Foodie News You Can Use

Carmelo’s places second in Readers’ Choice Awards, Cincinnati named “overlooked” food city by Chowhound, Maya’s Bakes offers anniversary baking kits, and more.

Carmelo’s Places Second in Readers’ Choice Awards
Carmelo’s recently came in second in the “best new restaurant” category of USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, referring to the Covington restaurant as “an intimate and stylish dining venue focused on Italian American comfort cuisine.” The newspaper asked a panel of food and travel experts to nominate their 20 favorite new restaurants from the last year and a half, which included eateries from across the country. (See our Instagram account about Carmelo’s from October 2024.)

Cincinnati Called “Overlooked” Food City
Last week, Chowhound named the Queen City to its list of the “10 Of The Most Overlooked Food Cities in the U.S.” “As a native Ohioan, I’ll be the first to say that the Midwest can be…underwhelming when it comes to dining out,” says writer Allyson Morgan. “However, the Southern Ohio city of Cincinnati is proving the haters wrong.” Morgan goes on to mention the many accolades that chefs and restaurants have collected in recent years, including James Beard Awards nominations and inclusions on restaurant lists by national magazines.

Maya’s Bakes Offers Anniversary Baking Kits
To celebrate its seventh anniversary earlier this week, Maya’s Bakes began offering apple pie and cornbread baking kits. “Through all these years I’ve been in business, it’s always been to spread the joy of baking,” says Kemaya Molden, owner of Maya’s Bakes. “[The] kits are hassle free with step-by-step instructions and prepped ingredients to ensure a smooth and fun time in the kitchen.” The kits are $25 each and are available for pre-order through January 21 (with a fulfillment date of January 28).

Vegan Spot Closes Its Findlay Market Location This Month
Vegan breakfast/brunch spot Juniper Seed is closing its doors at 1809 Elm Street on Sunday, January 25. “We are so grateful for all the love shown by our community this year,” the restaurant said in a post on Instagram. “Please continue to support us as we head into our final weeks!” The OTR restaurant, which was selected for the Findlay Kitchen incubator program in 2023, mentioned plans for “expansion and reopening” this year.

Wayfarer Tavern Announces Pizza Collab Series
This week, Wayfarer Tavern announced that it’s hosting a limited-time-only pizza party collaboration series starting next month. From February 9 through March 22, customers can visit the Dayton, Kentucky, pizza joint for one-of-a-kind collabs* with the following restaurants:

• Week 1 (February 9–15): Galactic Fried Chicken
• Week 2 (February 16–22): Lang Thang Group – Lunar New Year collaboration
• Week 3 (February 23–March 1): Pata Roja
• Week 4 (March 2–8): Carmelo’s
• Week 5 (March 9–15): The Aperture
• Week 6 (March 16–22): The Pickled Pig

*Collabs only available for dine-in customers.