PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY ETXE
When David Matern and Heather Brady dined out during their journeys across the Basque region of Spain, they knew the food was something they needed others in the Queen City to experience, too.
“We regularly vacation abroad, and we kept finding ourselves drawn back to Spain, especially the Basque region,” Brady says. “The simplicity of the cuisine, the respect for ingredients, and the immense warmth and hospitality we experienced there made a deep impression on us.”
The cuisine was the impetus for their Spanish steakhouse culinary residency Etxe, which opened at The Aperture in Walnut Hills back in October. With Matern at the helm in the kitchen and Brady working her way through the dining room (she’s responsible for the guest experience and the steakhouse’s beverage program), the restaurant wowed diners from around the city.
The menu pairs tapas, and other dishes, with Spanish wines—the Ibérico Pluma (a grilled pork dish made from the shoulder of an Ibérico pig) and the creamy smoky burnt Basque cheesecake are clear standouts—for a dining experience that is unique to the region, deepening the flavor profiles of the city’s already stacked culinary scene.
“‘Etxe’ means ‘home’ in Basque, and our goal is to bring that feeling—that mix of comfort, generosity, and incredible flavor—to Cincinnati,” Brady explains. “We knew we didn’t want to pop up in multiple places. We wanted one space where guests could start to understand the soul, rhythm, and hospitality behind the concept. Walnut Hills has always inspired us, so exploring whether Etxe resonated in this neighborhood felt natural.”
While Jordan Anthony-Brown, the owner of The Aperture, recently announced that his restaurant would close its doors, with promises to come back in a different form in the future, it doesn’t mean the end of Etxe’s residency. If you weren’t lucky enough to snag a spot during its the first three months, you’re in luck. Starting this weekend, the steakhouse expands its service from two nights a week to four nights a week.
“Jordan is very generous and allowing us to use the space while he regroups in the new year,” Brady says. “While The Aperture takes this time to evolve, we’ll be here.”
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF ETXE
Matern and Brady initially approached Anthony-Brown with the idea after watching friends across the country launch similar residencies as a way to test ideas and build momentum for future brick-and-mortar plans.
“The model has always fascinated us,” Brady notes. “It creates a unique opportunity to ‘get your feet wet’ with a concept while minimizing risk, gathering authentic guest input, and fine-tuning the future of Etxe before any permanent walls go up.”
The pair will continue their residency with the goal of opening their own brick-and-mortar spot in the future. “We’ve been blown away by the support,” Brady says. “Seeing guests return three, four, even five times during the residency has meant more to us than any metric could. That kind of enthusiasm tells us the story we’re sharing is resonating.”
900 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, etxecincinnati.com
Check out this reel from our October 2025 visit to Etxe on the Cincinnati Magazine Instagram account.
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