Driving Distance From Extended Stay Blue Ash Ohio to Coopers Hawk Kenwood
It's that time of year again. In case you're looking for a good restaurant to visit during the holiday season, check out all of the reviews that I've written this year, in chronological order.
Ratings: 1 star (poor); 2 stars (fair), 3 stars (good), 4 stars (excellent), 5 stars (extraordinary)
JANUARY:
Cooper's Hawk: 2 stars
8080 Montgomery Road, Kenwood. 513-488-1110, www.coopershawkwinery.com
Cooper's Hawk, a chain restaurant that makes its own wine with grapes from California, serves it in a large, handsome restaurant with a contemporary American menu. It also encompasses a wine tasting bar, a gift shop, a wine club and a private dining room filled with barrels. But it feels less like a Napa winery than it does a well-designed sales package. The experience is educational – if you don't know the difference between a pinot noir and a merlot, you can try them here – but the approach also emphasizes merchandise. Read the full review.
Delicio Pizza: 3 stars
9321 Montgomery Road, Montgomery. 513-834-5460, www.deliciocoalfiredpizza.com
Here, cooks hand-toss dough into rustic near-circles, cover it sparingly with toppings and bake it in a coal-fired oven. Though the pizza toppings and the salads could use some refinement, Delicio is an interesting place. Read the full review.
Remezo Greek Cuisine: 2 stars
9956 Escort Drive, Deerfield Township. 513-972-8045, http://remezo.com/2014
Greek food in Cincinnati is found tucked away in various places around town, but full-scale restaurants with an extensive list of Greek dishes are somewhat unusual. Remezo's menu covers everything from cocktails made with ouzo to flaming cheese to baklava, moussaka, souvlaki, seafood –even the Greek potato dip skordalia. Some of it is Greek-ish rather than Greek, though, and much of it is uninspired. Read the full review.
Bistro Grace: 3 stars
4034 Hamilton Ave., Northside. 513-541-9600, www.bistrograce.com
The "bistro" label has always been a popular one, but what the word actually signifies has changed over time. If you want to know what defines the bistro circa 2014 in Cincinnati, take a look at Bistro Grace: its menu is a perfect snapshot of trends and current fascinations, and the concept, with its down-to-earth trendiness, is suited to Northside. Read the full review.
FEBRUARY:
The Eagle Food & Beer Hall: 3 stars
1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-802-5007, www.facebook.com/TheEagleOTR
The foodies of Vine Street are flocking to the Eagle to chow down on humble fried chicken and all the side dishes it calls for. The chicken is brined, breaded and deep-fried under pressure, and the result is a fairly thickly breaded chicken that's crisp but not hard, rich but not greasy. Expect big crowds and long waits. Read the full review.
Salazar: 4 stars
1401 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-621-7000, http://salazarcincinnati.com
The owner of Salazar is Jose Salazar, formerly executive chef at The Palace. Now, without the fine dining context, the minimalism of his approach is even more evident. He uses good ingredients and knows how to cleverly enhance the flavor of one ingredient with just one or two more. The results are simple but vivid and delicious. Read the full review.
Prime 47: 3 stars
580 Walnut St., Downtown. 513-579-0720, http://prime47.com
It's not decor that will make upscale steakhouse Prime 47 stand out. It does not have the attention-getting surroundings of Jeff Ruby's or the corporate plush of Morton's. But it's the expected white-tablecloth atmosphere and the steak, while expensive, is good. Read the full review.
Red Feather Kitchen: 3 stars
3200 Madison Road, Oakley. 513-407-3631, www.redfeatherkitchen.com
Red Feather Kitchen in Oakley, which took over the spot that was Boca, is much more of a neighborhood spot than Boca was, with a casual vibe, though some of the entrée prices are fairly high. There are many more starters and small plates than there are entrees on the menu, but you don't need to live nearby to make a trip worthwhile. Read the full review.
MARCH:
Ash American Fare: 3 stars
3520 Erie Ave., Hyde Park. 513-871-8714, http://ashamericanfare.com
A lot of diners in Hyde Park liked Cumin restaurant for its elaborately interesting and somewhat challenging cuisine – at least during the time that owner Alex Mchaikhi had Owen Maass as chef. Cumin is now retired. In its place, Mchaikhi has created Ash American Fare, and that mixture of new hitched to familiar is what you'll find there. For example: hamburgers are topped with nduja or crab, truffled egg or lump crab. (See? Familiar but fancy.) Read the full review.
Meatball Kitchen and Packhouse Meats
• Meatball Kitchen: 2912 Vine St., Corryville. 513-407-7405, http://www.meatballkitchenusa.com
• Packhouse Meats: 1004 Monmouth St., Newport. 859-415-2312, www.packhousemeats.com
It's a great idea for a restaurant: Make several kinds of meatballs, offer them to customers with a choice of sauces to eat on top of pasta, a salad or a sandwich. Offer interesting side dishes and keep it cheap. Each meatball restaurant has its strengths – I like that both offer real food for a moderate amount of money. And with so many choices for how to put a meal together, they put you in charge of your experience. Oh, and one thing to remember – Packhouse has a no-tipping policy. Read the full review.
APRIL:
Sleepy Bee: 3 stars
3098 Madison Road, Oakley. 513-533-2339, www.sleepybeecafe.com
Sleepy Bee offers a breakfast for just about everyone. Its menu makes me think of what a modern Mom would serve because she wants you to have a treat and be happy, but also cares that you eat your fruits and vegetables. And remembers your food allergies. And is conscientious about where the meat and dairy comes from. So have a meal of comfort and home-spun luxury, or leave feeling clean and healthy but well-fed. It's not cheap, but it's reasonable, and you're paying for good-quality ingredients. Read the full review.
Deyo's Italian Bistro: 2 stars
83 E. Grandin Road, Maineville. 513-677-3396, www.deyositalianbistro.com
Deyo's Italian Bistro's food is made with care, and there are several winners on the menu, but there's nothing too surprising to choose from. The menu includes includes pizza, flatbread, sandwiches they call piadine and a short list of Italian classics. Read the full review.
Elephant Walk Injera and Curry House: 3 stars
170 W. McMillan Ave., Clifton Heights. 513-526-1555, http://elephantwalkcincinnati.weebly.com.
Here's a suggestion for trying the Ethiopian side of the menu at Elephant Walk, the Ethiopian-Indian restaurant in Clifton Heights: Get a combination platter. Trying to make sense of the menu is difficult unless you're already very familiar with Ethiopian food, but the combinations are like having someone else make the choices. Starting with them will give you a chance to at least try a small variety of dishes so you'll know what to order the next time you come – and if you're adventurous at all, you probably will want to come back. Read the full review.
La Poste Eatery and Wine Room: 3 stars
3410 Telford St., Clifton. 513-281-3663, www.laposteeatery.com
All the elements are there to make La Poste a destination for upscale dining. However, enough dishes fell short in some way that the food didn't quite match the four-star ambiance – or the prices. Read the full review.
MAY:
The Palace at the Cincinnati: 4 stars
601 Vine St., Downtown. 513-381-3000, www.palacecincinnati.com
The hush and ceremony at The Palace, the fine-dining restaurant at The Cincinnatian Hotel, create a backdrop that lets the food take center stage. The flavors are clear and captivating, juxtapositions were successful and traditions interestingly played with. Read the full review.
Dusmesh Indian Restaurant: 3 stars
944 Ludlow Ave., Clifton. 513-221-8900, www.dusmesh.com
For some time now my friends and readers have been telling me that Dusmesh is a cut above the general run of Indian restaurants. Everything was quite good, but I can't say I was immediately converted to my friends' insistence on Dusmesh's superiority – the menu is long, and there were a few dishes I hadn't seen elsewhere, but it's always hard to say with such a large menu if there might be gems I didn't choose. Read the full review.
Jean-Robert's Table: 5 stars
713 Vine St., Downtown. 513-621-4777, www.jrtable.com
Pouring it on is what Jean-Robert de Cavel does, if you'll excuse the pun. His food is lush and layered and filled-in. It's like those Chanel suits that are shortened, embellished and worn with pearls and chains and a diamond brooch: the basic silhouette is the original French classic, the interpretation is new. Read the full review.
JUNE:
Lin's Thai: 3 stars
6155 Glenway Ave., Westwood. 513-661-8080, www.thaifoodcincinnati.com
Lin's is definitely a cut above the usual. It's not fine-dining Thai or supertraditional, and there is nothing different about the ambiance and decor, but they have dishes I don't see everywhere, and the usual curries and noodles are very well-made, with delicate flavors and fresh vegetables. Read the full review.
The Presidents Room at the Phoenix: 4 stars
812 Race St., Downtown. 513-721-2260, www.thepresidentsrm.com
Chef Jeremy Luers has combined local German heritage with his Italian culinary training and experience, including stints at Boca and Enoteca Emilia. The two continental cuisines meet up in a menu that has the gravitas of tradition lightened with a modern sensibility. Read the full review.
JULY:
Favorites at Belterra Park: 3 stars
6301 Kellogg Road, Anderson Township. 513-232-8000, www.belterrapark.com
Favorites, the steak and Italian restaurant at Belterra Park racino, fills a niche other than a place for gamblers to celebrate a win. It provides an upscale place in an area that doesn't have a lot of restaurants, and you might consider meeting up with friends here before a concert. The food was good, and servers brought it with a bit of ceremony and an ability to pamper. Read the full review.
Maury's Tiny Cove: 1 star
3908 Harrison Ave., Cheviot. 513-662-2683, www.maurys-steakhouse.com
Maury's restaurant is an iconic spot that's part of the soul of Cincinnati, occupying the same building in Cheviot since original owner Maury Bibent opened it in 1949. It serves a mostly old-fashioned meat and potatoes menu, but it needs some work to make it the pride of Cheviot once again. Read the full review.
AUGUST:
Ando Japanese: 3 stars
5889 Pfeiffer Road, Blue Ash. 513-791-8687, www.andojapaneserestaurant.com
Ando has a deep, menu of authentic Japanese dishes to dig into. The menu of tempura, ramen, sukiyaki and plenty of sushi can appeal to all, but there's also a special, changing menu with more specialized Japanese dishes. Read the full review.
Wildflower Cafe: 3 stars
207 E. Main St., Mason. 513-492-7514, www.wildflowergourmetcafe.com
Wildflower is almost one of a kind in Mason and the northern suburbs: a locally owned restaurant with a homegrown personality. Owner Todd Hudson made a commitment to responsible, healthy food when he opened, an early advocate of local sourcing, using grass-fed meat and organic food. His hamburger is beloved, and even the more elaborate dishes are well within the bounds of mainstream modern cooking, though they all have a certain flair. Read the full review.
SEPTEMBER:
D. Burnham's: 3 stars
36 E. Fourth St., Downtown, in the Renaissance Hotel. 513-333-0000, www.marriott.com.
D. Burnham's, located in the new Renaissance Hotel, Downtown, does not feel like a cool, independent restaurant that happens to be in a hotel, like Metropole, or a fine-dining restaurant that lives up to a grand space, like Orchids. It's certainly more than utilitarian, though, with a comfortably lavish dining room and a menu of current classics. Read the full review.
A Tavola – Madeira: 4 stars
7022 Miami Ave., Madeira. 513-272-0192, www.atavolapizza.com
Both the original A Tavola location, and the new one in Madeira serve Neapolitan pizza from a wood oven, but the new Roman-style crust is available for now only at the Madeira location. It comes out of a massive deck oven imported from Italy called the Italforni Bull. Its crust is paper-thin. A soppressata pizza has a thin smear of the lovely light house tomato sauce, a bit of very sharp aged provolone, soppressata slices and neon-yellow banana peppers. Never order this pizza to go. Eat it the minute it comes from the kitchen, with some beer or wine, while its simple elements are still perfect. Read the full review.
Redondo Taqueria: 3 stars
1 Levee Way, Newport. 859-652-7260, www.redondolevee.com.
Street food is one of the most important influences on current restaurant menus. Hand-holdable bites wrap up a lot of flavor in a neat package, perfect for the modern grazing style of eating. Tacos are the most obvious example. Right now, there's nothing hotter than a small soft tortilla or two folded around some kind of braised or grilled meat with creative variations on salsa and other accompaniments. Redondo Taqueria at Newport on the Levee follows that formula. It's a good place for a few tacos before or after a movie, a full dinner after going to the Aquarium or a sandwich at lunch on the patio. Read the full review.
OCTOBER:
Blinkers Tavern: 3 stars
318 Greenup St., Covington. 859-360-0840, www.blinkerstavern.com.
It always makes me happy to find a place that takes care with those evergreens that most people like to eat. Deep-fried things, salads, pasta, steak and potatoes and chocolate for dessert always have been popular, and probably always will be. Blinker's in Covington is one of those places. It's not perfect, and there are some items that underwhelm, which tend to be the trendier ones. But it's a good place to settle in and have a good version of a dinner you've probably had before. Read the full review.
Riverside Korean: 3 stars
512 Madison Ave., Covington. 859-291-1484, www.riversidekoreanrestaurant.com.
Korean food is bold and spicy, with meats often in a sweet-salty-umami-rich marinade or sauce, hitting the tongue with a hard-core punch and deep, lingering flavor. It is the opposite of boring, and there is a certain dare-you aspect to the cuisine that appeals to the adventurous. Authentic and accessible, Riverside did a great job introducing Korean cuisine a few decades ago and has maintained its ethnic and foodie cred ever since. Read the full review.
Arnold's Bar & Grill: 3 stars
210 E. Eighth St., Downtown. 513-421-6234, arnoldsbarandgrill.com.
Owning Arnold's, which is not only the oldest restaurant/bar in town, but the location of many personal memories, is a big responsibility for Ronda Breeden, her son and daughter-in-law, the caretakers of this very special place. Their approach has been the right one; they haven't changed much, but fortunately, it's not the food that has to stay the same. Over the past few months, the menu has been edited but is still homey. Greek spaghetti and spaghetti and meatballs are still there, along with new dishes such as Very Deviled eggs, chicken and waffles, and a new seared salmon served with surprisingly delicious roasted radishes and quinoa for a note of new. Read the full review.
NOVEMBER:
Cozy's Cottage: 3 stars
6456 Cincinnati-Dayton Road, Liberty Township. 513-644-9365, www.cozyscottage.com.
This new restaurant in Liberty Township certainly has a well-defined self-image, calling itself "Cozy's Cottage: A quaint restaurant."
The menu is fairly short, with just a few entrees, sandwiches and meal-worthy salads. It falls into a category I think of as restaurant middle-brow, with some claim to culinary sophistication, but it is rather predictable: crab cakes, bruschetta, a salmon entree, steak, a fancy burger, tiramisu. It's great to see something that's independently owned and has personality in Liberty Township, where chains tend to rule. Read the full review.
Fireside Pizza: 3 stars
773 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills. 513-751-3473, www.facebook.com/FiresidePizzaWagon
Let's see: this restaurant started as food served in temporary locations. When it made the transition to a permanent home, it was to an out-of-the way, funky location. Customers order at the counter, then sit at communal tables. The simple menu features a favorite food that everybody has had and likes, done particularly well. It's priced simply and accessibly. And sometimes dessert food trucks stop by in the evening. I think it's safe to say that Fireside Pizza is the Eli's of pizza. Read the full review.
Szechuan Garden Bistro: 3 stars
1504 Dixie Highway, Park Hills. 859-491-0505, www.szechuangardenbistro.com
Alex Chin has been responsible for some excellent Chinese food in Cincinnati over the last 30 years or so at Pacific Moon and Lulu's, Shanghai Mama's and Suzy Wong's. Here, taking over a neon-signed Chinese restaurant that has been in business since 1982, he isn't trying to do fusion or be modern or flashy. But he's come up with a perfect menu, neither too familiar nor too exotic. There's sweet-and-sour pork and egg rolls for those who want to play it safe. But there are also a couple of sections of "traditional Chinese" dishes that range beyond the usual Chinese-American standards without going too deep into exotic territory. Read the full review.
Sprout Market and Eatery: 4 stars
941 Pavilion St., Mount Adams. 513-721-6977, www.sproutmtadams.com
At Sprout, you order at the counter from a short list of dishes. You take a number on a stand back to the table with you. But the food is good, the experience is enjoyable, and there is much to delight and surprise. I started by coming for lunch, and fell in love with the atmosphere of the room, which gives an overall impression of hip sustainability and a love of simple beauty. Read the full review.
Source: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/dining/2014/12/01/polly-campbells-year-reviews/19749237/