Orchids at Palm Court

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Orchids at Palm Court has been stunning diners since it opened in 1931. To enjoy dinner in its hallowed French Art Deco dining room is to keep one foot planted in Cincinnati’’s storied fine-dining past while sampling the very best of Todd Kelly’’s modern yet grandiose sensibility.

Orchids Chateaubriand: The official O.G. of couples’ cuisine, this center-cut, 28-ounce tenderloin steak is sliced and served tableside with potato mousseline, portobello mushrooms, asparagus, and bordelaise and béarnaise sauces.
Orchids Chateaubriand: The official O.G. of couples’ cuisine, this center-cut, 28-ounce tenderloin steak is sliced and served tableside with potato mousseline, portobello mushrooms, asparagus, and bordelaise and béarnaise sauces.

Photograph by Jeremy Kramer

Over and over again, Kelly nails au courant flavors (black garlic with sea scallops, concord grape with foie gras) while paying homage to luxe dishes of bygone eras —like lamb Wellington with a Maitake mushroom duxelle and Dijon peppercorn sauce, as well as the prototypical chateaubriand for two, with the tenderloin carved tableside on a classic gueridon cart. Expect such lavish touches as a delectable mignardise course of tiny butter cookies, fruit gelees, and chocolate truffles, not to mention unflappable service by individuals staunchly committed to their craft.

Todd Kelly's chanterelle mushroom strudel with spinach and sweet onions, sunchoke puree, and crispy chicken skin.
Todd Kelly’s chanterelle mushroom strudel with spinach and sweet onions, sunchoke puree, and crispy chicken skin.

Photograph by Jeremy Kramer

Orchids’’ ability to offer diners a culinary palimpsest of flavors and traditions— from a Gallic influenced poached lobster salad with caviar cream to a more Mexican-inspired sweet potato soup with cocoa nibs and jalapeños— in opulently gilded surroundings solidifies its standing as the special occasion restaurant, writ large.

g35 W. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 421-9100, orchidsatpalmcourt.com

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