Photo by HATSUE
Seafood Boil: Cincy Crab
While the Buckeye state may be far from any ocean, dinner at Cincy Crab gives the impression that you’re enjoying a feast right off the coast. Its seafood boils are by far the stars of the menu and come fully customizable. Customers can handpick one pound each of their favorite seafood—from crab and lobster tail to shrimp and crawfish to clams and mussels, and everything in between—served with potatoes, sausage, and corn on the cob, all coated in a sauce of your choosing. Expect to get your hands dirty; a seafood boil is no place for a knife and fork. • 1309 E. Kemper Rd., Springdale, (513) 975-1428, cincyseafood.com
Ravioli Sheet: Colette
The dreamy, soft, pasta-pillow dish known as Raviole du Dauphiné at Colette looks almost too perfect to eat. However, you should eat it; it’s delicious. The sheet of little raviolis resembles a comforting quilt, each patch filled with Comté (a sweet French cheese) and ricotta and topped with a brown butter sauce. • 1400 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-1018, coletteotr.com
Alternative Fish Fry: Kanji OTR
Cincinnati has so many Catholic churches that you’ll never want for a traditional fish fry during Lent, but Kanji OTR’s fish katsu has something a little different for your taste buds. Unlike the usual Japanese katsu dish of fried cutlet of pork or chicken, this version is crunchy panko-breaded red snapper topped with housemade mustard sauce. And instead of French fries as a side, you’ll get rice and a salad with the house ginger dressing. It’s the Lenten twist you didn’t know you were craving. • 1739 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 873-8350, kanjiotr.com
Appetizer as a Main Dish: Chili Miso Udon, Café Mochiko
An order of Café Mochiko’s chili miso udon is more than enough to make a whole meal. Udon noodles with sweet and spicy miso is served with charred negi (an aromatic Japanese onion), shiitake mushroom, and crispy garlic for a tangier take on the salty broth. Very low on the heat scale, it’s an excellent way to introduce those who avoid spice to the Church of Mochiko. And at just $12 for a decent-sized bowl, it’s a real steal. • 1524 Madison Rd., East Walnut Hills, (513) 559-1000, cafemochiko.com
Chicago Dog: Mr. Gene’s Dog House
Construction on Beekman Street played havoc with Mr. Gene’s this past summer, but the seasonal spot (open February through October) is still the best place in town for your Windy City fix. The neon relish is the perfect unsettling green, the sport peppers are spicy, and when you open the styro clamshell container, you catch a healthy whiff of celery salt. If you just can’t wait until February, Chicago Gyros and Dogs on W. McMillan St. near UC serves a reliable substitute on a poppy-seed bun. • 3703 Beekman St., South Cumminsville, (513) 541-7636, mrgenesdoghouse.com
New Restaurant: Wildweed
Before it even opened its brick-and-mortar location in Over-the-Rhine in July, Wildweed was already the talk of the town, thanks to hosting more than 225 pop-ups since 2019. Featured on Bon Appétit’s list of “The 8 Must-Visit New Restaurants to Try This Summer,” the menu is full of seasonal and foraged ingredients that will leave true foodies salivating. Co-owner David Jackman insists his establishment isn’t an Italian spot, though pasta plays a big role in the restaurant’s popularity. From mafaldine and sopressini to rigatoni and gnocchi, Wildweed’s capable kitchen can handle it all and then some. • 1301 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4274, wildweed-restaurant.com
Vegan Cheese: Mad Cheese Vegan Cheese
One of life’s greatest pleasures is cheese—and you shouldn’t miss out if you’re plant-based or dairy-free. Owner Heather Donaldson went vegan with her husband in 2019 and found most plant-based products to be enjoyable, other than the cheese. So she set out to make her own. With nearly 30 different products made from a variety of bases (cashews, almonds, and pea protein to name a few) ranging from Gouda to Ranch Dressing, Mad Cheese products can be found at the shop as well as Findlay Market and Nosh. • 5903 Bramble Ave., Madisonville, (513) 227-8412, madcheese.com
Real Cheese: Urban Stead’s Quark
Urban Stead’s quark is a creamy spread made with pasteurized Jersey cow milk. Its uses are endless—spread it on a bagel as a substitute for cream cheese, incorporate into cheesy pasta sauces, or even use it as an ingredient in baking cheesecakes and strudels. It’s no wonder the cheese was awarded a bronze medal by the American Cheese Society this year. • 3036 Woodburn Ave., Evanston, (513) 828-0830, urbansteadcheese.com
Photo by Catherine Viox
Bar Mascot: King Pigeon’s King Pigeon
If the outstanding craft cocktails aren’t enough to entice you to this Walnut Hills bar, perhaps the adorable King Pigeon mascot will. Designed by Melbourne-based illustrator Cassie Brock, the eponymous King Pigeon brings customers along on his adventures through the drink menu. Whether hitting the slopes with an Irish coffee or getting lost in the jungle with a Mai Tai, this “inexplicably charming, vacant-eyed, bird-brained individual” (according to his creator) never has a dull moment. • 2436 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, (513) 221-3000, kingpigeoncinci.com
Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin: Cherbourg Cyprus
I can’t believe it’s not gluten! Believe it or not, the Blueberry Monster Muffin at Cherbourg Cyprus (a completely nut-free, gluten-free, and dye-free bakery) is in fact gluten free, yet full of flavor. Bite into the crispy exterior to find a soft interior packed full of blueberries. This isn’t your average muffin. • 1804 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, besweetcherbourg.com
Pistachio Ice Cream: Golden Gelato
This small batch gelateria in Covington makes some of the best pistachio gelato this side of the Tyrrhenian Sea. According to co-owner Joe Jones, the treat is made with a combination of fresh Kentucky dairy and pistachios imported from the Bronte region of Sicily. “The nuts are grown in the volcanic soil of Mt. Etna and naturally irrigated,” says Jones. “They have a flavor truly unique to that region and iconic in Italian gelato.” • 130 W. Pike St., Covington, (859) 360-3709, goldengelatocov.com
Dine-In Movie: Kenwood Theatre
Now owned by the Esquire Theatre group, this multiplex by the mall serves up a solid menu of food, drinks, and films. Typical fare like popcorn and soda is available, but you can also order items like grilled cheese, taco fries, or a root beer float right to your seat at any point during the movie. With more than 35 beers on tap and rotating film-inspired cocktails, the bar is worth a visit, too. Keep an eye out for trivia nights and special screening events. • 5901 E. Galbraith Rd., Suite 200, Sycamore Twp., (513) 743-7159, kenwoodtheatre.com
Bare Bones Deli: Cincy Gourmet Deli
If you need a reminder to never judge a book by its cover, we present Cincy Gourmet Deli. This unassuming restaurant steps away from the UC campus serves up hot and tasty foods—and you’d never suspect it. With such a huge menu (and portions!) it’s hard to go wrong: The Breakfast Burrito is fit for any time of day, or take your pick of hot sandwiches from Rueben to Chopped Cheese to Philly, wraps, burgers, paninis, and smoothies. • 2832 Jefferson Ave., Corryville, (513) 888-1607, cincy-gourmet-deli.com
Wine Bar: Annata Wine Bar
Annata Wine Bar & Cellar strays from the mold of what a “traditional” wine bar should be. Ample indoor seating in cozy booths under warm lights provides a friendly and comfortable space for diners to lean back, chit chat, and laugh out loud with one another. A lush outdoor patio is the perfect venue to sit, sip, and listen to live music. Alongside its extensive variety of whites, reds, rosés, and cocktails—and the knowledgeable servers who can explain it all—Annata also offers charcuterie spreads and flatbread pizzas to nibble on. Be sure to check out the website for deals on snacks and wine flights throughout the week. • 2021 Madison Rd., Evanston, (513) 871-8788, annatawinebarandcellar.com
Food Hall: The Gatherall
The more than 20,000-square-foot food hall at Factory 52 (the mixed-use development at the site of the old United States Playing Card Company factory) features four bars and a dozen eateries, including Filipino newcomer Gabriela: Filipina Kantina, Chicago transplant Molly’s Cupcakes, and an offshoot of the Northside stalwart Melt Revival. There’s also an active schedule of events, weekly DJ nights, and concerts. • 2750 Park Ave., Norwood, (513) 201-7109, thegatherall.com
Banana Pudding: Makers Bakers Co.
The banana pudding at Makers Bakers Co. is already top tier by itself, but adding a homemade bourbon caramel sauce to the mix takes the taste to stratospheric levels of yum. The smooth, fluffy pudding gets kicked up a notch with decadent caramel and a skosh of whiskey (but not enough to make it boozy). As the bakery’s Findlay Market advertisement states, it’s “mama slapping, face cracking, lid lapping, no sharing, mine mine mine” good. • 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 807-9748, makersbakersco.com
Coffee Cart: Lang Thang Coffee
Rain or shine, every Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon, you’ll find the rolling Lang Thang Coffee cart right in front of Quán Hapa serving an iced cuppa. Its coffee comes on draft, made with beans grown and roasted in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, and poured over ice. What could be better than sipping a Saigon Phin Daklak during a morning jaunt around Cincinnati? • 1331 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, langthangcoffee.com
Biggest Heartbreak: Goose & Elder Closing
The corner of Race and Elder Streets in Over-the-Rhine has been a shell of its former self since Goose & Elder closed in June. After a five-year run, Chef Jose Salazar packed it in, setting his sights on bigger corners—his eponymous restaurant reopens in the former Saks Fifth Avenue building at Fifth and Race Streets next spring—but we’ll always have memories of disco fries!
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