Redirected: Best Restaurants 2012

1. Orchids at Palm Court

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:03:00 GMT

To know why Orchids is the best restaurant in Cincinnati, all you have to do is take a look at an amuse bouche served one evening last fall. A bite-sized hors d’oeuvre meant to stimulate the palate for the meal to come, this small gift can mean a minimal investment of time or quality in some restaurants. For Chef Todd Kelly—the American Culinary Federation’s 2011 Chef of The Year—it’s merely the first note of a culinary symphony. With it Kelly commands your attention, then introduces dishes orchestrated with both intimacy and a highly developed sense of the dramatic. Delivered expeditiously by classically vested and well-postured staff in the gilded splendor of the Palm Court in the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza, Kelly’s menu is composed of pedigreed ingredients and preparations: lardo-crusted Niman ranch rib eye with périgourdine sauce (truffle, butter, beef stock, and Madeira); red snapper en papillote with apple tzatziki and Madras curry (the dish that helped Kelly snag the ACF title); roasted palmetto squab with butternut squash and pomegranates. Instinctively spontaneous and confident, his dishes never feel gratuitous or inaccessible. Together with pastry chef Megan Ketover (whose divine desserts were also recognized by the ACF with a regional title in 2009—not to mention a solid run on Top Chef: Just Desserts last year), Kelly grabs us by the senses and consigns us to foodtopia. Oh, and that amuse bouche? A pale, dainty eggshell filled with a sleek egg custard, lanced with a fat shaving of black truffle and a shard of crisp bacon. A small gift indeed, and one worthy of offering up to the gods.
35 W. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 421-9100, orchidsatpalmcourt.com

Photograph by Anna Knott
Originally published in the March 2012 issue.

2. Jean-Robert’s Table

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:04:00 GMT

Table looks, smells, and performs like the restaurants of my dreams. Handsome woods; simple crisp linens; not too cluttered but with touches of personal whimsy and vibrant art that provide it with a distinct personality. The essence of browned butter, lemon, and capers lingers in the air; the wine list is created by people who would rather drink than impress. A bistro that gets woven into our lives, a place to stop at almost any time of day for a glass of Messmer Riesling and a bowl of silken potato leek soup should it be all you want, served with the same virtuosic, unforced service as a bottle of Turley petite syrah and a rack of lamb. Where Executive Chef Jean-Robert de Cavel and Chef de Cuisine Robert Collins imbue dishes such as croque monsieur, sweetbreads seared in duck fat, quail confit, skate wing, and sole with the entire French countryside, and desserts from chef Mindy Ware strike a balance between elegance and comfort. A restaurant that is both a second home of sorts and a special occasion.
713 Vine St., downtown, (513) 621-4777, jrtable.com

Photograph by Anna Knott
Originally published in the March 2012 issue.

3. The Palace

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:04:00 GMT

“How often does trout look that sexy?” my dinner companion wonders aloud as he casts a rather prurient gaze at the Irish sea trout set before him. It is a beauty, its rosy flesh glistening with buttery saline juices atop magenta and gold roasted beets, a shapely starlet sunning herself on the beach and fully aware all eyes are on her. We would have coveted it more were it not for the giddy love-in we were having with our own main courses of Kentucky rib eye, slow-cooked lamb shank, and braised venison risotto, and still affectionately reminiscing about the first courses, which included an elegant lobster coconut bisque. All of this woozy lovefeast was created by the effortlessly talented Chef Jose Salazar, who won the Food & Wine People’s Choice Award in 2011 for Best New Chef in the Great Lakes Region. Pastry Chef Russ Wheeler joined The Palace team this past year and—like Salazar—turns out plate after memorable plate, including the best dessert of 2011: a Maytag Blue cheesecake that tasted as if the cheese itself had been lusting after the port marinated pears, vanilla thyme syrup, and hazelnut nougatine. We’re feeling a little flushed.
601 Vine St., downtown, (513) 381-3000, palacecincinnati.com

Originally published in the March 2012 issue.

4. Bouquet Restaurant and Wine Bar

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:05:00 GMT

Is there anything we love more than a great neighborhood bistro? A real bistro, one that can be counted on as much for its lack of frills and conceptual statements as for its relative modesty, excellent food, and straightforward delivery? This is the essence of Bouquet Restaurant & Wine Bar, the kind of place every neighborhood needs. Owner and Chef Stephen Williams features dishes that marry lusty peasant kitchen soul with farmstead chic, creating unexpected (rather than uncharted) distinction. Therefore: Do not miss the Caesar salad of crisp-tender green beans, fried capers, and oranges; the small plate of quinoa, heirloom mushrooms, and a perfectly poached egg with sherry cream; nor the gorgeous golden filet of flounder straddling a drift of edamame, fennel, and arugula. All resonate with a subtle confluence of flavor and texture. Also do not miss their award-winning wine list, which features affordable wines by the carafe, bottle, or glass. The cozy room is attended to by a warm, hip staff that are clearly devoted to Williams and his food. We are too.
519 Main St., Covington, (859) 491-7777, bouquetrestaurant.com

Originally published in the March 2012 issue.

5. Nicola’s

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:06:00 GMT

Willpower is usually what I need when dining at Nicola’s. Willpower to keep from devouring every one of the beautiful housemade rolls and flatbreads; to order only one of the half-dozen ethereal handmade pastas (Hmmm...veal agnolotti, cavatelli with rabbit ragout, or the carnaroli risotto?); to resist the urge for feverish tastings from every plate on the table. I struggle when faced with arugula, prosciutto, and parmigiano salad; an appetizer of pork belly with celery root, Swiss chard, and apples; or a main course of halibut with lemon gremolata and cannellini beans. After a trip to Tuscany last fall, I returned with enlightened respect for the quality of dining the Pietoso family consistently presents. While Chef de Cuisine Dan Stoltz—a five-year veteran of Nicola’s kitchen who replaced Joel Malloy in October—is still finding his edge, Manager Graham Haas has fine-tuned the service to add polish to the familial warmth. The one thing that does give me pause are the prices (main courses run $35 and up), making Nicola’s the definition of special occasion. But it’s still impossible for me to resist.
1420 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 721-6200, nicolasrestaurant.com

Photograph by Anna Knott
Originally published in the March 2012 issue.

6. Cumin

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:06:00 GMT

Maybe it’s his good-humored sense of play, or maybe it’s his cheekiness, but Chef Owen Maass’s menu inevitably has a couple of dishes that raise an eyebrow. Since he’s the sort of chef who doesn’t care if he rattles you a bit, that may mean a dusting of vegetable ash on a sashimi appetizer, “blow torch Mornay” to describe the sauce blanketing the croque madame on the brunch menu, or the server announcing that “the chef believes seared foie gras is best with breakfast food” to explain the pancakes, peanut butter, vinegar granola, and chocolate bacon jelly that accompany it. The first hit is a visual one—Maass’s art background drives him to style food brilliantly—but the second (and fourth, and last) hit is always rooted in flavor. At times it’s bold and raucous, at times it’s unpredictable, but always it’s celebratory—a rollicking declaration that he knows how to have fun, and thinks you should too. And you will.
3520 Erie Ave., East Hyde Park, (513) 871-8714, cuminrestaurant.com

Photograph by Anna Knott
Originally published in the March 2012 issue.

7. Senate

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:07:00 GMT

Phone message overheard being left by a man sitting next to me at Senate’s bar: “Yo bro, what up? I am in a restaurant in Cincinnati eating something called poutine. Fries, topped with short ribs, cheese curds, gravy, and an egg. It is man love bro...pure man love. Made me think about you. Miss you, bro.”

That is the best summary I’ve ever heard for the Canadian specialty that’s been rocking the Vine Street gastropub for the past year and a half, and a snapshot of Senate’s menu ethos: food with a bit of swagger and hip-lifting strut mixed with just enough warm and fuzzy to make you feel as if you are easing into a warm candlelit bath. Chef Dan Wright has never rested on the haute dogs that sounded his arrival to the local culinary scene, but consistently complements them with puckishly intelligent dishes like lobster BLT, a pork belly and Johnny cake sandwich, and a barely warm potato, bacon, and egg salad. Beer makes a big splash here—a $3 Hudy 14-K and $25 Goose Island bookend the three-dozen or so choices—and everything is served by a graciously attentive staff.
1212 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-2020, senatepub.com

Photograph by Anna Knott
Originally published in the March 2012 issue.

8. Hugo

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:07:00 GMT

If you look down at his feet, Hugo’s bar manager Brian Mulroy is nearly always wearing a pair of Chucks (as in Taylor, the iconic canvas basketball shoes made by Converse) that match the color of his shirt (reportedly, he owns two dozen pairs in different colors). This obsessive creativity lends him a bartending superhero quality that partners perfectly with Chef Sean Daly’s elegant and slightly bad-ass Low Country food. In fact, one evening as we relaxed in the lounge (no disrespect meant to Hugo’s capable dining room staff), I’ve never wanted a dish more than after hearing Mulroy quietly deliver the gospel of Daly’s deeply flavored, fork-tender braised short ribs. Blended with Israeli couscous, accompanied by tomato confit and a fried egg, and paired with a flawless Evan Williams Manhattan, its loverboy soulfulness set the course for texture-rich dishes flavored with the beauty and passion of the South: pork rillette, smoked salmon salad with egg mousseline, flat iron steak, and chicken with butter beans and bacon jam. Hugo is slated to move to new digs this spring, and while a move can be disruptive, I hope this one isn’t. Keep my seat at the bar warm—baby, we’re howlin’ for you.
3235 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 321-4846, hugo-restaurant.com

Originally published in the March 2012 issue.

9. Boca

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:08:00 GMT

With personalized symphonic service (raise your hand if you know what B.P.A., their service mantra acronym, stands for), rich pastas like squid ink tagliolini (I should be touting the lobster and scallops that partner with it, but honestly, I could eat those spiced bread crumbs off my arm) and lumache all’amatriciana (with house-cured guanciale), and a roster of enterprising chefs, Chef/Owner David Falk has sustained a velocity that’s rare in a business that demands it. Which is perhaps why they’ve slid down my list this year. Their renowned nonstop energy and ambition is focused on a new project; Boca and a new second restaurant will open later this year in the former Maisonette building. The result? A bit of a downshift and a few clumsy dishes. That’s what happens when you set the standard of “Blowing People Away” (see above). It’s difficult to accept anything less.
3200 Madison Rd., Oakley, (513) 542-2022, boca-restaurant.com

Photograph by Anna Knott
Originally published in the March 2012 issue.

10. Sichuan Bistro

By Donna Covrett — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 02:08:00 GMT

A modest setting and interior, yes. Fickle service, that too. Soon, you’ll barely notice. The pleasantly numbing huajiao—the keenly aromatic, citrusy peppercorn indigenous to China—is the star of this family run bistro. Combined with the heat of toasted red chile and the pungency of garlic, huajiao traverses the “Authentic Sichuan specialties menu” to deliver the seductive umami of mala (ma = numbing; la = spicy).It’s not a one-dimensional brow-mopping blowout, but a mesmerizing parade of dishes that vibrate with flavor, aroma, and texture. For the full yin/yang experience, begin with cold dishes of beef and tripe, mouth-watering chicken, or spinach with ginger sauce. Build the narcotic rhythm with fatty slices of twice-cooked Chinese bacon with leeks, the addictive, smoky dry-fried green beans freckled with pickled mustard green, or delicate heads of emerald baby bok choy laced in garlic. Finish with tender tea-smoked duck, volcanic water-boiled fish, or whole crispy tilapia served dry pot style (when available), and prepare to dissolve into a blissful delirium.
7888 Mason-Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 770-3123, sichuanbistro.com

Originally published in the March 2012 issue.