Children’s Museum of Indianapolis (Indianapolis, Indiana) 3. National Museum of the United States Air Force (Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio)
Best Regional Arts Theater
1. Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (Dayton, Ohio) 2. Actors Theatre of Louisville (Louisville, Kentucky) 3. Human Race Theatre Company (Dayton, Ohio)
Best Pumpkin Patch/Farm
1. Blooms & Berries Farm Market and Garden Center 2. Shaw Farms 3. Gorman Heritage Farm
Best Public Artwork
1. ArtWorks Murals 2. “Fiona the Ballerina” by Joshua Stout 3. Winold Reiss industrial murals at the Cincinnati Museum Center
Best Play (Professional)
1. Drunk Santa X-Mas Spectacular (Cincinnati Shakespeare Company) 2. The Breath Project (Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park) 3. FEAST. (Know Theatre of Cincinnati)
Best Opportunities for Local Artists
1. The City Flea 2. ArtWorks 3. ArtsWave
Best Old Thing
1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Findlay Market 3. Union Terminal
Best Museum Exhibit
1. Frank Duveneck: American Master (Cincinnati Art Museum) 2. Hank Willis Thomas: All Things Being Equal (Cincinnati Art Museum) 3. Haze (Contemporary Arts Center)
Best Museum
1. Cincinnati Museum Center 2. Cincinnati Art Museum 3. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center
Northbound Lytle Tunnel Closes for Maintenance Monday Night
Northbound I-71 drivers will need to find a new way around town tonight when the Lytle Tunnel temporarily closes for maintenance. The Ohio Department of Transportation will perform inspections and maintenance work on the northbound side of the tunnel beginning at 10 a.m. March 29. The tunnel will reopen at 5 a.m. Tuesday. The following…
Sandra Williams is the Only Democrat in the Ohio Statehouse Unsure About Getting the COVID Vaccine
Ohio State Senator Sandra Williams is the only Democrat in the state legislature who is unsure about getting the Coronavirus vaccine, according to a recent report in USA Today and the Cincinnati Enquirer. "I have not decided whether I'm going to get it or not as of yet," Williams told reporters. "No particular reason." Of the 43 Democrats…
Best Movie Theater
1. Esquire Theatre 2. Mariemont Theatre 3. AMC Newport on the Levee 20
Best Local Vocal Arts Group
1. MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir 2. May Festival Chorus 3. Cincinnati Youth Choir
Best Local Tour
1. American Legacy Tours 2. Spring Grove Cemetery Tours 3. ArtWorks Mural Tours
Best Theater Company
1. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park 2. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company 3. The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati
Best Local Improv/Sketch Comedy Group
1. Improv Cincinnati 2. OTRimprov 3. ComedySportz
Best Local Filmmaker
1. Cincy Stories 2. Mark Borison 3. Biz Young
Best Local Dance Group
1. Cincinnati Ballet 2. Cin City Burlesque 3. McGing Irish Dancers
Best Local Comedian
1. Gary Owen 2. Steve Caminiti (TIE) 2. Mark Borison (TIE) 3. Josh Sneed
Best Local Classical Music Group
1. Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 2. Cincinnati Pops 3. MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir
Best Local Author
1. Phil Nuxhall 2. Curtis Sittenfeld 3. Travis McElroy
Best Local Artist
1. Leah Noumoff 2. Pam Kravetz 3. Shay Nartker
Best Kid-Friendly Attraction
1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 2. Kings Island 3. Duke Energy Children’s Museum at the Cincinnati Museum Center 4. Great Parks of Hamilton County 5. Cincinnati Parks 6. Newport Aquarium 7. Cincinnati Art Museum 8. Coney Island 9. The Friends of the Public Library Warehouse 10. ComedySportz
Best Local Actor/Actress
1. Bob Herzog 2. Andrew Maloney 3. Annie Fitzpatrick
Best Instagram Account
1. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (@cincinnatizoo) 2. Cincinnati Refined (@cincyrefined) 3. The Friends of the Public Library (@cincylibraryfriends)
Best Holiday Light Display
1. Festival of Lights (Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden) 2. Christmas Nights of Lights (Coney Island) 3. Journey BOREALIS (Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum)
Best Haunted House
1. The Dent Schoolhouse 2. Kings Island’s Halloween Haunt 3. The USS Nightmare 4. Land of Illusion Haunted Scream Park 5. All Hallow’s Eve Terror Town 6. Horror Hike Haunted Trail 7. Sandyland Acres 8. Brimstone Haunt 9. Fenwick Haunt 10. The Mayhem Mansion
Best Gallery Exhibit
1. The Masks We Wear (Pendleton Street Photography) 2. UPRISING (Kennedy Heights Arts Center) 3. OVER/TIME (Bunk Spot)
Best Free Attraction
1. Findlay Market 2. Smale Riverfront Park 3. Cincinnati Art Museum 4. Jungle Jim’s International Market 5. Cincinnati Public Library 6. Washington Park 7. Tunes & Blooms at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 8. Contemporary Arts Center 9. Fountain Square 10. 21c Museum Hotel
Findlay Kitchen Start-Up Mixicles Offers an Easier Way to Make A Cocktail
A new Cincinnati company is bringing you a different way to cocktail. Mixicles, founded by longtime friends Jen Morales and Jason Stitt, is a line of frozen cocktail mixing cubes. Each ice cube is non-alcoholic — perfect for making a fun mocktail — but Mixicles’ website also has a host of recommendations for what alcohol…
Moerlein Lager House, Municipal Brew Works Take Home Top Honors at New York International Beer Competition
Downtown's Moerlein Lager House and Hamilton's Municipal Brew Works have received top honors at the recent New York International Beer Competition. Both local spots took home Ohio Brewery of the Year accolades — Moerlein for overall brewery and Municipal for Ohio Fruit Beer Brewery of the Year. In terms of specific brews, Moerlein snagged gold…
Jeff Ruby’s Easter Meal Kits Now Available for Pre-Order
Easter weekend is just around the corner, and Queen City-based steakhouse Jeff Ruby's wants to make your day a little easier. The eatery's Easter meal kits are now available for pre-order (warning: there's a limited number available). Each kit serves up to six people and will be available for pick-up from April 1 through April…
‘Nature vs. Narcissism’ Podcast Examines True Crime in Cincinnati and Beyond
To help keep readers plugged into Cincinnati life even as we continue to physically distance from each other due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, CityBeat is highlighting a series of local podcasts and their creators every week. Read previous installments about "When Pigs Fly," "West End Stories," "Cincinnati Zoo Tails" and "Cincy Brewcast." From serial…
Best Fountain Square Event
1. Ice Rink on Fountain Square 2. Reds Opening Day Rally on the Square 3. Light Up the Square
WATCH: West Chester Township Chairman Lee Wong Removes Shirt to Reveal Army Scars; Condemns Anti-Asian Hate
A lifetime of anti-Asian discrimination pushed a West Chester official into a powerful moment last week. Lee Wong, chairman of the West Chester Township Board of Trustees, removed his shirt during a March 23 meeting to repudiate the anti-Asian sentiment and violence that’s been rising nationwide. “I’m 69 years old, and I’m going to show…
Ohio Hazing Bill Hopes to Change Law Around Coerced Student Drug and Alcohol Abuse
As state legislators try to change Ohio laws regarding the crime of hazing, one U.S. Senator from Ohio is helping reintroduce nationwide legislation changes on the topic. The mother of an Ohio University student who died in what officials called a hazing incident in 2018 joined Sen. Sherrod Brown on a recent press call, speaking…
ArtsWave Hosting Free Outdoor Concert Series at Cincinnati Parks
We all need a little live music fix after this past year. Fortunately, ArtsWave, a nonprofit focused on supporting and sustaining the arts across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, has announced plans for their free "Arts @ Parks" outdoor concert series. According to an ArtsWave, Arts @ Parks is an eight-month series that will include…
Metro’s New Simpler Fare Structure Starts This Weekend
Changes are coming to Cincinnati Metro that could save riders some dough while making others pay slightly more than they are now. Metro’s fare simplification plan goes into effect Sunday, April 4 and will streamline the current zone-based fare structure, Metro officials say in email updates. The current fare structure is based on six zones of different fares,…
Downtown’s Arnold’s Bar & Grill to Host Reds Opening Day Party
April 1 is Reds Opening Day and while the city may not be hosting its traditional big-ass parade, local businesses are still ready to celebrate. Arnold's Bar & Grill downtown is offering "the best beer list that we could assemble, live music, hundreds of autographed prizes, Avril-Bleh Hot Dogs and, of course, Jim Tarbell," says…
Cincinnati Zoo Polar Bear ‘Little One’ Has Passed Away
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden said goodbye to its 31-year-old polar bear Little One on Saturday. The geriatric polar bear was humanely euthanized due to renal failure and his quickly diminishing health. Little One was the oldest male polar bear in the U.S. zoo population at the time of his death, living far beyond…
All Kentuckians 40+ Are Now Eligible for the COVID Vaccine
As of today — Monday, March 29 — all Kentuckians ages 40 or older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. And, according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, starting April 12, everyone 16 and older will be eligible for the shots(s). (Ohioans 16 and up will be eligible for the COVID vaccine on March 29.)…
Praying of the Steps Returns to Mount Adams’ Holy Cross-Immaculata Church on Good Friday
Mount Adams' Holy Cross-Immaculata Church has announced the return of a beloved Holy Week tradition: The Praying of the Steps. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley gave the parish the OK to move ahead with the annual ascent, which typically draws a large crowd. (Holy Cross-Immaculata does note that those with a compromised immune system — or those who…
Best Church Festival
1. Panegyri Greek Festival 2. CincItalia 3. St. Cecilia Parish Festival
Best Charity Festival/Event
1. Cincinnati Pride 2. Flying Pig Marathon 3. My Furry Valentine
‘Nobody’ is the Best Stand-Alone Action Film To Be Released Since ‘John Wick 3’
First things first, make sure you see Nobody as soon as it’s released. Why? It’s fucking incredible, that’s why. It’s the best stand-alone action film to be released since 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum, and further proof that given the right material and the right creative team, anyone, even Bob Odenkirk, can be a badass, bone-breaking…
Findlay Market Opening New Jane’s Bar in Former Biergarten Location
Next week, Findlay Market is hosting the grand opening for Jane's bar. The new drinking destination, in partnership with Karrikin Spirits, will be taking over the former biergarten space at Elm and Elder streets. Named after historic Findlay Market founder Jane Findlay (she and her husband donated the land for the public market), Jane's will…
Fiona the Hippo is NOT the Newest Cadbury Bunny
Despite giving it her best try, the Cincinnati Zoo's Fiona the hippo is not the newest Cadbury bunny. A frog named Betty is. Fiona auditioned for the international contest, hosted by Cadbury, to be featured in their annual Easter commercials. The winner gets fame and fortune, plus $5,000. On her audition page, the hippo sports a new look…
We Still Don’t Know For Sure Where COVID-19 Came From. Here’s Why.
More than a year after the novel coronavirus had spread to all corners of the globe, officially becoming a pandemic, we still don’t know where it came from (SN: 3/11/20). Many researchers agree the virus most likely came from nature, probably harbored in bats. Even so, conspiracy theories claiming that the virus came from a lab…
COVID Mass-Vaccination Site Opening at Clinton County’s Wilmington Air Park
The Health Collaborative and Kroger have announced a new mass COVID vaccination site in Clinton County. The Wilmington Air Park has been selected as one of 15 mass-vaccination sites across the state and will open on April 1. The site will be by appointment only is slated to operate for about 60 days "or until…
Demolition of the Millennium Hotel Closing Portion of Downtown Elm Street Through 2022
Starting Monday, March 29, a portion of downtown's Elm Street will be closed to traffic. The city says Elm between Fifth and Sixth streets will be closed until summer 2022 to demolish the former Millennium Hotel. "Crews will be using cranes and other heavy equipment to remove a 34-story tower and five-story annex building to…
Ohio-Based Jeni’s Ice Cream Reveals New Dolly Parton Collaboration Flavor
Columbus-based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has announced its new collaboration flavor inspired by music icon Dolly Parton. And while it's not a "pint of ambition" or "I will always love cashews," it's equally as exciting. Jeni's new flavor is Strawberry Pretzel Pie, crafted as an "ode to the Queen of Country and a throwback to…
This Is Ohio’s Favorite Easter Candy, According to Google Searches
Easter is on the horizon — Sunday, April 4 to be exact — and while some are celebrating the resurrection of Christ, others of us will be stuffing our faces with candy. And if you've ever wondered what Ohio's most popular Easter treat is, career search website Zippia (a business that really has no business…
Black Kentuckians Explain Why They “Got the Shot” in New Campaign
"I Got The Shot to Protect the Ones I Love" is a new campaign featuring Black Kentuckians talking about why they chose to get the COVID-19 vaccine and responding to concerns about racism in the healthcare system. The goal of the campaign is to encourage more Kentuckians of color to get vaccinated, and it was…
Federal Funds Released for School Reopening. Ohio Gets $3 Billion
The U.S. Department of Education announced they would be releasing federal funds directed at school reopening. Of the $81 billion being released to states as part of the latest stimulus relief fund, Ohio was slated to receive nearly $3 billion in funds made available Wednesday. The funds add to the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency…
Ohio Bill Would Make ACT Voluntary, Put Costs on School Districts
A bill presented Wednesday removes the state mandate that all Ohio high school juniors take the ACT, making it a voluntary test, and also lays the cost of the ACT test on school districts, rather than the state. State Reps. Jon Cross and Don Jones brought the bill to the House Primary and Secondary Committee,…
Recreational Cannabis Could Raise Hundreds of Millions in New Revenue in Ohio
In November of last year, Arizona, Montana, New Jersey, and South Dakota all legalized recreational use of cannabis. While reasoning for legalization of recreational cannabis range from racial justice to economic growth, one benefit that has many state legislators interested is tax revenue. Last year, each state that had legalized recreational cannabis raised at least $20 million in revenue from state taxes,…
Ice Age Returns to the Cincinnati Museum Center This Summer
The Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) has endless exhibits and galleries that are beloved by kids and adults alike, and the Ice Age Gallery, which was temporarily closed while undergoing updates, is no different. The exhibit will be returning to the CMC on July 1 with many of the same attractions and displays that made it popular…
The Carnegie to Present Outdoor Theater Series in Covington
The Carnegie will present three spring productions in an outdoor, socially distanced series. While the outdoor venue is still being finalized, tickets are now on sale for April and May productions of The Wonderful Music of Oz, George Remus: A New Musical and I Got Rhythm. The Carnegie’s staff encourage patrons to bring “a picnic basket and…
PromoWest to Donate $20,000 to King Records’ Evanston Revitalization Project
King Records, the iconic Cincinnati label that produced several celebrated and legendary musicians from the 1940s into the early 1970s (including James Brown), will receive support from Newport's PromoWest Pavilion at OVATION for the revitalization of the former King studio in Evanston. According to a press release, PromoWest Productions CEO Scott Stienecker announced that the company…
Pendleton Brewery BrewDog to Reopen to the Public
Scotland-based brewery BrewDog expanded its U.S. operations with the addition of a massive taproom at 316 Reading Road in Pendleton in the fall of 2019. When it opened, it was the brand's second-largest location in America (the chain has additional breweries in Columbus and Indianapolis in addition to global spots in 60 countries including Germany, Spain, France and Finland, among…
Ohio Legislature Overrides DeWine Veto of Pandemic Authority Bill
Wednesday marked the 24th anniversary of the Ohio Supreme Court ruling the state’s school funding model is unconstitutional. Twenty-four years later, the Ohio legislature has yet to fix it. Yet less than 24 hours after Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed a bill to allow lawmakers to strike down public health orders, GOP supermajorities mobilized to override this…
After a Week of Gun Violence, Ohio House Republicans Seek to Expand Concealed Carry
After a spate of seven mass shootings around the U.S. in seven days, Ohio House Republicans introduced legislation that would allow Ohioans aged 21 and older to carry a concealed weapon without a license. House Bill 227, introduced Tuesday by Republican Reps. Thomas Brinkman and Kris Jordan and co-sponsored by 20 more, also contains other…
Best Of Cincinnati City Life (Reader Picks)
Reader Picks Best Apartment Community Best Builder Best Developer Best Building Best Cincinnati Neighborhood Best Cincinnatian Best College/University Best Conservative Best Progressive Best Do Gooder Best Friend to the Environment Best Journalist Best Local Activist Best Local Cause Best Local Elected Official Best Local Podcast Best MBA Program Best Northern Kentucky Neighborhood Best Northern Kentuckian…
Best Artworks Mural
1. “Fiona and Bibi at the Cincinnati Zoo” 2. “Cincinnati Toy Heritage” 3. “Charley Harper's Beguiled by the Wild” 4. “Martha, the Last Passenger Pigeon” 5. “Ezzard Charles: The Cincinnati Cobra” 6. “Democracy!” 7. “Mr. Dynamite” 8. “Dream Big and Fly High” 9. “Homecoming (Blue Birds)” 10. “Swing Around Rosie”
FC Cincinnati Unveils 2021 Schedule
Despite the pandemic, Major League Soccer has released its full 2021 schedule, with each team tackling 34 matches between April and November. This will be FC Cincinnati's first year playing as a major league team in their new West End Stadium, where they are slated to host 17 games. Tickets to home games are available…
Best Art Museum
1. Cincinnati Art Museum 2. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center 3. Contemporary Arts Center
Best Art Gallery
1. Contemporary Arts Center 2. 21c Museum Hotel 3. Pendleton Art Center See all winners from Best Of Cincinnati 2021
Best Of Cincinnati Arts & Culture (Reader Picks)
Reader Picks Best Art Gallery Best Art Museum Best ArtWorks Mural Best Charity Festival/Event Best Church Festival Best Fountain Square Event Best Free Attraction Best Gallery Exhibit Best Haunted House Best Holiday Light Display Best Instagram Account Best Kid-Friendly Attraction Best Local Actor/Actress Best Local Artist Best Local Author Best Local Classical Music Group Best…
Battle Brews Over Ohio’s “Abortion-Ban Trigger” Bill
A consequential debate over the future of reproductive rights could soon be coming to the Ohio Statehouse. Senate Bill 123 is the latest so-called "trigger ban" to be introduced in Ohio. Should the current majority of the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade, the bill would ban all abortions in Ohio, except those necessary to save…
Manatees Return to the Cincinnati Zoo
Manatees will once again be on display at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Manatee Springs. Starting Sunday, March 28, visitors will be able to see three new orphans taken in by the zoo for rehabilitation through their partnership with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation program (MRP). The three manatees are: Alby…
CVG to Offer Nonstop Flights to Los Cabos, Mexico This Summer
Escaping to Cancun from the Queen City for a tropical getaway is relatively easy and accessible thanks to CVG's partnership with Viva Aerobus, a Mexican carrier line known for their low-cost trips. And soon, folks in need of some sand between their toes can explore a different Mexican vacation hot spot via nonstop flights through…
BLINK Will Return in 2022, According to Mayor Cranley’s New $11 Million Arts Stimulus Proposal
Mayor John Cranley announced a multi-million stimulus proposal for the Cincinnati arts community, including $1 million for the 2022 return of BLINK. He also called for outdoor performances to resume in the area. This announcement follows the allocation of $290 million to Cincinnati for COVID-19 related expenses from President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan. Approximately…
One of America’s Best Fruit Beers Is Back at Northside’s Urban Artifact
Berry season is slowly but surely creeping up on us and Urban Artifact is bringing back the perfect celebratory drink. Squeezebox has returned for some summertime fun, available at Urban Artifact’s taproom and in cans on March 24. Squeezebox is a crowd favorite and was even named one of the top fruit beers in America…
Taft Museum of Art Taps ‘Project Runway’ Fashion Designer Asha Ama Bias-Daniels as 2021 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence
The Taft Museum of Art has announced its 2021 Duncanson Artist-in-Residence, Asha Ama Bias-Daniels. Bias-Daniels is a fashion designer who garnered worldwide recognition as a competitor on the television series Project Runway. She has also been a finalist on Lifetime’s Under the Gunn and is currently a returning contestant for the newest Project Runway: All Stars…
Cincinnati Art Museum’s “Art After Dark at Home” Offers Cocktail Classes, Music and Behind-the-Scenes Art in Your Living Room
Enjoy the newest Cincinnati Art Museum exhibition from the comfort of your living room during "Art After Dark at Home" 7-9 p.m. on Friday, March 26. The exhibit, Future Retrieval: Close Parallel, “allows the new and unexpected to delight in dialogue with the historic,” according to CAM. During the digital version of the museum's regular final Friday…
Small Business Administration to Open Grant Applications to Dole Out Economic Relief for Shuttered Music Venues, Theaters, Museums
The Small Business Administration is opening up a new way for owners of "shuttered" music venues to apply for much-needed grant relief in early April. And that might just be music to the ears of local venues still largely shut down after more than a year. On April 8, the SBA will open an online…
Amelia Animal Sanctuary Foreverland Farm Launches Campaign with Hopes of Expanding Impact
Just 30 minutes east of Cincinnati sits a quaint-but-jam-packed sanctuary aimed at helping at-risk animals. Since its creation in 2018, the nonprofit Foreverland Farm has taken in over 70 animals that were in danger of being slaughtered, abandoned, neglected or abused. Foreverland Farm made headlines for itself back in 2018 when it hosted a baby shower…
The Sandbar in Four Seasons Marina Has Closed
The Sandbar has permanently closed after 16 years of operation, the owners announced via Facebook. “From the volleyball tournaments to the weekend bands to the frozen margs and the koozies near and far, we can’t thank you enough for your many years of loyal patronage,” the post reads. The Sandbar, operated by 4EG restaurant company,…
Cincinnati’s First Affordable Housing Community for LGBTQ Seniors Named in Honor of Jim Obergefell’s Late Husband
Cincinnati's first LGBTQ+-friendly affordable senior housing community, Apple Street Senior, is being renamed John Arthur Flats in honor of John Montgomery Arthur, the late husband of Jim Obergefell, who was the plaintiff in the Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage in America. The project at the former Save-A-Lot location at 4145 Apple St. is…
DeWine Vetoes Bill Targeting His Pandemic Authority; Override Awaits
Gov. Mike DeWine has vetoed a bill seeking to allow lawmakers to rescind public health orders they disagree with, once again fulfilling a pledge to block any legislation targeting his administration’s authority to respond aggressively to a deadly pandemic. The ball is now in the legislature’s court to override his veto. Republican legislative leaders have…
11 Greater Cincinnati Open-Container DORA Districts for Drinking While Wandering
DORA districts — or Designated Outdoor Refreshment Areas — are a fun fact of life in Greater Cincinnati. In these specific spaces, you are able to grab an alcoholic beverage to sip while you stroll. While the new 85-acre DORA at The Banks is a major player, Loveland, Bellevue and Milford (among others) also have their very own…
International UFO Investigation Organization Sets Up Permanent Headquarters in Cincinnati
The truth is out there. And possibly literally right here in the Queen City, as Cincinnati is once again home to nonprofit UFO investigation organization Mutual UFO Network, or MUFON. Launched in 1969, MUFON has three goals, which its more than 600 trained investigators and 4,200 members across the world enact: Investigate UFO sightings and collect…
Down Syndrome Nonprofit GiGi’s Playhouse to Open Cincinnati Location
GiGi’s Playhouse, a national organization that provides families and community members programs and resources about Down syndrome is coming to Cincinnati. This will be the 52nd GiGi’s Playhouse opening in the U.S., and Amy Pennington, the lead of GiGi’s Cincinnati start-up team, says the presence is much needed. “There's free speech therapy, one-on-one literacy and…
Giant Pinocchio Statue Returns to Cincinnati Art Museum
As of yesterday, March 22, "Pinocchio (Emotional)" is back in his rightful place in front of the Cincinnati Art Museum. The giant 12-foot bronze sculpture is one of many Pinocchio-themed works created by Cincinnati artist Jim Dine. Dine graduated from Walnut Hills in 1953 and studied at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, the University of…
DoorDash to Offer On-Demand Delivery of COVID-19 PCR Test Collection Kits
Food delivery app DoorDash is expanding its services. It will now begin offering same-day delivery of COVID-19 at-home PCR test kits from companies Vault Health and Everlywell via its market platform DashMart. Both COVID test kits received emergency use authorization from the FDA; Vault Health's kit samples saliva for the presence of coronavirus, while the Everlywell…
New Ohio Bill Seeks to Expunge COVID-19 Health Violations, Return Fine Money to Businesses
Last spring, a Tiffin bar was caught serving alcohol for on-site consumption when Ohio bars were supposed to be closed. In the fall, a Parma Heights bar was cited for serving alcohol past 10 p.m. in violation of the pandemic curfew. Two weeks later, it was cited again. On Sunday, an Athens bar was cited…
NKY PrideFest Will Return with In-Person Festival at Goebel Park, No Parade
The NKY Pride Center will host its annual PrideFest by offering a series of in-person educational services and health resources at Goebel Park on June 6. Many activities will be livestreamed on Facebook for those who wish to attend virtually. The festival will include healthcare and mental health services for the LGBTQA+ and ally community,…
New Drive-Thru Graeter’s Opens at Jungle Jim’s Fairfield
A new Graeter's Ice Cream drive-thru has opened at Jungle Jim's in Fairfield. And the shop (an inside dining room will open eventually) offers a full menu of ice cream and candy items. "When Jungle Jim's made a decision to expand their location, they invited Graeter's to be a part of the expansion," says Tim Philpott,…
Eight Cincinnati Restaurants Offering Take-Home Easter Meals
This year, take the stress out of cooking a fancy Easter masterpiece and leave the honey-roasted hams, cheesy potatoes and deviled eggs to the “eggsperts.” These local Cincinnati eateries are offering special take-out Easter feasts. And, remember, if you want to take home a pre-made meal, don’t forget to order your brunch or dinner ahead…
Secret Deodorant Donates Funds Toward Women in the Workforce as Part of $1 Million Pledge
Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble’s Secret Deodorant has donated funds toward childcare services, female professional development and barrier reduction programs as part of its $1 million pledge to promote gender equality. The resources will help more than 100,000 women in the YWCA network. The donation will be spread across 12 communities, such as Atlanta, Chicago and…
West Side’s Cabana on the River Announces Season Opening Date
It's official: Summer is on its way and the West Side's Cabana on the River is welcoming it with open arms, opening its doors for the season on Monday, April 12. The seasonal tropical watering hole with a famous Long Island iced tea (with sour pink lemonade) and plenty of seafood offers river views, volleyball teams and…
Gov. DeWine to Open Up Vaccines to Everyone 16 and Older Early, Assuming Appointments are Available
Gov. Mike DeWine said Monday that any Ohioan 16 and over will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine a week earlier than previously announced, if doses would be going to waste otherwise. According to WKYC, during a conversation in Youngstown on Monday, DeWine said: "I authorized all of the (local) health departments in the state…
Over-the-Rhine’s Washington Park to Host Two-Day Easter Egg Hunt
Over-the-Rhine’s Washington Park will host a two-day egg hunt this weekend (Saturday and Sunday, March 27-28) as part of its annual tradition. Scavengers — both young and young at heart — can search for six different eggs, which are individually wrapped and handed out by staff members throughout the park. This event is a new variation…
Cincinnati Public Schools Extend Spring Break Before Return to 5-Day-a-Week In-Person Instruction
Cincinnati Public Schools announced that spring break has been extended one day. Classes will resume on March 31 instead of March 30 to "allow additional time for teachers to prepare for students' return to in-person instruction five days a week." The CPS Board of Education voted to return to weeklong in-person instruction in March, including for…
Krispy Kreme Giving Away Free Daily Donuts to COVID-Vaccinated Visitors
There's plenty of incentives to get your COVID-19 vaccine, like achieving herd immunity, spending time with your loved ones and friends, life returning to normalcy, etc. But a national donut and coffee chain is dangling a different motivation for folks to get their jab — one that's deep-fried and sugar-glazed. Beginning March 22, visitors who…
Washington Platform’s Annual Oyster Festival Returns for the 35th Year
Washington Platform Saloon & Restaurant is transforming into a Midwestern oceanside retreat from March 26-May 8 during its 35th annual Oyster Festival. More than 35 fresh and fancy (and kind of odd) oyster varieties prepared by chef/owner Jon Diebold and staff will grace the menu, including dishes like: Oyster Poseidon: oysters on the half shell…
Gnarly Gnome’s ‘Cincy Brewcast’ Podcast Gulps Down Cincinnati’s Extensive Beer Scene
To help keep readers plugged into Cincinnati life even as we continue to physically distance from each other due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, CityBeat is highlighting a series of local podcasts and their creators every week. Read previous installments about "When Pigs Fly," "West End Stories" and "Cincinnati Zoo Tails." There's plenty of beer…
NFL Announces Details of ‘Large, Live, In-Person’ 2021 Draft in Ohio, Including Fan Events and Musical Performances
The NFL today announced some initial details for the upcoming NFL draft festivities in Cleveland taking place April 29 to May 1 that include limited in-person attendance at an outdoor stage next to FirstEnergy Stadium and Lake Erie where Commissioner Roger Goodell will welcome players to their new teams, musical performances at the Rock &…
Two Northern Kentucky Producers Revel in Grammy Win
Two regional musicians are still riding the good vibes from their win at the 2021 Grammy Awards last week. Northern Kentucky-connected music producers and songwriters Corbett and SunZoo hit the jackpot when King’s Disease by Nas won Best Rap Album at the 63rd-annual awards on March 14. Corbett, who lives in Florence with his wife and three kids, contributed to…
All Kentuckians 50 and Older Can Now Sign Up for the COVID Vaccine
As of today — Monday, March 22 — all Kentuckians ages 50 or older can sign up to receive the COVID vaccine. And, according to Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, starting April 12, everyone 16 and older will be eligible for the shots(s). (Ohioans 16 and up will be eligible for the COVID vaccine on March…
CDC Says It Is OK for Students to Sit 3 Feet Apart in Classrooms
Federal health officials have revised their guidance to schools on how far apart students should be spaced in a classroom, now saying desks can be placed 3 feet apart instead of 6 feet to limit the spread of COVID-19. The updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes as schools across the country have…
Kentucky’s Open-Air Burlington Antique Show Returns in April
The Burlington Antique Show, the Midwest’s premier antique market, kicks off its 2021 season on Sunday, April 18. "It’s the best and safest place with it being outside, under the sun with fresh air all around," said show manager Tony Pham in a press release. Expect to hunt through authentic wares — Midcentury Modern, Art…
Ohio Bill Would Require Hundreds of Ballot Drop Boxes To Be Installed Across the State
Democratic lawmakers want to increase voter drop box access throughout the state of Ohio, proposing to install hundreds of boxes for future elections. State Reps. Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Cleveland) and Michele Lepore-Hagan (D-Youngstown) believe the additional drop boxes will make voting more convenient for Ohioans seeking to cast absentee ballots. Secretary of State Frank LaRose,…
AstraZeneca’s COVID Vaccine Isn’t Tied to Blood Clots, Experts Say
AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine is not associated with an increased risk of blood clots, the European Medicines Agency announced March 18. That’s the conclusion of an investigation conducted by an EMA safety committee into reports of blood clots in some vaccinated people. "This vaccine is a safe and effective option to protect citizens against COVID-19,” Emer…
Covington-Based “Epic” Taco Chain Agave & Rye Expanding to Hamilton
A Covington-based eatery known for its "epic" tacos and extravagant "urban grunge" decor has announced its plans to open the brand's third Ohio location in 2022. Agave & Rye, which opened its first restaurant in 2018, has since expanded with eight locations across Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana. The eatery will be located in Hamilton's former…
Hundreds of Thousands of Ohio Residents Are Newly Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccines Today
Ohio significantly increased COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for residents on Friday as the state moved into new phases for its vaccine rollout. As of March 19, Ohio is in Phases 1E and 2C of its staggered vaccination plan. Under Phase 1E, Ohioans with cancer, chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and obesity are…
Greater Cincinnati Fish Frys to Try in 2021
It’s the Lenten season in Cincinnati, which can only mean one thing: Fish Fry Fridays are back. (That and someone you know has given up chocolate for the next 40 days.) Almost every church in Cincinnati — and assorted savvy eateries — are offering some type of special fried fish dish on Fridays this season.…
Twitter Temporarily Restricts Ohio Politician Josh Mandel’s Account for Breaking ‘Hateful Conduct’ Rules
Ohio Senate hopeful Josh Mandel is crying foul for Twitter “censoring” the politician on Thursday, but Twitter says Mandel simply violated its rules. Earlier this week, Mandel — who is a Republican with conservative views — posted a poll on Twitter, asking “POLL: Of the various types of illegals flooding across the border, will more…
New Act Gets Ohio Dreamers One Step Closer to Citizenship
Ohio's roughly 4,400 "Dreamers" are a step closer to the chance to become American citizens. The U.S. House approved the American Dream and Promise Act last night, which creates a process for undocumented immigrants brought into the country as children to become U.S. citizens. And it expedites the process for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients by…
‘Vaccine Passports’ That Show You’re Inoculated Against COVID Are on the Way
More than 75 million Americans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine — and along with that shot, a small paper card with the CDC’s label detailing the timing and manufacturer of the dose. Those paper cards at the moment are the only proof readily available to Americans of their vaccination against…
Greater Cincinnati’s Oriental Wok Employees Receive Anti-Asian Harassment, Threats
Employees at a Greater Cincinnati restaurant that’s been in business for more than four decades have been receiving anti-Asian threats. In a Facebook post, the Fort Mitchell Police Department says that officers investigated threats against employees at Oriental Wok Thursday. “Restaurant staff reported several harassing calls, which then turned into threats,” the March 18 post…
Cincinnati’s Court Street Lobster Bar Hosts Grand Re-Opening
Downtown's Court Street Lobster Bar temporarily closed its doors November due to the rise in COVID-19 cases. But with Ohio's cases significantly falling, the seafood-centric eatery has returned. The restaurant hosts its grand re-opening on Friday, March 19. Over the course of the break, the team has orchestrated some new changes to their offerings. In a Feb. 19…
Here’s Why NBL CKN Will Throw Chicken-Themed Pop-Up Parades in Greater Cincinnati This Weekend (Yes, Really)
Why did the chicken cross the road? It’s an age-old question that NBL CKN has answered with a pair of parades this weekend. Yes, you read that correctly — chicken-themed parades. Buffalo Wings & Rings, the Cincinnati-based sports restaurant franchise, has jumped on ghost kitchen trend with the Noble Chicken (stylized as NBL CKN. A ghost…
Nerd Out While Blissed Out? Mystic Magick Massage Offers Pop-Culture Massages in Erlanger
The stress of the pandemic is weighing on us all, and in a time when everything is hyper-sanitized, partaking in our regular stress-reducing practices has gotten a little more difficult. Chelsea Morgan, owner of Mystic Magick Massage, is tackling that issue while incorporating a fun, pop-culture twist to your everyday massage. With themes like Harry…
Surprise! Ava the Wallaby Has a Mysterious Pregnancy at the Cincinnati Zoo
A wallaby at the Cincinnati Zoo is pregnant again — but this pregnancy is a special one that surprised even zoo workers. Ava the wallaby has not bred since her baby Pocket emerged from her pouch last year, a media release from the Cincinnati Zoo says. Still, she has a new joey in her pouch. Was…
How Cincinnatians Can Address Violence Against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
Last month in New York, a Filipino man’s face was slashed with a boxcutter. In San Francisco, an elderly Thai man died of head injuries after being shoved on the sidewalk. On Tuesday, a shooting spree at three Atlanta-area spas killed eight people, six of which were women of Asian descent. Every day it seems more and…
One Year Into the Pandemic, There Is Still No Plan to Reopen the U.S.-Canada Border
On March 21, 2020, U.S. and Canadian officials ordered a temporary restriction on non-essential travel across the border. And almost a year later, there are no concrete plans to change that. That's according to a new report from the CBC, citing interviews with officials from both countries. As of now, the restrictions formally remain in place…
Three Cincinnati Hospitals Among Best in the Nation for 2021, Newsweek Says
Three Greater Cincinnati medical centers are among the best in the country this year. In its “World’s Best Hospitals” rankings for 2021, Newsweek magazine counts The Christ Hospital Health Network, University of Cincinnati Medical Center and Jewish Hospital – Mercy Health in the top 200 for general hospitals within the United States. Based in Mt.…
Cincinnati’s National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Responds to Anti-Asian Violence
A Cincinnati institution against injustice has weighed in on a shooting that killed eight people at Atlanta-area spas this week. On Wednesday, investigators charged Robert Aaron Long with eight counts of murder connected to the March 16 shooting spree that began at Young’s Asian Massage in Acworth, Georgia and continued to additional locations. Six women…
Deeper Roots Coffee Opens New Downtown Cincinnati Location
You’d be hard pressed (French-pressed?) to find someone in Cincinnati who has not tried Deeper Roots coffee, whether on purpose or not. While Deeper Roots has brick-and-mortar cafes in Oakley, Over-the-Rhine and now Fourth Street downtown, other coffee houses in Cincinnati use their beans. You can find their coffee used at local favorites Mom ‘n’…
Federal Income Tax Filing Deadline for 2020 Extended to May 17
2020’s havoc hasn’t ended with the change in the calendar year — after all, tax season is upon us. The U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced Wednesday that the federal income tax filing deadline for 2020 returns is being extended from April 15 to May 17. Additional guidance is forthcoming. The federal bodies…
Ohio Senate Bill Would Ban Transgender Student Athletes from Women’s Sports
An Ohio state Senator introduced legislation this week that would prevent transgender girls and women from participating in women’s sports at state K-12 schools and universities. Senate Bill 132, sponsored by Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson), would require schools to separate student athletics by sex, not gender. The legislation would apply to public schools as well…
26% of Unvaccinated Ohioans are Hesitant to Take the COVID-19 Shot, Research Says
About 1 in 4 unvaccinated Ohioans are hesitant to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, according to a large-scale, nationwide survey of Facebook users. More than 26% of Ohioans surveyed Feb. 21 to Feb. 27 said they will “probably not” or “definitely not” take the vaccine, ranking Ohio the 17th most vaccine-hesitant state in the nation. The data…
Cincinnati Reds Bobbleheads Are Back for 2021
The Cincinnati Reds have released the promotions schedule for the 2021 season, and it’s predictably full of bobblehead goodness. The Reds will give away five different bobbleheads on its Super Saturday game days at Great American Ball Park. Including a Barry Larkin dual bobblehead on Sept. 4 that celebrates the 25th anniversary of Larkin becoming…
Cincinnati to Designate The Banks as an 85-Acre DORA District This Month
About three months after Mayor John Cranley announced his plans to transform The Banks into a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), an opening date has been confirmed for the project. The 85-acre district will officially open at 11 a.m. Thursday, March 25. A DORA means you can walk around a specific space with a drink…
Ohio’s COVID Vaccine Eligibility Expands Again
Ohioans age 40 and older now can receive a COVID-19 vaccination, and health leaders say anyone who's eligible should not delay. Dr. O'dell Moreno Owens, president and chief executive of Interact for Health, a Cincinnati-based foundation focused on improving health, said he's heard a lot of speculation comparing the safety and effectiveness of the three available…
Six Questions and Answers About COVID-19, Then and Now
One year ago, Science News published the first of our Coronavirus Update newsletters. The goal was to provide readers with a quick glimpse into the latest research and news on the novel coronavirus amidst an ever-rising tide of questions and fears. We are now revisiting the topics we tackled in that first March 10, 2020 newsletter. What have we…
Kentucky Senate Panel Advances Bill Supporting Child Sex-Abuse Victims
A bill that would extend the statute of limitations for misdemeanor sex offenses involving minors from five to ten years after their eighteenth birthday is progressing through the Legislature. Supporters of House Bill 472, sponsored by Rep. Lynn Bechler, R-Marion, said it will help more survivors be heard and their perpetrators held accountable. Nationwide, one in…
Need a Job? Cincinnati Zoo Is Hiring for the Upcoming Season
If you’re looking to work in one of Cincinnati's famed institutions, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has opportunities for you. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is looking to hire people who are passionate about wildlife, sustainability and customer service. “We had to close our gates one year ago today, so we are thrilled…
Living Breathing Kitchen to Host Circus-Themed Dinner and Show at Newport’s Thompson House
An evening of entertainment and elaborate eats will take over Newport's Thompson House this month, as Chef Robert Castaneda of Cincinnati-based pop-up Living Breathing Kitchen hosts a multi-course circus-themed dinner and show. The Circus Maximus Supper Club is a three-hour event that features seven courses, live music and a mini circus performance that includes acrobats…
Cincinnati Is Almost Dead Last in LawnStarter’s Best Cities for Hiking in 2021
We all know what great hiking, running and cycling trails we have in Greater Cincinnati, but LawnStarter apparently didn’t get the message. In its list of the best cities for hiking in 2021, the lawn-care service ranks Cincinnati as No. 142 out of 150. Other cities in Ohio score much higher than Cincinnati. Cleveland sits…
Chef Jared Bennett to Take Over the Kitchen at Branch in East Walnut Hills
Chef Jared Bennett — formerly of Maplewood Kitchen and Bar, Karrikin Spirits and Metropole at 21c — will take over the role of head chef at Branch in East Walnut Hills. The restaurant says Branch's former chef, Shoshannah Anderson — who also previously ran the kitchen at sister restaurant The Littlefield in Northside — "will always…
Over-the-Rhine’s Washington Park to Host Free ‘Mutt Madness’ Adoption Event Saturday
Over-the-Rhine’s Washington Park will transform into a dog adoption hub this weekend with its “Mutt Madness” event. Canine lovers will have an opportunity to meet and adopt dogs from local agencies and rescues across the Greater Cincinnati area, as well as shop from pet-focused vendors and donate dog food to a local organization. The one-day-only…
Cincinnati’s First Seltzer Fest Will Feature Fowling, Free Pizza, and Nearly 100 Kinds of Seltzer
Cincinnati's first Seltzer Fest will be held on Saturday, April 17, and it will include a different spin on bowling. The Fowling Warehouse Cincinnati in Oakley will host the event in its 47,000-square-foot facility where social distancing, masks, and temperature checks will be mandatory. “We are excited and honored to be hosting the first Seltzer…
It’s Ohio Liquor Lottery Time! Here’s How to Enter
A select number of Ohio residents will have the chance to purchase a bottle from its single barrel selections of Blanton's, Eagle Rare and E.H. Taylor in an online lottery by Ohio Liquor. The lottery concludes on March 22, and winners will be notified by early April. There is no cost to enter. To enter,…
Cincinnati Metro Offers Free Rides to COVID-19 Vaccine Pop-Up Clinic at Cintas Center
If you have one of the coveted appointments for the COVID-19 vaccination pop-up clinic this week, Metro wants to help you get there. Metro and Access paratransit service will provide free rides on all routes each day of the state-sponsored vaccination event, which is scheduled for March 18, 19 and 20 at Cintas Center and…
Name A Honey Bee this Spring at the Cincinnati Art Museum
Prepare to be “bee-witched” this spring with the Cincinnati Art Museum’s new beehives that are set to be installed mid-April. These permanent “buzzy” residents soon will call the museum grounds their home, and the hives will be situated alongside a pollinator garden on the west side of the Longworth administrative wing. The Cincinnati Art Museum…
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Here’s Where to Celebrate in Cincinnati Today
Cincinnati's annual St. Patrick's Day parade may be on hold this year, but bars, restaurants and neighborhoods across the Queen City are still celebrating the occasion with plenty o' green beer, Irish eats and bagpipes. Here are a few stand-out spots to visit if you're looking for some Irish cheer. (Contact event organizers for COVID-19 protocols):…
Kentucky Plans COVID-19 Memorial, Requests Contributions
A memorial for Kentuckians who have died from coronavirus is in the works, and you can contribute. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear launched the Team Kentucky COVID-19 Memorial Fund on Monday to rally donations for a memorial that will honor Kentucky residents and their loved ones who have been affected by the ongoing deadly pandemic. The…
Cincinnati’s Dress for Success Launches Fundraiser to Support Move to Norwood
Dress for Success Cincinnati has launched a campaign to fund its June relocation from downtown to Norwood. As of March 8, the campaign, TransformHER, has already raised $650,000 of its $1.2 million goal. The local organization, part of a now-global nonprofit mission which started in Manhattan, provides professional attire for women entering or returning to…
Dolly Parton Is Collaborating with Ohio-Based Jeni’s Ice Cream on a New Flavor, and We Can’t Wait
An upcoming collaboration between a music icon and an Ohio-based ice cream shop surely will taste like heaven. Columbus-based Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams had been teasing a new flavor collaboration in recent days, asking on March 8, “Hypothetically speaking, say we had a new collab flavor in the works. What do you hope it is?”…
Cincinnati Suburb Madeira Gets High Marks on Niche’s 2021 ‘Best Places to Live in Ohio’ List
Cincinnati’s suburbs are getting some love from a relocation publication. Niche has released its “Best Places to Live in Ohio” list for 2021, and Greater Cincinnati is a big part of the top 20. Madeira comes in at No. 3 with four and a half stars (out of five) from current residents. A suburb to…
All Ohioans 16 and Older Will Be Eligible for the COVID Vaccine on March 29
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday morning at Cleveland State University that all Ohioans aged 16 and older will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on March 29. DeWine, delivering remarks on the occasion of the opening of the mass vaccination site at CSU's Wolstein Center, said that the supply of vaccines from the federal…
Feds Table Minimum Wage Talk, but Ohio Legislators Keep Pressing
Democratic legislators are leading the charge to raise the minimum wage in the state after a federal effort failed. State. Sen. Hearcel Craig and Sen. Cecil Thomas presented the bill in Senate Workforce and Higher Education recently, proposing increasing wages to $15 an hour by 2025. “Raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2025 would…
American Rescue Plan to Ease Burden on Ohioans’ Past-Due on Rent
An estimated 10% of all renters are behind on their rent payments, which, in Ohio, is about 370,000 households. Social-service advocates say the new federal COVID-19 relief package should be able to help those who are at risk of eviction. The American Rescue Plan will distribute more than $21 billion to states for emergency rental assistance, on top of…
GOP Bill Seeks to End the Ohio Mask Mandate
Gov. Mike DeWine has outlined specific metrics the state can hit to trigger an end to Ohio’s public health orders, including the mandate to wear facial coverings in public. A group of Republican legislators think it’s already time to remove the mask mandate. Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, recently introduced House Bill 202 to terminate the existing mask…
FC Cincinnati Reveals West End Stadium’s Opening Match
Cincinnati, are you ready for some futbooooooooooool? FC Cincinnati has finally revealed that the team will play Inter Miami CF in the match that will serve as both the 2021 season’s home opener and West End Stadium’s very first Major League Soccer game. The match begins at 4 p.m. May 16 and will be nationally…
Vote for Cincinnati’s Findlay Market as USA Today’s Best Public Market
Ok, Cincinnati, here’s yet another opportunity for our fair city to be highlighted by USA Today. “10 Best,” USA Today’s travel information hub that frequently relies on reader input, has included Findlay Market among its nominees for best public market in its readers’ choice poll, and your vote could help it nab top billing. “A…
Kentucky Highway Fatalities Increased in 2020, Preliminary Report Says
Highway fatalities in Kentucky increased in 2020, officials say. According to a preliminary report from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Office of Highway Safety, highway deaths rose from 732 in 2019 to 778 in 2020, a 5% increase. Of those deaths, 57.1% were not wearing a seat belt, which KYTC Secretary Jim Gray says is an…
‘Cincinnati Zoo Tales’ Podcast Gives a Behind-the-Scenes Look at Zoo Life
To help keep readers plugged into Cincinnati life even as we continue to physically distance from each other due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, CityBeat is highlighting a series of local podcasts and their creators every week. Read previous installments about "When Pigs Fly" and "West End Stories." Animals make everything better, even the "Indoor…
Public Transportation Advocates Insist More Funds Needed in Ohio’s Proposed Budget
Advocates are urging lawmakers to invest more money into Ohio’s public transportation systems and commit to long-term support for this transit spending. Gov. Mike DeWine presented deep cuts to public transportation in his proposed budget. The Ohio House of Representatives restored much of the funding in its transportation budget passed earlier in March. But this…
Six Candidates Cemented for Primary Ballot in Cincinnati Mayoral Race
Two candidates fighting for spots on the primary ballot in Cincinnati’s mayoral race have lost their challenges. In a special meeting on March 12, the Hamilton County Board of Elections found that startup founder Adam Koehler and occupational therapist Kelli Prather did not qualify to be placed on the primary ballot in May. As CityBeat…
New Report Highlights Deepening Crises for Many Kentucky Kids
Kentucky families are facing greater levels of food insecurity and economic instability one year into the coronavirus pandemic, said a new report from the nonprofit group Save the Children. In the report, the Commonwealth ranks in the top three states where food scarcity is highest for kids, along with Arkansas and Louisiana. Alissa Taylor, state director for…
Is This One of the Cincinnati’s Bengals’ New Jerseys?
A photo of what may or may not be a new Cincinnati Bengals jersey design has been circulating this month, and we’re not sure what to think. On March 7, social media users began circulating photos from an eBay listing for a Joe Burrow jersey. The seller, “originaljersey81,” titled the listing “NFL CINCINNATI BENGALS JOE…
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Appoints Harold Brown as First Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer
The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra announced the appointment of Harold Brown as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer last week. Brown, a resident of Springdale, officially starts on March 17. This position marks a first, not only for the CSO, but also for a major American orchestra. Brown was chosen from a pool of over 80 nationally…
Greater Cincinnati YMCAs Offer Free Four-Month Memberships to Healthcare Workers
Healthcare workers in Greater Cincinnati have a new way to recharge from their long hours on the COVID-19 front lines. Beginning today, March 15, the YMCA of Greater Cincinnati is offering free four-month memberships to healthcare workers. The memberships are good for all 10 YMCA locations in the area. “We truly appreciate the sacrifices these…
Skyline Chili’s Festive “Green Ways” Returns This St. Patrick’s Day
Drinking green beer isn’t the only way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the Queen City. Cincinnati-based chili chain Skyline is bringing back its “shamrock green” pasta for its annual “Green Way” tradition this St. Patrick’s Day. This Wednesday (March 17), customers can order classic 3-Ways, 4-Ways and 5-Ways with green pasta at Skyline Chili’s…
Cincinnati’s Fifty West Brewing Introduces Hard Lemonade — Just in Time for Spring
Cincinnati's Fifty West Brewing Company is ever-growing. Despite a challenging, pandemic-riddled year, the business introduced its wildly successful Fifty West Burger Bar last spring for folks to enjoy a taste of nostalgia with a side of fresh air. And as the sun begins to shine and we enter the new spring season, the brand has…
Cincinnati Among Top Cities for College Basketball Fans in 2021, Report Says
Just in time for March Madness, a new study finds that Cincinnati is a basketball fan’s dream. According to a March 10 report by WalletHub, Cincinnati is among the best cities for college basketball fans in 2021. The report ranks Cincinnati at No. 10 for large cities and at No. 37 overall. In addition, WalletHub…
Gov. DeWine Says Ohio on Track for All Adults to Be Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine by May 1
President Joe Biden is directing states to make all adults eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine by May 1, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said over the weekend the state is on track to do that or better. Biden’s COVID-19 advisers are projecting that enough Americans in priority groups will be able to access the vaccine by the…
Here’s How to Make Healthy ‘Girl Scout Cookies’ That Are Actually Delicious
March 12 is National Girl Scout Day — a time to reflect and, yes, a time to celebrate the almighty Girl Scout Cookie. The Girl Scouts first began in 1912 under the leadership of Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low, who was from Savannah, Georgia. It was a time when women in the United States didn’t even have the…
Meet the COVID-19 ‘Vaccine Hunters’ Snagging Doses for Older Ohioans
Despite her advanced degrees and self-professed tech savviness, Dr. Joanne Hilden, a retired pediatric oncologist, couldn’t pin down an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine she was eligible for. It was like trying to find concert tickets, she said. One site after another, Hilden, 64, would leave her name and information on a list she knew…
Dayton, Kentucky’s Purple Poulet Moving to Newport This Summer
Purple Poulet has become a local gem for its Southern fried chicken and expansive bourbon selection. And since opening its doors on Dayton, Kentucky's main street in 2016, the eatery has developed a rather devoted following, as well as praise from a national publication. But after the spacial limitations solidified by the coronavirus pandemic, the eatery announced…
We’re Safe, Ohio: Geraldo Rivera Won’t Run for Senate After All
Thinking sure can be tiring, especially when you're under public scrutiny. But when you tweet that you're thinking about running for Senate, as Geraldo Rivera did earlier this week, you kind of bring it upon yourself. The mustachioed right-wing TV and radio personality had announced on social media Wednesday that he was "pondering" running for…
It’s Been a Year, and We’re Still Not Sick of Our COVID-Era Gardening Habit
It's been one year since the coronavirus pandemic began dramatically altering lives in America and around the world. We know the story from there; we’ve all been through it together. Surges arose in COVID-19 cases, substance use, depression and anxiety amid restrictions. There’s no denying 2020 was a grim year. But there was also some good among the bad,…
Cincinnati’s BonBonerie Bakery Offers Adorable Build-Your-Own Edible Chicken Coops for Easter
Spring is almost here, which means Easter is right around the corner. And this year, you can consider ditching the egg-dying activities to pick-up a fun new tradition. O'Bryonville's BonBonerie Bakery has introduced a DIY edible spring chicken coop kit that can serve as a great homemade centerpiece for your holiday table setting (and a…
Downtown’s 21c Rooftop Cocktail Terrace is Opening for the Season — with a New Raw Bar
The Cocktail Terrace at downtown's 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati is slated to open 5 p.m. Thursday, April 15. Head down Gano Alley to find the discreet door to gain access to this hip outdoor rooftop drinking destination, which can be accessed via an elevator ride up to the 11th floor of the hotel. The Cocktail…
Dropkick Murphys Hosting ‘St. Patrick’s Day Stream 2021…Still Locked Down’ Concert
A terrific Irish Punk band that always draws big, rowdy crowds when it plays here in Cincinnati, Dropkick Murphys will not be celebrating St. Patrick's Day with an in-person concert for the second year in a row. Instead, the band will offer "St. Patrick's Day Stream 2021… Still Locked Down." The stream will be free,…
Ekoostik Hookah Celebrating 30th Anniversary with Two-Day, Socially Distanced Outdoor Ohio Concert
Formed in 1991, the Ohio-based jam band ekoostik hookah has hosted more than 50 iterations of Hookahville, a biannual festival usually held over Memorial and Labor Day weekends. Over the decades, the festival has featured national acts such as Ratdog, Gov't Mule, Umphrey's McGee, Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, Blues Traveler, and countless others. The…
Kentucky to Begin New COVID-19 Vaccination Phase March 15
Kentucky plans to move into its next COVID-19 vaccination phase next week. In an email, Steven Stack, M.D., commissioner of the Kentucky Department for Public Health, says that phase 1-C will begin March 15. Kentuckians eligible to receive the vaccine in this phase must be age 60 or older. This phase also includes all essential…
Art For All: CampSITE Sculpture Park is Camp Washington’s Crowd-Sourced Hub for Art
What started as a pet project by Camp Washington resident and artist Sean Mullaney became a full community effort to showcase public art while simultaneously activating a once-vacant space. Mullaney, a designer and inventor, was using his property, an empty lot that used to hold two now-demolished buildings, to showcase his own outdoor sculpture works.…
17 Ways To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Cincinnati in 2021
Cincinnati may have a strong German heritage, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as vehemently as we do Oktoberfest. St. Patrick’s Day 2020 was sullied by the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, but 2021 is looking up with a solid list of ways to celebrate. We rounded up 17 of…
Lord Help Us, Geraldo Rivera Might Want to Become Ohio’s Next Senator
Mustachioed right-wing TV and radio personality Geraldo Rivera announced on social media Wednesday that he was "pondering" running for the U.S. Senate seat in Ohio to be vacated by Rob Portman next year. Cleveland.com confirmed the seriousness of Rivera's intentions in a follow-up interview. Rivera compared his politics to former St. Ignatius High School wide receiver…
Abortion Disposal Law Creates ‘Impossible Situation,’ Women’s Health Clinics Say
A bill signed into law mere months ago regarding the disposal of surgical abortion tissue is being challenged in court, with women’s health clinics saying the bill creates “an impossible situation” for them. The complaint, filed in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas by the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, women’s health clinics across the state…
Ohio Lawmaker to Retiring Anti-Vaccine Leader: ‘You Are Wonderful, Don’t Leave!’
An Ohio House Republican lamented the retirement of an anti-vaccine activist Wednesday amid the largest vaccination effort in U.S. history. Michelle Cotterman — president of Health Freedom Ohio — recently said she will be stepping down from the helm of the organization. Rep. Diane Grendell, R-Geauga, responded to Cotterman’s Facebook post sharing the news. “I think you…
PETA Offering Reward for Information on Horrifically Abused Cat in Fairmount
Cincinnati, you’ve really got to stop hurting animals. PETA is offering up to $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person who abused the hell out of a grey-and-white two-year-old cat in Fairmount. Warning: The abuses described below are horrific, so you may want to stop reading now. Here’s what…
Lucy the Bearcat, Former University of Cincinnati Mascot, Dies After Battle with Cancer
Lucy the bearcat, the University of Cincinnati's longtime and beloved living mascot, was euthanized at the Cincinnati Zoo on Wednesday after a yearlong battle with cancer. The zoo says the decision was hard, but humane. Michelle Curley, the zoo's communications director, shared a message sent to members: Lucy was well known to Zoo visitors and…
Fling Some Paint at Over-the-Rhine’s New Splatter Room
As restaurants, movie theaters and bars open with fewer restrictions, many Cincinnatians may be looking for their next night out. A dinner-for-two or a bucket of popcorn with a movie is always a solid idea, but you might want something more unique. The Splatter Room opened on Feb. 26 in Over-the-Rhine as the perfect “different”…
Narcan, Condoms and PPE Available In New Northside Vending Machine
Greater Cincinnati HIV/AIDs service organization Caracole has installed a novel vending machine at its Northside headquarters. But it doesn’t dispense snacks. The new “harm reduction supply machine” instead delivers health and safety supplies to “help reduce the transmission of infectious diseases, including HIV and hepatitis C, prevent overdoses and promote long-term recovery,” says the nonprofit.…
Covington Mayor, Board of Commissioners Pen Scathing Op-Ed About Anticipated Brent Spence Bridge Plans
The Covington mayor and the city’s Board of Commissioners are not happy with plans for the Brent Spence Bridge. In a scathing op-ed posted to the city’s website on March 10, the governing body says that current expansion and improvement plans for the bridge are full of “fatal flaws.” “Times and circumstances have changed in the…
World Wildlife Fund Lauds Cincinnati’s Climate Change, Sustainability Efforts
Cincinnati’s plans to tackle climate change and advance environmental justice are getting noticed. The World Wildlife Fund, an international conservation organization, recently took an in-depth look at Cincinnati’s environmental efforts, noting that midsize cities like Cincinnati are leading sustainable innovation because they most feel the ripple effects from climate change. And as the coronavirus pandemic…
Downtown’s Tokyo Kitty to Reopen This Spring After Months-Long Hiatus
Downtown's "Lost in Translation"-inspired karaoke bar Tokyo Kitty has announced their plans to reopen after a months-long hiatus. From local hospitality group Gorilla Cinema Presents — the team behind Video Archive, Overlook Lodge and La Ofrenda, the bar is slated to open this April and will limit their offering to their 7 private rooms to…
Pata Roja Taqueria Finds Permanent Home Through Partnership with Pendleton’s Bar Saeso
If you enjoy washing down your tacos with some boozy beverages, your taste buds will be set up for success at Pata Roja Taqueria's new permanent home. The taco spot has partnered with owners of Pendleton's new Bar Saeso to bring Mexican-style street tacos to the bar's patio. The new team had its first run…
Fare Changes Coming to Cincinnati Metro Beginning April 4
Changes are coming to Cincinnati Metro in April that could save some riders some dough while making others pay slightly more than they are now. Metro’s fare simplification plan goes into effect April 4 and will streamline the current zone-based fare structure, Metro officials say in email updates. The current fare structure is based on…
Drive-Thru Ice Sculpture World Coming to Warren County Fairgrounds This Month
The weather is warming up but that doesn't mean you can’t catch the last bit of winter wonder. The Ice Sculpting Masters Drive-Thru Ice World is coming to the Warren County Fairgrounds from Thursday, March 18 through Saturday, March 20. The event, presented by Columbus-based ice sculpting company Rock On Ice and the Warren County Fairgrounds, will incorporate…
Ohio Bill Removing Duty to Tell Cops About Concealed Weapons Advances
Republicans on a state House committee passed legislation Tuesday removing a requirement for licensed Ohioans to notify police that they’re carrying a concealed handgun or have one in the vehicle. Under House Bill 89, the CCW (concealed carry) licensees would only need to inform police about a weapon if the officer in question asks. Only…
Congress Clears Massive $1.9T Emergency Relief Package for Biden’s Signature
A sweeping $1.9 trillion coronavirus stimulus package is headed to President Joe Biden’s desk after the U.S. House passed the latest pandemic relief measure Wednesday on a party-line vote. Ohio state and local government is slated to receive about $11.2 billion from the package. The massive bill also includes a new round of $1,400 direct…
Experts Say COVID-19 Has Exacerbated a Troubling U.S. Health Trend: Premature Deaths
There is no good time for a pandemic, but COVID-19 hit the United States as a public health crisis was well under way. The novel coronavirus has exacerbated already rising death rates among Americans in the prime of their lives, a new report concludes. Especially hard-hit are racial minorities and people of all races with…
Two Cincinnati-Based CEOs Nab Honors from ‘Nation’s Restaurant News’
Two Cincinnati-based dining chains are getting national attention, but this time, it’s not just for their food. Executives from Frisch’s Big Boy and GSR Brands — the parent company for Gold Star Chili and Tom & Chee — are among the most influential restaurant CEOs in the country for 2021, according to readers of Nation’s…
Ohio-Sponsored COVID-19 Vaccine Pop-Up Clinic Opens March 18-20
Cincinnati’s state-sponsored pop-up vaccination clinic will open at Cintas Center on March 18, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says in a news release. Approximately 25,000 Pfizer vaccines will be available at the pop-up clinic to Ohio residents who are eligible for vaccination according to the state’s phased plan. As DeWine announced on Monday, Ohio will move…
Reds Single-Game Tickets Go on Sale Beginning March 15
The sun is showing its face more and more, which means Cincinnati Reds baseball is right around the corner. Reds fans will have several chances to nab tickets for the Reds’ 2021 season over the coming days, beginning March 15, when season ticket members can begin purchasing single games during a pre-sale. Fans with ticket…
Is This Masked Singer Really Just Cincinnati Native Nick Lachey in a Piglet Costume?
Although The Masked Singer Season 5 has not yet premiered, Cincinnatians already have their guesses as to who is in the Piglet costume, and they have some pretty convincing evidence. The new season kicks off at 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 10 on Fox. New contestants like the Porcupine, Russian dolls, and Chameleon — just to…
Hamilton County Launches New Website for COVID-19 Relief
As the nation marks a year of hardship from the coronavirus pandemic, Hamilton County has launched a new website meant to get COVID-19 relief into the hands of area residents. The county’s Board of Commissioners launched 513Relief.org on March 10 as a way to gather multiple relief efforts from around the area into one place,…
Bill to Let Ohio Legislators Strike Down Health Orders Advances to House Floor
With vaccinations ramping up and Ohio’s governor having announced the metrics for dropping all public health orders, Republicans in the Statehouse are still advancing legislation meant to target the executive branch’s pandemic authority. A bill to give lawmakers the power to strike down health orders they disagree with advanced Tuesday to the House chamber, where…
Cincinnati Continues Bid Process for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Cincinnati is one step closer in its quest to host at least one match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. On Tuesday, city officials pitched FIFA, the governing body for international soccer, on Cincinnati’s potential as a host city for one or more World Cup matches, primarily in the Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium. The Queen…
Cincinnati Cyclones Hockey Will Return This Fall After Sitting Out 2020-2021 Season
It looks like the Queen City is ready to twist — and enjoy dollar beers — again. The Cincinnati Cyclones announced Tuesday that the hockey team plans to return to the ice in October for the 2021-2022 season. The Cyclones will host its first home game of the season on October 30 against the Indy (Indianapolis)…
Drop Off Your Used Electronics During This Spring’s Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Events
If you are doing some spring cleaning and realize there’s a surplus of hardware and electronics cluttering up your home, consider stopping by one of the Cincinnati Recycling and Reuse Hub’s newly announced electronics recycling events this spring. The electronics recycling drive-thru drop-off days are on Saturdays, April 10, April 24, May 15, and May…
Northside’s Dojo Gelato Announces Season Opening Date
Spring is on its way, which means we're very close to ice-cream-munchin-on-patios season (aka the best season), which includes Northside's hotspot for sweet frosty treats, Dojo Gelato. The gelato shop has announced its opening date for the season, which you can look forward to on Thursday, April 1. The creamery has confirmed via its event…
Forbes Pushes Cincinnati as a Top Destination for 2021
People all over America are looking for a break from quarantine life, so Forbes is encouraging folks to find theirs in Cincinnati. The media company includes Cincinnati on its list of top three COVID-safe road trip destinations for 2021. Highlighting that more Americans are interested in driving instead of flying right now, Forbes is looking…
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden to Host 2021 Native Plant Sale at Mason’s Bowyer Farm
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and Klosterman Baking Company have partnered up once again to bring back the popular Native Plant Sales, this year with an expanded schedule. Beginning on April 24, events will be held 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on 10 dates at Bowyer Farm in Mason. These events will run through October. Similar…
43rd-Annual Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance Returns to Ault Park for 2021
The Cincinnati Concours d’Elegance returns this year, after cancelling its 43rd-annual event in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Concours d'Elegance will be held from June 12-13 at Ault Park, with a theme of “An Exhibition of Motorsports Excellence.” The gathering will feature racing-themed events in addition to showcasing thirteen classes of “classic, vintage and exotic automobiles and…
DeWine Defends Mask Mandate as Ohio Adds More Eligibility to Vaccine Rollout, Loosens Other Restrictions
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine continues to buck his GOP brethren when it comes to mandating the wearing of masks to curb the spread of COVID-19. On ABC’s news show “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” DeWine defended Ohio’s continued mask mandate when host Martha Raddatz asked him about Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently lifting all restrictions.…
COVID-19 Vaccine Available to Age 50+ This Week, but Some Ohioans Still Reluctant
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday announced that he was again expanding eligibility for the coronavirus vaccine as more and more doses flow into the state. Starting Thursday, Ohioans over 50, those with type 2 diabetes and those with end-stage renal problems will be able to get one of the three vaccines so far approved…
Cincinnati Music Festival Postpones for the Second Year, Reschedules for 2022
The Cincinnati Music Festival, presented by P&G, has been rescheduled for the second year in a row due to ongoing concerns about mass gatherings due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In February of 2020, organizers announced that Janet Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Biz Markie and others would hit the stage that July. But in May, the…
Kentucky Community Groups Push Back on Energy Rate Hikes
Community groups are banding together to push back against increasingly frequent rate hikes proposed by Kentucky utility companies. Each year, the Kentucky Public Service Commission receives hundreds of applications to change rates and services. Josh Bills, commercial energy specialist for the Mountain Association, said most of the cases go unchallenged. He pointed out last fall, Kentucky Power asked for…
‘West End Stories’ Podcast Preserves Memories from Former, Current Neighborhood Residents
To help keep readers plugged into Cincinnati life even as we continue to physically distance from each other due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, CityBeat is highlighting a series of local podcasts and their creators every week. Read the first installment here. The Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library recently launched its West End Stories Project,…
Here’s How You Can Help Track the Billions (Yes, Billions) of Cicadas Coming to Greater Cincinnati
Following a 17-year residency underground, billions (yes billions, not a typo) of cicadas soon are due to emerge throughout the Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and Southern Indiana regions, and local scientists are asking the public to help track them with a brand new app. The class of periodical cicadas, “Brood X,” will begin emerging in…
Fully Vaccinated People Can Now Rage Indoors Together Without Masks, CDC Says
Scream, swap spit, and unmask your deepest desires, because the time has come for fully vaccinated folks to be able to hold and attend indoor gatherings with fellow fully vaxxed people without masks. That's right — fully vaccinated people (meaning people who have waited two weeks after having received both doses of the Pfizer or…
Over-the-Rhine’s Revolution Rotisserie to Close, New Concept Coming Soon
Revolution Rotisserie has permanently closed its eatery in Over-the-Rhine, but the store owner promises a new concept will open in the space following renovations. Revolution Rotisserie’s location in Pleasant Ridge will also remain open. The OTR store’s closure is due to the several challenges that the team has dealt with this year, according to a…
32 Cincinnati Restaurants Share $160,000 from DoorDash Grant Program
Thirty-two Cincinnati restaurants will share $160,000 in grants from DoorDash. As part of the second round of its Main Street Strong grant program, the delivery giant will provide 32 local restaurants with $5,000 each as relief for hardships they've endured throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to DoorDash representatives, the funding can be used to cover…
Cincinnati Reds Fans Are No. 3 Booziest in the Country, Survey Finds
We Cincinnati Reds fans have some experience in drowning our sorrows. And now a new survey about the drinking habits of MLB fanbases seems to confirm it. A recent survey from NJ Online Gambling, an offshoot of gaming media group Better Collective, shows that Reds fans are No. 3 in the country for boozing it…
Cincinnati to Get New COVID-19 Mass-Vaccination Site and Pop-Up Clinic, DeWine Says
Ohioans may be able to get their COVID-19 vaccines a lot sooner than anticipated. During a March 5 briefing, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said that 15 mass vaccination sites — including one in Cincinnati — will open later this month around the state. The new clinics would be able to administer 300-3,000 vaccines per day,…
Anderson High School Unveils New ‘Raptors’ Mascot, Branding
Cincinnati, meet the Anderson High School Raptors. The Forest Hills School District Board of Education announced the school’s new mascot Friday, following months of brainstorming and voting on the name. The new mascot is an orange-red velociraptor bearing pointy white teeth and claws. Secondary logos include a close-up of a menacing dinosaur eye and an…
Ohio House GOP Again Seeks to Weaken Prevailing Wage Law
Twelve House Republicans reignited efforts to rollback Ohio’s prevailing wage law, which requires governments to pay union-scale wages on most construction projects. The lead sponsors, GOP Reps. Craig Riedel and Susan Manchester, presented legislation to a House committee Wednesday that would allow various government entities to opt out from the requirements of Ohio’s prevailing wage law. It also…
Ohio’s Infrastructure Gets a C- from Engineering Group
Ohio’s infrastructure could use a little help, engineers say. In the 2021 edition of the “Report Card for America’s Infrastructure,” the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) gives Ohio an overall grade of C-. As of 2017, the national average grade is D+. For the report, member engineers in the Buckeye State grade Ohio’s infrastructure…
Cincinnati’s Fountain Square Is a Top Public Square for 2021, USA Today Readers Declare
USA Today readers must be spending a lot of time in Cincinnati, because yet another local institution has received an honor from the newspaper. “10 Best,” USA Today’s travel information hub that frequently relies on reader input, puts Cincinnati’s Fountain Square among the country’s top ten public squares for 2021. Readers voted for Fountain Square…
Mitch McConnell Pushes Legislation to Strip Power from Gov. Andy Beshear in Kentucky
One way or another, Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell may be gearing up to exit political life soon. But if he does, he’ll likely burn down a few more norms first, reports say. According to a March 4 story from the Intercept, the Senator has been pushing Senate Bill 228 to the Kentucky General Assembly. The…
Covington-Based Brewery Braxton Introduces VIVE Hard Seltzer Punches
Covington-based Braxton Brewing Co. knows its bubbly beverages. Of course, the company is well-equipped with a wide range of beers, and back in March of 2019, the brand branched out into its line of boozy seltzers "VIVE," which have been a major hit around the area and beyond. And as we approach springtime, the brewery has taken…
Cincinnati Organizations and Artists Receive $150K from National Endowment for the Arts
Almost 30 Ohio arts organizations — including six in Greater Cincinnati — have received federal funding from the National Endowment for the Arts’ Grants for Arts Projects program. Three Ohio poets have also received Creative Writing Fellowships, according to a media release from the Ohio Arts Council. The awards for Ohio organizations totaled $650,000, with…
Black Ohioans Are 13% of State Population, but 5.6% of the Vaccine Recipients
Of more than 1.8 million Ohioans who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose, only 5.6% went to Black Ohioans, who comprise about 13% of the population. The inequity is the latest example of disparate health outcomes in the state and nation along racial lines. The math is slightly worse among the nearly 1…
State Testing Bill Passes Committee Without Stopping Exams This Year
Update 3/4/21 – The Ohio House passed the state testing bill on Thursday with nearly unanimous support, despite several attempts to amend the bill. The bill will go to the Senate for review without an emergency clause, which would have waived the requirement that a 90-day waiting period occur after the governor signs the bill. According…
Amelia’s Starlite Drive-In Movie Theater to Reopen Later This Month
Although COVID-19 cases are on the decline in Cincinnati and around the state, some entertainment options are still riskier than others. Luckily, you can still enjoy a night out to the movies from the comfort of your uncontaminated car. In a recent Facebook post, Starlite Drive-In in Amelia shares that it will re-open March 19…
DeWine Says When Ohio Maintains 50 Covid Cases Per 100,000, Health Orders Will Be Revoked
On the one-year anniversary of Ohio's war with the novel coronaviurs, Gov. Mike DeWine appeared for a statewide press conference and implored Ohioans to continue wearing masks and to get the vaccine as soon as they are able to do so. Alternating between wartime and distance running analogies, DeWine said that victory was just around…
Here’s When Greater Cincinnati Creamy Whips are Opening for the 2021 Season
Some creamy whips have already opened their windows for the 2021 season and even more are coming soon. That means warmer weather, little league games and balmy evening ice cream runs can't be too far off… right? Here are the opening dates for Greater Cincinnati creamy whips that we know of so far: March 5:…
FC Cincinnati Announces Preseason Matches, Prepares for In-Person Fans
FC Cincinnati’s regular season hasn’t been cemented yet, but in the meantime, the team’s just-announced preseason match-ups should give soccer fans something to cheer about. Cincinnati’s Major League Soccer team released its 2021 preseason schedule on March 3, noting that additional opponents may be added. FC Cincinnati has four preseason matches scheduled at the moment.…
Platform Beer Closing All Locations — Including Cincinnati — for Six Days After Columbus Employees Stage Walkout
Platform Beer Co. announced today that all of its locations will be closed through next Tuesday, March 9, in order to give employees a "well-deserved rest." Platform runs LOCOBA in Cincinnati's Over-The-Rhine neighborhood in addition to spaces in Cleveland and Columbus. The announcement comes the week after the entire six-person staff of the brewery's Columbus taproom…
Standard Beer Shop Brings Unique Craft Brews and Bottles to Over-the-Rhine
Brett Gage, owner and sole employee of Standard Beer in OTR, opened his business roughly one year ago on Feb. 24, 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic began sweeping across the nation. Standard, a craft beer and wine bottle shop and taproom, offers a curated selection of craft beer on a local, national and international…
Board of Elections Certifies Six — Potentially Eight — Candidates in Cincinnati’s Mayoral Race
The Hamilton County Board of Elections has certified petitions for six candidates who hope to become Cincinnati’s next mayor. The BOE met Tuesday to certify the candidates’ petitions and valid signatures that are required to appear on the ballot. The six candidates are startup founder Gavi Begtrup, Cincinnati City Council member David Mann, educator Herman…
Crzy Monk Temporarily Closes Due to Court Street Redevelopment, Needs Your Help
The financial strain of the coronavirus pandemic is a difficult enough setback for small business owners to survive until a hint of normalcy returns. But throw in road closures for redevelopment construction, and you have a recipe for frustration. Downtown's Crzy Monk, a health-inspired Asian eatery from the team behind Lalo (which recently relocated to…
Hell Freezes over as Tucker Carlson Says Something Not-Awful about Cincinnati, Democrats
FOX News opinion-show host Tucker Carlson isn’t known for agreeing with guests who hail from the political party that his network seems to abhor. But it happened March 1 when attorney and Cincinnati native David Tafuri, who is a Democrat, brought up the Queen City after a discussion about foreign policy on Carlson's show "Tucker…
Ohio Groups Are Spreading the Word That Federal Insurance Marketplace Is Open
Health-care groups throughout the Buckeye State are spreading the word about an unexpected opportunity to sign up for coverage on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace. An extra time period for enrollment was added by the Biden administration. HealthSource of Ohio is offering free enrollment assistance to Ohioans in eight counties, including two in Appalachia. Becky McMullen,…
Should Kentucky Kids 12 and Under Be Brought Before a Judge?
Kentucky kids as young as five or six can legally end up in juvenile court because the state currently lacks a minimum age threshold, but new legislation would ban kids 12 and younger from being tried before a judge and prioritize community-based, age-appropriate solutions. More than 2,000 children younger than 10 were arrested in 2019…
Local Leaders Look Forward to New COVID-19 Relief Bill, While Ohio Officials Ask for Changes
Ohio treasurers and local mayors said the new COVID-19 relief bill is vital for addressing immediate needs, making the path to recovery easier for some of the state’s biggest employers. State officials, however, say the funding puts the state at a disadvantage. In a call that included U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, officials from Lucas County,…
10 Ways to Celebrate Women’s History Month in Cincinnati
During March, which is nationally designated as Women's History Month, the lives and contributions of women from the past are honored as female-led discussions persist on gender equality, economic equity and intersectionality. These ten local events—held in-person or virtually—will examine Cincinnati’s local female-driven history as well as discuss present circumstances surrounding the area. Cincinnati Art…
Northern Kentucky Cities Install Floodgates as Ohio River Continues to Rise
Covington and other Kentucky cities are gearing up for the aftermath of a weekend full of rain and floods. Because the Ohio River is covering portions of Riverside Drive and approaching Madison Avenue, officials in Covington are enacting the first steps in the city’s flood response plan by closing the sluice gates at Willow Run…
Ohio Vaccine Numbers Are Going Up, but Prisoners Still Aren’t Getting Them
Ohio is seeing another big jump in the number of doses of coronavirus vaccine coming into the state. That’s allowing another large group to become eligible to receive it. However, one group — the incarcerated — won’t be. Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday announced that 96,000 doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine…
Enjoy Your Pancakes With a Side of Wild During Breakfast at the Cincinnati Zoo
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens will host socially distanced breakfasts alongside some of your favorite zoo animals. Running from April through August, Breakfast with the Animals, which is sponsored by Nutella, allows guests to watch the animals throughout the zoo wake up. The catered breakfast, which takes place on the African deck overlooking the…
Judge Denies Sittenfeld’s Motion to Dismiss Indictment Charges
The corruption charges against former Cincinnati City Council member P.G. Sittenfeld will stand, a judge says. In a 43-page ruling released March 2, U.S. District Court Judge Douglas R. Cole denies a motion filed by Sittenfeld’s attorneys in December to dismiss bribery and corruption charges from his federal indictment. FBI agents arrested Sittenfeld at his…
Smale Riverfront Park Is a Top River Walk, USA Today Readers Say
Cincinnati has one of the best river walks in the nation, according to USA Today readers. “10 Best,” USA Today’s travel information hub that frequently relies on reader input, puts Cincinnati’s Smale Riverfront Park among the country’s top ten for 2021. Readers voted for Smale and 19 other nominees in February after a panel of…
Cincinnati’s Hello Honey Ice Cream Shop to Open East Walnut Hills Location
Hello Honey has been serving up homemade, small-batch ice cream in the heart of Downtown Cincinnati since it opened in 2012. Now, almost nine years after opening its first location, Hello Honey will be expanding to East Walnut Hills this spring. Brian Nicely and his wife Nitima Nicely began making ice cream in their home…
Here’s How to Help the Flooded Kentucky Communities Near Red River Gorge
An effort to help those affected by recent flooding already is nearing its goal after just two days. Kentucky is experiencing significant flooding after heavy rains hit the entire commonwealth over the weekend, including in the area's beloved Red River Gorge. In response, Lila Simpson created a GoFundMe page to help raise money for those in need of…
Ohio Is No. 3 for Positive COVID-19 Cases at Colleges & Universities, New York Times Finds
Colleges and universities in Ohio haven’t fared so well at evading the coronavirus. In data collected by the New York Times and last updated Feb. 26, there have been 24,940 positive COVID-19 cases reported at 62 higher-ed schools in the Buckeye State over the course of the pandemic. That makes Ohio the state with the…
Ohio Bill Targets ‘Doctor Daddy’ Crimes in Sperm Donations, In-Vitro Pregnancies
A new bill seeks to fill a gap in Ohio law and targets physicians who use their own sperm donations rather than those chosen by the women being impregnated. State Rep. Jena Powell, R-Arcanum, introduced the legislation Thursday in the House Criminal Justice Committee, to address what she says is an “alarming number” of national…
Fairfax’s Karrikin Spirits Company Celebrates Comeback with IPA Release and Food Truck
Fairfax's Karrikin Spirits Company is gearing up to reopen its doors "on a more regular basis" by teaming up with the Django Western Taco food truck for a new product release. The new seasonal IPA, Amarillo By Morning, launches on Saturday, March 6 with a special event. The Southwestern-inspired IPA is a mix of “slight…
Metropole’s New ‘Feast’ Offerings Bring the Dining Experience into Cincinnati Homes
Metropole's executive chef Vanessa Miller is introducing a new program, Feast by Metropole, to bring innovative dining experiences to the home, or wherever you may be. The program encompasses several initiatives, including cooking classes called “Needs More Salt.” These classes will cover everything from how to cook risotto to how to perfectly sear a steak. The…
Cincinnati’s Kings Island to Host Virtual Hiring Event for 2021 Season
Kings Island is hosting a virtual event on National Hiring Day, March 13, with plans to hire more than 4,000 employees for the upcoming 2021 season. In 2021, the Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, the owner of Kings Island, anticipates hiring approximately 45,000 seasonal associates across all properties, the company says in a press release. Jobs…
10 Ways to Celebrate Cincinnati’s 29th-Annual Bockfest This Weekend
For the past 28 years, Bockfest has been a weekend-long party celebrating the coming of spring, bock beer and OTR’s brewing heritage. This year, the 29th-annual celebration will look a little different thanks to coronavirus protocols, but its foundation of bock beer from Cincinnati breweries and bockwurst from local butchers and a scattering of live…
Cincinnati International Wine Fest Goes Virtual This Spring With At-Home Wine Kits
As with most local fests slated to take place during pandemic times, Cincinnati’s International Wine Festival will look a little different this year. But fear not, Vino lovers, there are still plenty of ways to get sippin’. The in-person event is postponed until October 1 and 2 at the Duke Energy Convention Center, but organizers…
Brent Spence Bridge Closes Lanes, Ramps, Cementing Reputation as Worst Bridge Ever
The bad news: the Brent Spence Bridge has closed half its lanes for maintenance for most of the year. The good news… well, there really isn’t any. Several lanes and ramps on the bridge, which the American Transportation Research Institute recently named the No. 2 bottleneck for freight trucks in the entire nation, closed Monday…
Health Organizations Backed Ohio’s Pandemic Response, Then Funded Politicians Working to Undermine It
As Ohio lawmakers considered a bill last November to allow themselves to strike down public health orders, a handful of organizations banded together to state their unequivocal opposition. “Now is not the time to let up. The public health crisis is not over,” the organizations told lawmakers. This disagreement in a matter of life and…
Kentucky, Ohio Governors Loosen COVID-19 Restrictions, Increase Capacity at Businesses, Sports Venues
Businesses and sports venues in Kentucky and Ohio could be filled with more money-spending bodies soon, officials say — as long as coronavirus-prevention protocols remain in place. In recent briefings, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine highlight plans for residents to tiptoe back into “normal” life, thanks to sustained downward trends for COVID-19…
‘When Pigs Fly’ Podcast Dives into the Past, Present and Future of Cincinnati Business Culture
With COVID-19 guidelines promoting social distancing and staying indoors, some may feel distant and disconnected from Cincinnati's vibrant life and culture. That's why some local podcasts—both brand new and well-seasoned—are trying to capture different facets of the city to bring comfort to its citizens. Cincinnati is home to a variety of podcasts that give insight into…
Here’s What You Need to Know About Johnson & Johnson’s One-Shot COVID-19 Vaccine
And then there were three: A single-shot vaccine is the latest weapon to join the battle against COVID-19 in the United States. On February 27, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine against SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. South Africa is the only other country to…
Lady Gaga’s Dog Walker Shares Statement, Hospital Photos After Being Shot
Ryan Fischer, the man who reportedly was shot while walking Lady Gaga’s dogs in Los Angeles last week, took to social media to make statements about the incident. On Monday, Fischer, who appears to have grown up in Cincinnati, shared two hospital photos on Instagram with long captions that combine for a detailed statement. Through…
A Cincinnati Flavor Bonanza: Graeter’s and Braxton Brewing Take on Caramel Macchiato
Cincinnati-based Graeter’s Ice Cream paired with a handcrafted milk stout may just be the dessert combo we need to get us through 2021. Lucky for us, two local brands have joined to make this dream a reality. Graeter’s, now celebrating 151 years of handmade, small-batch ice cream, is collaborating with Braxton Brewing Co. on two…
Platform Beer’s Entire Columbus Taproom Staff Quits, Citing Safety Concerns
“The entire Platform Columbus crew has quit. The taproom is closed until further notice. Thank you!” That's what a sign posted on the front door of the Platform Beer Co. taproom in Columbus read on Saturday as the entire staff quit in a walkout. In a letter to owner Justin Carson that was shared on…
Ohio Food Bank Leader Says DeWine Can Do Better With State Funding
As state leaders balance complex funding needs in the state's next two-year budget, hunger-fighting groups argued there's nothing more basic than the need for food. Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said roughly a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, hunger is more widespread than it's been in decades. She explained one in…
Cincinnati-Based Fifth Third Bank Among World’s Most Ethical Companies in 2021, Report Finds
A Cincinnati-based corporation is one of the most ethical in the world, a new report finds. Ethisphere, which bills itself as a leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, includes Fifth Third Bank on its “World’s Most Ethical Companies” list for 2021. The annual list, which is unranked, features 135 companies…
‘Big Lebowski’-Themed Pub Crawl Will Take Over Bellevue This Weekend
After about a year of this pandemic crap, we've all become quite familiar with wearing our bathrobes as a casual fashion accessory. And during this weekend's (March 6) "Day of the Dude" Bellevue bar crawl, it's our time to shine. First and foremost: Masks and social distancing are required, the event page says, and each…
Report Finds that Cincinnati Traffic Sucks, Validates Our Feelings
It’s official — Greater Cincinnati is a traffic clusterfuck. Or, rather, it has one of the nation’s worst traffic clusterfucks. Actually, it has three of the nation’s worst traffic clusterfucks. Basically, Greater Cincinnati is one big clusterfuck. In its 2021 “Top 100 Truck Bottlenecks” report released last week, the American Transportation Research Institute finds that…
Ohio’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Laws Tied to Racial Inequities, Increase in Violent Crime, Researchers Say
Laws that expand the right to shoot to kill in perceived self-defense yield unequal consequences in the justice system depending on whether the person shot was white, according to research published Monday. So-called “stand your ground” laws, one of which was passed in Ohio last year, are also associated with a modest to robust increase…
U.S. House Passes Sprawling $1.9T COVID-19 Relief Bill, Including Billions for Ohio
The U.S. House on a nearly party-line vote passed President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package early Saturday, in a rush to both boost COVID-19 vaccine funding and get legislation to the president’s desk before unemployment benefits expire in mid-March. The package, dubbed the American Rescue Plan, passed 219-212. It includes a gradual increase in the…
Original Blue Ash Chili Restaurant Relocating Due to Redevelopment
The original Blue Ash Chili location will soon be a memory. But fear not, folks, you'll just have to travel down the road a bit to find it in its new home. After a half-a-decade in the historic space, the chili parlor, located at the corner of Kenwood and Cooper roads, has announced it will…
Russo Brothers’ “Cherry” Is Bad! Enjoy the Shots of Cleveland, Though
In the 2018 novel Cherry, a critically acclaimed bestselling debut by Nico Walker, the protagonist is a drug-addicted bank-robber. The fact that he is also the book's narrator doesn't preclude his portrayal as a really shitty guy: a skeezy, suburban Cleveland deadbeat. Misogynistic. Self-destructive. Stupid to an almost pious degree. Bad news all the way. What made…
