March 2020
Features
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Best Restaurants No. 10: Orchids at Palm Court Can Still Surprise You
A wonderful room, exquisite food, and fantastic wine—Orchids delivers on all its promises.
Best Restaurants No. 9: Bouquet Restaurant and Wine Bar Leans Into Seasonality
A dedication to using only the best ingredients to their fullest potential pervades the menu.
Best Restaurants No. 8: Phoenician Taverna Elevates Classic Mediterranean Dishes
New twists on old Mediterranean favorites and a passion for excellence turn meals into feasts at Phoenician Taverna.
Best Restaurants No. 7: Boca Shows Extraordinary Creativity
While staying mostly grounded in the fundamentals of Italian and French cuisine, Boca has an air of international sophistication that sets its food apart.
Best Restaurants No. 6: Abigail Street Knows What Works
Abigail Street is always watching for what works and is willing to abandon bits of impractical culinary flair for what will truly satisfy.
Best Restaurants No. 5: Nicola’s Is Back
Always an institution, Nicola’s has entered a new era of exuberant creativity under the leadership of chef Jack Hemmer.
Best Restaurants No. 4: Restaurant L Serves Up Playful Yet Elegant Dishes
Restaurant L’s menu reflects chef-owner Jean-Robert de Cavel’s sense of playfulness and his mastery of the fundamentals of la grande cuisine.
Best Restaurant No. 3: Mita’s Restaurant & Bar Delivers Global Flavors
Mita’s offers sophistication, modestly concealed in homey, warm dishes from Jose Salazar.
Best Restaurant No. 2: Sotto Makes the Familiar Profoundly Satisfying
Eating at Sotto is a familiar experience but also one that’s so profound and satisfying that there’s no reason to ever stop.
Best Restaurant No. 1: Please Is Simply a Great Restaurant
Born as a pop-up, Ryan Santos’s “weird and wonderful” Please is a symbol of everything exciting that has been happening in the Cincinnati food scene.
How the Last Decade Has Shaped Cincinnati’s Dining Scene
The past 10 years have set the bar high for our dining scene. Future possibilities feel endless.
Cincinnati Chefs to Watch in 2020: Erik Bentz and Elaine Townsend
Erik Bentz and Elaine Townsend are the dynamic duo behind runaway success ramen, omerice, and Japanese pastry pop-up Mochiko.
Cincinnati Chefs to Watch in 2020: Nathan Friday
After more than a year slinging his signature steamed baos from an OTR walk-up window, Nathan Friday plans to open a brick-and-mortar for Boombox Buns.
Cincinnati Chefs to Watch in 2020: Ethan Greene
Under chef-restaurateur Daniel Wright’s tutelage, Ethan Greene dishes up Middle Eastern street food as executive chef of Forty Thieves in Over-the-Rhine.
Can the Emery Theatre Rise Again?
Local developers are partnering with The Children’s Theatre in the latest attempt to bring the historic OTR theater back to life.
Cincinnati Chefs to Watch in 2020: Mallory Myers
Orchids at Palm Court’s Executive Sous Chef Mallory Myers sticks to classic cooking techniques while always searching for new ways to push the envelope.
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Frontlines
Meet True Crime Podcaster Christine Schiefer
We chatted with the Cincinnati native about her local roots, breaking into the podcasting biz, her show’s unique mash-up genre, and the highlight of her career so far.
Christopher Milligan Takes the Reins of Cincinnati Opera
This month, the company’s managing director moves into the top leadership role of general director and CEO.
This Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Initiative Brings The Bard to Students
PROJECT38 puts the plays of Shakespeare’s canon in the hands of tri-state students, who reimagine them, then take the stage themselves.
Super Heroines, Etc., Creates a More Inclusive Role-Playing Community
Changing the landscape around role-playing games, this organization trains and supports women and gender nonconforming people to run their own games.
Dr. Know: Burger Chef Bygones, Cancelling Charles McMicken, and Counting Turtle Lamps
The good doctor holds forth on troubling issues, including oddly-placed restaurant signage, what else we might erase, and a disappearing municipal fixture.
How Hamilton County is Helping Children Caught in the Opioid Epidemic
A Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services program may offer a solution for addicted parents who want to keep their kids and get clean.
Radar
The Herschede Mansion Goes on the Market in North Avondale
A glorious Gilded Age jewel box with spectacular period details, it was built for jeweler and clock maker Frank Herschede and his wife Sadie.
Joe Rigotti Keeps Things Classy With His Always-Growing Suit Collection
Too much is never enough for this event designer, who’s not afraid to shake things up with a loud floral print.
Le Lieu Brings Chic Shopping to Downtown’s West Fourth Street Historic District
The sister store to Hellman Clothiers in Carew Tower, Le Lieu is a women’s clothing boutique that provides an intimate, thoughtful shopping experience.
Take on Philadelphia Like a True Local
The City of Brotherly Love has plenty of charms, whether you’re a history buff, a foodie, or you’re just doin’ it for the ‘gram.
Columns
Editor’s Letter, March 2020: Celebrating Cincinnati’s Restaurant Scene
Behind each great restaurant experience, for the most part, is a chef with a love for hospitality and a vision for satisfying your cravings.
Art Gave Erika Nj Allen a New Language
How the Guatemala-born mother of three got her GED, went to art school, discovered a new medium, and made a mark on Cincinnati’s art scene.
The Brewing History That Lurks Beneath Our Feet
Lagering tunnels under Over-the-Rhine represent outmoded but fascinating remnants of the past. And you can explore some of them.
How Books and Cats Helped Me Figure Out Who I Was Meant to Be
Written words and furry friends boosted me along the journey to figuring out who I was meant to be.
Dine
Mom ’n ’em Coffee Should Be Your New Go-To Third Place
Mom ’n ’em is a popular public work spot for freelancers and side-hustlers and transitions easily into a laid-back early evening hangout.
Grace of India Takes Over the West Side From an Old Chili Parlor
It used to be The Chili Company, but Grace of India’s palak pakora and chicken korma have replaced the three-ways and coneys.
Chefs Edward Lee and Kevin Ashworth Dish on Their Upcoming Restaurant Khora
Opening this summer in downtown’s Kinley Hotel, Khora will specialize in pastas made with ancient grains.
This Beef Jerky Is for You, Grippo’s Fans
Pap’s Beef Jerky partnered with Grippo’s to create a tasty beef jerky that’s coated in the chip brand’s signature Bar-B-Q seasoning.