May 2016
Features
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Where To Drink Now: 36 of the Swankiest Bars, Darkest Dives, and Craftiest Cocktails in the Queen City
Whether it’s a custom-made cocktail you’re after, a craft beer (on nitro!) with the bros as you catch an FC Cincinnati match, a civilized place to grab a glass of wine with your sweetie, or a dim dive to drown your sorrows in, these 36 hot spots are just the ticket.
Where To Drink Now: Blind Lemon
The music never stops at this Mt. Adams institution.
The Man Who Put the Groove in Hamilton
What do Hamilton, CATS, and Dirty Dancing all have in common? St. Xavier High School grad Andy Blankenbuehler.
Molly Wellmann is the Craftiest Barkeep in Town
And now she’s transforming the Queen City’s bar scene.
Hey, Bartender: Behind the Scenes at Horseshoe Casino
West side native Abi Froehle holds court at Rock Bar, in downtown’s Horseshoe Casino. She talks life skills, the art of conversation, and what sets the Midwest apart. (Hint: We’re nice.)
Where To Drink Now: Pub Crawls
Because it never hurts to start with a plan.
Where To Drink Now: The Movies (!)
Reserved seating at movie theaters has been a staple in countries around the world for years, but it’s only recently come to Cincinnati.
Hey, Bartender: Behind the Scenes at Oakley Wines
In just a few years, Joe Purdue went from service assistant (read: busser) at Boca and bartender at Abigail Street to general manager of The Cellar at Oakley Wines. He’s helped the shop—and the neighborhood—upgrade its nightlife profile.
Hey, Bartender: Behind the Scenes at Sundry and Vice
If you’re looking for a different class of cocktail, then Sundry and Vice will fix you up. Head of Operations and Design Julia Petiprin brings West Coast refinement to her program of classic concoctions inspired by pre-Prohibition apothecaries.
Welcome to the Jungle
How Cincinnati’s first family of river sports found la pura vida, not to mention wild peccaries, howler monkeys, and the occasional fer-de-lance, on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica.
Hey, Bartender: Behind the Scenes at Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar
Whiskey is the heart and soul of this Covington bar, and General Manager Aaron Lilley will happily show you around the impressive wall of rare and wonderful bottles. His favorite? It’s complicated.
Hey, Bartender: Behind the Scenes at The Famous Neons Unplugged
Kelsey Iker was a bartending newbie when she talked her way into a job at this OTR institution.
Where To Drink Now: Booze Tours
Enjoy libations on the move (no law-breaking necessary).
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Frontlines
Curtis Sittenfeld’s Eligible Reimagines Pride and Prejudice in Cincinnati
The author of Prep, American Wife, and Sisterland rewrites Jane Austen’s famous novel, featuring your favorite hometown.
Snarky Puppy Brings Its Label-Defying Sound to Northern Kentucky
For the past two years, multi-hyphenate Snarky Puppy bandleader and bassist Michael League has been so busy globetrotting with his bandmates that he doesn’t have a fixed address. The nomadic League and his revolving cast of more than 20 talented musicians (“the fam”) perform a minimum 100 shows a year.
Dr. Know: Dangerous Doorways, Impromptu Iggy Pop, and a Taste of Cincinnati Curse
“The Doctor shares your unease.”
Speak Easy: Sjohnna McCray
Rapture, Sjohnna McCray’s first book and winner of the 2015 Walt Whitman Award from the Academy of American Poets, was published in April. he current Savannah resident reminisces about getting hooked on poetry at the School for Creative and Performing Arts and growing up biracial.
“Board Game Parlor” to Open in OTR
“You can sit down and play as long as you want.”
This Jayne Mansfield-Shaped Hot-Water Bottle is Weird and Awesome
A local designer held the blonde bombshell in the palm of his hand.
Carl Solway Gallery Gets Its Own Feature Exhibit
“Being where we are gave us the opportunity to be risky”
Print Paperbacks on Demand with the Library’s Espresso Book Machine
“It’s just something we dreamed up.”
Radar
Worth The Drive: Mackinac Island’s Lilac Festival
The festival, which runs June 3-12, includes a horse-drawn carriage parade (no cars are allowed on the island) with a lilac queen, of course, and a pup parade.
Long Weekend: Leelanau Peninsula
Think Sonoma with sprawling, dune-filled beaches.
On The Market: Riverfront Luxury in Dayton, Kentucky
The Banks-like plans include the existing boat marina, 41 single-family homes, 100 condo units, 70 luxury rentals, plus shopping, dining, and a 17-mile bike path, all built a literal stone’s throw from the water.
Real Estate Roundup: Dayton, Kentucky
Dayton, Kentucky has housing stock at all price points, from two-bedroom bungalows to million-dollar riverfront spreads.
The Great Indoors
Gear up for gardening season with chic plant paraphernalia.
Batsakes is Going Strong
The downtown shop has been handcrafting hats since 1907, and owner Gus Miller shows no signs of stopping.
Style Counsel: Derrick Braziel
Occupation: Cofounder, MORTAR; His style: Locally sourced and tailor-made
Urban Blooms Takes a Vertical Approach to Gardening
“Humans perform better when they’re in environments with more plants.”
Columns
American Pharoah is America’s Next Bachelor
The Triple Crown winner has retired to a stud farm in Kentucky, and life is very good.
Letter from the Editor: May 2016
Having grown up in Cincinnati, and attended school here, and ground out a career in advertising, Bob had a distinct sense of humor about his (our) state of existence. Another way to put it is: His soul had not yet been crushed, and he was fighting valiantly, mano-a-mano, to avoid the crusher. His weapon of choice? Satire.
Cincy Obscura: Miniature Therapy Horses at Seven Oaks Farm
“They’re trained not to be freaked out.”
Kroger’s ClickList Brings Grocery Shopping Into the 21st Century
As shopping websites go, this one is bare bones—two-cups-and-a-string. The anti-Jetsons. Nothing at all like Amazon or Zappos. And yet it is amazing. Life altering. It is virtual grocery shopping and I hope it never, ever goes away.
The Observer: Gun Smoke and Mirrors
“When I was a child, I armed myself as a child, I shot as a child, I killed as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish guns.”
Dine
Matzo Ball Soup with Zell Schulman
A keeper of Jewish penicillin culture shows us how it’s done.
Aladdin’s Grants All Dietary Wishes
The only guy who won’t be happy at Aladdin’s is the garlic-phobe, and weren’t you questioning that relationship anyway?
Takeout Hero: Ollie’s Trolley
President Obama gave the Ollieburger a thumbs up. But a basic burger stand Ollie’s Trolley is not.
Louisville’s Copper & Kings Brings Back Brandy
There’s a new boss in brandy production, and fortunately for us, they’re just down river.
Try This: Wildflower Café’s Organic Fonduta
Who says organic food must be healthy?
10 Dim Sum Dishes You Should Try
Go with a group, order a few pots of chrysanthemum tea, and let the carts come to you.
Tableside with Mavis Linnemann-Clark of Made by Mavis
After launching her catering company, The Delish Dish, in 2012, Mavis Linnemann-Clark began selling jam the following year, and has since marketed her product to 100 regional retailers.