PHOTOGRAPH BY CATHERINE VIOX
Around this time last year, Owner Austin Heidt partnered with Giovanni Ranieri to rebrand Dear Restaurant & Butchery, turning it into Al-Posto (which roughly translates to “at the spot”) in the same beautiful former bank on Hyde Park Square. While the Dear menu ran the gamut from refined American comfort food to French brasserie fare to Italian pastas, Al-Posto’s menu is much more focused. Now, the cuisine is decidedly southern Italian, reflecting the region where Ranieri grew up.
Fortunately, the restaurant retains a cut-no-corners attitude. The pasta is made in-house and is generally not to be missed. The supple chew and floury flavor aren’t set adrift in a sea of sauces and seasonings. Simple, focused preparations allow the pasta to shine. This is certainly true for the cacio e pepe, hearty bucatini noodles with enough pepper and pecorino to give them some zing.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CATHERINE VIOX
Finding standout seafood here should come as no surprise, given the restaurant’s largely coastal southern Italian provenance. Dishes like the spicy garlic shrimp Diavolo, the buttery branzino with its perfectly crisp skin, and the blackened salmon are on my “Year’s Best Seafood” shortlist.
And equal attention has gone into Al-Posto’s exceptional wine list (Heidt is also the restaurant’s wine director), which is heavy on Italian varietals. The service at Al-Posto is spot on, with servers deftly guiding diners through the menu and accompanying wine list.
PHOTOGRAPH BY CATHERINE VIOX
One of the themes of this year’s list is exceptional new restaurants replacing beloved old ones (Five on Vine replacing The Mercer, Nolia replacing Please, Colette replacing Zula). And while Dear carved out a name for itself with its in-house butcher and farm-to-table ethos, I know Cincinnati will embrace this spot as well.
2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-2710, al-posto.com
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