February 2019
Features
-
This Ft. Thomas Dad Started a Pretzel Company After Discovering His German Ancestry
It all started with an online DNA test. Through ancestry.com, Drew Rath, a 33-year-old Ft. Thomas stay-at-home dad of three, discovered 16 generations of his father’s lineage hailed from Aldingen, a small town in Germany’s historic southwestern region of Swabia. Their livelihood: spelt and rye millers. Inspired, and equipped with restaurant experience as a former […]
Become a True Cincinnatian with These Queen City-Original Sweets
Your “must try” list of goodies unique to the 513 starts here.
These Six Local Shops Offer the Doughnuts of Your Dreams
These six local spots serve up delicious doughnuts by the dozen, topped with all sorts of fun fixings from fruity pebbles to bacon.
Eric Kearney Is Cincinnati’s Connector in Chief
Eric Kearney isn’t shy. In a well-tailored suit offset with a snazzy pocket square, he is alight in a room full of people, introducing each to someone else, making connections like a magnet charged with positive energy. He spins from one conversation to the next, prompting strangers to get acquainted. On this evening, at a […]
Take a Trip Down Butler County’s Doughnut Trail
If only the actual paths between Butler County’s bevy of pastry shops were paved with sprinkles and frosting. We’ll have to use our imagination there, but fortunately the Butler County Visitors Bureau has plotted a baker’s dozen of must-visit shops along an 80-mile swath of the county. The bureau challenges die-hard fanatics to visit each […]
High Times at The Cupboard
The heady smell of incense hits shoppers before they walk through the sticker-plastered door and pass under the shop name, carved in a Gothic typeface. Inside Corryville’s oldest boutique, hip-hop blares from the sound system. “Drop that kitty down low,” commands Ty Dolla $ign. Some of the patrons are looking for vaping supplies. Others browse […]
Three Classic Queen City Bakeries That Will Never Go Out of Style
Few Cincinnati bakeries survive generations without losing their iconic spark of sweetness. These three classic stops have done just that—and earned the legacy of city staples. Busken Bakery Last summer, Busken celebrated its 90th birthday. Quite a legacy for Joe Busken Sr., who wanted out of the business after working in his father’s Oklahoma City […]
Five International Bakeries Worth Checking Out Now
Want to diversify your list of baked good go-tos? Check out the ethnic offerings at these five Greater Cincinnati multicultural mainstays. Chako Bakery Café In December, Hisako “Chako” Okawa moved her Pike Street café to MainStrasse, where she offers Japanese bites handmade from the finest mix of local and Japan-sourced ingredients, like fresh azuki […]
Three Creative Queen City Cupcakeries You Won’t Be Able to Resist
Cupcakes are no longer confined to your run-of-the-mill vanilla or chocolate varieties. Here are three local bakeries that take their cupcake creativity to the next level. Fashion Sweet Cupcakes Local boss ladies Brandy Goss and Steph Marcus parlayed their love of baking and fashion into an online business, ditching the corporate world to dish […]
Four Local Cookie Spots With Unlimited Gooey Goodness
From classic chocolate chip to French toast and black raspberry, these four Queen City bakeries are sure to satisfy any melt-in-your-mouth cookie cravings. Donna’s Gourmet Cookies Donna Phelps’s “classic cookies”—including flavors like Reese’s Pieces chocolate chip, s’mores, and snickerdoodle—are chunky, soft, and all-around delicious. But her Friday- and Saturday-only “Ooey Gooey” varieties are […]
Three of the Best Local Bread Bakeries in Town
Bread is an essential part of many meals—from bookending sandwiches to soaking up saucy dinners. Here’s three bakeries you’ll knead to know to find the best loaves in town. Blue Oven Bakery By now you might have heard about Blue Oven’s otherworldly English muffins, but if you haven’t, hurry out right now and snag a […]
Three Rising Stars of the Cincinnati Bakery Scene
Getting burnt out on paying a visit to the same sweet-tooth remedy again and again? We’ve got you covered with three of the latest and greatest bakeries to pop up across the Queen City. Brown Bear Bakery This Over-the-Rhine storefront is just what we always hoped for from Blair Fornshell. After five years of Brown […]
Four Local Bakeries That Take Cake to the Next Level
Cake is a perfect dessert staple at almost any celebration, but it’s also an opportunity to showcase culinary creativity. These four local shops take your standard vanilla cake to the next level. 3 Sweet Girls Cakery Every parent needs the perfect themed party cake for a birthday celebration at some point. At 3 Sweet Girls, […]
Four Local Bakeries That Cater to Dietary Restrictions
Don’t let dietary restrictions keep you from treating yourself. Leaving out the gluten, sugar, nuts, or dairy is no problem for these four local purveyors. Happy Chicks Bakery A truly Northside bakery, Jessica Bechtel and Jana Douglass opened Happy Chicks five years ago, offering creative takes on vegan sweets with artistic flair. Think gluten-free ginger […]
-
Frontlines
The Freedom Center’s Leader Reflects Back on His First Year at the Helm
With past leadership roles at the National Blues Museum in St. Louis and the BB King Museum in Mississippi, plus 21 years in the Air Force, 55-year-old Dion Brown’s experience guides him at the helm of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. He celebrates one year there this month. How do museums play a role […]
moonweather’s Second Album, Overgrown, Offers Ruminations on the Past and Present
In the lively single, “Until Later,” moonweather frontman Billy Hodge sings, “All I wanted was a little memory. . .” Ruminations on the past prove a pervasive theme for the indie folk group, whose second album, Overgrown, comes out this month. “There’s a lot in there about getting older and how relationships change with the […]
More than 1,000 Furry Friends Are up for Adoption at My Furry Valentine
Since 2012, My Furry Valentine has partnered with dozens of local animal protection groups to host its mega-adoption event and save the lives of thousands of the area’s homeless animals. This year’s event takes place Valentine’s Day weekend, February 9 & 10, at the Sharonville Convention Center, where attendees can open their hearts and homes […]
This North Avondale Bulldog Is a Breakout Instagram Star
In a grand Edwardian home in North Avondale, Sarah Crannell Rich takes a break from her telecommuting job as project manager for a research and development company. She plops down on a couch and scrolls though photos on her phone. “Here we go,” she says, stopping on the moment when her 3-year-old daughter put a […]
A New Book Reveals Greater Cincinnati’s Hidden Gems
Cincinnati has no shortage of notable sites. There’s the iconic Fountain Square, Cincinnati Museum Center, and Eden Park. But there’s also a wealth of lesser-known locations. In her new book “Secret Cincinnati: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure” (Reedy Press), Kathryn Witt shines a light on 89 of these hidden regional treasures, including […]
Dr. Know: Lost Lincoln Statue, Kenwood’s Christmas Chaos, and O Pie O’s TV Legacy
I only recently learned that Cincinnati once had a Lincoln Park. Did Lytle Park’s beardless Abraham Lincoln statue start there and then get moved? —HAPPY PRESIDENTS DAY Dear Happy: Yes, a beautiful west-side expanse called Lincoln Park once blessed Cincinnati from 1867 until Union Terminal replaced it. But no, the Lytle Park Lincoln wasn’t there. […]
How Hamilton County Got Bluer Politically While Ohio Became Solid Red
Political pundits love their metaphors, especially when they start with “B”: bases, battlegrounds, bellwethers, and, once the 2018 mid-term votes were counted, blue waves. Locally, the most surprising Democratic Party win was probably Stephanie Summerow Dumas beating incumbent Hamilton County Commissioner Chris Monzel, yet she fit a clear pattern. Democrats won a slew of offices […]
This People’s Liberty Project Transports You Back in Time
Sankofa in the Twi dialect of the Akan language, spoken in Ghana, translates to “Go back and get it.” Through March, a group of People’s Liberty grant winners will help visitors to their show do just that. Jennie Wright, Siri Imani Huey, and Alexis Thompson transform the People’s Liberty Globe Gallery into an experiential learning […]
Radar
This Mariemont Resident Is a Nationally Known Mid-Century Modern Furnishing Refinisher and Seller
In the fall of 2016, Jeff Molski stumbled upon a Mid-Century Modern chair at Goodwill. Its price: $5. Knowing places like West Elm and Pottery Barn were selling similar pieces for substantially more, Molski, who says he’s “always been very handy,” bought the chair on a whim, “fixed it up,” and sold it online. Before […]
Style Counsel: Stephanie Webster of The Rhined and Oakley Wines
Name: Stephanie Webster Occupation: Owner of The Rhined and Oakley Wines Style: Quality over quantity How do you dress for your line of work? I love simplicity, and because I’m on my feet constantly, I have to have comfortable shoes. I start with my Danskos, and those are what I build my outfits around. Since I’m […]
How Homeowners Transformed This Historic West End Estate
909 Dayton St., West End (sale pending) The first time this circa 1880 house was mentioned in the pages of this magazine, it was completely torn apart inside, under major renovation by homeowners Joe Creighton and Robin McKerrell, who were also engaged. Fast forward years laters: the couple is married with a 1-year-old daughter, the house […]
Everyone Is Welcome to Practice Art at Oakley’s Visionarium
Editor’s note: This location has closed. Burger King, Wonder Muffin, and Pop Pop Radical Forever Learning Castle were among the business name proposals for the part retail–part arts education space that opened in Oakley’s former Blue Manatee bookstore in October 2017. Backed by Queen City nonprofit Visionaries + Voices (V+V), the retailer eventually settled on […]
Columns
Inside the St. Bernard Plant Where All Your Recycling Gets Sorted
We’re all probably guilty of “wish-cycling”—crossing your fingers and recycling something you’re not sure about. That’s why Rumpke offers public tours of its St. Bernard plant, which processes material from Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, southern Ohio, and Louisville at a breakneck rate of 55 tons per hour. Get a good look at just what you can […]
Editor’s Letter, February 2019: Reflecting on the City’s Growth with a Schnecken
One day in December, I brought home a box of Virginia Bakery schnecken, part of my research for our “Get Baked” guide to local bakeries. My 14-year-old son devoured half of it in one sitting. He loved saying the word schnecken and feigned mild interest in my story about how Busken makes the cinnamon loaf […]
Cincinnati Made Me Who I Am, Long Before I Ever Heard of This City
Cincinnati accompanied me, without my noticing it, all through childhood and adolescence.
Dine
Milford’s Bite Serves up Farm-Fresh Fare with a Twist
A family-run business inside a former house, Bite is exactly what owners Marc and Rachel Seeberger wanted for their eatery when it opened in 2012. “The property is what we really went for,” says Rachel. “We wanted a non-pretentious space for guests from all walks of life to come and get a good meal.” A sprawling […]
Tablespoon Cooking Co.’s Jordan Hamons Creates Cooking Classes That Are Informative and Fun
The owner of Tablespoon Cooking Co., Jordan Hamons, hopes to pass her passion for food on to others with cooking classes that are as fun as they are informative. What is your goal with Tablespoon Cooking Co.? Our goal is to encourage people to cook at home. That’s our overall mission: to learn more about […]
This Madeira Bakery Turns Leftover Brewery Grains into Dog Treats
Brewhaus Bakery cooks up oven-baked dog treats made from whole grains proudly sourced from area breweries. And they’re not just finding a clever reuse for discarded brewing barley. The nonprofit also provides vocational training for young adults with disabilities. “[We] seek to grow, reinforce, and strengthen a socially conscious business model through the production of […]
Clyborne Gives Mason More of What It Already Has
One of the first things I look for on a menu are the oddballs, the strange dishes that show what makes the chef tick, signs of the particular journey that brought them to this point in their careers: strange ingredients, unusual flavors and preparations, mysterious passions—anything that seems to stand out. At Clyborne, I searched […]
You’ll Fall in Love with This Pleasant Ridge Plant-Based Café
The only real theme at Loving Hut is vegan: Culinary offerings run the gamut from smoothies and raw foodist–friendly dishes to Mexican-, Asian-, and American-inspired eats, and the decor is about as cheerfully hippy-dippy as you may imagine (the eatery’s tagline is “Be vegan, make peace,” and the walls are dotted with photos of celebrities […]
Queen City Hemp’s Seltzers Bring You Guilt-Free CBD
Queen City Hemp CBD Seltzer Water is infused with non-psychoactive cannabinoids, and is a refreshing way to introduce yourself to the relaxing and legal health benefits of hemp.