Tableside with Bhumin Desai of Maplewood Kitchen and Bar

The former chef de cuisine of Jean-Robert’s Table has jumped ship to join Thunderdome—the restaurant group behind Bakersfield and Currito—in their newest gastronomic endeavor. The forthcoming Maplewood Kitchen and Bar will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the 84.51° building.
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Cincinnati doesn’t have much in the way of fast brunch places. We offer a cold-pressed juice bar, high-end espresso cocktails, and a full bar. You can get a healthy-quick meal, while at the same time, if you want to sit down and have a quick brunch on a Saturday or Sunday, you’re more than welcome to do that. Our goal is to have guests come in, order their food, and eat within half an hour.

How did you get your start in Cincinnati? I wanted to work for the best chef in the city. I’d love to hear an argument, but in my opinion, that’s Jean-Robert. Finally, when I found out that chef was opening Jean-Robert’s Table, I was like, “Oh yeah, absolutely. I want to be a part of that.”

What did you learn from de Cavel that you’re bringing with you to Maplewood? Attention to detail, and that nobody is going to give you anything. And not throwing stuff away—he gets really mad at people who throw stuff away. The funny thing is, I actually use that at my house now. I always assume that somewhere there’s a French guy yelling at me.

Maplewood Kitchen, 525 Race St., downtown, (513) 421-2100, thunderdomerestaurants.com

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