Cincinnati Magazine - April 2026 Edition

Botox Turns 24!

Jessica Watkins, PA-C at Mona Dermatology, shares how the world’s most popular cosmetic treatment got discovered by accident, and why it has continued to be a provider and patient favorite over two decades later.

The Evolution of Botox: Science, Safety, and Staying Power

Q: How was Botox discovered?

The history of Botox is quite interesting. The effects of botulinum were first noted in the late 1800s by a German scientist after a small outbreak of foodborne illness. While noting that the poison in high enough doses can prove fatal via its weakening actions on the nervous system, Dr. Justinus Kerner also recognized its paradox: perhaps there exists a therapeutic potential for treating muscle hyperactivity. Over the years, scientists eventually isolated the causative bacterial strains, Clostridium botulinum. They learned to purify the toxin produced by the bacteria so that it could be more closely studied. By the 1970s, the toxin was first used in humans during experimental treatments for eye muscle disorders. The results were amazing: using just a tiny amount, the target muscle was affected with good duration and no adverse side effects. By 1989, the FDA possessed enough data from 240 investigators to approve Botox for blepharospasm (eye twitching) and strabismus (crossed eyes).

Q: How did it become a cosmetic treatment?

Dr. Jean Carruthers, an ophthalmologist using Botox on her blepharospasm patients in the early 1990s, noticed the cosmetic potential of the treatment; her patients had (gasp!) decreased frown lines! She worked with her late husband, dermatologist Alistair Carruthers, to research the cosmetic use of Botox, and by 2002, the world’s most popular cosmetic treatment was born. It is now used by over 2.5 million people per year and has remained the top non-surgical treatment for over two decades.

Q: What can Botox treat?

Botox Cosmetic has four FDA-approved treatment areas: Glabellar (frown) lines, crow’s feet, forehead lines, and the latest indication, jawline and neck lines. There are also 12 medical FDA-approved indications that help people every day for debilitating conditions such as chronic migraines, excessive sweating, severe muscle spasms, and urinary incontinence. Now that we have robust clinical research, data, safety, and clinical experience in the real world, health care professionals across many cosmetic and medical specialties use Botox for a myriad of other “off label” uses. For example, as an injector I regularly treat the chin, D.A.O., bunny lines, masseter, lips, and gummy smile, just to name a few.

Q: What Botox trends do you anticipate in the future?

As a cosmetic dermatology PA who has been treating patients with Botox for 10+ years, I can say without a doubt that Botox is here to stay. Botox Cosmetic specifically has been described in more than 792 peerreviewed articles in scientific and medical journals, which puts it in a league of its own, especially compared to other cosmetic treatments.

With Botox paving the way, we have also seen an expansion of the toxin market to include other competing brands like Dysport, Daxxify, Xeomin, and more. Given a typical appointment by an expert injector takes less than 10 minutes, has no downtime, and produces rapid natural looking results, it’s no wonder that neurotoxin patients are repeat customers regardless of age demographic. Pairing that with ever-expanding medical uses, the Botox demand will certainly continue on its meteoric rise! A new fastacting Botox is even on the horizon and will hopefully make its appearance in late 2026.

Jawline and neck Botox has boomed since its 2024 FDA approval and will only continue to grow in popularity. We’re also seeing a rise in Botox being used as part of other treatments, such as mixing with hyaluronic acid serums in AquaGold facials. Using concentrated Botox injected into post-surgical scars has interesting utility and I think we will be seeing more of this in the future.

Jessica Watkins, PA-C’s Botox Treatment

“As a busy working mom, Botox offers a quick and easy way to look refreshed. I love doing a yearly laser or tightening treatment, but Botox is the one thing I never skip!”

Glabella: 20 units

Forehead: 6 units

Lateral Brow: 6 units

Crows Feet: 12 units

Lip Lines: 6 units

DAO: 5 units

Chin: 5 units

Jawline: 10 units

Platysmal Neck Bands: 20 units

ROCK ISLAND

HOMESTEADING IS WHERE THE HEART IS

Living more self-sustainably in the city connects us to something deeper and helps us build better communities. Here are dozens of ways to get started.

DANCING QUEEN P. 46

BY LAURIE PIKE

ICY HOT P. 50

and

12 / CONTRIBUTORS

12 / LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

FRONTLINES

15 / DISPATCH

Returning to the office and the impacts on downtown

16 / SPEAK EASY

Epco Runia on Rembrandt at the Taft

16 / THEATER

An acrobatic performance

18 / STYLE COUNSEL

A local stylist’s bold prints, patterns, and colors

19 / STOREFRONT

Covington’s romance bookstore

20 / ESCAPE

Nearby beauty day trips

22 / ON THE MARKET

Sustainable row house in OTR

24 / DR. KNOW

Your QC questions answered

COLUMNS

26 / LIVING IN CIN

Reevaluating the Reds Opening Day tradition BY JAY GILBERT

104 / CINCY OBSCURA

NKY’s Word Walk

Scavenger Hunt BY

CLAIRE LEFTON

DINE

78 / OFF THE MENU

Siblings make restaurants a family business

82 / ROAD TRIP

Serliana’s French-inspired fare, Indianapolis

84 / BAR BITES

Darts and drinks at downtown’s Flight Club

84 / TABLESIDE

Celebrating 30 years of Nicola’s with Cristian Pietoso

86 / FOODOGRAPHY

The making of Papas Candies’s Opera Cream Eggs

90 / DINING GUIDE

Greater Cincinnati

restaurants: A selective list

ON THE COVER illustration by MARTHA OLIVIA

Extra servings of our outstanding dining coverage.

Decoding our civic DNA, from history to politics to personalities.

Tracking what’s new in local real estate, artisans, and storefronts.

Coverage of the Reds, FC Cincinnati, and the Bengals’ draft.

Presented by Ategrity Insurance, Discover Local highlights the small businesses powering Greater Cincinnati.

Top Dentists 2026

The list of the region’s best dentists, as chosen by their peers. Learn more about some of those chosen and how they can improve your smile.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Fox

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Brianna Connock

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Carrie Blackmore, Jay Gilbert, Lisa Murtha, Laurie Pike, John Stowell, Linda Vaccariello, Jenny Wohlfarth, J. Kevin Wolfe

EDITORIAL INTERNS Ella Rose Johnston, Avery Padgett, Lela Walker, Claire Weston

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ART DIRECTORS Jessica Dunham, Stef Hadiwidjaja

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BUSINESS

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CIRCULATION

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HHERE’S MY HOT TAKE FOR THE MONTH: IT TAKES ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE TO MAKE the world go around. Did I blow your mind? No? Wait until I hit you with my next two: Grass is green, and the sky is blue. Let me explain why I’m being Captain Obvious.

I reached out to two of our favorite writers, Carrie Blackmore and Rodney Wilson, to help organize, research, and write “Homesteading Is Where the Heart Is” (page 32). I knew they were into self-sustainable living, but the depth of their knowledge and enthusiasm kind of surprised me. During an initial brainstorming Zoom call they gabbed about interesting local groups and people: “What about him?” “How about her?” “We need to highlight this organization.” “Can’t forget those classes.” Two realizations hit me immediately: I was way out of my league, and I was so happy they wanted to be involved.

Later, as they submitted their stories, I had my light-bulb moment. Why did Carrie, Rodney, Victoria Donohue (who joined the merry writing crew), and Senior Art Director Emi Villavicencio get so much joy and satisfaction from these sustainability efforts? I try to do my part by recycling and not being wasteful, but why didn’t I grow up with their fascination or develop it later in life? Answer: Because everyone is different.

Some of us are born into certain interests or lifestyles; Rodney writes in his essay about happy childhood years spent on his grandparents’ rural property. Some pick up new ideas in school, in the neighborhood, or through friends. And some encounter topics we don’t know anything about and say, I’m going to try that, and off we go.

My role in putting together this issue was to ask questions: Can you explain what that means? Is there a class for learning that skill? Is there a website for more information? Who can talk about the benefits of foraging, joining a community garden, building your own furniture, or growing native plants and vegetables? Throughout the process, I kept asking myself a question too: How can I get more involved in these things?

Start small, but start. Obviously.

JOHN FOX EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CONTRIBUTORS

MORGAN ANGELIQUE OWENS

Beauty influencer and writer Morgan Angelique Owens, a selfdescribed “boss babe,” explores day trips beyond Cincinnati that prioritize self-care for “Wellness Weekend” (page 20). Each location provides something different—from facials to skin analysis. What makes a trip a success in Owens’s eyes? Leaving feeling refreshed, receiving great customer service, and trying out innovative products that make you the best version of yourself.

TERRY KIRTS

A regular food reviewer and contributing editor for Indianapolis Monthly, Terry Kirts is passionate about exploring Central Indiana’s dining scene, discovering standout dishes, and helping diners navigate the city’s growing, diverse restaurants. In this issue, Kirts explores Chef Craig Baker’s inventive French fare at Serliana (page 82), dipping his fork into beef tenderloin tartare, croque Monsieur, and a signature French dip made with house jus.

Based in London, contributing illustrator Martha Olivia has loved to draw her entire life. For this issue’s cover, Olivia says she wanted to offer “a bit of a window” into urban homesteading (page 32)—from growing produce to raising chickens and selling eggs and more. Olivia’s designs are heavily inspired by nature and are rooted in patterns, resulting in rolling hills, lush vegetation, and a peek into the life of urban agronomists, agriculturalists, and everyone in between.

DOWNTOWN REBOUND

Are “return to office” policies enlivening activity in the urban core?

CEDRIC ROSE

WHILE THE COVID PANDEMIC DROVE UP REMOTE WORK AND office vacancy rates in downtowns nationwide, many employers have since called workers back to the office—including Fifth Third Bank, Cincinnati Financial, Great American Insurance, and Divisions Maintenance Group. As recently as January, Kroger instituted a five-day-a-week return-tooffice (RTO) policy, correlating physical presence to productivity, collaboration, and mentorship.

With offices filling up again, real estate developers are seeing increased demand. Take 3CDC. Christy Samad, its executive VP of civic & commercial space activation, recently noted the nonprofit real estate corporation’s interest in attracting tenants specifically with an in-office atmosphere. “3CDC’s core mission is to create vibrant neighborhoods,” she says. “What’s going to fuel that? People coming into offices five days a week who support businesses downtown and who stay to enjoy arts and entertainment. We’re seeing more residents downtown as well.”

Those relationships aren’t lost on Model Group, which has undertaken multiple office-to-residential con-

ON P. 16

versions. “We have a significant number of people who work at law firms and banks and Fortune 500 companies who go to the office downtown,” says CEO Bobby Maly. “Would they live here if their corporate headquarters were not here? Absolutely not. That has a direct, consequential impact on the success of real estate, which has an effect on the success of the neighborhood, which has an effect on how it feels when you live and work downtown.”

While many enjoy remote work’s freedom (and savings on child care and parking), others find home too distracting. But most agree that commuting sucks. A 2023 Redfin survey found that one in 10 home sellers were relocating due to RTO. While moving isn’t an option for everyone, “it’s one of many considerations shaping where people choose to live or locate their businesses,” says Anthony Cadle, economic development division manager for the city of Cincinnati, who also points out in-office employment’s positive impact on the city’s tax base.

laborative partner-forward,” she says. With more than 200 urban commercial real estate spaces, 3CDC isn’t out to micromanage anyone’s business, she adds. It just needs to know businesses will be open in districts that it will then devote resources to marketing and activating.“Activations” include events and amenities that draw people out. Programs, music, and dog parks are designed to entice people to go out after work “so they can stumble upon activity that drives vibrancy.”

Activating RTO Winterhaus on Fountain Square was a result of 3CDC’s own in-office, around-thewater-cooler culture.

Cincinnati “is seeing sustained interest in urban neighborhoods,” he says. “That trend existed before the pandemic and has persisted through it.” This interest tracks with 3CDC’s own parking garage data. In 2022, its transient and monthly parking increased by 41 percent over the previous year, when RTO picked up. Since 2019, central business district parking has increased 63 percent.

Samad partly attributes downtown’s growth “to this city being incredibly col-

THEATER

On a frigid Monday, I dipped into Kroger headquarters to see what its RTO policy looked like in practice. Groups of young people congregated en masse for lunch. Despite subzero temperatures, Court Street Plaza, on which 3CDC spent $5.5 million in 2021, was hopping. No man (or business) is an island, not even Onolicious Hawaii, which is where I sat down to eat. The dining room was packed. Manager Sean Satogata says the return of workers to Kroger HQ has definitely helped business. 3CDC was integral in the Hawaiian-style barbeque restaurant’s move downtown, says owner Vincente Benedett, both in its financial support but also “because of the many amazing restaurants down here that are 3CDC tenants.” Visitors are drawn to the overall food scene, he says, and to 3CDC’s activations. On warmer days, Satogata says there’s frequently something happening in the bright, vibrant alley adjacent to Onolicious’s Hawaiian-themed patio. “I think we’ve built a nice little community.”

CIRCUS ON STAGE

In a show of acrobatic entertainment, Water for Elephants —a musical adaptation of the best-selling 2006 book—makes its debut at the Aronoff Center April 21. Through May 3, cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/waterfor-elephants

REMBRANDT REVEALED

In February, the Taft Museum of Art welcomed a selection of prints created by world-renowned 17th century Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn. On loan from the Rembrandt House Museum in his hometown of Amsterdam, Rembrandt: Masterpieces in Black and White (on display through May 17) includes more than 300 etchings made of the acclaimed artist’s subjects. Head of Collections at the Rembrandt House Museum and Exhibition Curator Epco Runia shares how guests can engage with the collection and what the etchings tell us about Rembrandt’s storied artistic career.

How did you come to curate this exhibition?

I’m head of collections and research at the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, and these prints belong to our collection. We thought it might be nice to have a selection of some [50 of the total] 300 Rembrandt prints in our collection travel to the United States and especially here at the Taft Museum, [which is a] great venue and a great building to show these beautiful prints.

How did you choose the prints and etchings? What we wanted to tell

with this exhibition is how Rembrandt is interested in different kinds of subjects.

There are a few things like light and dark, which Rembrandt is very famous for, that he researched in his prints, and we thought it might be nice to show what these topics were in terms of his artistic goals. In that way, [we can] show people that these prints aren’t just reproductions but are real artworks in and ofthemselves.

How do you want people to interact with the prints? I love that the Taft Museum is supplying magnifying glasses for guests, because these prints are small and in black and white it might be difficult to have a real good look at them. The magnifying glass helps the viewer see all the details and see how Rembrandt made the image.

That’s one of the nice things about prints of Rembrandt’s—you can also always see the lines and how he’s building up these lines to create light or dark, and in that way the magnifying glass [is the best way to see it]. But also because there’s always one or two funny details in every print Rembrandt makes, because he was a little bit of a witty artist.

—CLAIRE LEFTON

We’ve been saying the F-WORD all over Cincinnati.

That’s right. Fentanyl.

lethal recreational drugs and knockoff medications have become, due to fentanyl lacing. It’s 100 times stronger than heroin, and it’s now a leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45. Join us and say the F-WORD to those you love and care about. Saying it today could save a life tonight.

Invite us to speak at your school or business — DOITFORJACK.ORG

Princess Wilcoxson

Occupation: Content crea tor, owner/stylist at Personal Bravery Agency

Style: Bold, colorful, feminine

Who inspires your fashion taste? Black men and Black women who have been putting it on since the beginning of time. Christopher John Rogers is one of my favorite designers. His stuff is just bursting with color. There’s Miss Lion Hunter, her name is Musemo Handahu. Phyllis Hyman’s style was just crazy—the colors of the hats, the lipstick, the earrings, everything was just on point. What do you like about styling people that made you want to make a career of it? First impressions are lasting impressions. People see what you look like before you even open your mouth. How do you stay confident and connected with fashion? I like to keep my ear to the ground. I love to read about fashion. I love to research anything on fashion. I follow pages like BOF [The Business of Fashion], Complex Style, [and] The Cut, just to keep myself updated on what’s happening in the industry and around me. What brands or stores do you shop at to elevate your style? I love a good thrift find, but Hilary MacMillan has been a go-to brand of mine, as they’re size-inclusive. I also love Black-owned brands: Something by Sonjia, Brandon Blackwood, Jibri, Kai Collective, and Zelie for She. In Cincinnati, there’s OATW [Ohio Against the World]. How important are accessories to your style? I feel like they can make or break a look. I love jewelry, specifically earrings, as I’ve had a short haircut for a good part of my journey. There is a jewelry maker that I love, her name is Lady Luck. She’s made a lot of pieces for me for Fashion Week, and those are the pieces I probably get the most compliments on.

—LELA WALKER

ROMANTIC READING

POOR CHARLOTTE’S BOOKS FILLS A HOLE IN GREATER CINCINNATI’S ROMANCE DESERT.

—ALEXANDRA FROST

Leslie Schicht was down about the state of the world last spring. “I was feeling stressed and unhappy,” she recalls. “I just needed some really good romance novels to read. Some escapism.”

She wanted someone to point her to new books and authors, but the nearest romance bookstore was in Louisville. Upon a deeper dive on Google Maps, she realized there was a true void in Greater Cincinnati to provide the escape she needed. Sure, she could have gone to a big-name bookstore, but there’s rarely someone who can talk in depth about the genre, she says, unless you get lucky.

So Schicht took matters into her own hands, attended a business seminar at the Kenton County Library, and connected with Aviatra Accelerators, a nonprofit supporting women entrepreneurs. “I kept waiting for something to stop me,” she says. “Nothing did.”

She opened Poor Charlotte’s Books in Covington in October and currently operates a semi-permanent pop-up space in the Aviatra building on Pike Street. She offers all manner of romance books, including subgenres spanning historical to paranormal to fantasy and beyond. Within each subgenre, the store has LGBTQ+ titles, as well as books by self-published indie authors and a small nonfiction section. “I try to be intentional

about carrying diverse voices and stories representative of diverse experiences,” she says.

On a normal day, you’ll find customers seeking out hardto-find books on the shelves or newbies perusing the selection. The shop hosts cozy silent reading parties on the second and fourth Thursdays of the month. “We offer themes around love and community, acceptance, and perseverance,” says Schicht. “I joke that it’s non-trauma fiction.”

Expect to find popular titles like Heated Rivalry and The Long Game as well as authors with local ties, including Emily Henry and Christen Randall. “Lately, readers have been excited about the TV/romance cross-

overs,” says Schicht. (In addition to Heated Rivalry, Henry’s People We Meet on Vacation was recently released as a Netflix movie.) “Our book club is reading an excellent debut from Jaysea Lynn titled For Whom the Belle Tolls.” For those who can’t find the title they’re looking for, Schicht says that Poor Charlotte’s will place special orders. As for those who don’t know where to begin, she likes to ask people what their preferred “spice level” is before recommending a book.

GOOD TO KNOW Poor Charlotte references the main character in E.M. Forster’s Room With a View. “What if poor Charlotte had a place like this where she could be herself, and read a dirty book,” Schicht asks.

and the Soothe Facial is my go-to. It calms, hydrates, and instantly revives the skin, making it the perfect choice if you’re feeling dry, stressed, or just need a quick refresh. What sets Ultraceuticals apart is its facial skin analysis, which takes the guesswork out of skincare. A licensed esthetician walks you through exactly what your skin needs and tailors the treatment accordingly. It will leave you glowing before you even hit the highway.

INDIANAPOLIS

Indianapolis is one of those cities that quietly delivers when it comes to wellness. Bella Wellness and Aesthetics is a standout stop, offering a range of services that allows you to build a full wellness experience in one place.

1: Ultraceuticals.

2: Owens receiving a treatment at Bella Wellness.

3: Monarch Aesthetic Medicine’s team of aestheticians.

When life moves nonstop, the idea of a getaway can sound more exhausting than relaxing. But some escapes don’t require a plane ticket or a full weekend away. Whether you’re prepping for travel, resetting after a busy season, or simply prioritizing yourself, these beauty and wellness destinations within two hours of Cincinnati prove that self-care can be intentional, efficient, and still feel luxe.

SYCAMORE TOWNSHIP

Every great wellness day starts with skin, and Ultraceuticals inside Kenwood Towne Centre is the ideal first stop before heading out of town. Its 20-minute facial is designed for impact without the time commitment and is perfect before a flight, a long drive, or as the foundation of a beauty-focused day trip. I’m a firm believer in starting the day with a fresh base,

First, try the IV drip therapy. This is ideal for hydration, energy, and overall balance. There are various drips you can choose from, from beauty to energy, and even weight loss. Bella Wellness also offers body fat dissolving treatments for targeted sculpting, along with hair restoration services for those focused on longterm beauty and confidence. The ability to enjoy multiple treatments, grab a nourishing meal nearby, and still make it home by evening makes Indy an easy beauty escape. You’ll leave feeling restored rather than rushed.

COLUMBUS

If you’re looking for more of a “total glow up” beauty and wellness day, Columbus is another excellent

option. Monarch Aesthetic Medicine offers a structured, results-driven experience that blends technology with personalized care. A full wellness day here starts with a VISIA Skin Analysis, which is an imaging system that captures three photos of your face to assess both surface and under-the-surface concerns, such as redness, texture, fine lines, and pigmentation. Next up, get a Diamond Glow facial paired with derma-planing and finish with a jelly mask. This threein-one resurfacing treatment exfoliates, extracts, and infuses custom serums into the skin, delivering immediate radiance. It’s the perfect option before a big event or anytime you want to lock in a lasting glow. To finish the day, Monarch is known as the region’s No. 1 Dysport

standalone medspa. Dysport is a neurotoxin like Botox; it relaxes targeted muscles to soften fine lines and wrinkles. This will give you a refreshed, natural-looking result and the perfect final touch before heading home.

Ultraceuticals

Kenwood Towne Centre, 7875 Montgomery Rd., Sycamore Township, ultraskinhub.com

Bella Wellness and Aesthetics

9550 Whitley Dr., Suite C, Indianapolis, bellawellness andaesthetics.com

Monarch Aesthetic Medicine

4632 Sawmill Rd., Columbus, monarch-aesthetic.com

ROAD TRIPS DON’T MEAN YOUR BEAUTY ROUTINE HAS TO TAKE A BACKSEAT. HYDRATION IS KEY.

Tips for beginning your wellness weekend on the road. —M.A.O.

Keep a water bottle within reach and add a hydrating facial mist to refresh your skin without needing a full stop. Your lips and hands tend to dry out first, so stash a rich lip balm and nourishing hand cream in your center console for easy reapplication. Wear a pair of disposable nursing gloves while driving to lock in moisture and arrive with softer, more hydrated hands. Sun protection matters even in the car. UV rays can penetrate windows, so a lightweight SPF or tinted sunscreen helps protect your skin while keeping your complexion even. For hair, opt for low-manipulation styles and carry a satin scarf or bonnet to reduce friction and preserve moisture during long drives. Lastly, keep a small “beauty-onthe-go” pouch with blotting papers, deodorant wipes, and a mini fragrance to stay fresh from driver’s seat to destination. Looking good on arrival is part of the journey. ESSENTIALS BEAUTY BASICS

At Hotel Covington, honoring history goes hand-in-hand with building community — from the preservation of our storied building to the locally driven culinary experience at Coppin’s. By celebrating regional makers, embracing sustainability, and creating spaces where people naturally gather, we reflect the spirit of modern urban homesteading grounded in stewardship, authenticity, and shared experience.

GOING PLATINUM

AN OVER-THE-RHINE ROW HOUSE FEATURES SUPERIOR SUSTAINABILITY AND EXTRAVAGANT AMENITIES. —JEANA HARRIS

IF A MUSICIAN SELLS MORE THAN 1 MILLION copies of an album, the record is certified platinum. (Elvis Presley holds the record for the most, with a whopping 57.) But platinum isn’t just a benchmark of success in the music industry. Homes can be certified as LEED Platinum—the highest designation by the U.S. Green Building Council—for superior sustainability and energy efficiency, with environmental awareness woven throughout design and construction. A row house from 1875 seems an unlikely candidate for such a prestigious designation, but one such hidden gem exists in Over-the-Rhine.

Located near bustling Findlay Market, a property with private outdoor space almost sounds like an oxymoron. Yet behind an unassuming, charcoal gray brick facade

there’s a beautiful relationship between interior and exterior. The home’s main living area is bright and open thanks to an abundance of natural light. Past the kitchen, glass accordion doors allow a seamless transition out to the courtyard. The effect is “striking,” says listing agent Roxanne Qualls. “At least three seasons out of the year, it creates this ability to have an outdoor living space that’s totally private and totally enclosed.”

There are 1,200 square feet of private exterior space, from the courtyard to decks on the second floor and rooftop. When you’re not enjoying the fresh air, the home offers enviable features— like heated floors, Lutron lighting, and automated blinds—across its two-bed, two-and-a-half bath, 3,656-squarefoot interior. An elevator reaches all floors, including the basement gym/ wine cellar. It’s a space that feels historic, punctuated by original stone and a brick archway, all hidden away beneath the sidewalk.

Elsewhere, the use of high-quality finishes ensures that the home’s heritage will endure for years to come. Contemporary in design and luxurious in quality, Maistri Italian cabinetry outfits the kitchen alongside double islands, ample counterspace, and Thermador appliances. Findlay Market vendors are mere minutes away.

QHasbro says it will release a Cincinnatithemed Monopoly game in the fall and suggests it’s the first officially-licensed version. But I bought a Monopoly, Cincinnati Edition in 1998! It says “licensed by Hasbro” and has all of the copyrighted logos and pieces. Is Hasbro lying?

Dr. Know is Jay Gilbert, radio personality and advertising prankster. Submit your questions about the city’s peculiarities at drknow@cincinnati magazine.com

River.” That’s worse than jail, actually.

By contrast, the images you sent of your 1998 Monopoly, Cincinnati Edition show direct copying of the real thing. We see the mustachioed Mr. Moneybags and Jail and Chance, plus all the playing pieces matching the game’s familiar set of head-scratching random items (a wheelbarrow, really?). And, hey, they spelled “Procter” correctly. It’s all legal, because the fine print states that it is “under license from Hasbro, Inc., ©1998.”

Hasbro probably just forgot about the 1998 game during an extended stay in Jail. Your old game came from a company called USAopoly, which today sells licensed Monopoly games based only on popular movies, TV shows, and toys. Hasbro now plans to re-launch many city-themed Monopoly games, which is probably a first step before selling the actual cities to private equity firms. Go directly to Gentrification.

When I’m at a Cincinnati parking meter/kiosk that doesn’t work (the display is totally faded or my credit cards get no response), what should I do? Leave a note? Make a video of me trying to pay? I want to avoid having to contest a ticket in a courtroom. What’s the proper way? —PARKING UP THE WRONG TREE

DEAR TREE:

Warning: Do not make a video of yourself trying to pay, however cinematic and Emmy-worthy it may be. This only proves that you have your phone, which could easily use the Cincy EZPark app to pay. The Doctor suggests downloading it now. You do not want to be standing at a broken parking meter in the rain as you try to enter your credit card number, expiration date, security code, and most recent blood test results.

DEAR INDIRECTLY:

Numerous Cincinnati versions of Monopoly have come and gone featuring the usual suspects: Fountain Square, Skyline, I-75 at a standstill, etc. But they avoid any lawsuit-triggering similarities to the real game. “Chance” cards, for instance, are “Contingency” cards. “Jail” is “Ohio

A few people still use coins, but the city of Cincinnati now receives the vast majority of its parking revenue the old-fashioned way: via the internet. Credit cards insert, swipe, or tap; phones and watches softly squiggle; the extra fee is small. If none of

these options are available to you at a defective meter, you can hope for a benevolent cop and leave a note on your windshield. (What? You’ve got pen and paper?) The city representative we spoke with, though, suggested to simply look for another parking space. Groesbeck, perhaps?

I hope you aren’t annoyed by questions about strange-looking houses. I regularly pass a home on Compton Road in Wyoming and just have to know more about it. It’s not run-down or weird; in fact I think it’s uniquely beautiful. What’s up with it? —PROPERTY DRUTHERS

DEAR DRUTHERS:

We thank all our readers who submit their questions with attached photos and documentation. The Doctor is a very lazy busy person who appreciates the time-saving support, and he looks forward to a time when this column’s budget allows for images other than a lead illustration and a caricature. This is especially true concerning the house you have noticed.

Ironically, if you had subscribed to Cincinnati Magazine in June 2009 you would have seen our several-page pictorial celebrating the Wyoming home of Bennie and Ruth Shepard. They moved there in the 1980s, traveled widely, and carted home items and artifacts from all over. Their discoveries have become part of their inner and outer walls, windows, garage, and garden. Some inspirations came from large items found along curbs on trash day.

Ruth, who passed away last year, was a teacher and well-regarded gardener (honored by the Cincinnati Historical Society). Bennie, a retired Cincinnati firefighter, still works with wood, stone, and paint. He’s proud of his property and will happily negotiate its inclusion in the new local version of Monopoly.

LIVING IN CIN

BY JAY GILBERT

A Legend... or Not

ONE OF CINCINNATI’S MOST CHERISHED BASEBALL MEMORIES IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.

IIT’S OPENING DAY 1939! WELCOME TO OUR TRADITIONAL BASEBALL-LOVING, FAN-PARADing, school-skipping, merch-selling orgy! Cincinnati is once again overdoing what it has always overdone. For one glorious afternoon, troubles of a lingering Great Depression and looming world war do not exist. Only baseball matters, and what matters most is that our Cincinnati Reds, America’s first professional team, will once again stand at the center of the baseball universe by playing the day’s only game!

All of the other National League and American League teams have to wait until tomorrow, except for the Pittsburgh Pirates, this year’s opposition. It’s the world as it should be. This day isn’t for just anybody—this one belongs to the Reds.

Now, sadly, Cincinnati’s lock on the launch of baseball season is gone. The last time

we had the day to ourselves was in 1994. First games happen mostly in other cities now, and sometimes even in other countries. This year’s opener, for example, was an interleague matchup of Yankees vs. Giants in San Francisco—a night game, just for spite. The next day, four games were already underway before the Reds got to throw their first pitch.

There’s a reason I’m throwing these gloomy facts at you. I’m hoping they will help you more readily absorb a much gloomier statistic I am about to drop. I trust that you’ll be able to withstand this historical truth and accept a much deeper, dimmer reality about our town’s beloved Opening Day.

Let’s start with the undeniably good part: It is absolutely true that the Reds, unlike any other MLB team, have long enjoyed the honor of playing their first game at home. Extremely rare exceptions have been due to Acts of God, Acts of Union Bosses, or Acts of Team Owners. You decide who was more powerful. The point is that our guys, our Reds, always started the season in our town. And they mostly still do, even if it isn’t always on the season’s first day any more.

BUT THERE’S SOMETHING ELSE. SOMEwhere back in time, an extra component was added to the Opening Day glory story. It says that the Reds not only started every season at home but that the game was the only game played that day. People may disagree about when the tradition of exclusivity ended, but the wide consensus is that it definitely existed back there somewhere.

Well, I’m sorry, but here comes the truth, with the numbers to back it up: The Cincinnati Reds almost never played the only baseball game on Opening Day. There is no long or short timespan anywhere of the team’s repeated exclusivity—not even two years in a row. If you weep over the loss of our stand-alone Opening Days, stop. The only reason we enjoyed the 1939 scenario I described above was because rain canceled a Yankees/Senators game in Washington, D.C.

I have closely researched every Opening Day since the year 1903, the first year of a World Series between recognizable American and National leagues. From that season

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LIVING

IN CIN

until the final time in 1994, the Reds had Opening Day all to themselves a total of six times. That’s six out of 91. None of them were back to back. Three of them happened only because another game somewhere else got rained out. This means that Ma-

tree. If you’re someone who always believed it, think of the contrary evidence you’ve had to ignore. You enjoyed a Redsonly day in 1981, but over the next 13 years did you not notice all the other Opening Day games played? There were 67 of them,

IT’S HARD TO SAY WHEN THE MYTH TOOK HOLD. I HEARD IT

WHEN I MOVED HERE IN THE 1970S, AND CINCINNATI NATIVES

SURELY HEARD

IT IN THEIR YOUTH.

jor League Baseball intentionally planned a standalone Opening Day game for the Cincinnati Reds a grand total of three times: 1973, 1981, and 1994.

I don’t know how the myth got started, and I don’t blame anyone for never questioning it. It’s powerful and comforting, like George Washington and the cherry

all right there on the sports pages. Well, that just means our exclusivity was before 1981!

OK, let’s go to the previous Reds-only day in 1973 and check the years up to 1981. Hmm...the sports pages showed 14 other Opening Day games played, including 1978 when the Reds weren’t even on the roster.

Well, that means our exclusivity was before 1973!

Sorry, no it wasn’t. I don’t want to rub your face in this, but you should also know that between 1903 and 1994, the baseball season started 17 times without the Reds at all. Most of those snubs were scheduled that way.

It’s hard to say when the myth took hold. I heard it when I moved here in the 1970s and had no reason to doubt it, which is surely true of Cincinnati natives who heard it in their youth. It fi ts the larger narrative so well, and it has support in print. Owner Marge Schott casually mentioned it in a 1992 interview. A semiofficial book, Opening Day: Celebrating Cincinnati’s Baseball Holiday , by John Erardi and Greg Rhodes, makes the claim in its introduction: “The Reds are the only team that opens each season at home, and for many years Cincinnati had the day to itself.” That’s only true if “for many years” means six times out of almost 100, with

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three due to rainouts.

This is not a slam at John and Greg. Their book was published in 2004, when only some of the relevant data was online. They had to go to libraries, turn fragile pages in newspapers and books, and scroll through miles of microfilm. By 2026 I was able to retrieve most every piece of supporting information I needed while pushing away two cats at my desk.

Here’s why even an attentive historian could have missed things 20 years ago: The many websites featuring Opening Day details list the games that were played but not the ones that were called off. For instance, the year 1951 shows a Reds-exclusive game on Opening Day without noting yet another Yankees/Senators rainout in Washington, D.C. I discovered these important details by looking up sports pages from other cities. Cincinnati papers tended to bury such things in their orgasmic Opening Day sections. Back when John and Greg prepared their book, distant

newspapers online with searchable text barely existed. In 2026, though, I found this stuff in my underwear.

CINCINNATI LIVES WITH KNOWING THAT our peak years of national impact have passed. We were once America’s meatpacking capital. We were major players in brewing, machine tools, safes, toys, flags, printing, broadcasting, and numerous popular home products. Cincinnati built the first vaults protecting the gold at Ft. Knox and the Declaration of Independence in Washington. Our advances in firefighting and alarm systems saved countless lives. Our city launched, and then lost, companies like Kahn’s, Formica, Jergens, Baldwin, Billboard, Brunswick, and many others.

Cincinnati has faced, survived, and overcome wounds much more painful than losing the front of the line for Opening Day. The Reds still start every season at home, which I’m confident will continue. The popular view says this tradition began as

an honor bestowed upon the nation’s first professional team, but as long as I’m going around debunking legends here’s another truth: The real reason was money. Almost all of a baseball team’s income back in the day came from ticket sales, with opposing teams sharing the take. Unlike other cities, Cincinnati’s unique mania over Opening Day guaranteed overflowing stands every year, so why change things? Season schedulers kept doing it. It became a habit. Eventually it was called a tradition.

That tiny truth is a less romantic one than the legend. Does it make Opening Day any less wonderful for you? Not me. I’m OK with Cincinnati’s loud and proud afternoon being exactly what it is instead of something it never was.

I didn’t discover the city’s love affair with Opening Day until I was an adult, and for me it’s been like a free extra childhood. Cincinnati will forever own this magical day, which isn’t for any other town or any other team. This one belongs to the Reds.

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Homesteading Is Where the Heart Is

Living more selfsustainably in the city connects us to something deeper and helps us build better communities. Here are dozens of ways to get started.

Urban Pioneer

There’s a satisfaction in self-sustainable living that goes beyond a garden’s yield. It’s a connection to something much deeper. —Rodney Wilson

The term homesteading is closely tied to a way of life that seems diametrically opposed to modern urban existence, rooted in the Homestead Act of 1862, which encouraged and supported westward expansion. Contemporary usage typically harkens back to settler sentiments, with social media influencers broadcasting throwback activities like butter churning and goat wrangling.

What does any of that have to do with life in Cincinnati circa 2026? I often pose this question to myself and my closest contacts. I’ve actively done homestead-y things for the better part of the last two decades, but I can trace an inclination toward self-sustenance back to my suburban Northern Kentucky childhood. Time spent at my grandparents’ Alexandria property imbued me with a sense of wonder as I came to understand how their sprawling garden beds, dense grapevines, and buzzing boxes of honeybees supplied not only nourishment but a sense of identity.

Later, taking an environmental biology class at Northern Kentucky University, I was inspired to start a modest garden of my own. I filled it with underperforming tomatoes, stalks of sweet corn that delighted area raccoons, and more green beans than I could ever eat.

Some 10 years later, the urge to give gardening another go emerged with a vengeance in northern Ohio. My wife and I moved our family-owned coffeeshop from MainStrasse Village to Kent, where we raised our kids in a tidy brick home with a spacious corner lot for a backyard. Lake effect winters make summer all the sweeter in that part of the state, and during our mid-year outside time we got the notion to start a little orchard with a few apple and pear trees, followed by a bed of berry bushes.

Emboldened by dreams of canned apples and blueberries by the handful, we grabbed our shovels and set to work on the rest of the yard, establishing beds of herbs, grains, and vegetables. We built a little chicken coop and purchased a quartet of laying hens, started baking our own bread, and took to making staples like mayonnaise and butter. Even though we lived within walking distance of a few grocery stores, we embraced these activities with gusto.

tight and a job offer with F+W Media was extended to me, we bought a little brick home on Cincinnati’s east side and settled into a 9-to-5 life.

My wife started volunteering at a farm down the road, and we caught a glimpse of just how far we might take this homesteading thing. Here our story diverges from many like-minded folks. We sold our business of 12 years to some passionate employees and moved into a Civil War–era farmhouse in central Kentucky. There, alongside my parents, our little family raised fruits and vegetables and pastured chickens, pigs, and a couple of cows. For a few years, we eked out a living selling goods at the farmers’ market, but when money got

We tried to be normal suburbanites, I swear. It lasted a year—at which point we tilled up the backyard and planted everything from tomatoes and onions to eggplant. When the pandemic hit, we buried our front lawn in topsoil and put in native plants to support the neighborhood birds and butterflies. We ordered a small flock of chicks from Mt. Healthy Hatchery to raise in the basement shower stall and emptied our garage of leftover lumber to build a backyard coop. Like everyone else, we baked a lot of sourdough bread.

Yard Work Front-yard gardens? Backyard chickens? Give it a try, say homesteading veterans.

Working as an editor for Hobby Farms magazine at the time, I witnessed a wellspring of interest in self-reliance during the pandemic, and I loved seeing people get their first flock or bake their debut bread loaf. For all its horrors, the pandemic gave a lot of people the time and the will to exert some control over how they care for themselves. Urban homesteading had a real moment during those uncertain years.

And I think that moment can help us better understand what urban homesteading means to people who embrace the mindset. When supply chains strained during the pandemic and grocery shelves became unpredictable, it made a lot of sense to start a kitchen garden and capture wild yeast in a sourdough starter. I imagine the victory gardeners of WWII and my grandparents were after something similar when they broke soil to grow food. And today, as we collectively grapple with expensive grocery prices, I expect people to start eyeing their backyards yet again for garden space and, just maybe, a spot to keep a small flock of chickens.

continued on page 36

Local Laws for Homesteading

Here’s how to grow crops and raise chickens in urban jurisdictions.

—RODNEY WILSON

Let’s say you’re interested in getting started with urban homesteading projects but you’re not sure what you’re legally allowed to do. That’s smart to think about before jumping in headfirst. Luckily, there are some clear regulations at the state and county levels to operate by, with cities weighing in on many issues.

There are no laws on either Ohio or Kentucky books forbidding gardening, though there are no right-to-garden laws either, which means that certain areas may be subject to city ordinances or HOA bylaws. The city of Cincinnati’s Municipal Code lays clear rules and regulations for urban agriculture in chapter 1422: “Gardens may be grown in all zoning districts,” but may not exceed 20,000 square feet of cultivated land; more than that and you’re a farm. You also can’t use commercial agricultural equipment bigger than the size of an economy car in an urban garden.

Backyard chickens have grown in popularity in recent years, but laws about keeping them in urban or suburban areas vary city by city. In Cincinnati, chickens are permitted within certain legal requirements regarding the number of animals, proper accommodations, and location of structures. One rooster is permitted for every 15 hens. These rules also pertain to ducks, quail, doves, and other smaller birds. The municipal code addresses keeping bees, rabbits, turkeys, goats, and other species. In Covington, meanwhile, you’re allowed to keep chickens as long as they’re not within 100 feet of another residence. Keeping chickens is not allowed in Newport.

What if you have a bumper crop of tomatoes one year or too many eggs during peak laying season? While you may consider preserving extra produce or giving away extras, Ohio does have a “roadside stand” designation that can allow you to sell a single type of low-risk food (such as eggs, maple syrup, or fresh vegetables) at the site of production. If you seek to sell more than one type of low-risk food, though, you’ll need to either obtain a retail food establishment license or register as a “farm market” with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. My advice: Gift extras to your neighbors.

Just as a home is not by definition a house, homesteading is not the same as housekeeping. In a way I feel like my family has tended our “home” across multiple properties, which can maybe explain why we keep tearing up yards to grow food.

If and when we move, I’m confident the property will have ample space for gardens and compost bins, just as I know I’ll check local ordinances to ensure backyard chicken flocks are permitted. I’ve also learned from our experience in this house and will seek

Give and Take

Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard connects with indigenous ancestors while she nourishes the Earth. —Carrie Blackmore

When Briana Mazzolini-Blanchard tends to the plants growing on her property in Price Hill, her mind sometimes wanders to her great grandmother Ana, who once collected plants in the jungles of Guåhan. Their people, the CHamoru, called the Pacific Ocean island home long before explorers claimed it for Spain in the 1500s and ushered in 300 years of foreign rule. The island was ceded to the U.S. after the Spanish-American War in 1898 and became known as Guam.

While some of her relatives still live in her great grandmother’s village, Mazzolini-Blanchard built a life in Ohio. But in her garden, she says, she can connect with her ancestors and pass down traditions to her 9-year-old son. “I come from a matrilineal line of medicine women, healers who knew how to use plant medicine and, in reciprocity with the land, how to respectfully take and give.”

came obsessed with sunchokes, and now swaps the highly nutritious tubers with potatoes in as many recipes as she can. “Call it a plant sanctuary, a life sanctuary,” she says. “We see so many different animal relatives and bugs and birds that now find their home in our large front lawn.”

Mazzolini-Blanchard is executive director of the Urban Native Collective, the region’s only nonprofit organization focused on supporting an estimated 98,000 indigenous people here. The coalition hosts community events, houses a lending library, and advocates and educates for indigenous causes like cultural land protection, treaty rights, and climate justice from the Native Sovereignty Center in Northside. The coalition also builds and honors indigenous ways of growing with its Urban Garden Project, currently growing on two sites (CAIN in Northside and Gorman Heritage Farm in Evendale). They’re always welcoming volunteers.

The land itself is a relative, she says, not a resource, and certainly not something to be exploited. She doesn’t refer to what she’s doing as homesteading but as indigenous growing.

Three years ago, Mazzolini-Blanchard and her husband James (of the Monacan People, indigenous to Virginia) tilled up their entire front lawn to plant food and medicine—yarrow to combat inflammation and broad plantain, usually considered a weed, to be chewed up and applied to heal a burn, cut, or eczema. Last season, she be-

“Our ways of growing, planting, and living have really measurable impacts on the improvements in soil health and positive improvements to our ecosystems,” says Mazzolini-Blanchard.

She says it’s possible for people to wake up and acknowledge the damage we have been doing to the Earth. “I believe the answers are right in front of us, knowledge that’s been carried down for thousands and thousands of years. We have to have radical hope to believe there is a better tomorrow.” urbannativecollective.org

out a south-facing roof so we can consider installing solar panels to deliver our electricity, just as we’ve worked to reduce our dependence on a faulty food system. Home, as a concept, is too important to be subjected to full reliance on the frantic consumer capitalism of our modern age. Home should buck the notion that we become through buying; rather, it’s something we are allowed and empowered to make and sustain. Now more than ever, when volatility is the new norm for politics and market

forces, home should be steady. And so, not in spite of but because we live within the chaos of a bustling urban core, we homestead. And just as home means something slightly different to each person, homesteading can also look different for each of us. Is it growing herbs in a kitchen window for delicious meals? Of course. Building a sturdy chair to offer a neighbor during a porch chat? Heck yeah. Composting kitchen scraps to create Earth-friendly garden soil? For sure. Foraging mushrooms for a

hyperlocal treat? Yes. One of the most common things my wife and I hear when we’re working in the front garden is, “That looks like a lot of work,” to which we always quip, “It beats mowing!” And while we do spend sweaty hours cutting back sprawling hop vines and pulling weeds, I wouldn’t necessarily use the word work to describe our efforts. In tending our urban garden, we’re preserving what’s most important to us: our home. farmish.substack.com

Living off the Land

Indiana homesteader Ande Schewe shares his bounty and his knowledge. —Carrie Blackmore

Every day, Ande “the Elf” Schewe looks for what he calls “phenoms” on his 16-acre homestead near Versailles, Indiana. One day, it might be a perfectly ripe pawpaw. Another, a newly opened flower. Or how his greenhouse, which is connected to his home, can hold a temperature around 60 degrees when it’s nearly freezing outside.

“Phenoms are things that call to you to look at them a little closer,” says Schewe, who is entering the 16th growing season on his “Elfstead,” with his two border collies, Othello and Sheba; 22 chickens; and a small maintenance team of goats. His homestead follows a textbook permaculture design, organized in a series of zones that begin inside the house and radiate out to the property’s furthest points.

A fusion of the words “permanent” and “agriculture,” permaculture is a method of land management and a way of life that can allow humans to live in a place permanently, he says, without destroying the Earth and ourselves in the process. Through the years, he’s learned to nurture the plants and animals that live in countless microclimates throughout his property, arranging each zone based on the amount of human energy necessary to manage it and his own needs for survival.

“Take my chicken coop, for example. I’m going to tend to it every day, so I want to put it near the house,” explains Schewe, who’s been an instructor at the Cincinnati Permaculture Institute in Price Hill since 2008. “Knowing that I’m going to the chicken coop every day, I’m going to plant things along that route that I’ll want to observe every day.”

Growing up in Greenhills, Schewe spent much of his childhood in Winton Woods, and his father, a meteorologist and air qual-

Finding Balance Ande Schewe and his chicken Graywolf coexist with nature on their Indiana homestead.

“I get to help people understand what the land wants to do and communicate what people want to do with the land, to figure out a way forward that merges the two.”

ity expert, kept him up on the environmental issues of the day. He was about 10 years old when a large section of forest became Forest Fair Mall in the late 1980s. “That really aff ected me as a kid,” he says. “Not a very fair thing to do to the forest.”

He was studying natural resources at Hocking College and commercial art at Antonelli College when he took a summer trip to Australia and found himself in front of a bulletin board in Brisbane announcing a three-day course on permaculture. He enrolled. “My world shifted, because it gave me a lot of things to say yes to,” he says. “There’s a certain draining energy when you’re always seeing the problems of the world but not addressing them.”

An artist and creative thinker, Schewe says an early draw to the permaculture lifestyle was his desire to never be a starving artist. He continues living this way because “it feels right.” What he can’t grow or produce, he trades. Venison in exchange for American hazelnuts, Tulsi holy basil, or dried nettles. A willow tree to supply materials for his current weaving obsession in exchange for a hand with some physical labor.

And Schewe says he’s producing a surplus, an important principle of permaculture. What he doesn’t need, he shares. “I get to help people understand what the land wants to do and communicate what people want to do with the land, to figure out a way forward that merges the two.”

cincinnatipermacultureinstitute.org

how to test Your soil

Set yourself up for a bountiful harvest, but make sure you’ve got good dirt first.

—CARRIE BLACKMORE

If you want to grow healthy food, you want to start with healthy soil, and a soil test is an inexpensive way to do just that. If you are growing in the ground, testing can maximize productivity, protect you and the environment, and should be the first thing done before planting your first seed, says Kymisha Montgomery, urban agriculture coordinator at the Civic Garden Center. “If you’re not focusing on what’s feeding your plants, then you are missing the whole point,” she says, noting that testing isn’t as necessary with raised beds because the gardener would be creating their own soil composition.

A standard soil test measures soil pH and the level of phosphate, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in the soil. Penn State Extension Office offers mail-in testing for $10 and offers recommendations for reaching optimum soil health.

Other kinds of soil tests can be performed for additional fees, according to the Ohio State Extension. A textural analysis determines the percentages of sand, silt, and clay in the soil, which is useful because soil texture impacts nutrient retention, root growth, water movement, and other factors.

Further testing should be considered based on your situation. Beyond the standard test, the Ohio State Extension Office recommends an initial assessment of soil texture, salinity, and micronutrients if plants are being grown in a new area with no prior history of fertilizer use or soil amendments. If heavy metal toxicity is a concern, a soil test for heavy metals is recommended.

Three good reasons to test your soil:

Safety. The whole reason you’re growing healthy food is to become more healthy, says Montgomery. Cincinnati has an industrial past, and therefore testing for heavy metals might be wise. The Hamilton County Health Department provides free lead tests for soil, and OSU charges $18 for heavy metal testing that includes lead, arsenic, and cadmium. Other heavy metals of greatest concern include chromium, nickel, mercury, and molybdenum.

Know what to grow. Different varieties of plants thrive in different types of soil. Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale, and turnips) like a higher concentration of nitrogen, for example, while sweet potatoes like low soil acidity. Soil samples can be tested any time of year, as long as the soil is workable. Remember to use fertilizers when conditions are appropriate; apply lime in the fall, for example, and sulfur in the spring.

Save money and time. A soil test tells you what you need instead of using unnecessary fertilizers. Significant amounts of essential nutrients are removed from the soil through plant growth, so consider leaving clippings and fallen tree leaves on the ground to decompose. This also creates a natural habitat for insects during winter months. agsci.psu.edu/aasl/soil-testing, swel.osu.edu/testing/ urban-agriculture

The Power of Community Gardens

Here’s how you can put down roots in your neighborhood.

—CARRIE BLACKMORE

Kymisha Montgomery, urban agriculture program coordinator at the Civic Garden Center, believes in the power of community gardening. Why eat a tomato that’s traveled all the way from Florida or Peru when they’re grown locally? “Having access to local foods with more nutritional value— a more robust taste, texture, smell—can increase enthusiasm surrounding healthy food,” she says.

A garden also brings people together. Montgomery sees it happen time after time in her work supporting the center’s network of more than 60 independent community gardens and while conducting its free 11-week Civic Gardener Development Training classes. Held each year from January to April, the training might be something to consider if you’re wanting to start or join a community garden.

As far as general advice, Montgomery says first you should decide between joining an existing community garden or starting a new one. “Most likely there’s a community garden in your neighborhood you just haven’t discovered yet,” she says.

Consider the type of garden you want to join. There are allotment gardens, where each gardener pays a fee to access a bed or beds and can be provided with soil, tools, access to water, and seeds and plants. There are pantry gardens, where everything is donated to a food pantry. At school gardens, the food is grown for school use, typically for educational purposes rather than for student consumption. Foraging gardens usually have an open invitation to pick fruit or scavenge for herbs or whatever is growing there.

Before you start growing anything,

Group Project It doesn’t take a lot of land to start a community garden.

Dig These Gardens

WEST END COMMUNITY

GARDEN grows thousands of pounds of produce annually and utilizes a greenhouse for starting plants from seeds; it donates fresh produce to the Neighborhood House food pantry. 941 Poplar St., West End

MT. AIRY COMMUNITY

GARDEN , graduates of Civic Gardener Development Training, developed this garden as members of the Mt. Airy Cure nonprofit. 5536 Colerain Ave., Mt. Airy, (513) 442-8096

NORTHGATE

COMMUNITY

GARDEN (below) is a large community of gardeners from Cameroon and Bhutan who grow their cultural crops in one of the area’s more productive gardens. 9151 Zoellner Dr., Northgate

Montgomery strongly advises testing your soil, especially if you’re planting in the ground. (Find more info on page 39.)

What to grow? “Plant what you’re going to eat,” she says. “You can always plant something you have a fascination with or think will add beauty, but mostly plant what you want to eat because you’ll be more motivated to tend to your garden.”

What if you want to start a new community garden? Determine what type you want to create and who might partner with you, Montgomery says. You’ll need land, of course; if you aren’t sure where to find it, she suggests reaching out to your neighborhood council, church, school, or a nonprofit that might have a plot you could garden on.

Start-up and maintenance costs will depend on the size of the garden, community engagement opportunities, and how much sweat equity you’ve got, Montgomery says. Funding is out there, and she suggests finding out whether your municipal government or nearby big box stores have grant money available for community gardens.

Once you have your community garden established, Montgomery recommends thinking about what happens outside as well as inside. “If you see folks walking by and constantly looking in, invite them in, explain to them what you’re doing and what you’re growing. Give them something to take back home so they can experience what you’re experiencing, and hopefully that person will come back and garden with you side by side.”

Growing a Village

Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage has modeled community-oriented urban homesteading for 22 years. —Rodney Wilson

If there’s one notion central to homesteading, it’s the idea of growth—growing food, growing stronger, growing self-reliance. But what too often gets lost in our era of hyper-individualism is how critical it is to grow community when pursuing sustainability.

Growing together is central to East Price Hill’s Enright Ridge Urban Ecovillage, officially founded in 2004 when residents of Enright Avenue decided to join forces to pursue ecological living. According to Jim Schenk, cofounder of Imago and Community Earth Alliance, the idea had been percolating for years before actually taking root. “Imago had written a grant in 1998 to develop an ecovillage in a different part of Price Hill,” he says. “Then basically one morning I woke up and said, Huh, Enright Avenue is not too large.” Schenk invited 25 people to meet and discuss the idea. “Nineteen people came, and in one evening we started an ecovillage.”

According to longtime resident Deborah Jordan, who publishes the Central Ohio River Valley[CORV] Local Food Guide, the foundation was already set for such a move. “A number of people were living here because they were interested in ecological community,” she says. “Most people were gardening already, and we support each other. The vision of extending it and organizing it just really helped further the dream.”

Sharing Is Caring

Jim Schenk helped launch a Price Hill ecovillage in 2004.

The ecovillage grew quickly, and today Schenk estimates there are about 250 people living in it. A committee of residents used to run a community-supported agriculture program while others worked to rehab neighborhood houses using as much recycled material as possible. The community scaled back initiatives in recent years, though Schenk notes previously launched rainwater and solar panel projects. “We’re working on pulling it all back together again,” he says, adding that the ecovillage model has never been more important. “Research I’ve done is saying that community is going to be essential in the future in order to survive. We’ve started a resiliency group to look at how we can support each other as we go along.”

Jordan says the community’s emotional and material support is critical. “There are a lot of homesteaders in our neigh-

borhood, and we support each other,” she says. “A lot of people have alternative yards, and a lot of people garden.” Schenk adds that residents also keep sheep and chickens.

If all of this activity makes you want to move to Price Hill, you aren’t alone. While the ecovillage’s popularity means houses rarely become available, Schenk encourages people to implement ecovillage concepts where they live. He’s even written a book, Creating an Urban Ecovillage: A Model for Revitalizing Our Cities, to help folks get started. “If you have two or three other families who have similar values, pull them together,” he says. “Call yourself an ecovillage and just do it.”

“Sharing food is big, too,” says Jordan. “Sharing a meal is a good way to get informal conversation going. Or invite neighbors to come to a presentation that might interest a few of you. Just start getting together.” hilltopecocommunity.org/ community

Hand Crafted

Woodworker Christopher Schwarz practices a sustainable craft.

—Victoria Donahoe

Christopher Schwarz got his start as a homesteader growing up in the mountains of Arkansas, where his parents built their first house entirely with hand tools. “I hated it,” says the Covington-based furniture maker, writer, and publisher.

Although he left the mountains for Chicago to pursue a journalism degree, woodworking stayed in his blood. He took his first woodworking class at the University of Kentucky in 1993 and a few years later became managing editor at F+W Publishing’s Popular Woodworking magazine in Cincinnati.

Schwarz’s personal woodworking experience began with building casework such as shelving, built-ins, and cabinets. He began making Morris chairs, which feature a reclining back and moderately high armrests. His commission work typically involved crafting “campaign furniture,” a British style of travel furniture used by military officers using mahogany, teak, and brass. Today he makes vernacular chairs, furniture that was found in old peasant cottages in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

“I love walking in the footsteps of anonymous and ingenious people who built everything on their farm or in their home with just a few tools,” he says.

Schwarz focuses on selecting woods and adhesives that make his creations last 200 to 300 years, compared to the lifespan of furniture made by corporations, which typically is just a handful of years. Crafting sustainable and durable pieces is at the heart of what he does. “Wood is the most renewable resource on the planet,” he says. “It literally grows on trees. And as long as we manage our forests responsibly, there is enough wood for as long as there will be humans.”

He stopped doing commission projects in 2019, exhausted from building exotic pieces for wealthy people. “I wanted to

build folk furniture that teachers, firefighters, and other normal people could afford,” he says.

Back in 2010, a handful of woodworking schools asked Schwarz to teach basic classes in handsaws, chisels, and hand planes. “I was a terrible teacher at first,” he says. “But after some advice from a friend who was a great teacher, I got better.” He considers himself lucky for the opportunities he’s had to teach all over the world, from Australia to Germany.

His advice for aspiring woodworkers is to get their hands dirty. “Doing it is more important than reading about it or watching videos,” he says, adding that it’s crucial to learn how to sharpen your tools, understand wood, make joints, and apply finishes through real-life experience.

Schwarz points to the Marc Adams School of Woodworking in Franklin, Indiana, as a resource for those looking to learn. You can also check out his latest creations at his Covington retail space (407 Madison Ave.). lostartpress.com, marcadams.com

Let’s Break Down Composting

There are lots of options, from backyard DIY to drop-off sites. —RODNEY WILSON

It’s said that, if every U.S. resident composted organic waste, the environmental impact would be like removing 7.8 million cars from the roads. That’s because fruit and vegetable scraps and green yard waste decomposing in a landfill produce a lot of methane, a

nasty greenhouse gas. Much better to turn that waste into productive, useful fertilizer. Numerous countertop devices can dry and grind up organic kitchen waste, though they’re often pricey and don’t produce “true” compost. You might need to determine how

Handy Man

Christopher Schwarz loves working with wood because it’s the most renewable resource on Earth.

to store compost outside. If you’re handy, you can make your own bin.

A quick Google search will guide you to various online primers, some involving salvaged shipping pallets.

You’ll need to turn the pile regularly (when the center temperature peaks at 130–160 degrees

Fahrenheit), usually about every two to three days, to aerate the pile for speedy decomposition. You can do that by either transferring the contents to a second bin or shoveling the contents out then back into the bin. It can be a lot, but you have other options. An optimally

maintained pile will require less frequent turnings, so keep things at a moisture of 40–60 percent and add equal parts green (produce, leaves) and brown (paper, wood) waste for a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio between 25:1 and 30:1. You can also toss in straw to improve aeration. A

compost pile kept properly hot will decompose in about one to two months. You can also purchase a round bin that sits on a base with rollers; this type of bin tumbles easily and locks out rodents. Or you can just keep a cold compost pile and wait six months to a year for things

to break down. For standard backyard composting, stick to egg shells, produce, torn-up paper, and yard waste—no meat. If you have chickens, you can compost spent litter, but ensure it’s fully decomposed before adding to your garden to avoid pathogens.

You can also take organic waste to Queen City Commons drop-off sites around town if you simply don’t have room for your own composting setup. queencity commons.com/ compost-guide

Call of the Wild

All of the outdoors is Caitlin McWethy’s stage.

Caitlin McWethy has always had a strong love for the outdoors. Growing up in Virginia Beach, she’d spend her summers covered in sand and eating delights of the sea caught by her fisherman father. “I didn’t fully realize how rare that experience is these days or how much of a learned skill, often passed down from our elders, obtaining food from the land really is,” she says.

As McWethy got older and moved away from the coast, she replaced crabbing, fishing, and clamming with plant-based adventures. Her foraging began during the pandemic, when she stumbled across Alexis Nikole Nelson’s Instagram feed @blackforager, where videos feature tips on foraging, including identifying edible versus non-edible plants and how to make maple syrup during the wintertime. “She is an incredible wealth of knowledge, joy, and history in every aspect of foraging,” says McWethy.

Foraging is primarily something McWethy does for fun, an excuse to walk through the woods and foster a deeper connection with the local environment. Everywhere you look, she says, there’s something edible— you just need to know how to identify and prepare it.

One of her foraging favorites is mushrooms: chicken of the woods, maitake, lion’s mane, resinous polypore, and giant puffballs. She’s still on the hunt to find a morel mushroom, a mushroom with an edible, honeycombshaped cap that makes it distinct in the fungi world. She also enjoys searching for pawpaws, serviceberries, and spicebush.

Finders Keepers Caitlin McWethy is always on the lookout for edible plants like spicebush berries (top left) and Kentucky coffeetree seedpods.

“I didn’t fully realize how rare that experience is these days or how much of a learned skill, often passed down from our elders, obtaining food from the land really is.”

Foraging has given McWethy a deeper connection to local nature. “The most significant benefit to me is simply moving at the pace of curiosity in one of the many green spaces around Cincinnati,” she says. “I know every persimmon tree on public land here, and honestly I get more satisfaction from simply knowing those trees like old friends than I do from eating their fruit, although that’s good too.”

She says a forager has a responsibility to leave more than they take. In Cincinnati, foraging from public lands is generally not allowed, and the natural protected spaces where foraging is legal are small. She believes there could be a benefit to regulated foraging in the same way hunting is regulated and kept to certain seasons. “These spaces need protection so they’re here long after us,” she says. “At the same time, some of these regulations have roots in exclusionary and racist policies that historically kept communities off of land that once helped sustain them.”

In her day-to-day life, McWethy is an actor, performer, and director. She’s been acting professionally for more than 15 years, including eight years with Cincinnati Shakespeare. Following the pandemic she shifted to more commercial, voiceover, and film work and discovered her own love of storytelling, no matter what the medium. She is directing The Ravenside Occurrence at Know Theatre in Over-the-Rhine March 26 to April 18.

Find Your Way into Foraging

Seeking out edible plants in the wild connects us with nature . —RODNEY WILSON

Foraging is an ancient means of obtaining wild-growing food from our natural environs, though it’s a skill set most of us lack since grocery stores and restaurants do all the work for us now. Still, foraging can be a fun way to engage with nature and learn about her bounties. Also, bonus, it’s free food.

If you’re interested in giving foraging a go, it’s important to study up before popping a bushberry in your mouth. Needless to say, some things growing in the woods can be poisonous to humans, so get educated and don’t get sick. Head to the library to check out regional field guides and consider taking classes—the Civic Garden Center and Cincinnati Nature Center offer workshops and tours. Or ask an experienced forager if you can tag along.

Don’t rely on your phone to identify edible plants, though. ChatGPT should not be counted on for your safety, and there’s no app good enough to entrust with your life.

When you’ve found a place to forage (avoiding potentially contaminated spots), learn what commonly grows on the land, both edible and poisonous plants, as well as what time of year you can expect to find those plants. Start out by looking for plants you already know and can easily identify, such as dandelions or pawpaw trees. If you find something you believe is edible, cross reference in books to ensure the botany is correct—some plants that resemble edibles can cause harm. It’s also important to understand which parts of the plant you can safely eat. Common foraging finds in the Cincinnati area are morel mushrooms, garlic mustard, dandelions, ramps (wild leeks), wild garlic, and purslane.

Black clothing hugs her sculpted curves. A sequin sweat band sparkles in her short, wheat-colored hair. She claps her hands and shouts, “There’s so much going on in the world out there. But now let’s get into our bodies.”

Standing students, ranging in age from their 20s through their 80s, follow her arm-swooping warm-up stretches, then prance and leap across the floor in new layers of choreography. Facing the mirrored wall, she says, “You’re gonna go up, up, up, side, 1, 2, 3, side, together!” She energizes the crowd: “Sparkle! Be gorgeous!” And wiggles a hand: “It’s a little like a nae-nae!”

From the sidewalk, it looks like a rehearsal for a music video. The black exterior of this minimalist, industrial-style studio frames picture windows with views of stark white walls and a high black ceiling. Passersby can see and hear 50 or so people attacking modern, fast-paced movement to thumping pop tracks. Technically, this

On a chilly Wednesday evening, a human ball of energy with a 1,000-watt smile leaps to the front of a dance class in the large, brightly lit studio.

is “just” an exercise class. But there will be a show. Twelve times a year, students spill out across Cincinnati in funky flash mobs. Welcome to DanceFix, the Cincinnati-born fitness phenomenon that’s part high-intensity workout, part ecstatic dance party, and part community kumbaya. For more than two decades, it’s built a devoted following around its charismatic founder, Heather Britt. As DanceFix blows up in its new purpose-built home in Walnut Hills and eyes expansion into other cities, a question hangs in the air like sweat: Can this intensely local, supremely Brittcentric culture scale without losing what makes it special?

Britt switches the music to “blare” and starts the class in earnest. She yells instructions over “Joy” by Rita Ora, a song with about 25 choreographed dance moves. Aside from one short break to gulp water and mop faces, there’s little let-up between songs.

Smiles, shouts, and body heat build. Some dancers stray from the choreography to add an ad hoc shimmy with a neighbor or personal hand flourishes. Like all core DanceFix sessions, this one follows a set format of 10 songs in an hour’s time. Every two weeks, one song falls out of rotation and a new one is added. There are more than 1,000 total moves in a typical class. It’s not for the faint of heart.

DanceFix students, known as “DanceFixers,” routinely describe the same mix of exhaustion, exhilaration, and belonging. “It’s all walks of life,” says Sally Davenport, a Wyoming retiree. “As a kid, I found the dance world to be very judgmental, not a warm and welcoming place. DanceFix is completely different from that.”

Davenport uses the word fun 36 times in our interview. The raw joy of flailing around for an hour is what brings them in. The connection keeps them coming back.

Zumba, Jazzercise, and other dance

workouts are nothing new. They’re mainstream and beginner-friendly. DanceFix, on the other jazz hand, is Cincinnati-born, harder to master, and more like a way of life. “It is sort of a cult,” says Elissa Yancey, a Northsider and executive director of a nonprofit. “People use words like obsessed and addicted, words that may not sound very positive, but it’s such a positive atmosphere that it is also addictive.”

Davenport chokes up when she says, “I’ve made these lovely friendships with the most amazing people, people I never would have otherwise known.”

There’s a welcoming vibe but little technical hand-holding for a novice. “When I started, it was like drinking from a firehose,” she says. Many students say they have to come at least twice a week to keep up with the shifting sequences. The trial by fire leads to student bonding.

Then there are the flash mobs, which inject high-octane joy into events like Cincinnati Pride, the Northside Fourth of July parade, and BLINK. In colorful, devil-maycare costumes, DanceFixers swarm public spaces, turning sidewalks and streets into impromptu stages. They’re more than a fitness class; they’re a subculture. “The point is to raise the vibration,” says Britt.

Britt started creating DanceFix 26 years ago, though she wouldn’t establish the name until 2014. Boiled down, DanceFix

is a suite of fitness classes featuring original choreography. But calling it an exercise routine is like calling Procter & Gamble a soap-maker. There’s so much more.

Were it not for free dance instruction, Britt says she herself wouldn’t have become a professional. Her “humble” (as she puts it) west side family wouldn’t have been able to afford paid classes, but she auditioned successfully for the School for Creative and Performing Arts. “SCPA really prepared me for all of this, having a career in highquality arts, and what teaching and choreographing was like,” she says.

She declined a college dance scholarship to Kent State, taking a year-and-a-halflong break due to burnout. She moved to Durango, Colorado, for school and connect-

ed with college professors who danced for fun and rekindled her passion. Britt moved to New York to teach dance for a short time, then to San Francisco in the 1990s, where she performed in several dance troupes. Aerobics are also in Britt’s blood. She got certified to teach the high-intensity workout while still a teenager, following in the agile footsteps of her mother, who taught it in its 1980s heyday. Aerobics provided an adrenaline boost to Britt’s usual rotation of classes, from ballet to African to capoeira. “Dance is like a sprint,” she says. “You go across the floor and stop. But in aerobics, you keep up your endurance and get that endorphin rush the whole time. I needed that extra cardio work to feel good in my body

After 26 years

ncinnati’ ssmallbutmightycurling community embracesitspost-Olymp icspopularity boost.

Icy Hot

REUBEN SCHWARTZ CAREFULLY

lines up his shot, curling stick in hand, and peers down 138 feet of gleaming ice, sparkling under bright fluorescent lights. He sort of resembles a shuffleboard player on ice.

The “skip,” his teammate down at the far end, points to the sweet spot just to the left of a large red ring surrounded by a larger blue ring and barks a quick order. The “house” resembles the face-off circle to the left or right of a hockey goalie, and the idea is to scoot your “stone” as close as possible to the white dot in the center of the red ring, known as the “button,” or even better, knock your opponent’s stone out of the house.

“I use a stick because I’ve got a bum knee,” says Schwartz, 68. “But the great thing about curling is it can be played by anyone. I can’t claim to be that good. Curling is easy to learn and easy to play, but it’s hard to be good.”

Most of the nearly 200 members of the Cincinnati Curling Club don’t play with a stick. Instead, they push the 44-pound stone (some players call it a “rock”) down the sheet of ice with their bare hands, releasing it before reaching the “hog line,” which is located 10 meters from the “hack,” or starter’s block.

They get down low, one knee nearly scraping the ice, their

SLIP SLIDING

Cincinnati Curling club members include ice-pebbler Jonathan Penney (opposite page); Beth Platt and Reuben Schwartz (left); Schwartz, Clay Hampton, and Audra Adams (middle opposite page); Greg Banks (below); and almost 200 others.

lead hand gripping the handle connected to the top of the stone. As soon as they release it, two sweepers on the four-person team busily begin brushing the ice. The idea is to coax the sliding stone, which is made of solid granite imported from Scotland, to curl so that it lands in the sweet spot. The skip, who is on the far end of the sheet of ice, hovering over the house acts as sort of a quarterback, starting the delivery by pointing out the target to the “lead” and then directing the post-delivery sweeping activity. When the stone enters the blue ring, it’s in the house and the skip from the other team plays defense, using his broom to encourage the stone to go out of bounds.

Does this all make sense? It probably does if you’re a night owl and watched the live 3 a.m. curling contests from the recent Winter Olympics streaming on Peacock. Or maybe you’ve visited an unassuming warehouse off Duff Drive in Butler County and watched four simultaneous curling draws going on while you sip a cold beer in the club’s “warm room.” Or perhaps you’re one of that cohort of rubber-soles-on-ice fanatics enrolled in a two-hour Learn-to-Curl class, only to find yourself back the next weekend with friends and family.

That’s what happened to Audra Adams, an attorney with Dinsmore & Shohl. At the time, she worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base and a coworker encouraged her to try the sport. “I’m a January baby, which means it’s hard to find anything to do,” she says. “It’s dry January, it gets dark by 5, everyone is broke after Christmas or on a diet, so my husband got me a curling lesson for my birthday.”

Adams was hooked. She and her husband moved up to a three-week instructional league and enrolled in a social league. Then the pandemic hit. “I was really impressed how the board worked hard to find a safe way to play in masks. The club was back pretty quickly,” she says. “So were we.”

Greg Banks laughs about what he calls the legend behind the club’s founding. “It’s not CONTINUED ON PAGE 72

T O P D E N T I S T S

TOP DENTISTS

Our annual list of the top dentists in the Cincinnati region, 210 professionals in seven specialties who are making smiles brighter.

TOP DENTISTS 2026

ENDODONTICS

VAISHALI AGARWALA

Yonchak and Agarwala, DDS, MS Inc., 5180 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-1935

JULIE ANDERSON

Crestview Endodontics, 340 Thomas More Pkwy., Suite 130, Crestview Hills, KY 41017, (859) 331-2800

BENJAMIN R. BLUMBERG

University Pointe Endodontics, 7760 W. VOA Park Dr., Suite A, West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 759-2700

ERIC M. BRAMY

Endodontics North - Eric M. Bramy, DDS, 6900 Tylersville Rd., Suite C, Mason, OH 45040, (513) 754-0900

RICHARD BROERING

Crestview Endodontics, 340 Thomas More Pkwy., Suite 130, Crestview Hills, KY 41017, (859) 331-2800

ERIC BROWN

Eric Brown Endodontics, 810 Plum St., Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 241-0018

MICHAEL D. FULLER

University Pointe Endodontics, 7760 W. VOA Park Dr., Suite A, West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 759-2700

ADAM HADSELL

Greater Cincinnati Endodontics, 4050 Cottingham Dr., Sharonville, OH 45241, (513) 786-0260

CAREY M. HEIN

Carey Hein, DDS, 4030 Smith Rd., Suite 450, Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 321-5353

ZACHARY IMPERIAL

Imperial Endodontics, 10597 Montgomery Rd., Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 583-5700

DARYL KWAN

Kenwood Endodontics, 8250 Kenwood Rd., Suite A, Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 394-6299

G. ROBERT LAWLEY

Lawley Endodontics, Inc., 748 State Rte. 28, Suite C, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 248-0300

HARISH K. MALYALA

River Valley Endodontics - Harish K. Malyala, DDS, 809 Wright’s Summit Pkwy., Suite 110, Fort Wright, KY 41011, (859) 780-2550

ALEX K. MIHAILOFF

Alex K. Mihailoff, DDS, MSD, 9200 Montgomery Rd., Bldg. F, Suite 22A, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 793-6500

ROBERT S. SCHNEIDER

Schneider Endodontics, 5420 North Bend Rd., Suite 100, Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 661-7668

CLAIRE F. SIEGEL GERHARD

Claire Siegel Gerhard DDS, Inc., 9403 Kenwood Rd., Suite B205, Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 821-2668

MATTHEW SULLIVAN

Mason Endodontics and Microsurgery,

7547 Central Parke Blvd., Suite A, Mason, OH 45040, (513) 848-0950

J. ERIC WALDEN

Northern Kentucky Endodontics, 8729 US Hwy. 42, Suite A, Florence, KY 41042, (859) 647-0006

WILL YODER

Crestview Endodontics, 340 Thomas More Pkwy., Suite 130, Crestview Hills, KY 41017, (859) 331-2800

LAUREN M. ZOLLETT

Zollett Endodontics, 7661 Beechmont Ave., Suite 140, Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 231-1500

GENERAL DENTISTRY

MALLORY ADLER

Wolf + Adler Family Dentistry, 10475 Reading Rd., Suite 408, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 563-8188

ABDALLAH AL-ZUBI

Cosmetic & Dental Implant Center of Cincinnati, 910 Barry Ln., Cincinnati, OH 45229, (513) 281-2333

ANDREW F. BARTISH

Velle Dental, 5916 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 949-4161 ; (513) 995-7482

MICHELE ROGERS BECK

Michele Rogers Beck, DMD, PSC, 640 Scott St., Covington, KY 41011, (859) 261-5852

KATHERINE BEITING

Beiting Family Dentistry, 2617 Legends Way, Suite 200, Crestview Hills, KY 41017, (859) 341-2234

EMILY BOEHM

Wyoming Family Dentistry, 411 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming, OH 45215, (513) 821-0659

JEREMY J. BORSKY

Jeremy J. Borsky, DDS, 7521 State Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 951-5074

LEE BROWN

Freedom Dental of West Chester, 8191 Beckett Park Dr., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 370-5991

LINDSAY K. BROWN

Dr. Lindsay K. Brown, DDS, 2758 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 3217076, www.hydeparkdentist.com

MARIA I. BUSTAMANTE, DMD

Seven Star Dental, 7 W. Seventh St., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 6477802, www.sevenstardental.com

Dr. Steven Erbeck, The Cincinnati Dental Group

Few offices in Cincinnati boast as rich a history as The Cincinnati Dental Group. Founded in 1926 by Dr. Clyde Erbeck as Erbeck Family Dentistry, the practice has been a trusted provider of dental care to the Cincinnati community for nearly a century. Now in its fourth generation of leadership under Dr. Steven Erbeck, the office has grown into a full-service, state-of-the-art group practice with offices in Mason and Montgomery. From its humble beginnings, the practice has kept pace with advancements in dental technology and treatment methods, while always staying true to its core value of providing a patient-centered environment. In an era dominated by corporate dentistry, this family-owned practice continues to uphold the values of personalized dental care and tradition. The Cincinnati Dental Group invites you to experience the exceptional care and warmth that has defined their practice through the generations.

300 Third Ave., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 398-7051; 7775 Cooper Rd., Montgomery, OH 45242, (513) 891-1007; www.thecincinnatidentalgroup.com

Cedar Village Dentristy

Dr. Thomas Dooley, Dr. Timothy Longo, Dr. Erica McDavid, Dr. Sunny Sandhu

Searching for the best dentist in Cincinnati? Drs. Dooley, Longo, McDavid, and Sandhu at Cedar Village Dentistry deliver comfortable, comprehensive dental care with a complete-health focus. Their goal: to be one of the top dental offices in the country. Dr. Thomas Dooley says, “It’s a privilege to provide the best dental care in Cincinnati. With advanced technology and a state-of-the-art facility, we love transforming our patients’ smiles and confidence.”

Cedar Village Dentistry offers advanced procedures like 3D printing, implants, and PRF/PRP therapy, ensuring patients receive exceptional dental care. For those with dental anxiety, the practice provides safe, in-office IV sedation to help patients feel comfortable.

You can now try on 3D-printed veneers to ensure you love your smile before completing treatment. Patients enjoy same-day dentistry, extended hours (7 a.m.–7 p.m.), and Saturday appointments. Cedar Village Dentistry provides the best experience with a 5-star team known for clear communication, personalized care, and the highest standard of dentistry.

5212 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 770-4370, http://cedarvillagedentistry.com

TOP DENTISTS 2026

GIULIA M. CASTRIGANO

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, 3050 Mack Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 636-4641

JONATHAN D. CONOVER

Conover Family Dental, 9312 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 6476578

JEFF CRONLEY

Cronley Family Dental, 7852 Camargo Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45243, (513) 271-6611

JOSEPH DAGHER

Dagher Family Dental, 5954 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 3855607

TYLER “TJ” DELAET

DeLaet Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, 7601 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 741-8223

REBECCA DONALDSON

Advance DentistryCincinnati, 5823 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227 (513) 986-0201

THOMAS DOOLEY

Cedar Village Dentistry, 5212 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 2161971, www.cedarvillagedentistry.com

ANDREW DORR

Andrew Dorr DDS Family Dentistry, 3473 North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45239, (513) 661-6800

ERIK V. ELLINGSWORTH

Erik V. Ellingsworth, DDS, 1246 Nilles Rd., Suite 3, Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-1117

BABAK EMAMI

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Ohio, 7462 Jager Ct., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 232-4600

ELEANOR ENDRES

Endres Gateway Dentistry, 9380 Montgomery Rd., Suite 204, Montgomery, OH 45242, (513) 640-0974

STEVEN ERBECK

The Cincinnati Dental Group - Mason, 300 Third Ave., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 398-7051, www.thecincinnatidentalgroup.com

MAGGIE ERNST

Bell Dental Group, 2767 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 952-8591

NATHAN FENNELL

Fennell, Yoxthimer and Associates, DDS, Inc., 5451 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212, (513) 631-6600

ANTHONY E. FORTE

Anthony E. Forte, DDS Family Dentistry, 3475 North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45239, (513) 661-6100

MEGAN M. FREW

Pearce Dental Group, 425 Walnut St., Suite 201, Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 224-6015

SAMA GADE

Freedom Dental of West Chester, 8191 Beckett Park Dr., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 370-5991

JERRY P. GAO

Family Dental Montgomery, Inc., 8271 Cornell Rd., Suite 710, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 791-0030

WARREN R. GASE

Warren Gase, D.D.S., MAGD, 9294

Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 268-2037

BEN T. GOSNELL

Mt. Lookout Dentistry, 3197 Linwood Ave, Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-2852

CHELSEA GRABARZ

Beckett Dental Care, 8300 PrincetonGlendale Rd., Suite 203, West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 870-0700

PATRICIA HANNAHAN

Advance DentistryCincinnati, 5823 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227 (513) 986-0201

REBECCA W. HAYDEN

Hayden Family Dental, 9200 Montgomery Rd., Bldg. G, Suite 20B, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 791-4500

CHRISTOPHER F. HECK

Christopher F. Heck, DMD, 9370 Main St., Suite B, Montgomery, OH 45242, (513) 794-1884, www.christopherheckdmd.com

Christopher F. Heck, DMD Montgomery General Dentistry

Dr. Heck and the team at Montgomery General Dentistry provide precision dental care with a personal touch. They are focused on caring and comprehensive management of your oral health with a hometown feel. Positive outcomes, no matter the severity or complexity of dental issues, come with experience and training. Whether it’s family dental care, cosmetic dentistry, or emergency treatments, Dr. Heck is focused on you and those outcomes. They treat you like a friend and want to build a relationship of reliability, compassion, and fairness. Dr. Heck specializes in providing a safe, judgment-free zone for those with complex dental issues.

9370 Main St., Suite B, Montgomery, OH 45242, (513) 794-1884, www.montgomerygeneraldentistry.com

DAN HILLIS

Mason Dental Care, 6499 Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 336-8510, www.masondentalcare.com

KEITH JACKSON

Madeira Dentistry, 7113 Miami Ave., Madeira, OH 45243, (513) 561-5318

LAURA JACKSON

Madeira Dentistry, 7113 Miami Ave., Madeira, OH 45243, (513) 561-5318

GREGORY J. JAUN

Dr. Gregory J. Jaun, DDS, 9157 Montgomery Rd., Suite 204, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 793-4235

ANDREW JORDAN

Vita Dental, 5841 Snider Rd., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 777-9117

DANIEL KELLEY

Eastgate Dental Excellence, 3241 Mount Carmel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 753-0044

JOEL R. KOCH

Joel R. Koch, DDS, 9655 Cincinnati

Columbus Rd., West Chester, OH 45241, (513) 779-2200

TROY “TJ” KRAMER

Kramer Family Dentistry, 1 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas, KY 41075, (859) 441-1696

DERRICK KRUGER

Family Dentistry of Blue Ash, 4157 Hunt Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45236, (513) 791-6154

CAMERON LAYER

Meier, Layer & Yu, 8712 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212, (513) 461-0225, www.cincinnatidentists.com

AMANDA M. LEVINSOHN

Anderson Ferry Dental, 411 Anderson Ferry Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 922-8500

STEVEN A. LEVINSOHN

Anderson Ferry Dental, 411 Anderson

Ferry Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 922-8500

TIMOTHY “TIM” LONGO

Cedar Village Dentistry, 5212 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 2161971, www.cedarvillagedentistry.com

ALEXIS MAI

Elite Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, 11039 Prince Ln., Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 771-5212

Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Specialists of Cincinnati

Robert Lucas, MD, DMD; Garrett Seghi, DDS, MD; Eric Murnan, DDS, MD

Drs. Lucas, Seghi, and Murnan at Oral Surgery and Dental Implant Specialists of Cincinnati are dual-degree, board certified Oral Surgeons providing surgical services across the Greater Cincinnati area. Uniquely qualified with both medical and dental training, our doctors are specialized in dental implants, full-mouth implant reconstruction, wisdom teeth removal, and IV sedation. With a patient-centric approach, coupled with state-of-the-art facilities in Mason, Sharonville, and Western Hills, our team is ready to deliver exceptional care and results for you and your family.

Sharonville, (513) 769-5545

Mason, (513) 677-3003

Western Hills, (513) 661-7410

https://cincinnatioralsurgeons.com

TOP DENTISTS 2026

ANDREW J. MARCK

Village Dental - Newtown, 6911 Main St., Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 272-2792

JANE R. MAYS

Jane R. Mays, D.M.D., 2631 Erie Ave., Suite 14, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 216-4975, www.janemaysdmd.com

ERICA MCDAVID

Cedar Village Dentistry, 5212 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 2161971, www.cedarvillagedentistry.com

MELISSA MEIER

Meier, Layer & Yu, 8712 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212, (513) 461-0225, www.cincinnatidentists.com

DREW MEYERS

Advance DentistryAnderson Township, 7655 Five Mile Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 231-1973

ASHLEY J. MOSER

NKY Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, 2047 Centennial Blvd., Independence, KY 41051, (859) 356-5100

SUNNY PAHOUJA

Lifetime Smiles - Sunny Pahouja, D.D.S., Inc., 5205 North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 661-8586

JERRY PAUL

Southwood, Paul & Pope Family Dentistry, 5601 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 741-0900

FRED PECK

Fred H. Peck, DDS, FAACD, 8251 Cornell Rd., Suite 130, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 715-5062, www.pecksmiles.com

JORDAN PELCHOVITZ

Kenwood Complete Dentistry, 5050 E. Galbraith Rd., Suite C, Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 531-5050

ANTHONY PHILIPS

Morrow Dental Center, 553 W. Pike St., Morrow, OH 45152, (513) 899-2656

ELIZABETH PLAS

Dr. Elizabeth Plas, 3964 Edwards Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 351-3700

TIMOTHY L. POHLMAN

Dr. Timothy Pohlman, D.D.S., 2761 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-2989

BRIAN POPE

Southwood, Paul & Pope Family Dentistry, 5601 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 741-0900

NATHAN POWERS

Powers Family Dental Care, 6839 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227, (513) 271-6322

ROB REINECK

Milford Dental Excellence, 1188 OH-131, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 831-1446

DAVID M. ROBINSON

Kenwood Cosmetic Dentistry, 7615 Kenwood Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 791-6262

Dr. Lindsay K. Brown

Dr. Lindsay K. Brown and her team are a boutique-style general dentistry office, blending personalized, modern, and high-quality care with the longstanding tradition of this practice in the heart of Hyde Park. As a patient of the practice herself growing up, Dr. Brown is deeply committed to preserving its relationship-centered foundation while thoughtfully advancing its clinical excellence. The team prioritizes patient education and preventative care, rooted in a whole-body wellness philosophy. Dr. Brown’s office views dental care as an essential form of selfcare that supports lasting health while embracing confidence, comfort, and pride in your smile.

2758 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 321-7076, www.hydeparkdentist.com

MICHAEL D. ROLFES

Rolfes Dental, 7729 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 793-1241

SUNNY SANDHU

Cedar Village Dentistry, 5212 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 2161971, www.cedarvillagedentistry.com

SCOTT E. SAYRE

Advance DentistryCincinnati, 5823 Wooster Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45227, (513) 986-0201

LAURA SCHILLER

Schiller Dental, 5330 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 922-7111

JAMES SEIBERT

Seibert Complete Dentistry, 1149 Fehl Ln., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 231-9300

AARON SHAFTEL

Vita Dental, 5841 Snider Rd., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 777-9117

HUBBELL J. SMITH

Hubbell J. Smith, DDS, 3427 Glenmore

Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45211, (513) 9665255

STEVEN SOUTHWOOD

Southwood, Paul & Pope Family Dentistry, 5601 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 741-0900

MONICA B. SWOPE

Kingdom Family Dentistry, 772 Waycross Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45240, (513) 742-2322

ALEC TACKETT

Ivy Dental, 7201 Main St., Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 231-3990

COLLEEN TEPE HOFSTETTER

Tepe Dentistry, 3507 Glenmore Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45211, (513) 481-5885

RACHEL TEPE TWYMAN

Hyde Park Square Dentistry, 2712 Erie Ave., Suite 2, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 321-3231

CLAIRE TONNIS

Velle Dental, 5916 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 949-4161 ; (513) 995-7482

JOHN V. UNGER

John V. Unger, D.D.S., 1270 Ebenezer Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45233, (513) 9221455

KATHERINE ELIZABETH VANDERHORST

Erik V Ellingworth, DDS, 1246 Nilles Rd., Suite 3, Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-1117

LISA VASSEUR

Mortenson Family Dental - Fort Wright, 1983 Dixie Hwy., Fort Wright, KY 41011, (859) 415-4800

MICHAEL R. VORHERR

Michael R. Vorherr, DDS, 5968 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 385-1315

JANE WALKER

Dr. Jane Walker, DDS, 27 Water St., Suite 1, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 831-4133

KEVIN WALL

Bellevue Family Dentisty, 340 Fairfield Ave., Bellvue, KY 41073, (859) 291-7621

ALAN R. WEINSTEIN

Dr. Alan R. Weinstein, DDS, 7835 Remington Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 793-1977

RENA YASHEWSKI

CVD Kids Dentistry, 5168 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 676-4610

RICHARD A. YAUSS

Richard A. Yauss, DDS, 7779 Colerain Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45239, (513) 521-6874

JODIE YILDIRIM

Eastgate Dental Excellence, 3241 Mount Carmel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45244, (513) 753-0044

ROB YOXTHIMER

Fennell, Yoxthimer and Associates, DDS, Inc., 5451 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212, (513) 631-6600

JENNIFER YU

Meier, Layer & Yu, 8712 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45212, (513) 461-0225, www.cincinnatidentists.com

Dr. Jane Mays

The office of Dr. Jane Mays sets itself apart from other dental practitioners by actively working with patients on whole-body well-being through the practice of Oral-Systemic Health. The correlations between oral diseases and systemic conditions are broadly accepted. Inflammation and/or bacteria in the oral cavity can be connected to seven of the 10 leading causes of death. The experienced staff at Mays Dentistry utilizes patient education, has implemented screening protocols and tools, and collaborates with local medical professionals to effectively manage the oral manifestations of systemic diseases. OralDNA Labs’ MyPerioPath saliva testing is one tool utilized in Dr. Mays’ office to diagnose the specific underlying oral pathogens causing periodontal disease and inflammation and leading to a higher incidence of chronic systemic diseases. This allows you to effectively manage your health, well-being, and longevity as our office guides you to the goal of a longer and more active life.

2631 Erie Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 321-1102, www.janemaysdmd.com

ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

V. RUSSELL BOUDREAU JR.

Thatcher & Boudreau, DDS, Inc., 800 Compton Rd., Suite 20, Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 521-0110

TIMOTHY W. CONLEY

Affiliates in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 5188 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-8080

BABAK EMAMI

Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery of Ohio, 7462 Jager Ct., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 232-4600

MELISSA H. FISHER

Cincinnati Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Inc., 2852 Boudinot Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 451-7300

MICHAEL J. GRAU

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3230 Eden Ave., CARE/ Crawley Bldg., Suite E-870, Cincinnati, OH 45267, (513) 584-2586

JIMMIE L. HARPER

Cincinnati Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Inc., 2852 Boudinot Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 451-7300

TODD JACOBS

Northern Kentucky Oral and Maxillofacial Surgical Associates, 20 Medical Village Dr., Suite 196, Edgewood, KY 41017, (859) 331-2100

KHURRAM A. KHAN

About Face Surgical Arts, 7523 State Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 2328989

DEEPAK KRISHNAN

UC Health - Holmes, 200 Albert Sabin Way, Suite 2121, Oral & Maxillofacial, Cincinnati, OH 45267, (513) 584-7910

ROBERT LUCAS

Oral Surgery & Dental Implant

Specialists of Cincinnati, 11438 Lebanon Rd., Unit F, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 769-5545, www.cincinnatioralsurgeons.com

CHRISTOPHER A. MCDANIEL

Affiliates in Oral & Maxillofacial

Surgery, 5188 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-8080

ERIC MENCARELLI

Northern Kentucky Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, 4465 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, KY 41076, (859) 441-1111

A. REZA MIREMADI

Center for Facial & Oral Surgery, 576 N. Main St., Springboro, OH 45066, 937-748-8814

DAVE MORRISON

UC Health - Holmes, 200 Albert Sabin Way, Suite 2121, Oral & Maxillofacial, Cincinnati, OH 45267, (513) 584-7910

ERIC MURNAN

Oral Surgery & Dental Implant

Specialists of Cincinnati, 11438 Lebanon Rd., Unit F, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 769-5545, www.cincinnatioralsurgeons.com

J. PATRICK NALL

Affiliates in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 5188 Winton Rd., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 829-8080

Meier, Layer and Yu

The dental office of Melissa S. Meier, D.M.D., Cameron R. Layer, D.D.S., and Jennifer Yu, D.M.D., offers a unique dental experience. From the minute they walk into our warm, friendly environment, our patients know they are not just at the dental office, they are at home. Located centrally in Cincinnati, we have been serving our community for nearly 45 years. From a regular checkup to a complete smile makeover, our doctors’ top priority is the comfort and health of our patients. Drs. Meier, Layer, and Yu offer the most state-of-the art dental procedures available. With a focus on same day treatment, we have incorporated the latest technologies in digital dentistry, from digital X-rays and impressions to fully guided implant surgeries and same-day CEREC crowns. We strive to give our patients the best treatment possible. Our patient reviews speak for themselves. Our doctors and dental team are committed to giving the most professional, compassionate care for a lifetime of dental health.

8712 Winton Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 521-8900, www.cincinnatidentists.com

MATTHEW F. PAGNOTTO

Tri-State Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Hebron, 2300 Conner Rd., Hebron, KY 41048, (859) 586-4825

MICHAEL D. RECHTIN

Tri-State Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery - Cold Spring, 353 Crossroads Blvd., Cold Spring, KY 41076, (859) 586-4825

MARK SCHIBLER

Cincinnati Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental Implant Surgery, 7140 Miami Ave., Suite 202, Cincinnati, OH 45243, (513) 271-5900

GARRETT SEGHI

Oral Surgery & Dental Implant

Specialists of Cincinnati, 11438 Lebanon Rd., Unit F, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 769-5545, www.cincinnatioralsurgeons.com

HANK W. SLEET

Northern Kentucky Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates, 4748 Houston Rd., Florence, KY 41042, (859) 331-2100

NATHAN SPENCER

Cincinnati Oral, Maxillofacial & Dental

Implant Surgery, 7140 Miami Ave., Suite 202, Cincinnati, OH 45243, (513) 271-5900

RANDALL D. STASTNY

Blue Ash Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Inc., 4350 Malsbary Rd., Suite 201, Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 984-2100

FREDERICK L. STEINBECK

F.L. Steinbeck, DDS, MD Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, 627 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas, KY 41075, (859) 781-0500

RODNEY CHRISTOPHER STIGALL

Implants and Orofacial Surgery

Specialists - Rodney Stigall, DMD, 720 E. Pete Rose Way, Suite 305, Cincinnati, OH 45202, (859) 525-0022

SCOTT L. THATCHER

Thatcher & Boudreau, DDS, Inc., 800 Compton Rd., Suite 20, Cincinnati, OH 45231, (513) 521-0110

GLENN S. WATERS

Oral and Facial Surgery Associates, LLC, 11655 Solzman Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 791-0550

Don Murdock, DMD, MS Murdock Orthodontics

Dr. Murdock enjoys getting to know his patients and listens to their concerns during their smile transformation. The entire Murdock Orthodontic team will use the most advanced 3D technology and techniques to personalize a treatment plan that is best for you. When Dr. Murdock is not in the office, he enjoys traveling with his wife Susan, fishing, hiking, playing guitar, and spending time with his children and grandchildren. For over 30 years, Dr. Murdock has offered leading-edge orthodontic care while creating generations of beautiful smiles. His expertise and compassion will deliver the healthy, confidence-filled smile you desire!

5420 North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 662-2100, www.murdockorthodontics.com

TOP DENTISTS 2026

YAVUZ YILDIRIM

Oral and Facial Surgery Associates, LLC, 11655 Solzman Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 791-0550

ORTHODONTICS

ROBIN BAKER

Cassinelli, Shanker & Associates

Orthodontics, 4881 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 777-7060

JAMES SPENCER BOLEY

Boley Braces, 5530 Muddy Creek Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 347-9222

DARCIE R. BRADLEY

Darcie R. Bradley, DMD, MS, 5947 Cheviot Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 385-2161

ALEX CASSINELLI

Cassinelli, Shanker & Associates Orthodontics, 4881 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 777-7060

NICOLE CRASTO

Queen City Orthodontics - Liberty

Township, 6752 Cincinnati Dayton Rd., Suite 102a, Liberty Twp., OH 45044, (513) 737-6442

JERROD DEMPSEY

Gruelle Dempsey Orthodontics - Ft.

Thomas Office, 40 N. Grand Ave., Suite 301, Ft. Thomas, KY 41075, (859) 371-3677

JEREMY DOCK

Cassinelli, Shanker & Associates Orthodontics, 7242 Tylers Corner Dr., West Chester Twp., OH 45069, (513) 777-7060

MARK D. FARLEY

Smile Doctors by NKY Orthodontics, 1481 Cavalry Lane, Suite 100, Florence, KY 41005, (859) 518-8592

TERRY GRUELLE

Gruelle Dempsey Orthodontics - Ft. Thomas Office, 40 N. Grand Ave., Suite 301, Ft. Thomas, KY 41075, (859) 371-3677

STEPHEN HAVERKOS

Haverkos Family Orthodontics, 5754 Bridgetown Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45248, (513) 481-8000

ERIC HICKMAN

Hickman Orthodontics - Maineville, 3116-L W. Montgomery Rd., Maineville, OH 45039, (513) 697-9772

BILL LANGE

Lange Orthodontics, 9157 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 791-0777

FERNANDO L. MARTINEZ

Martinez & West Orthodontics, 6381 Bridgetown Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45248, (513) 598-9800

ASHLEY MENCARELLI

Gruelle Dempsey Orthodontics - Anderson Office, 1163 Fehl Ln., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 697-9999

KENT MORRIS

Kent Morris Orthodontics, 9573 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 613-2833, www.kentmorrisorthodontics.com

DON MURDOCK

Murdock Orthodontics, 5420 North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 662-2100, www.murdockorthodontics. com

DANIEL NOLL

Orthodontic Specialists - Eastgate, 4452 Eastgate Blvd., Suite 201, Cincinnati, OH 45245, (513) 772-6500

DAVID C. QUAST

Quast Orthodontics, 320 Thomas More Pkwy., Crestview Hills, KY 41017, (859) 341-9400

MONA RINALDI

Rinaldi Orthodontics, Inc. - Mason, 6406 Thornberry Ct., Suite 210, Mason, OH 45040, (513) 234-7890

TONY RINALDI

Rinaldi Orthodontics, Inc., 5987 Meijer Dr., Milford, OH 45150, (513) 831-6160

BRIAN ROMICK

Romick Orthodontics, 7655 Five Mile Rd., Suite 207, Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 643-6493

Seven Star Dental

Experience cutting-edge dentistry in a beautiful spa-like environment. Dr. Maria Bustamante created Seven Star Dental to offer her patients a unique dental experience. Her main focus is in general and cosmetic dentistry, ranging from simple treatments to complete smile makeovers. Dr. Maria Bustamante puts high emphasis on advanced continuing education to offer her patients state-of-the-art cosmetic dentistry including Invisalign, porcelain veneers, same-day crowns, ZOOM! whitening, restorative dentistry, oral laser surgery, and full mouth rehabilitation. Her patients love the private treatment and consultation rooms, as they learn about their dental health and options for care. The relaxing touches like heated massage chairs, WiFi, Netflix, and refreshments compliment a comforting visit. Thanks to Dr. Bustamante’s dedication to dentistry along with a knowledgeable, friendly team and comfortable atmosphere, every Seven Star patient can expect a personable, seven-star experience!

7 W. Seventh St., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45202, (513) 241-7827, www.sevenstardental.com

IAN SEGALL

Cassinelli, Shanker & Associates

Orthodontics, 7242 Tylers Corners Dr., West Chester Township, OH 45069, (513) 777-7060

SHIVA SHANKER

Cassinelli, Shanker & Associates

Orthodontics, 4881 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 777-7060

JACOB STADIEM

Northeast Orthodontic Specialists, 9380 Kenwood Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 793-4770

JANICE STRUCKHOFF

Struckhoff and Britt Orthodontics, 1944 Declaration Dr., Independence, KY 41051, (859) 356-6630

JERI L. STULL

Dr. Jeri Stull Orthodontics, 637 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas, KY 41075, (859) 781-2662

PETER M. SUFFIELD

Precision Orthodontics, 8154 Montgomery Rd., Suite 102, Cincinnati, OH 45236, (513) 891-4324

JAMES “JIM” N. THACKER

Thacker Orthodontics, 1057 Nimitzview Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 8029360

MARYEVAN THACKER HELLEBUSCH

Thacker Orthodontics, 1057 Nimitzview Dr., Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 8029360

BRYAN R. WIRTZ

Bryan Wirtz Orthodontics, 11329 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45246, (513) 772-1671

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

KATIE BLOMER

Hyde Park Pediatric Dentistry, 3136 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 979-6998

MARIE CALLEN

Marie Callen, DMD Dentistry for Kids, 11306 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 376-8200

LAURA DOSS

Village Pediatric Dentistry - Laura Doss, DDS, 8179-H Princeton Glendale

Rd., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 844-0046

JOHN GENNANTONIO

Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, 1319 Nagel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 715-5092

WILLIAM A. GREENHILL

Union Pediatric Dentistry, 2012 Callie Way, Suite 202, Union, KY 41091, (859) 384-6050

SARAH HUSTED

Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, 1319 Nagel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 715-5092

KAITLIN JENNISON

Union Pediatric Dentistry, 2012 Callie Way, Suite 202, Union, KY 41091, (859) 384-6050

DENNIS LAMBERT

Cincy KidsTeeth Pediatric Dentistry - Dennis Lambert, DDS, 5534 Muddy Creek Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 574-8100

Chestine G.

Toth DMD, MS; Baker Square Periodontics and Implant Dentistry

Our office is committed to providing compassionate and exceptional care. Specializing in advanced periodontal treatment, gingival grafts, and dental implants, we treat each person as family. We strive to make each person feel heard, valued, confident, and comfortable in their journey to oral health.

With 20 years of dedicated experience, Dr. Toth, a military veteran and current Army Reservist who is a diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology, brings integrity, precision, and a personal touch to every patient interaction.

5032 Appaloosa Circle, Morrow, OH 45152, (513) 899-7186, https://tothperio.com

TOP DENTISTS 2026

JOHN R. LIU

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, 3333 Burnet Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45229, (513) 803-3841

TRISHA MCNAMARA

The Pediatric Dentist, 5177 North Bend Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45211, (513) 662-5203

CINDY PONG

Smiles 4 Kids Pediatric Dentistry, 11350 Springfield Pike, Cincinnati, OH 45246, (513) 771-5231

RONALD L. POULOS

Pediatric Dentistry of AndersonRonald L. Poulos, DDS, LLC, 7655 Five Mile Rd., Suite 214, Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 232-0550

DAVID RIDER

Kelty McLaurin Pediatric Dentistry, 1809 Alexandria Pike, Suite A, Highland Heights, KY 41076, (859) 781-1500

Dr. Raymond Bonomo

After 25 years of private practice we have become highly specialized in the placement of dental implants, teeth in a day (implant supported dentures), treating periodontal disease and gum recession. We pride ourselves on treating our patients like family by making each visit as pleasant as possible and offer two convenient office locations. We also offer a variety of sedation options to ease dental anxiety!

Our pillars: 1. We Serve 2. We are Honest and Trustworthy 3. We Work Hard 4. We are Innovative 5. We Seek Excellence

6208 Muhlhauser Rd., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 671-0222; 34 Remick Blvd., Springboro, OH 45066, (937) 886-9940; www.bonomoperiodontics.net

LISA RUDOLPH

Montgomery Pediatric Dentistry, 4881 Cooper Rd., Blue Ash, OH 45242, (513) 891-0660

BRAD SKELTON

Fairfield Pediatric Dentistry - Chew Chew Junction, 945 Deis Dr., Fairfield, OH 45014, (513) 858-6575

KATIE STEWART

Sea of Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, 1319 Nagel Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45255, (513) 643-4891

PETR VAUGHAN

Westside Pediatric Dentistry, 6558 Glenway Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45211, (513) 450-3411

BRACKEN WEBB

West Chester Pediatry Dentistry, 3215 Cincinnati-Columbus Rd., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 777-2313

ALEX YOUNG

Young Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, 7400 US-42, Florence, KY 41042, (859) 525-2100

PERIODONTICS

ANDREW BAKER

Shapiro and Baker Periodontics and Dental Implants, 8350 E. Kemper Rd., Unit C, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 984-4867

STACEY BLUME

Periodontics & Implantology at Cornerstone, 4030 Smith Rd., Suite 225, Cincinnati, OH 45209, (513) 8718488

RAYMOND BONOMO

Bonomo Periodontics, 6208 Muhlhauser Rd., West Chester, OH 45069, (513) 671-0222, www.bonomoperiodontics.com

ALLISON (MARLOW) DISNEY

Southern Roots Periodontics and Dental Implant Specialists, 8136 Mall Rd., Florence, KY 41042, (859) 371-6543

RYAN P. ESTES

Southern Roots Periodontics and Dental Implant Specialists, 8136 Mall Rd., Florence, KY 41042, (859) 371-6543

Dr. Dan Hillis, Mason Dental Care

Passionately, purposefully, and unapologetically, Mason Dental Care pursues the highest standard of oral healthcare for discerning clients. Expect calm, clarity, and a plan built for longevity—grounded in education, evidence, and precise execution. Named a Cincinnati Magazine 2026 Top Dentist, Dr. Dan Hillis delivers comprehensive dentistry with elevated comfort, including IV sedation for a truly effortless visit. For patients who expect premium healthcare—and a smile that feels as good as it looks— care designed around you.

6499 Mason-Montgmery Rd., Suite B, Mason, OH 45040, (513) 336-8510, www.masondentalcare.com

MARY ANN HANLON

Mary Ann Hanlon, DDS, MS, 7074 Harrison Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45247, (513) 662-4867

RYAN HARRIS

Harris & Loughridge Periodontics & Implant Dentistry - Mason Office, 5138 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 336-8100

TIFFANY HARRIS

Harris & Loughridge Periodontics & Implant Dentistry - Mason Office, 5138 Cedar Village Dr., Mason, OH 45040, (513) 336-8100

NEAL LEMMERMAN

Lemmerman Periodontics, 6950 E. Kemper Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 851-9292

ROBERT J. LIMARDI

Periodontal Visions, Inc., 3174 Mack Rd., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45014, 513870-9672, www.periodontalvisions. com

LARRY S. MARTIN

Martin Periodontics, 6410 Thornberry

Ct., Suite C, Mason, OH 45040, (513) 445-4282

MATTHEW M. PARKER

Parker Periodontics & Implant Dentistry, 8000 Five Mile Rd., Suite 350, Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 474-4486

VLAD SHAPIRO

Shapiro and Baker Periodontics and Dental Implants, 8350 E. Kemper Rd., Unit C, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 984-4867

MARK J. SILVERS

Mark Silvers, D.D.S., M.S., 7710 Shawnee Run Rd., Madeira, OH 45243, (513) 271-1101

SCOTT SILVERSTEIN

Ohio Valley Center for Periodontics & Implants, 748 State Rte. 28, Suite A, Milford, OH 45150, (513) 854-0338

MICHAEL C. TOMS

Michael C. Toms, DDS, MS, 5532 Muddy Creek Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45238, (513) 922-7300

Dr. Kent Morris has been serving the Cincinnati area for over 20 years. Being an orthodontist is not just his career, it is his passion. When he is not in the office, he enjoys running, swimming, playing his guitar, and spending time with his family. 9573 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242, (513) 683-3900, www.kentmorrisorthodontics.com

CHESTINE G. TOTH

Baker Square Periodontics and Implant Dentistry, 5032 Appaloosa Circle, Morrow, OH 45152, (513) 8997186, https://tothperio.com

MICHAEL VIETH

Parker Periodontics & Implant Dentistry, 8000 Five Mile Rd., Suite 350, Cincinnati, OH 45230, (513) 474-4486

MARGARET “MAGGIE” WEBER

Shapiro and Baker Periodontics and Dental Implants, 8350 E. Kemper Rd., Unit C, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 984-4867

JEFFREY R. WESSEL

Wessel Periodontics, LLC, 8221 Cornell Rd., Suite 430, Cincinnati, OH 45249, (513) 891-3933

PROSTHODONTICS

DAVID D. CARRIER

David D. Carrier, DDS, FACP, Ltd., 121 William Howard Taft Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45219, (513) 961-8113

MANNY CHOPRA

Center for Dental Health - Dr. Manny Chopra, 2752 Erie Ave., Hyde Park Medical Art Bldg., Suite 1, Cincinnati, OH 45208, (513) 871-4411

ROBERT F. FAULKNER

Cincinnati Prosthodontics and Oral Reconstructions, 6355 E. Kemper Rd., Suite 150, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 489-8070

ROBERT J. FAULKNER

Cincinnati Prosthodontics and Oral Reconstructions, 6355 E. Kemper Rd., Suite 150, Cincinnati, OH 45241, (513) 489-8070

The professionals listed herein were selected by their peers in a survey conducted by Professional Research Services Company of Troy, Michigan. Professionals may be screened and selected through the verification of licensing and review of any infractions through various applicable boards, agencies, and rating services. For further information visit www.prscom. com.

and stay in shape.”

Always seeking the more dance-inflected aerobics classes, she discovered Rhythm & Motion in San Francisco, which invites the uninitiated into classes taught by pro dancers. “It’s a great welcoming equalizer space around dance and fitness,” says Britt. Excelling immediately, she was hired to teach and later to export the concept to its first satellite in Colorado, where she returned with her then boyfriend/future husband. It was a hit.

So when Britt moved back to Cincinnati in 2000 to plan her wedding, she opened a

bies into the proverbial deep end, she says, “If I do a lot of intro classes, the people who come don’t stay. The choreography is difficult because we want people to feel they’ve accomplished something. That builds retention. Students have to come often, and so they develop deep relationships with each other.”

In 2014, Britt trademarked the DanceFix name. She liked the double meaning of the classes being a fix for a body craving dopamine and the notion that dance can fix you. A third meaning is also possible: As DanceFix continues to expand, Britt is focused on fi ne-tuning the brand in line with its mission of inclusiveness and community— keeping the vision fixed and unmuddled.

“The classes were successful not because of Rhythm & Motion but because of Heather and her style,” says Ron Houck, an entrepreneur and former professional dancer who has attended since the early days. “She has IQ, charisma, and magnetism. It’s innate in her to be a leader.”

“EVERYONE WHEN THEY START HAS A SUPER CRUSH ON HEATHER,” SAYS DANCEFIX REGULAR ELISSA YANCEY. “I DON’T KNOW THAT I’VE SEEN A PERSONALITY LIKE THAT BEFORE.”

second Rhythm & Motion outpost. “It was complicated,” she says of having to teach, keep books, and promote the business. “I had to become a business person, and artists are not known for being great at that. I was just winging it. How do I recreate from scratch what they’d been doing for 27 years? There was no blueprint.”

Britt laments some of her past business decisions. “I was not the best negotiator,” she says. If she flunked, however, it was upwards. Profits grew every year from 2004 until COVID hit and have since returned to their pre-pandemic numbers. She built the business while working day jobs in the dance profession and raising two children as a single mom. (The marriage didn’t work out.) In hindsight, it’s clear Britt had a head for strategy after all.

Students wanted more structure and more sophisticated choreo, she sensed. Asked why DanceFix tends to drop new-

The therapeutic aspect of dance is well documented scientifically and is gaining yet more momentum with the recent rise of somatic therapy, which seeks to heal trauma through body awareness and movement. “This is where I process my life,” one DanceFixer says. Cutting loose in an ecstatic rush to a thumping beat, students say they sort out personal problems or, conversely, get away from them.

“Since the beginning of time people have moved together in groups,” says Yancey, who attends classes about three times a week. “Maypoles, dancing around a fire, they have a neurological impact equivalent to, if not stronger than, an antidepressant.”

That sense of shared catharsis and belonging is what pushes DanceFix from “really fun workout” into “way of life.”

DanceFix is also more focused on give-back than your typical get-fit program. From the start, the company has

been so involved in pro-bono classes and workshops—for school-age kids, people with special needs, and burned-out caregivers, among many other programs and events, largely for underserved people— that last year it spun off the DanceFix Foundation, a nonprofit to focus solely on those efforts.

“I have always been aware of access to the arts and how expensive they are,” says Britt. “Without access, kids don’t have a chance to be exposed to the arts and express themselves artistically, or go and see an arts performance. That access is getting worse and worse for schools. DanceFix Foundation is a way to bridge that gap.”

FOR YEARS, RHYTHM & MOTION, AND thenDanceFix, partnered with and then rented space from Cincinnati Ballet, using its old facility on Central Parkway in OTR and then its former academy in Blue Ash before briefly moving to the Ballet’s new Gilbert Avenue digs. Britt’s relationship with the organization runs deep. For well over a decade she choreographed for it and served as education manager in the early aughts.

Cincinnati Ballet got much more than a fun tenant out of the deal. Dozens and possibly hundreds of DanceFixers discovered the company for the first time and would go on to become patrons. “We pulled an audience into the ballet space that would have been intimidated to even walk into a ballet building,” says Britt. “They saw that it’s not so elitist. They would buy tickets to see a performance, become donors, and send their kids to the ballet academy. It’s a struggle for ballet to attract younger and more diverse audiences.”

On top of that, DanceFixers flocked like groupies to anything Britt herself choreographed for Cincinnati Ballet and donated money in fund-raisers for her works in progress. “Everyone when they start has a crush on Heather,” says Yancey. “Her enthusiasm, her ability to pull in any kind of person on any level. They can bask in her glow. I don’t know that I’ve seen a personality like that in action before.”

Supersizing with about 19 instructors into two dozen classes and workshops per week, plus numerous pro-bono offerings, DanceFix (and its ancillary classes such as

African dance, ballet, and tap) outgrew borrowed spaces. Britt searched for years for a permanent location that wasn’t in a strip mall, office park, or industrial area; it had to be in and of a neighborhood, she insisted, plus have parking.

A CVS store on McMillan Street in Walnut Hills that closed during the pandemic fit the bill. The landlord, Model Group, wanted a tenant that would complement the cultural and nonprofit institutions in what’s shaping into an arts corridor in Walnut Hills. (City Councilmember Mark Jeffreys is spearheading an initiative with neighborhood leaders to establish the Walnut Hills Art and Culture District, the city’s first such designation.) Model Group did a complete renovation of the building to accommodate DanceFix and set a rent that both parties believed would be sustainable. The building was designed to also accommodate event rentals.

“Heather is a game-changer for Walnut Hills,” says Matt Reckman, Model Group president of property management, who had already been working with Britt for a couple of years to find DanceFix a new space. “She’s a magnet for lots of people and good things. People and businesses want to be close to her. The power of that is huge.”

The economic impact of 500 or so students heading to DanceFix every week and then getting coffee, a meal, or groceries nearby after class is “unquantifiable,” he says. The studio boasts 3,800 square feet of unobstructed space grounded by a shockabsorbing “sprung” floor. Four bathrooms were custom decorated by Cincinnati artists under the leadership of art gadabout Pam Kravetz.

To tweak an aphorism, if you built it, they may or may not come. “Community” is a stew of good intentions that too often never reaches a boil. DanceFix has that friendly cohesiveness in spades inside its studio but strives for integration with neighborhood residents. “There’s a socioeconomic barrier here,” says Britt. “I couldn’t say we are accepting and welcoming of all people if I have to add ‘except if they can’t afford it.’ ”

On par with average yoga class prices, DanceFix costs $18 for a single session, with lower fees when a multi-class pass is

purchased. These days, the nonprofit ensures that there is always some class for free on the schedule, from African dance to line dancing. Any resident of Walnut Hills can take a first class for free.

THE PANDEMIC KILLED MANY SMALL businesses and wounded countless others. DanceFix became homeless when Cincinnati Ballet’s buildings closed to the public in 2020. Intrepid as ever, Britt led socially distanced classes in parking lots and parks, even when there was snow on the ground. Students wore T-shirts that said “DanceFix skips around” and “DanceFix is on the move.”

Another blow landed in 2022: Britt was diagnosed with breast cancer. “I didn’t know how I would handle DanceFix because I’m the leader,” she says. “I’m not used to showing vulnerability.”

She kept the news secret as long as she could. “We did seven flash mobs while I was going through treatment, plus the Northside Fourth of July parade, without the students knowing,” she says, recalling that she wore a turban during BLINK. “I was negotiating with Model Group with no hair.” By the second round of treatments, there was no hiding that she’d also lost her eyebrows and eyelashes. In a surprise to no one, she danced and taught throughout her treatment. In an e-mail to students, she shared her diagnosis but asked them not to turn class into a pity party. “I didn’t want people to be like, ‘Oh no!’ and worry about me.”

Other instructors would jump in when Britt needed to take a break during a class instruction. “DanceFix was such a big part of my healing,” she says. “It gave me a sense of normalcy, just showing up and having community there. For an hour I could forget what I was going through. Showing up to work is my purpose.”

Britt finished her treatments a year later, and the experience inspired her to offer DanceFix workshops to cancer survivors and caregivers. “We’ve seen about 1,600 people for 3,600 visits,” she says of the workshops offered to survivors, caregivers, schools, youth, and more. Such efforts now fall under the DanceFix Foundation umbrella so that participants don’t have to pay.

Photos of flushed, beaming students

adorn a studio wall chronicling the company’s quarter-century history. In 2016, the layout notes, the Nashville Ballet started DanceFix classes. Kansas City Ballet began offering it in 2023. “I see it growing into more cities,” Britt says. “I have been approached about franchising, but I worry about a watered-down product. You see them crash and burn, and I need to protect the brand. I always lead with that.”

Indeed, it’s been a struggle to get DanceFix in other cities to look like it does here. Can the concept expand beyond the tristate without Britt on site?

“I don’t expect it to take off overnight,” says Devon Carney, who was associate artistic director of the Cincinnati Ballet until being hired for the top spot at Kansas City Ballet. He brought DanceFix classes to the KC Ballet about two years ago. “It’s still in its infancy. I dream of the day when we have 50 people in class.”

Similarly, Nashville Ballet, which has licensed DanceFix for a decade, still struggles to attract the kind of numbers—and energy levels—of its Cincinnati parent. “It took six months for the community here to understand the format,” says Shabaz Ujima, community engagement teaching artist who leads a handful of sessions per week. “We’re not as rowdy or diverse. We’re tame compared to Cincinnati. You’re crazy up there.”

In its capacious new home in Walnut Hills, DanceFix can accommodate its swelling number of “crazy” dancers. The DanceFix Foundation will mount its largest public event on May 6 with Kids Dance Day, when hundreds will boogie together in Eden Park. Expansion beyond the Queen City, however, may be a tough leap. Like goetta or threeway chili, DanceFix might be one of those specialties that locals can’t get enough of but others don’t quite get.

Britt, 53, would like the foundation to “be around forever,” thinking about how to make it sustainable in the years ahead. But she isn’t a hood ornament; she’s the engine of DanceFix. It’s unclear if satellites can gain traction without her close by at the helm.

“DanceFix is about the space, the people, and the community. It’s not about Heather,” says Yancey. She pauses and adds, “Even though it is really about her.”

quite right but, yeah, I guess I started it all,” he says. Now retired from a finance career with Procter & Gamble, Banks is a Canadian dual citizen, so it’s a compliment to say he has ice in his veins. He grew up curling and playing hockey, the latter sport being easier to find here in Cincinnati than the former.

On a hockey trip to Knoxville in late 2009, however, he was astounded to discover that the venue had a set of curling stones. That just isn’t done in Canada; hockey and curling don’t share ice.

Banks made a few phone calls and ended up speaking to one of the founders of the

games boost it also saw after the Olympics in Russia (2014); Korea, where the U.S. men’s team won the gold (2018); and China (2022). Banks expects another spike in new memberships now following the MilanCortina Games.

BRODY WHITE, CLAD IN A WINDBREAKER

with a small tank filled with hot water strapped to his back, carefully shuffles along the ice, the nozzle of his sprayer pointed downward. When the hot mist contacts the ice, it refreezes and forms microscopic bumps, transforming the smooth-as-glass surface into what White terms a playing ground that’s more akin to an orange peel.

The technique is called “pebbling,” and it’s done before each match. It enables the concave-bottomed stone to glide and, importantly, curl the full distance of 138 feet to the target area. Without pebbling, White explains, friction would stop the stone well short of the mark. The pebbles

“NOW I HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF FRIENDS FROM ALL OVER CINCINNATI THAT I CAN CALL ON,” SAYS NEW CURLING CONVERT BETH SWANEY. “IT’S DEFINITELY CHANGED ME.”

Columbus Curling Club, which had been in operation for a few years. A month later, Banks not only received some valuable advice on how to start a club in Cincinnati but also procured 32 used stones that Columbus no longer needed and Cincinnati desperately did. With help, he loaded his treasure trove, weighing more than 1,400 total pounds, into his Toyota Sienna for a pavement-hugging, tailpipe-clanging trip down I-71. Destination: The Indian Hill Winter Club, which was to become the first home of the Cincinnati Curling Club.

The club gained some quick attention when Cincinnati’s NBC affiliate, WLWT, came to film an early Learn-to-Curl class and a few pickup games. The 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics were being broadcast on their network, so it was a good promotional opportunity for both Channel 5 and the curling club. Banks recalls the club gained several new members—a post-

also promote the curl as they slightly melt when the stone passes over them, forming a miniscule but important film of water that pushes the stone forward and allows the sweepers to guide it to the house.

There is a lot of science here, and plenty of math too. Good players—and there are several at the club—examine the ice as a surgeon would an MRI, calculate angles to determine what kind of spin they need to place on the stone before releasing it, and even hold stopwatches to evaluate when to release their stone based on ice conditions and opposing stones that have already been delivered to the house. It’s no wonder the sport is called “chess on ice.”

It’s also no wonder that curlers are really fi nicky about their ice. Cincinnati’s club is fortunate. Among their members is a world-renowned ice maker, Jonathan Penney, who’s so good that he’s made ice for the world curling championships and

various national Olympic teams. Water quality, temperature, air flow, and, perhaps most importantly, humidity are keys to great ice, and Penney babies the frozen surface with a perpetual smile on his face. Club members can’t say enough about him.

“We wouldn’t be here without volunteers,” White says as he motions around the club’s warm room. The air temperature is 40 degrees on the ice (although on one Tuesday night a player who started in a sweatshirt and pants stripped down to shorts and a T-shirt), but it’s a comfortable 70 in the warm room, where you can watch the action either through thick glass or on a closed-circuit TV. “We’re fortunate that our members have a lot of expertise in plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, general contracting, and other professions that have saved us tens of thousands of dollars and continue to do so.”

White started curling in Columbus and is now vice president of the Cincinnati club. “Volunteers designed and built the bar,” he notes, motioning to the mammoth, well-stocked venue that’s larger than most in Over-the Rhine. Several large round tables are scattered around the space, and here is where the ancient tradition of “broomstacking” takes place.

Think of broomstacking as curling’s 19th hole. It’s the almost-mandatory social hour where the winners buy the losers a drink and friendships are formed. The tradition goes all the way back, so they say, to when the Scots invented the game in the 16th century and finished the day by stacking their brooms by the roaring fire as they hoisted a strong ale. White calls broomstacking “the equivalent of coaches and players shaking hands at the end of a game.” It’s so integral to the sport that, when the pandemic hit and members couldn’t socialize inside, many took the party outside into the cold, dark winter night and ’stacked under the stars.

In a world that’s become socially isolated, curling has been like discovering a new family for many of the members. There are several social leagues at the club that encourage young and old, male and female, and even kids to simply have fun. No stopwatches. No hands-on-knees examination of ice pebbles. More laughs than deep strategy discussions. “I’m not that competitive,

so I’m just happy if it stays in play,” says Beth Pratt, an early retiree from property management and new home construction from Liberty Township who spends multiple evenings at the club and is in charge of scheduling the private and corporate events that provide some income for the club.

Beth Swaney, a self-described introvert, first saw curling on TV during the 2018 Olympics and was intrigued. She did a Google search, and something clicked. She went to a Learn-to-Curl class by herself and has never looked back. “That was so out of character for me,” she says, still marveling at her audacity. “But now I have a wide variety of friends from all over Cincinnati that I can call on, and it’s definitely changed me.”

She credits her curling cohort with “just being there when you need them.”

Then there are the serious players— the ones who emit so much competitive heat that they can turn the ice to slush. Clay Hampton, a relative newcomer to the club, drives all the way from Troy to play and, even though he’s been at it for just two years, has formed a travel team that’s been to Alaska twice and to Seattle, North Carolina, Dallas, and Arizona to curl against teams from all over the country. Donning Canada’s official Olympic jacket, he’s American through and through. He just likes our northern neighbor’s jacket, highlighted by a large red maple leaf.

Hampton’s goal is for his team to qualify for the 5U pool (players who have curled for five or fewer years) so they can compete in the nationals. “I don’t care if we win the nationals, I just want to get there,” he says, noting the prize is simply winning a patch that shows the world his blood runs cold. Hampton and his teammates still have three years to win a major sanctioned curling tournament—in that unique curling language, they’re called “bonspiels”—and one of them was right here on Cincinnati Curling’s home ice in late January.

FOR THE FIRST SEVEN YEARS OF ITS official existence, curling club members wandered like polar bears on the tundra, first playing in Indian Hill, moving to the

now-demolished Cincinnati Gardens, and finally using Evendale’s Sports Plus before they found what they wanted: a building large enough to curate their own pure, virgin curling ice. No hockey, no free skating—in fact, no skates at all. They leased a 12,000-square-foot West Chester warehouse in 2019, and the club’s volunteers went to work. More than 15 miles of pipe that would carry Glycol, the chilling chemical necessary to facilitate “good ice,” were laid and three curling lanes plus a viewing area were built. Last spring, the club was able to lease the adjoining space, adding about 6,000 more square feet and the warm room to host those lively broomstacks. The former viewing area was turned into a fourth curling lane, allowing the club to host major bonspiels.

Today, inspired by the Olympics and word of mouth, website traffic is booming and the club’s phone lines are fielding a growing number of “cold calls.” Curling season pauses at the end of this month, and then volunteers will complete work on the warm room while the club takes its summer break. (Curling starts up again in September.) White says he won’t be surprised if the club’s membership includes more than 200 men and women when the new season opens. “We’re growing, and, as you’ll see when you talk to people here, they’re hooked.”

Schwartz is defi nitely hooked, and so is his red-topped stone as it slides down the icy ramp, curling gently left as the skip urgently barks out orders to his sweepers frantically scrubbing the ice. The skip wants the stone not just in the house but coming in on an angle that will bump his opponent’s yellow-topped stone out of bounds.

Curling can be as much like billiards as it is chess, just noisier. Like cornhole, the life of a well-placed stone can be as short-lived as a shot of Scottish whiskey over a blazing broomstacking fire.

“That’s the fun of the game,” says Hampton, aspiring champion of the curl. “When you deliver the stone where the skip points and it lands right in the middle of the house and everyone is cheering, you’ve caught that high.”

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ALL IN THE FAMILY

Local restaurateur siblings spill the beans about working with family. —RODNEY WILSON

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN BIG NIGHT ? IT’S A CLASSIC PIECE OF STORYTELLING CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL VIEWING for anyone interested in food. The film tells the story of two Italian immigrant brothers (real-life foodies Tony Shaloub and Stanley Tucci) as they squabble and scuffle through dinner service at the struggling New Jersey restaurant they own and operate.

The Queen City has a number of similarly sibling-owned eateries, often mimicking the front-ofhouse/back-of-house breakdown immortalized in the movie. But none of them have stories of fisticuffs or impassioned beachfront screaming matches. In fact, sibling food-industry pairings work well on the local front.

“It was something that really came naturally,” says Neil Barraco, who co-owns Milford restaurants The Governor and Flamingo Drive with his brother Paul. “We both worked in the industry for so long.”

Neil notes that growing up in a food-centric household led both brothers to pursue food service careers, and the eventual decision to work together just made sense. “Paul was always the back-of-house guy,” he adds. “I was always a front-of-house guy. We’ve been doing it for a long time, and we’re good at it.”

Childhood experiences and an inherited love of coffee influenced Tony and Austin Ferrari in their decision to open Mom ’n ’em Coffee. “Our father’s from Italy,” Tony says. “Espresso every two hours is a very normal thing in our household.”

The Ferrari brothers made their way to San Francisco’s culinary scene, but when they decided to open something together, their attention shifted homeward. “We always joked around that we love coffee so much [and] spend so much money on it, why don’t we just open up our own [coffee shop]?” he explains.

The two moved back home, pulling their mom Theresa into both the name and daily operations, and opened their first location in Camp Washington in 2019.

Troy McAndrews, who co-owns The Establishment in Hyde Park and Walnut Hills’s Rusk Kitchen + Bar with his brother Brendan, sees the sibling bond as a real benefit in their operations. “You get to spend time together, which can sometimes be a double-edged sword,” he says. “But at the end of the day it’s truly a blessing. There’s also a deep level of trust and a genuine understanding of each other’s talents, which makes collaboration more natural and decisions more confident.”

That double-edged sword stays top of mind for these sibling restaurateurs—they’re bringing lifetimes of intimate familiarity to their professional lives. Samir Daoud started Frankie’s Sips & Savories with his siblings Muna, Samar, and Sami as a tribute to their father, Frank Daoud, who cofounded Gold Star Chili with his brothers in 1965. Samir sees trust, communication, and buy-in as central to keeping business and personal feelings in line.

“With each other, we don’t hold anything back,” he says. “It’s not always pretty. And [we] know that we have a one-for-all-andall-for-one mentality. We understand the strengths and weaknesses of each other and allow for each sibling to lead where they have the most expertise.”

That dual sibling/business partner relationship requires a special touch, though, as both operating dollars and blood ties are on the line.

“There are days when there can be conflict,” admits Tony Ferrari. “It’s easy to kind of get ticked off about something. [But] we end up coming back together as a family, brushing it off and just working through it.”

It’s also important for sibling business partners to recognize individual strengths in a working relationship, especially when decisions need to be made. For the Ferraris, Barracos, and Daouds, individual experiences span hospitality, kitchen, and other roles, creating specialized lanes for each person. “Because there’s that natural divide, we established a line from back of house to front of house that we try very hard not to cross,” Neil Barraco says. “We let each other do our own things.”

A food service business is incredibly time consuming, involving professional interactions for most of a day’s waking hours, so it’s important for siblings to stay intentional in maintaining boundaries between business and family relationships.

“When you’re at work, you really need to try to find ways to keep the personal stuff out of the way,” says Paul Barraco. “We’re always trying to figure out ways to do things better, but we try to focus on talking about the restaurant mostly while we’re working—and we’re working a lot.”

McAndrews seconds the need to keep business and brother times separate. “Boundaries are important, especially since our businesses are far from a 9-to-5 schedule,” he says. “We make a conscious effort that, when we’re spending time outside of operating and making business decisions, we focus on being family, not business partners.”

The Ferrari brothers, who also produce a canned cold brew and bottled olive oil and operate a Coving-

events

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THE 2026 CINCINNATI MAGAZINE EVENT SEASON WITH STYLE → In February, more than 300 guests gathered at The Cincinnati Club to indulge in everyone’s favorite twist on mealtime, Breakfast for Dinner. Several restaurants known for breakfast fare served their most delicious dishes while guests enjoyed live music from four local bands. In addition, the Pancake Flip-Off and Bagel Bash found four chefs creating unique dishes using pancake mix, syrup, or bagels. A portion of the event proceeds went to Wheels Transportation.

ton event space, stay fiercely intentional about being just family outside of business obligations. “We try our best to keep family and business separate,” Ferrari explains. “When we’re doing family dinner, we try to stick to current affairs and stuff like that rather than bickering about business.”

Samir Daoud, however, feels that the business layer actually adds to sibling relationships. “If anything it heightens them,” he says. “By celebrating wins and inspiring discussion around issues/opportunities, it’s just one more thing to enjoy around the dinner table.”

The sibling owners are all keenly aware their personal relationships have wide-ranging effects beyond just getting along. Like the Ferraris involving their mother, the Barracos have brought their parents into operations, and Neil’s two children have roles in the restaurants, too. Similarly, the Daoud family has grown into a multi-generational endeavor. The second-generation family members are already spearheading the day-to-day operations, led by Nimmer Naber, Muna’s son, and assisted by almost all of his cousins.

Then there are patrons who spend time and money in the establishments as well as the community of workers who support daily operations. “We have to make sure this restaurant is successful,” Paul Barraco says. “We want to run something that, when people come in, it’s obvious there’s no tension in the room. But I think that when the personal relationship is good, the work relationship will be that much better.”

Remember to call your sibling(s) on National Siblings Day on April 10!

Rusk Kitchen + Bar, 2724 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, (513) 221-8302, ruskcincy.com

Mom ’n ’em Coffee, 3128 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington, (513) 886-0591, momnemcoffee.com

Frankie’s Sips & Savories, 14 Garfield Pl., downtown, (513) 996-0021, frankiessips.com

The Governor, 231 Main St., Milford, (513) 239-8298, governordiner.com

Flamingo Drive, 227 Main St., Milford, (513) 444-4190, flamingodrivelounge.com

In Circles

WITH SOARING VIEWS OF THE SAILors and Soldiers Monument and lowslung seats overlooking Market Street, you can drink in the cool marble environs, curvaceous pillars, and signature muted metallic palette of the InterContinental Hotel from its in-house restaurant Serliana. Opened last spring on downtown Indianapolis’s Monument Circle, the eatery’s all-day French-inspired menu is one that out-of-towners staying at the boutique hotel and native gastronomes alike are taking note of. Indianapolis culinary luminary Craig Baker helms the kitchen, his menu toeing the line between hotel expectations and innovation perfectly. (Witness his beef tenderloin tartare with a quail egg and dollops of truffle aioli as well as his take on the ubiquitous beet salad with silky smoked salmon, orange wedges, and a grating of horseradish.) Daytime offerings such as a rustic biscuits-and-gravy plate and a croque Monsieur with Smoking Goose City ham are nods to Baker’s adopted Indiana, while his version of the internet, brunch darling çilbir, made with smoky, spice-rich Greek yogurt and poached eggs, pays homage to the hotel owner’s Turkish heritage. And don’t miss his signature French dip with thinly sliced Indiana rib eye, shallots both pickled and breaded, and a house jus.

At meal’s end, a handsome bête noire is utterly smooth and decadent, lightened with fruit and whipped cream, and cake-y beignets with an addictive burnt apple cider caramel. Given the miles Baker has logged to showcase his culinary prowess in the nearly two decades he’s called Indy home, the city is lucky to have him back at its center.

—TERRY KIRTS

Serliana, 17 W. Market St., Indianapolis, (463) 303-0380, serlianaindy.com

On Target

BRING YOUR A GAME AND AN EMPTY STOMACH FOR THE ULTIMATE DARTS SESSION AT Flight Club. The “social darts” bar concept landed in Cincinnati in December, and brought with it interactive darts-based games, cocktails, and a packed menu of upscale bar food. While you’re in your oche (a term meaning the line a player must stand behind when throwing a dart but is also used at Flight Club to refer to the space where you play), you can press a button to flag down your server to order your next round of food or drinks.

The lobster elote (grilled street corn, jalapeños, cilantro, cotija, and mayo) might catch your eye. Served with crispy Tajín flour tortilla chips, the dip is creamy yet surprisingly light. The Parmesan truffle fries, topped with parsley and served with a side of ketchup, are pleasant but not overwhelming, making them an elevated take on the classic salted fries.

CRISTIAN PIETOSO

NICOLA’S OWNER LOOKS ahead as the restaurant celebrates three decades in business this month.

Do you have any specials planned for the anniversary? Our 30th anniversary is April 15 and over the years, certain dishes and wines have become part of Nicola’s identity. We’re celebrating those favorites while introducing something exciting for our guests throughout April. It’s a milestone worth honoring in a meaningful way.

What’s it feel like to be a part of such a long-lasting culinary legacy? When I moved to Cincinnati from Italy in 2004, my goal was simple: Put Nicola’s on the map. I knew we had to do great work every day. Thirty years later, the fact that we’re still here is a testament to our guests and our team. Being part of that legacy is an honor, and it also raises the bar. We have to continue earning it every day.

You recently scrapped the idea of moving Nicola’s downtown. Why did you decide to stay in Pendleton? This neighborhood has grown with us, and we’ve grown alongside it. Staying here allows us to honor our history while continuing to invest in the community that has supported us for decades.

What led you to purchasing the Nicola’s building? Owning the space allows us to protect Nicola’s future, invest in improvements, preserve what makes the restaurant special.

– AIESHA D . LITTLE

Flight Club Cincinnati, 125 W. Fifth St., downtown, flightclubdartsusa. com/cincinnati

The star of the shareables section are the mini tacos. Choose from al pastor, Cuban, poké, or beef barbacoa, and you’ll get five crunchy bite-sized tacos. If you’re with a group, order a sharing platter with three of each. For something a little more filling, try the buffalo chicken sliders (buffalo sauce, arugula, carrot and celery curls, and ranch, served on brioche bun). Ask for extra napkins—you don’t want the sauce dripping all over everything when it’s your turn to throw. —BRIANNA CONNOCK

Nicola’s, 1420 Sycamore St., Pendleton, (513) 721-6200, nicolasotr.com

Eggsactly

A longtime local favorite candy continues to shine for Easter.

IN THE MID-1930s, A GREEK IMMIgrant named Christus Papas began selling his own creamy chocolate-covered candy creations during concert intermissions at Music Hall. Ninety years later, Cincinnatians are still devouring Papas Candies ’s Opera Creams. The time-honored tradition of dropping an Opera Cream Egg (or four) into Easter baskets remains alive and well, thanks to fourth-generation owner Nick Papas.

A sugar-and-cream slurry is cooked, cooled, and mixed to a dough-y consistency, then extruded through an eggshaped die onto a conveyor that leads to a chocolate enrober. The chocolate hardens in a cooling tunnel before the eggs get wrapped in that iconic silver packaging and hand-packed into boxes for retail displays all across the tri-state.

“For many locals, our candy is deeply tied to family and holiday,” says Papas, who runs the operation with his aunt, two cousins, and brother-in-law out of a small building in Covington. “We receive all kinds of messages about how much our candy means to them because of memories of sharing it with their families.”

After Christus retired in the 1950s, Papas’s grandfather Alex took over the business. Not much has changed since then. “We’ve been producing candies with the same recipes invented more than 90 years ago,” Papas says. “It’s very important to us that we maintain the unique flavor that is Papas Opera Cream.”

You can grab your Opera Cream Eggs at your local grocery store or the candy manufacturer’s website, papascandies. com. —AIESHA D. LITTLE

AMERICAN

ALARA

With two floors and more than 8,000 square feet, Alara is massive but intimate. The dim lighting, hanging plants, purple drapes, and muted music all create an atmosphere of subdued sophistication to accompany its New American menu. Like lots of local restaurants at this price point, this place takes farm-to-table dining seriously. Local and regional producers play a large role in shaping the restaurant’s seasonal offerings (which are on glorious display in the spiced oil, fried chickpeas, black garlic molasses, Fresno chiles, pickled carrots, and dill of the smoked carrot hummus) while larger dishes lend a certain “family style” air to the dining experience. The lobster and pea carbonara offers generous enough portions of both the seafood and the pasta to make sharing an option, but like with the chicken Milanese—a light, rustic, and lemony dish that ate like a biergarten schnitzel—you might want to keep it all to yourself. 5410 Medpace Way, Madisonville, (513) 2725315, alaracincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

BRONTË BISTRO

You might think this is a lunch-only spot where you can nosh on a chicken salad sandwich after browsing next door at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. But this Norwood eatery feels welcoming after work, too. The dinner menu features entrées beyond the rotating soup and quiche roster that’s popular at noon. Mac and cheese? Check. Quesadillas and other starters? Yep. An assortment of burgers? Present, including a grilled portobello option. Casual food rules the day but the surprise is Brontë Bistro’s lineup of adult beverages, which elevates the place above a basic bookstore coffeeshop. The regular drinks menu includes such mainstays as cosmopolitans and sidecars.

2692 Madison Rd., Norwood, (513) 396-8970, josephbeth.com/bronte. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $

COPPIN’S

With wine on tap and a local beer list, Coppin’s is an ideal place to meet for drinks. In addition

DINING GUIDE

CINCINNATI MAGAZINE’S dining guide is compiled by our editors as a service to our readers. The magazine accepts no advertising or other consideration in exchange for a restaurant listing. The editors may add or delete restaurants based on their judgment. Because of space limitations, all

of the guide’s restaurants may not be included. Many restaurants have changing seasonal menus; dishes listed here are examples of the type of cuisine available and may not be on the menu when you visit.

To update listings, e-mail: cmletters@cincinnati magazine.com

to plenty of Kentucky bourbon, much of the produce, meat, and cheese comes from local growers and producers. House-cured meat and cheese from Kenny’s Farmhouse and cheese from Urban Stead populate the “Artisanal Meat and Cheese Board,” which dresses up the main attractions with honey, dips, house pickles, and Sixteen Bricks purple barley bread. The steak frites with beef fat fries, and your choice of peppercorn demi, bearnaise, or chimichurri are a must-try item. Or snag the seared scallops with Parmesan risotto, local mushrooms, and Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar.

WELL TRAVELED

According to CondéNast Traveler’sMaija Zummo, Cincinnati is “quietly becoming a nationally recognized culinary hub.” The writer recently mentioned several area restaurants in the web piece “The Best Restaurants in (and Near) Cincinnati, Ohio,” including Sotto, The Baker’s Table, Wildweed, Otto’s, and more. cntraveler.com/story/ the-best-restaurantsin-and-near-cincinnatiohio

638 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 9056800, hotelcovington.com/dining/coppinsrestaurant. Breakfast, lunchand dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$

COZY’S CAFÉ & PUB

On a visit to England, Jan Collins discovered the “cozy” atmosphere of London restaurants built in historic houses. She brought that warm, comfortable feeling back to the United States in opening Cozy’s. Though the atmosphere in the restaurant is reminiscent of Collins’s London travels, the food remains proudly American. The produce in virtually every dish is fresh, seasonal, and flavorful. The braised short rib stands out with its cheesy grits and haystack onions along with a portion of tender meat. And when it comes down to the classics, from the biscuits that open the meal to the carrot cake at the end, Cozy’s does it right.

6440 Cincinnati Dayton Rd., Liberty Twp., (513) 644-9365, cozyscafeandpub.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$$

EMBERS

The menu here is built for celebration: poshly priced steak and sushi selections are meant to suit every special occasion. Appetizers are both classic (shrimp cocktail) and Asian-inspired (shrimp tempura); fashionable ingredients are name-checked (micro-greens and truffles); a prominent sushi section (nigiri, sashimi, and rolls) precedes a list of archetypal salads; Kobe beef on sushi rolls sidles up to steaks of prime; non-steak entrées (Chilean sea bass or Dover sole with haricots verts and almondine) make for high-style alternative selections. Talk about a party.

8170 Montgomery Rd., Madeira, (513) 9848090, embersrestaurant.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$$

THE NORTHSTAR CAFÉ

In Northstar’s first outpost beyond the Greater Columbus area, the space itself reflects the ethos of the food: warm and comfortable, but still modern and fresh. The dinner and cocktail menus are fab, as is the large bar. But breakfast is worth waking up early for. Take the mushroom frittata, made with meaty mushrooms, caramelized sweet onions, and Gruyère. The portions are no joke—that frittata comes with breakfast potatoes and arugula—yet it doesn’t feel gluttonous or excessive. In large part that’s due to the freshness (e.g., the sausage made in-house daily) and the abundance of healthy options. One of our favorites: the shooting star juice, a balanced blend of carrot, ginger, orange, and lemon.

7610 Sloan Way, Liberty Township, (513) 759-0033; 7875 Montgomery Rd., Ste. 3112, Kenwood, (513) 570-5570, thenorthstarcafe. com. Breakfast and dinner seven days, lunch Mon–Fri, brunch Sat & Sun. MCC. No cash. $$

QUATMAN CAFÉ

The quintessential neighborhood dive, Quatman’s sits in the shadow of the Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center, serving up a classic bar burger. Look elsewhere if you like your burger with exotic toppings: This half-pound of grilled beef is served with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. Sometimes cheese. The no-frills theme is straightforward and appealing. A menu of standard sandwich fare and smooth mock turtle soup; beer on tap or soda in cans (no wine or liquor); and plenty of kitsch is served daily. Peppered with regulars, families, and political discussions, Quatman’s is far from fancy, but it’s fun, fast, and delicious. 2434 Quatman Ave., Norwood, (513) 7314370; 224 W. Main St., Mason, (513) 229-0222, quatmancafe.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $

RON’S ROOST

Ron’s stakes its reputation on its fried chicken, serving roughly 10,000 pieces weekly. It takes a few minutes, since each batch is made to order. Ron’s also serves chicken 18 other ways, includ-

ing chicken livers in gravy. It’s all about the chicken here, but the menu is five solid pages of other stuff good enough to be called specialties: Oktoberfest sauerbraten, Black Angus cheeseburgers, fried whitefish on rye, hot bacon slaw, lemon meringue pie (homemade, of course), and the best Saratoga chips this side of Saratoga.

3853 Race Rd., Bridgetown, (513) 574-0222, ronsroost. net. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

THE SCHOOLHOUSE RESTAURANT

An old flag stands in one corner and pictures of Abe Lincoln and the first George W. hang on the wall of this Civil War–era schoolhouse. The daily menu of familiar Midwestern comfort fare is written on the original chalkboard. Once you order from a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to your high school lunch lady, the elevated lazy Susan in the center of the table begins to fill up with individual bowls and baskets of cornbread, slaw, salad, mashed potatoes, chicken gravy, and vegetables. The deal here is quantity. More mashed potatoes with your fried chicken? More cornbread with your baked ham? You don’t even have to raise your hand.

8031 Glendale-Milford Rd., Camp Dennison, (513) 8315753, theschoolhousecincinnati.com. Lunch Thurs, Fri & Sun, dinner Thurs–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

SUGAR N’ SPICE

This Paddock Hills diner, with other locations in Over-theRhine and Blue Ash, has been dishing up wispy-thin pancakes and football-sized omelettes to Cincinnatians since FDR was signing new deals. Breakfast and lunch offerings mix old-hat classics like corned beef hash and basic burgers with funky iterations that draw on ethnic ingredients such as chorizo. Get here early if you don’t want to stand in line.

4381 Reading Rd., Paddock Hills, (513) 242-3521; 1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 762-0390; 10275 Summit Pkwy., Blue Ash, (513) 447-6453, eatsugarnspice. com. Breakfast and lunch seven days. MCC. $

TRIO

Trio is nothing if not a crowd-pleaser. Whether you’re in the mood for a Mediterranean-style pizza or filet mignon (with a baked potato and compound herb butter), the menu is broad enough to offer something for everyone. It may lack a cohesive point of view, but with the number of regulars who come in seven nights a week, variety is Trio’s ace in the hole. A simple Margherita pizza with Roma tomatoes, basil, Parmesan, and mozzarella delivered a fine balance of crunchy crust, soft cheese, and sweet, roasted tomatoes. Paired with a glass of pinot noir, it made a perfect light meal. The service is friendly enough for a casual neighborhood joint but comes with white tablecloth attentiveness and knowledge. Combine that with the consistency in the kitchen, and Trio is a safe bet.

7565 Kenwood Rd., Kenwood, (513) 984-1905, triobistro.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DC. $$

BARBECUE

BEE’S BARBEQUE

You’ll want to get to Bee’s early if you want to avoid the line of friendly regulars. The restaurant’s smoker churns out a variety of meats—including brisket, pulled pork, rib tips, turkey breast, and two kinds of sausage—so it’s easy to see why they keep coming back. If you enjoy the spicy grease that oozes out of a good chorizo, you’ll love the Cincinnati Hot Link, which tastes like the delicious love child of a chorizo and a hot mett. Word to the wise: Bee’s opens at 11 a.m. and closes when they run out of meat. Understandably, this doesn’t take long.

5910 Chandler St., Madisonville, (513) 561-2337. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat; 1403 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 721-2337, beesbarbecue.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $

ELI’S BBQ

Elias Leisring started building his pulled pork reputation under canopies at Findlay Market and Fountain Square in 2011. Leisring’s proper little ’cue shack along the river serves up ribs that are speaking-in-tongues good, some of the zazziest jalapeño cheese grits north of the MasonDixon line, and browned mashed potatoes that would make any short-order cook diner-proud. The small no-frills restaurant—packed cheek-by-jowl most nights—feels like it’s been there a lifetime, with customers dropping vinyl on the turntable, dogs romping in the side yard, and picnic tables crowded with diners. The hooch is bring-your-own, and the barbecue is bona fide.

3313 Riverside Dr., East End, (513) 533-1957; 133 West Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 533-1957, ext. 2, elisbarbeque.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $

WALT’S HITCHING POST

A Northern Kentucky institution returns. Roughly 750 pounds of ribs per week are pit-fired in a small building in front of the restaurant, with a smaller dedicated smoker out back for brisket and chicken. Walt’s ribs begin with several hours in the smokehouse and then are quick-seared at the time of service. This hybrid method takes advantage of the leaner nature of the baby-back ribs they prefer to use. Each rib had a just-right tooth to it where soft flesh peeled away from the bone. One hidden treasure: Walt’s homemade tomato and garlic dressing. Slightly thicker than a vinaigrette yet unwilling to overwhelm a plate of greens, the two key elements play well together.

3300 Madison Pke., Ft. Wright, (859) 360-2222, waltshitchingpost.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

CAJUN/ CARIBBEAN

BREWRIVER CREOLE

More than 800 miles from New Orleans, this may be as close as you can get to the real deal here in your own backyard. The menu fully leans into Chef Michael Shields’s penchant for cuisine from the Crescent City. His six years of training under NOLA’s own Emeril Lagasse comes through in a scratch kitchen menu that spans a range of the city’s classics. The enormous shrimp and oyster po’boys—the former protein fried in a light and crispy beer batter and the latter in a hearty cornmeal breading—are served on fluffy French bread loaves and dressed with lightly spicy rémoulades. The jambalaya packs all the heat of a late summer day in the French Quarter without masking a hint of its satisfying flavors. Paired with a Sazerac and nightly live jazz, you may just feel tempted to start a second line.

4632 Eastern Ave., Linwood, (513) 861-2484, brewrivercreolekitchen.com. Dinner Tues–Sun, brunch and lunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $

SWAMPWATER GRILL

At first blush, this place is a dive where homesick Cajuns can find a good pile of jambalaya. But thoughtful details like draft Abita beer and char-grilled Gulf Coast oysters on the half shell signal its ambition. Bayou standards like jambalaya, gumbo, and fried seafood also make an appearance. But the extensive menu also features amped-up pub-style items for those who may be squeamish about crawfish tails (which can be added to just about anything on the menu). You’ll also find a roundup of oyster, shrimp, catfish, and alligator po’boys, as well as a selection of hardwood-smoked meats.

3742 Kellogg Ave., East End, (513) 834-7067, swampwatergrill.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun, brunch Sat & Sun. V, MC, DS, AMEX. $$

KNOTTY PINE ON THE BAYOU

The Pine serves some of the best Louisiana home-style food you’ll find this far north of New Orleans. Taste the fried catfish filets with their peppery crust, or the garlic sauteed shrimp with smoky greens on the side, and you’ll understand why it’s called soul food. Between March and June, it’s crawfish season. Get them boiled and heaped high on a platter or in a superb crawfish etouffee. But the rockin’ gumbo—a thick, murky brew of andouille sausage, chicken, and vegetables—serves the best roundhouse punch all year

round. As soon as you inhale the bouquet and take that first bite, you realize why Cajun-style food is considered a high art form and a serious pleasure. And you’ll start planning your return trip.

6302 Licking Pke., Cold Spring, (859) 781-2200, theknottypineonthebayou.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

CHINESE

AMERASIA

A sense of energetic fun defines this tiny Chinese spot with a robust beer list. The glossy paper menu depicts Master Chef Rich Chu as a “Kung Food” master fighting the evil fast-food villain with dishes like “fly rice,” “Brocco-Lee,” and “Big Bird’s Nest.” Freshness rules. Potstickers, dumplings, and wontons are hand shaped. The Dragon’s Breath wontons will invade your dreams. Seasoned ground pork, onion, and cilantro meatballs are wrapped in egg dough, wok simmered, and topped with thick, spicy red pepper sauce and fresh cilantro. Noodles are clearly Chef Chu’s specialty, with zonxon (a tangle of thin noodles, finely chopped pork, and mushrooms cloaked in spicy dark sauce and crowned with peanuts and cilantro) and Matt Chu’s Special (shaved rice noodles, fried chicken, and seasonal vegetables in gingery white sauce) topping the menu’s flavor charts. 521 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 261-6121, kungfood. online. Lunch and dinner Mon–Fri, dinner Sat. MCC. $

GREAT TANG

Although the menu features classic dishes in every style, the specialty at Great Tang is the refined coastal cuisine of Zhejiang. If you like spice, you can get still the Sichuanese and Hunanese classics. One dish will hint at the surprises in store for people who are mainly used to Chinese takeout: the lovely Xian cold noodle. The dish is exquisitely layered: the creamy and nutty undertone of sesame paste, mixed with notes of tang and spice, topped with the bright pop of cilantro. The combination of textures is also delightful, with crunches of cucumber and sprouted mung and the softness of the flat noodles. Be as brave as you are in the mood to be. Ask for some suggestions and prepare to be astonished.

7340 Kingsgate Way, West Chester, (513) 847-6097, greattangohio.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Mon, dim sum Sat & Sun. MCC, DS. $$

ORIENTAL WOK

When Mike and Helen Wong opened Oriental Wok in 1977, the couple wanted to recreate the glamor and refinement of the Hong Kong-Cantonese cuisine they knew. Today, locals and expats alike enjoy authentic Chinese and Chinese-American dishes in dining rooms reminiscent of Beijing. Beyond the elephant tusk entryway and fish ponds and fountains is the warmth and hospitality of the Wong family, service on par with the finest establishments, and very, very good food. Best are the fresh fish: salmon, grouper and sea bass steamed, grilled or fried in a wok, needing little more than the ginger-green onion sauce that accompanies them. Oriental Wok is the tri-state’s longest-running family-owned Chinese restaurant for a reason.

317 Buttermilk Pke., Ft. Mitchell, (859) 331-3000; 2444 Madison Rd., Hyde Park, (513) 871-6888, orientalwok. com. Lunch Sun–Fri (Ft. Mitchell; buffet Sun 11–2:30), lunch Tues–Sat (Hyde Park), dinner seven days (Ft. Mitchell) dinner Tues–Sun (Hyde Park). MCC. $$

THE PACIFIC KITCHEN

The monster of a menu can be dizzying. Ease in with some top-notch Korean Wings. These slightly bubbly, shatter-crisp wings are painted with a thin gochujang chili sauce (a foil to the fat). It takes 24 hours to prep the Cantonese duck, between a honey-vinegar brine to dry the skin, a marinade of star anise, bean paste, and soy within the re-sealed cavity, and the crispy convection oven finish. Dolsot bibimbap had plenty of crispy rice at the bottom of the stone bowl, and the accompanying banchan were soothing yet flavorful. Even dishes like a Malaysian goat stew resonated with rich, original flavors.

8300 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, (513) 898-1833, thepacific.kitchen. Lunch and dinner Mon & Wed–Sun, dim sum lunch Sat & Sun. MCC. $$

uncleyips.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, discount for cash. $$

ECLECTIC

SICHUAN BISTRO

Like many Chinese restaurants that cater to both mainstream American and Chinese palates, this strip mall gem uses two menus. The real story here is found in dishes of pungent multi-layered flavors that set your mouth ablaze with fermented peppers and fresh chilies and then just as quickly cool it down with the devilish, numbing sensation of hua jiao, Sichuan pepper. Its numbing effect is subtle at first: appetizers of cold sliced beef and tripe, as well as slices of pork belly with a profusion of minced garlic, lean toward the hot and sweet; mapo tofu freckled with tiny fermented black beans and scallions, and pork with pickled red peppers and strips of ginger root, progress from sweet to pungent to hot to salty—in that order. Alternated with cooling dishes—nibbles of rice, a verdant mound of baby bok choy stir-fried with a shovelful of garlic, a simply sensational tea-smoked duck—the effect is momentarily tempered.

7888 S. Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 770-3123, sichuanbistro.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

UNCLE YIP’S

Long before sushi somehow un-disgusted itself to the Western World, China had houses of dim sum. Uncle Yip’s valiantly upholds that tradition in Evendale. This is a traditional dim sum house with all manner of exotic dumplings, including shark fin or beef tripe with ginger and onion. As for the seafood part of the restaurant’s full name, Uncle Yip has most everything the sea has to offer. The menu has more than 160 items, so you’ll find a range of favorites, from moo goo gai pan to rock salt frog legs.

10736 Reading Rd., Evendale, (513) 733-8484,

Top10

ABIGAIL STREET

Most people who’ve eaten at Abigail Street have favorite dishes that they order every visit: the Moroccan spiced broccoli, for example, or the mussels charmoula, with its perfect balance of saffron, creaminess, and tomatoey acidity. Many of the new items on the menu have the same perfected feeling as these classics. Working within a loose framework of Middle Eastern and North African flavors, Abigail Street has never fallen into a routine that would sap its energy. Offerings like the lamb spaghetti with grana padano feel just as accomplished as old favorites like the falafel. The restaurant is always watching for what works and what will truly satisfy, ready to sacrifice the superficially interesting in favor of the essential.

1214 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-4040, abigailstreet.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

ALCOVE

Alcove lives up to its name, the embodiment of a green oasis where lots of care goes into the space’s bright, floral design. Equal care and attention goes into its seasonal farm-to-table menu. It’s an uncomplicated affair featuring exceptional-but-approachable dishes. As one might expect from a restaurant where plants cover most of the walls, vegetables are done very well here. The beet and goat cheese salad stands out as does the buffalo cauliflower. Like the produce, much of the meat is sourced from local and regional farms. Among other local vendors, Rich Life Farms, Urban Stead Cheese, and Eli Settler (a.k.a. “Eli the Farmer”) all contribute to Alcove’s menu. This is a

restaurant that takes sustainability seriously, and sustainability has a funny way of going hand-in-hand with quality.

1410 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 371-5700, madtree. com/locations/alcove-bar-restaurant. Brunch Fri–Sun, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

Top10 BOCA

With its grand staircase, chandelier, and floorto-ceiling draperies, Boca has an atmosphere of grandeur and refinement. There is a sense of drama not only in the decor but in everything it serves. In some dishes, there is a painterly sense of contrast and surprise, like the maple tuile served with the maple mascarpone cheesecake. In others, there is a dramatic suspense, like the whole egg yolk quivering in the center of the beef tartare waiting to be broken. While staying mostly grounded in the fundamentals of Italian and French cuisine, Boca has an air of international sophistication that sets its food apart with extraordinary creativity and flair.

114 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 542-2022, bocacincinnati.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$$

BOUQUET RESTAURANT

Normally diners aren’t pleased when a restaurant runs out of something. At Bouquet, though, surprise changes to the menu are simply a sign of integrity. The restaurant is serious about using seasonal ingredients, and if the figs have run out or there is no more chicken from a local farm, so be it. The flavors at Bouquet are about doing justice to what’s available. Preparations are unfussy, complexity coming from within the vegetables and proteins themselves. A spring salad— wonderfully fresh and vibrant, so you know the strawberries included have just come off a nearby vine—is dressed with candy-striped beets and whipped goat cheese. This determination to make something delicious out of what’s on hand, to embrace limitations, gives the food at Bouquet a rustic, soulful quality.

519 Main St., Covington, (859) 491-7777, bouquetbistro. com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DS. $$

CHÉ

This spot draws on authentic Argentine recipes, including the empanadas. Choose from a dozen different crispy, perfectly cinched dough pockets, with fillings ranging from traditional (a mixture of cumin-spiced beef, hard-boiled egg, and olives) to experimental (mushrooms, feta, green onion, and mozzarella). There are also six different dipping sauces to choose from, but you need not stray from the house chimichurri.

1342 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine; 2038 Madison Rd., O’Bryonville, (513) 345-8838, checincinnati.com. Dinner seven days, brunch Sat & Sun. V, MCC, DC, AMEX. $$

CROWN REPUBLIC GASTROPUB

What makes Crown Republic special isn’t its handful of outstanding dishes. It’s the place’s sheer consistency. No single dish is absolutely mind-blowing or completely original, but when almost everything that comes out is genuinely tasty, the service is always friendly and attentive, and (stop the presses!) the bill is quite a bit less than you expected, you sit up and pay attention. The crab and avocado toast, served on toasted bread with lime juice and slivers of pickled Fresno chiles, is a prime example of what makes Crown Republic tick. The cocktails are equally unfussy and good, like the Tequila Honey Bee, made with tequila reposado, honey thyme syrup, lemon, bitters, and mezcal rinse, which adds a smoky kick.

720 Sycamore St., downtown, (513) 246-4272, crownrepublicgastropub.com. Brunch and dinner Wed–Sun. V, MC, DS, AMEX. $$

FIVE KITCHEN & BAR

The fifth venture from Anthony Sitek and wife Haley Nutter-Sitek’s Crown Restaurant Group, Five on Vine achieves excitement through comfort food with meticulous attention to detail: the meat is butchered in-house, the bread and pasta are made from scratch, and the bacon is house-

cured. Thick, cleanly acidic fried green tomatoes make an appearance, as does a bountiful cioppino, a tomato-based seafood stew created by Italian American fisherman in San Francisco. Some of the dishes are pulled straight from Sitek’s own childhood, in New Jersey. “Gracie’s Meatballs,” named in honor of his grandmother, use her unique blend of raisins and pine nuts.

1324 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4301, fiveonvine.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$

THE GOVERNOR

This Milford restaurant playfully elevates diner classics. Sandwiches get an inventive twist here. The “Governor Tso’s chicken”—a crispy, gluten-free fried chicken breast glazed with a General Tso’s–inspired sauce, topped with apricot slaw and served on a toasted brioche bun—is a gigantic, happy mess of a sandwich, but the sweet glaze faintly evokes the namesake “General” while letting the sublimely fried chicken lead the charge. Order a side of bowling alley fries and ask for the red dip. (You’ll thank us later.)

231 Main St., Milford, (513) 239-8298, governordiner. com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Mon–Sun. Breakfast and lunch Sun. Brunch seven days. MCC. $

THE GREEN LINE KITCHEN & COCKTAILS

Named after the historic trolley line that used to run between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, this restaurant combines quality American food with charm and history. Meals feel like homemade Sunday dinners, and with a menu bursting with steaks, seafood, and pasta, there’s something to make everyone’s weekend. The half-roasted chicken appears exactly as promised, with a breast, wing, thigh, and drumstick cooked as one large piece. On the cocktails side, even the designated driver has options beyond iced tea. Nonalcoholic choices range from beer and wine to original mocktails, like the Strawberry Ginger (strawberry puree, fresh strawberries,

fresh basil, and ginger beer). 425 N. Ft. Thomas Ave., Ft. Thomas, (859) 757-4580, greenlinerestaurant.com. Dinner Tues-Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $$

MAPLEWOOD KITCHEN

At Maplewood, you order at the counter, then find a table, and a server will deliver what you’ve selected. There’s no cohesive cuisine, rather, the menu takes its cue from all corners of the globe: chilaquiles, guajillo bowls with chicken are all represented, along with the satisfying Maplewood hash with goetta and local mushrooms. Brunch is available all day so try the light lemon ricotta pancakes or the shakshuka. 525 Race St., downtown, (513) 421-2100, maplewoodkitchenandbar.com. Breakfast and lunch seven days. MCC. $$

MARIGOLD

To understand what this restaurant offers, you must first learn what it does not. It isn’t a replacement for your favorite Indian take-out or an Irish pub repainted with the Union Jack. This is the fusion of Anglo and Indian cuisines that grew from multicultural neighborhoods, where immigrants from colonized nations served meals that appealed to all of their new neighbors. The English curry is more sweet than spicy. Try the butter chicken (a mellow reflection of tikka masala with tender, cubed chicken) or the vegetarian korma chickpea and squash. If you aren’t feeling terribly adventurous, don’t worry. The Marigold burger is a blend of tenderloin, rib-eye, and striploin dolled up with Welsh rarebit (imagine a very thick, very cheesy roux), and served on a house-made English muffin.

60 W. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 996-0210, marigoldcincy.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$

MELT REVIVAL

In this Northside sandwich joint, the restaurant’s name pretty much dictates what you should get. Diners have their choice of sandwiches, including the vegetarian cheese-

steak—seitan (a meat substitute) topped with roasted onions, peppers, and provolone—and The Gobbler, turkey burger served with curried aioli, red cabbage slaw, pickled red onions, and arugula. For those who require meat in their meals, try the verde chicken flatbread: juicy pieces of chicken intermingle with pesto, zucchini, and provolone. Not sure you’ll want a whole sandwich? Try a half-sandwich with a half-salad or half-soup order—a popular selection with the lunch crowd.

4100 Hamilton Ave., Northside, (513) 818-8951, meltrevival.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tues—Sat, brunch Sun. MCC. $

METROPOLE

Metropole has been remarkably stable since it opened in 2012. Even when chefs have left, the restaurant has kept popular dishes on the menu and maintained a certain vibe, a balance between sophistication and rusticity. Its vegetarian fare contains many of its most inventive and delightful creations. Showcasing housemade pastas, house-cured meats, and more, the menu honors the region’s ingredients for a fun and whimsical meals rooted in careful execution of deep and satisfying flavors.

609 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 578-6660, metropoleonwalnut.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days. V, DS, MC, AMEX. $$

Top 10 MITA’S

It’s fitting that Chef/Owner Jose Salazar named this restaurant after his grandmother, because there is something deeply homey about the food at Mita’s. With a focus on Spanish and Latin-American tapas, it always feels, in the best possible way, like elevated home cooking. Its sophistication is modestly concealed. The flavors are bold and direct, like the spicy freshness of the ceviche de camarones with poached gulf shrimp, sour orange, fava beans, and jalapeños. The tacos de lengua, which come in pairs, are made with beef tongue, watermelon pico de gallo, watermelon radish, salsa roja, and mint, and are served on housemade corn tortillas. But what mainly comes through is the warm-hearted affection a grandmother might have put into a meal for a beloved grandson. It’s the kind of big hug everyone needs from time to time.

501 Race St., downtown, (513) 421-6482, mitas.co. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$$

NICHOLSON’S

To remind local diners that they were here before those young dog-toting punks with their exposed brick and crafty ales in Over-the-Rhine, Nicholson’s branded themselves Cincinnati’s “first and finest gastropub,” and revamped the menu to include plenty of snacks and small plates for grazing, and not-quite-brawny, straightforward sandwiches and main dishes. Try the pan-seared salmon, a bowl of cock-a-leekie soup, or the BBQ bacon-style burger. And the bar’s clubby intimacy makes it easy to belly up and enjoy the impressive collection of single malts or a Scottish ale.

625 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 564-9111, nicholsonspub.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $$

Top 10 NOLIA

KITCHEN

Chef/Owner Jeffery Harris, a New Orleans native, prepares the cuisine of his beloved city with sophistication and flair, drawing on all the influences that have contributed to the cuisine of the Big Easy—from West African to French to Japanese to Haitian. The menu changes seasonally, with almost a complete overhaul each time. If classic New Orleans dishes do show up on the menu, they’re likely to get delightfully unexpected touches. The smoked chicken, for example, comes with peach Alabama barbecue sauce, greens, mirliton, and charred peach. It’s exquisitely prepared food served in a funky, laid-back atmosphere.

1405 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 384-3597, noliakitchen.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC,DC. $$$

PENNYFLOWER BISTRO & BAR

While Pennyflower Bistro & Bar celebrates Fountain Square’s past life as an open-air market with its name, the restaurant offers farm-to-table goodness with its menu. Chef/Owner Jacob Benavides and his team butcher proteins in-house, make sauces from scratch, and even shred their own hash browns, but also work with local businesses to source bread (Sixteen Bricks), gin (Northern Row Distillery), and microgreens (Fort Thomas Microgreens). These and other details are showcased in dishes like the carbonara croquettes, the sweet house pickles on the hot Nashville chicken sandwich, and the Amish chicken pressade. But some of the best parts of the menu hide at the end of the meal, like the “deconstructed” s’mores dessert featuring Italian meringue, vanilla bean ice cream, chocolate ganache, graham racker crumbs, and dates. 701 Broadway St., downtown, (513) 904-4149, pennyflowerbistro.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

THE QUARTER BISTRO

Quarter Bistro has multiple personalities: one part clubby neighborhood joint, one part dinner and a movie with a dash of lusty romance. The Bistro Burger, a half-pound of black Angus beef, is seasoned but not overly so, with a sturdy-but-not-too-chewy bun. The 18-hour short ribs are the star, and reason enough to skip the movie next door. Braised into a flavor bomb of meat candy, it’s served with mushroom ravioli and roasted vegetables. With the no-lip service, The Quarter Bistro could be well on the way to making middle age look sexy.

6904 Wooster Pke., Mariemont, (513) 271-5400, qbcincy.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

RUTH’S PARKSIDE CAFÉ

The spiritual successor of Mullane’s Parkside Café, Ruth’s brings back the vegetable-forward menu with a few concessions to contemporary tastes. Dinner options now include steaks and heavier entrées. But the stir-fries, beans and rice, pasta, and the traditional option to add a protein to an entrée (tofu, tempeh, chicken, or local chorizo) for an upcharge are all old standards. While dishes are generally hearty, they are rarely too rich, leaving room to freely consider dessert. There is a small selection of baked goods, including a gooey butter cake, homemade fruit pies, and Madisono’s Gelato.

1550 Blue Rock St., Northside, (513) 542-7884, ruthscafe.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$

SACRED BEAST

Sacred Beast advertises itself as a kind of upscale diner, but the real gems are the oddball dishes that don’t quite fit the diner mold. The menu can be disorienting in its eclecticism: Parisian-style gnocchi is next to fries with lobster gravy, and a king salmon is next to a diner breakfast and deviled eggs. Winners are scattered throughout the menu in every category. On the cocktail list, the New Fashioned, which features Ritual Zero Proof whiskey, demerara, and Tabasco sauce, is oddly satisfying. The service is good, and there is some flair about the place—including vintage touches, from the facsimile reel-to-reel audio system to the mostly classic cocktails—even within its rather chilly industrial design. In short, go for the unique grub; stay for the elegant, shareable twists on classic snacks.

1437 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 213-2864, sacredbeastdiner.com. Lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. MCC, DS. $

Top

10

SALAZAR

Chef Jose Salazar’s namesake restaurant returned to the culinary landscape in new digs (right across the street from Mita’s) with a fresh menu full of style. There are classics from the old venue, but Salazar’s vision for this new, larger space features fresh, joyful ambition you can see, smell, and taste. Much of the food’s vibrance is due to the emphasis on seasonality. However, The Little Fried Oyster Slider is a microcosm of the Salazar experience as a whole. It’s inventive, colorful, and surprisingly playful. Everything is made with love and obsessive attention to detail, from the housemade brioche bun to the artfully arranged greens that bloom just so around the sandwich’s periphery. Little, polishing touches to the menu, like loose leaf tea from Churchill’s, underline the reborn Salazar’s investment in honing a unique, but

entirely comfortable, dining experience. 101 W. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 345-1500, salazarcincinnati.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$$

Top 10 SUDOVA Sarah Dworak packed a lot into her latest venture. She began introducing fresh takes on eastern European cuisine to the dining scene via the now-defunct Wodka Bar, and while everyone loved its pierogi window, Dworak wanted to offer more. Sudova gives her the literal space to spread her wings with far more seating and a built-out kitchen. Recipes for the halushki (caramelized cabbage and onion, brown butter, and Linnea’s spaetzle), holubsti (stuffed cabbage rolls and tomato sauce), and rye varenyky (potato, sauerkraut, caramelized onion, and dill sour cream) come straight from Dworak’s baba and they are the jewels in the restaurant’s crown. Most small plates arrive dressed in herbs from Dark Wood Farm and culinary flower petals, deepening the illusion that you’ve stopped for dinner at some grandmother’s cottage deep in the woods, and she’s just picked something fresh from the garden. You should feel grateful that you don’t have to go over the hills and through the woods to get it.

22 W. Court St., downtown, (513) 407-7974, sudovaoncourt.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$$

TASTE OF BELGIUM

Jean-François Flechet’s waffle empire grew from a back counter of Madison’s grocery at Findlay Market to multiple full-service sit-down spots. There’s more on the menu than the authentic Belgian treat, though it would be a crime to miss the chicken and waffles: a dense, yeasty waffle topped with a succulent buttermilk fried chicken breast, Frank’s hot sauce, and maple syrup. There are also frites, of course, and Brussels sprouts—served with pancetta and sherry vinaigrette—plus a gem of a Bolognese. And let’s not forget the beer. Six rotating taps offer some of the best the Belgians brew, not to mention those made in town.

16 W. Freedom Way, downtown, (513) 396-5800, and other locations, authenticwaffle.com. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner Tues–Sun, breakfast and lunch Mon, brunch Sun. MCC, DS. $$

20 BRIX

This restaurant mixes Mediterranean influences with homespun choices, and he comes up with some marvelous food. Lamb meatballs with melted onions and romesco sauce are sweet and peppery, and their simplicity partners well with a lush Zinfandel. The excellent wine list, arranged by flavor profiles within the varietals, features dozens of varieties by the glass in five-ounce or two-ounce pours, which makes it easy to try several.

101 Main St., Milford, (513) 831-2749, 20brix.com. Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$

TERANGA

West African cuisine consists of mostly simple, home-style dishes of stews and grilled lamb with just enough of the exotic to offer a glimpse of another culture. Be prepared for a few stimulating sights and flavors that warm from within. An entire grilled tilapia—head and all—in a peppery citrus marinade and served on plantains with a side of Dijoncoated cooked onions is interesting enough to pique foodie interest without overwhelming the moderate eater. Stews of lamb or chicken with vegetables and rice are a milder bet, and Moroccan-style couscous with vegetables and mustard sauce accompanies most items. The dining room atmosphere is extremely modest with most of the action coming from the constant stream of carryout orders.

8438 Vine St., Hartwell, (513) 821-1300, terangacinci. com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $

Top 10 WILDWEED

Before it opened as a restaurant, Wildweed developed a loyal fan base through the hundreds of pasta pop-ups that Chefs David and Lydia Jackman held around the city. Even today, it retains some of the freewheeling quality from its pop-up era with a palpable sense of restlessness in the food. Part of the menu changes from week to week, based on what’s available in the woods and from local farms. What makes Wildweed a place to return is its sense of adventure. This place is always pushing itself to try something different.

1301 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4274, wildweed-restaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

FRENCH

CHEZ RENÉE FRENCH BISTROT

Based on American stereotypes of French food— that it’s elaborate, elitist, and expensive—one might expect Chez Renée to fall on the chichi side. Instead, it’s elegant in an everyday way, operating on the principle that it is better to excel at simplicity than to badly execute something complicated. The formula is not complex: Simple ingredients, generally fresh and from nearby, prepared without much fuss. Warmed brie is served with thyme, almonds, fruit, and bread, and the chicken risotto is served with creamy mushrooms. This is solid, tasty food, both approachable and well-executed. It’s well on its way to becoming, as a good bistrot should be, a neighborhood institution.

233 Main St., Milford, (513) 428-0454, chezreneefrenchbistrot.com. Lunch Fri & Sat, dinner Wed–Sat. MCC. $$

Top 10 COLETTE

At this “mostly French” restaurant, which occupies the former Zula space across from Washington Park, Chef Danny Combs has built a more laid-back home for his focused, pristine cooking. While there is classic bistro fare, like steak frites, on the concentrated menu, there are also less familiar but equally classic French dishes, like the poulet frit a la moutarde (chicken with Dijon and crème fraîche) and the tagliolini aux champignons (egg yolk pasta with ragout and Parmesan). One can turn to the extensive drink menu (also “mostly French”) to find a wine or cocktail to go with any dish on offer. Like Zula, Colette would function just fine as a wine and cocktail bar, though we can’t imagine coming to a place this good and not eating something.

1400 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-1018, coletteotr.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DC. $$

LE BAR A BOEUF

If it’s been a couple of years since you’ve been to Le Bar a Boeuf—the late Jean-Robert de Cavel’s funyet-refined French bistro located on the first floor of the Edgecliff Private Residences in East Walnut Hills—it may be time for a revisit. The formerly burger-centric menu now approaches the full repertoire of bistro classics. The menu reads like a greatest hits list of bistro fare, with escargot, beef tartare, duck leg confit, steak frites, and French onion soup all making appearances. As France’s influence on American fine dining has waned, it’s refreshing to see a restaurant committed to not only preserving the French classics but reinvigorating them.

2200 Victory Pkwy., East Walnut Hills, (513) 751-2333, decavelgroup.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

LUCA BISTRO

This unabashedly French restaurant, with its French posters, bright red outer paneling, and chalkboard menu proclaiming its specials to passersby, fits into its Mt. Adams environs so perfectly that it’s hard to imagine Hatch Street without it. That, combined with warm service, timeless French fare, and relaxed joie de vivre makes this a true neighborhood establishment. Chef Frederic Maniet grew up in the south of France and has done an excellent job transporting his native cuisine to a quiet corner of Cincinnati. These are the dishes that culinary Francophiles often crave, prepared in a straightforward, time-honored way. The Bouchées à la Reine, a buttery, flaky puff pastry filled with chicken, mushrooms, peas, Gruyère cheese, and béchamel sauce, is so warm and comforting it makes chicken pot pie seem aloof by comparison. It’s a warm, gentle reminder that French food can be convivial and affordable.

934 Hatch St., Mt. Adams, (513) 621-5822, lucabistro.com. Breakfast and lunch Tues–Sun, dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

INDIAN

AMMA’S KITCHEN

Muthu Kumar Muthiah serves traditional southern Indian and Indo-Chinese vegetarian cuisine, but with a sizable Orthodox Jewish community nearby, Muthiah saw an opportunity: If he was going to cook vegetarian, why not also make it kosher? Muthiah prepares every item—from the addictively crunchy gobhi Manchurian, a spicy Chinese cauliflower dish, to the lemon pickle, tamarind, and mint sauces—entirely from scratch under the careful eye of Rabbi Michoel Stern. Always 80 percent vegan, the daily lunch buffet is 100 percent animal-product-free on Wednesdays. Tuck into a warm and savory channa masala (spiced chickpeas) or malai kofta (vegetable dumplings in tomato sauce) from the curry menu. Or tear into a crispy, two-foot diameter dosa (chickpea flour crepe) stuffed with spiced onions and potatoes. 7633 Reading Rd., Roselawn, (513) 821-2021, cincinnati.ammaskitchen.com. Lunch buffet (all vegan on Wed) and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $

BRIJ MOHAN

Order at the counter the way you might at a fast food joint, except the shakes come in mango and there’s no supersizing your mint lassi. The saag, full of cream in most northern Indian restaurants, is as intensely flavored as collard greens in the Deep South—real Punjabi soul food. Tarka dal is spectacular here, the black lentils smoky from charred tomatoes and onions, and the pani puri, hollow fried shells into which you spoon a peppery cold broth, burst with tart cool crunch. Follow the spice with soothing ras malai, freshly made cheese simmered in thick almond-flavored milk, cooled and sprinkled with crushed pistachios. 11259 Reading Rd., Sharonville, (513) 7694549, brijmohancincinnati.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MC, V, DC, AMEX. $

ITALIAN

A TAVOLA

In 2011, Jared Wayne opened A Tavola Pizza with two friends just as OTR was blowing up. A Ferrara pizza oven was ordered from Italy; Wayne, a skilled woodworker, built custom tables; and the menu was fleshed in with trendy crowd-pleasers like charcuterie and craft cocktails. Fast-forward a decade. The OTR outpost is closed but the second location is still going strong in the ’burbs: A Tavola Madeira capitalizes on the menu from the Vine Street location, including the fresh and zesty artichoke pizza on a Neapolitan crust; gooey mozzarella-filled arancini, or risotto fritters; and the zucchini mozzarella. Wash down your small plates with a glass of crisp and grassy Sannio falanghina or an ice-cold Rhinegeist. They’re definitely going to need a bigger parking lot. 7022 Miami Ave., Madeira, (513) 272-0192, atavolapizza.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. V, DC, MS, AMEX. $

AL-POSTO

Al-Posto is an upscale southern Italian spot that reflects the same commitment to quality ingredients and delicate preparation that made its predecessor Dear such a gem. Appetizers include classic sharables like marinated olives (prepared with orange zest, rosemary, and Calabrian chile) and burrata with grilled focaccia, but it’s the pasta (which can be ordered as an entrée or a first course) that’s not to be missed. We recommend the cacio e pepe, a seemingly simple dish comprised of bucatini (similar to spaghetti, but thicker), black pepper, and a sharp pecorino Toscano. Since you’re probably wondering, “Al-Posto” roughly translates to

“at the spot.” Located in the middle of Hyde Park Square, this eatery seems poised to become the culinary focal point of the neighborhood.

2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, (513) 321-2710, alposto.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DC, DS. $$

CARMELO’S

Every great Italian eatery needs its classic entrées, and this restaurant delivers. The 101-Layer Lasagna actually looks like it has 101 layers of pasta, cheese, and sauce. The shareable meatball appetizer—which consists of two enormous veal, pork, and beef meatballs that crumble with a little elbow grease— is the solution for diners craving a protein with their pasta. The oxtail ragu, with rich gravy-like osso buco ragu, incorporates subtle tomato and robust seasoning with the dish’s shredded meat and Parmesan. Portions are large, and the staff is ready to stow your leftovers the minute you raise the white flag. Remember, there’s no shame in surrender.

434 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 287-4700, eatatcarmelos.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

FORNO

Cristian Pietoso’s second restaurant has all the bones of an upscale eatery, but the menu is infused with enough Italian soul to make nonna proud. In most instances, raving about a side of creamed corn wouldn’t bode well for the rest of the menu. Here, that side dish—kernels swimming in a pool of truffle-laced heavy cream that demands sopping up—is evidence that each component is purposedriven. The “bone-in” pork chop Milanese, and the tagliatelle Bolognese with traditional beef and veal sauce are examples of the elevated, adventurous comfort food that Pietoso strives for.

3514 Erie Ave., East Hyde Park, (513) 818-8720, fornoosteriabar.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. $$

NICOLA’S

Chef/Restaurateur Cristian Pietoso carries on the legacy of his father, Nicola, as the elder Pietoso’s Over-the-Rhine eatery celebrated 25 years in business in 2021. You can still get the old Italian classics, and they’ll be as good as ever, but the rest of the menu has blossomed into a freewheeling tour of modern American cuisine. Any establishment paying this level of attention to detail—from the aged balsamic and lavender honey on the Italian cheese board to the staff’s wine knowledge—is going to put out special meals. Order an old favorite, by all means, but make sure you try something new, too.

1420 Sycamore St., Pendleton, (513) 721-6200, nicolasotr.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$$

NOCHE

This restaurant’s setting embodies what Chef Alfio Gulisano set out to achieve: An elegant but approachable restaurant where pasta, cocktails, and conversation blend with ease. The bourbon wagyu brisket burrata, with its hand-pulled mozzarella filled with slow-braised wagyu brisket and topped with a drizzle of hot honey, is decadent yet disciplined. The short rib sliders, braised for five hours after a quick grill that locks in flavor, then packed within soft buns with provolone and garlic aioli, make them both familiar and refined. While Gulisano plays up creativity with the appetizers, pasta dishes stay closer to classic Italian roots. The prime tenderloin gnocchi, the pulled brisket BBQ ravioli, and the pan-seared lasagna all have an abundance of richness without being too heavy. Gulisano’s cooking has always been rooted in heart and tradition, but at Noche the flavors of Argentina and Italy, once parallels in his life, now meet on the same plate.

701 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 261-6900, las-noches.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$

PADRINO

Billed as “Italian comfort food,” this sister restaurant to 20 Brix offers the classics (like lasagna and chicken carbonara) plus hoagies and meat-

NOW OPEN

Ziqr Progressive Indian Restaurant opened its doors in late January in Pleasant Ridge. The eatery, which “offers a fusion of traditional and contemporary Indian flavors,” is run by the same family that owns Kanak India in Montgomery and is housed in the old Revolution Rotisserie space at the corner of Montgomery Road and Losantiville Avenue. ziqrrestaurant.com

ball sliders, an impressive wine list, seasonal martinis, and a decadent signature appetizer—garlic knots, doughy buns smothered in olive oil and garlic. Best of all, Barraco’s pizza sauce, which is comprised of roasted tomatoes and basil, is so garden-fresh that one can’t help but wonder: If this is real pizza, what have we been eating all these years?

111 Main St., Milford, (513) 965-0100; 14 N. Grand Ave. Ft Thomas, (859) 957-4082, padrinoitalian.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

PEPP & DOLORES

As with all of Thunderdome’s restaurants, you get a sense that they want to deliver a meal that satisfies many different kinds of people. The prices are reasonable, with pasta entrées about $15. The dishes are familiar in their flavors, but everything feels balanced, modulated and gradually perfected. There is lovely variety: the limone pasta is zippy with lemon and chili flakes, and just the right mixture of tart and creamy; and the heat in dishes like the eggplant involtini is just enough to wake up the sauce without overwhelming the flavor. The menu has a wealth of excellent vegetarian and pasta-alternative options. 1501 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 419-1820, peppanddolores.com. Lunch Fri–Sun, dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

PRIMAVISTA

Besides offering the old-world flavors of Italy, Primavista also serves up a specialty no other restaurant can match: a bird’s eye view of Cincinnati from the west side. The kitchen is equally comfortable with northern and southern regional specialties. Among the classics, nothing is

Hello, Cincinnati.

more restorative than the pasta e fagioli, a hearty soup of cannellini, ditali pasta, and bacon. Most of the pastas are cooked just a degree more mellow than al dente so that they soak up the fragrant tomato basil or satiny cream sauces. On the desserts side, you’ll be hard-pressed to decide between the housemade tiramisu or bread pudding with caramel sauce, marsala-soaked raisins, and cream. 810 Matson Pl., Price Hill, (513) 251-6467, pvista.com. Dinner Wed–Sun. MCC, DS. $$$

Top10 SOTTO

There are certain books and movies that you can read or watch over and over. Eating at Sotto is a similar experience: familiar, but so profound and satisfying that there is no reason to ever stop. Unlike other restaurants, where the techniques are often elaborate and unfamiliar, the magic at Sotto happens right in front of you, using ordinary elements and methods. When you taste the results, though, you realize that some mysterious transmutation has taken place. The wood-fired branzino with broccolini, matched with the warm, smoky taste of the Calabrian pepper, offers a flavor that you could go on eating forever. From the texture of the chicken liver mousse to the citrusy lemon aioli on the tartare di fassone, most of the food has some added element of soulfulness. 118 E. Sixth St., downtown, (513) 822-5154, sottocincinnati.com. Lunch Mon–Fri, dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$

SUBITO

Focusing on Northern Italian cuisine, Subito carves out its own worthwhile place in the landscape. Most of the items on the menu—from pizza to various pastas—will be familiar, but there are delightful surprises, like the smoked grape crostini. This zingy dish is served with herb whipped goat cheese, apple, pecan, and maple agrodolce. Everything at Subito is done with intelligence and a light touch. 311 Pike St., downtown, (513) 579-3860,

thelytleparkhotel.com/dining/subito. Breakfast and lunch seven days, dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$

VIA VITE

Via Vite serves up crowd-pleasing entrées—including the Pietoso family Bolognese, over tagliatelle—right on Fountain Square. This is where small touches add sophistication. Golf-ball-sized veal meatballs are heavy with lemon zest, an over-the-top comfort dish. The same applies to the risotto frutti di mare, its soffritto, shrimp, lobster, mussels, and Boston bay clams creates a nice back-and-forth between vegetal and briny flavors. Braised lamb shank over polenta is a workhorse, and the flavorful Faroe Island salmon with roasted carrot puree, caramelized Brussel sprouts, and truffled brown butter balsamic vinaigrette is a delight.

520 Vine St., downtown, (513) 721-8483, viaviterestaurant.com. Dinner Mon–Sat. MCC, DS. $$$

JAPANESE

ANDO

You don’t go just anywhere to dine on uni sashimi (sea urchin) or tanshio (thinly sliced charcoal-grilled beef tongue). And when it’s on the menu, don’t overlook the buttery amberjack collar marinated in a Japanese citrus infused soy sauce and grilled over charcoal. Noodles are also well represented, with udon, soba, or ramen options available. Owners Ken and Keiko Ando always have something new, be it kamo negi maki (grilled duck breast stuffed with organic green onions) or a chocolate crepe and matcha parfait, delicacies that you’ll be hard-pressed to find in anywhere else, so dont’ forget to check out the specials.

11255 Reed Hartman Hwy., Blue Ash, (513) 954-0041, andojapaneserestaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sat. MCC, DS. $$$

BARU

Baru, the sleek izakaya in the former MidiCi space, prioritizes bar dining, which is meant to be enjoyed alongside its eclectic drinks list. The menu is broken down into sushi, “small plates,” “plates,” sides, and ishiyaki. Baru’s sushi offerings are varied but concise, featuring a trio of ahi tuna, spicy tuna, and escolar, as well as a lobster nigiri. If sushi gets the party going, the theatrical ishiyaki kicks it into high gear. The term refers to dishes that diners grill tableside on a hot stone, such as the Wagyu New York strip. For all its convivial buzz, Baru is also a spot where solo diners can enjoy a few peaceful bar-side bites. The Crispy Rice Spicy Tuna from the small plates section brought the same level of freshness and quality as the rest of the menu. Sometimes it pays to dine alone.

595 Race St., downtown, (513) 246-0150, barusushi. com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$

KIKI

Your best bet here is to share plates or simply order too much. Start with the edamame and the chicken karaage. The selection of sauces (from tare to ponzu to chili oil) makes each dish better. And, of course, the ramen is the main reason for visiting. The shio features pork belly and tea-marinated soft-boiled egg, but the kimchi subs in tofu and its namesake cabbage for the meat. Be sure to try something from the sushi bar which offers nigiri, sashimi, and roll options.

358 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, (513) 706-8902, kikicincinnati. com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sat. MCC. $$

KYOTO

Owner Jason Shi seems to know everybody’s name as he chats up diners, guiding them through the extensive sushi and sashimi menu. Four young sushi chefs, all part of Shi’s family, work at light speed behind the bar, a choreography backlit by rows of gleaming liquor bottles. Dinner proceeds with glorious chaos as a feisty Carla Tortelli–like server delivers one dish after another—combination of crab, fish,

shrimp, scallop, and vegetable tempuras, a volcanic tower of chopped fatty tuna hidden inside overlapping layers of thin avocado slices, crispy chicken katsu with a mayo sauce,, and delicate slices of a samurai roll—all between shots of chilled sake.

12082 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Twp., (513) 583-8897, kyotousa.m988.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

ZUNDO RAMEN & DONBURI

A stark contrast to Styrofoam cup soup, chef Han Lin’s ramens are a deep and exciting branch of cuisine, capable of subtlety, variation, and depth. The simplicity of the dish’s name hides a world of complexity. Zundo uses the traditional Japanese building blocks of flavor—soy sauce, miso, sake, mirin—to create something freewheeling and time-tested. Bowls of ramen come with a marinated softboiled egg half, roast pork, green onion, and a healthy serving of noodles. Each has a distinct identity, like the milky richness of the tonkotsu, the rich and buttery miso, or the light and faintly sweet shoyu ramen. A transformative add-in is the mayu, or black garlic oil. Dripped on top of one of the subtler broths, it adds a deep, mushroom-y richness, with the hint of burned flavor that makes barbecue so good.

220 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 975-0706, zundootr.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

KOREAN

RIVERSIDE KOREAN RESTAURANT

Come for the jham bong—a seafood soup with flour noodles in a spicy broth with pork, shrimp, squid, mussels, and veg-

etables. Revered for its medicinal properties, the dinnersized soup will leave your eyes glistening and your brow beaded with sweat. It’s a detox for your overindulgence, rejuvenation for when you’re feeling under the weather. Expect crowds on weekends. Expect too, that dozens of them have come for dolsot bibimbap, the hot stone pots filled with layers of rice, vegetables, meat or tofu, egg, and chili paste. Characterized by its electric color and addictive flavors, Riverside Korean’s version is a captivating bowl of heaven. 512 Madison Ave., Covington, (859) 291-1484, riversidekoreanrestaurant.com. Dinner Tues–Sun. MCC, DS. $$

MEDITERRANEAN

CAFÉ MEDITERRANEAN

Chef-driven Middle Eastern cuisine leans heavily on Turkish tradition here. The baba ghanoush uses seared eggplant, which adds a pleasant smokiness to the final product. Börek is described as a “Turkish Egg Roll,” wrapping feta and fresh and dried herbs into phyllo dough and frying it lightly to brittle flakiness. While there is a smooth, simple hummus on the menu, you should go for the classic sucuklu hummus, which is spiked with sujuk, a common beef sausage popular all over the Middle East.

3520 Erie Ave., East Hyde Park, (513) 871-8714, mediterranean-cafe.com. Lunch Mon–Sat, dinner seven days. MCC. $$

FILLO

This modern Greek restaurant has a menu composed of mezedes, the small, shareable plates that serve as the binder to a great Greek meal. Take the saganaki, for example. True to Greek tradition, Fillo’s version is served without a tableside flambé. But what the dish lacks in spectacle, it makes up for

in spectacular flavor. The layering of ingredients and flavors defines Fillo’s most filling entrée: moussaka. The classic dish appears on several local Mediterranean menus, but for pure comfort, Fillo’s combination of eggplant, potato, tomato-y beef ragu sauce, and béchamel can’t be beat. 1505 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 873-1995, fillomoderngreek.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$

Top 10 PHOENICIAN TAVERNA

No matter how much restraint you go in with, meals at Phoenician Taverna quickly become feasts. There is just too much that’s good, and everything is meant to be shared. With fresh pita bread continuously arriving from the ovens, and a table of quickly multiplying meze (hummus, falafel, muhammara), there is a warmth and depth to the cooking that envelops you. With such traditional cuisine, you may think there isn’t much left to discover beyond simply executed classics prepared according to time-tested methods. But there are always new discoveries, like the tabbouleh with the hummus, mixed with a touch of harissa, or the smoky baba ghanoush spooned onto falafel. Phoenician Taverna keeps taking these classics a little further.

7944 Mason Montgomery Rd., Mason, (513) 770-0027, phoeniciantaverna.com. Lunch Tues–Fri, dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

SANTORINI

Steak, eggs, and homefries. Jumbo haddock sandwich with Greek fries. Chocolate chip hotcakes with bacon. Notice something wrong with this menu? Chicken Philly cheese steak sandwich with Olympic onion rings. Yep, it’s obvious: What’s wrong with this menu is that there’s nothing wrong with this menu. Greek feta cheese omelette with a side of ham. It’s been owned by the same family for more than 30 years. Santorini has diner standards, like cheeseburgers, chili five ways, and breakfast anytime, but they also make some Greek pastries in-house, like spanakopita and baklava.

3414 Harrison Ave., Cheviot, (513) 662-8080. Breakfast and lunch seven days, dinner Tues–Fri. MCC. $

SEBASTIAN’S

Watch the rotating wheels of beef and lamb, and you understand how Greek food has escaped the American tendency to appropriate foreign cuisines. Sebastian’s specializes in gyros, shaved off the stick, wrapped in thick griddle pita with onions and tomatoes, and served with cool tzatziki sauce. Whether you’re having a crisp Greek salad with house-made dressing, triangles of spanakopita, or simply the best walnut and honey baklava this side of the Atlantic, they never misses a beat, turning more covers in the tiny restaurant on one Saturday afternoon than some restaurants do in an entire weekend.

5209 Glenway Ave., Price Hill, (513) 471-2100, sebastiansgyros.com. Brunch, lunch and dinner Mon–Sat. MCC. DS. $

MEXICAN

MAZUNTE

Mazunte runs a culinary full-court press, switching up specials to keep both regulars and staff engaged. Pork tamales arrive swaddled in a banana leaf, the shredded pork filling steeped in a sauce fiery with guajillo and ancho chilies yet foiled by the calming sweetness of raisins. The fried fish tacos are finished with a citrusy red and white cabbage slaw that complements the accompanying mango-habañero salsa. With this level of authentic yet fast-paced execution, a slightly greasy pozole can be easily forgiven. Don’t miss the Mexican Coke, the margaritas, or the non-alcoholic horchata.

5207 Madison Rd., Madisonville, (513) 785-0000, mazuntetacos.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC. $

NADA

The brains behind Boca deliver authentic, contemporary, high-quality Mexican fare downtown. You’ll find a concise menu, including tacos, salads and sides, large plates, and desserts. The Pork Al Pastor tacos, zesty with salsa verde and sweet with grilled pineapple, are definite crowd-pleasers. If you’re biased against Brussels sprouts, Nada just might convert you. The crispy sprouts, served with chipotle honey and candied ancho pepitas, are a deliciously intriguing starter.

600 Walnut St., downtown, (513) 721-6232, eatdrinknada.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

TAQUERIA MERCADO

On a Saturday night, Taqueria Mercado is a lively fiesta, with seemingly half of the local Hispanic community guzzling margaritas and cervezas or carrying out sacks of burritos and carnitas tacos—pork tenderized by a long simmer, its edges frizzled and crispy. The Mercado’s strip mall interior, splashed with a large, colorful mural, is equally energetic: the bustling semi-open kitchen; a busy counter that handles a constant stream of take-out orders; a clamorous, convivial chatter in Spanish and English. Try camarones a la plancha, 12 chubby grilled shrimp tangled with grilled onions (be sure to specify if you like your onions well done). The starchiness of the rice absorbs the caramelized onion juice, offset by the crunch of lettuce, buttery slices of avocado, and the cool-hot pico de gallo. A shrimp quesadilla paired with one of their cheap and potent margaritas is worth the drive alone.

6507 Dixie Hwy., Fairfield, (513) 942-4943; 100 E. Eighth St., downtown, (513) 381-0678, taqueriamercado. com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $

SEAFOOD

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S

The daily rotation here reads like a fisherman’s wish list: lobster tails from Australia and the North Atlantic, ahi tuna from Hawaii, clams from New England. But high-quality ingredients are only half the equation; preparation is the other. Herb-broth sea bass, served with roasted fingerling potatoes, makes the taste buds dance. The spacious digs and attentive waitstaff bring a touch of class to Fountain Square and make it a sophisticated destination.

21 E. Fifth St., downtown, (513) 721-9339, mccormickandschmicks.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DC, DS. $$

STEAKS

CARLO & JOHNNY

The stars of the menu are 12 delectable steaks that could sway the vegi-curious to recommit. Not sure which to choose? If you prefer brawny flavor over butter y texture, go for one of the three bone-in rib cuts. Or if it’s that meltin-your-mouth experience that raises your serotonin levels, C&J features several tenderloin cuts, including the premium six-ounce Wagyu filet. There are the usual suspects of seafood, pork chops, et al, for non-beef alternatives. 9769 Montgomery Rd., Montgomery, (513) 936-8600, jeffruby.com/carlo-johnny. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$$

JEFF RUBY’S

Filled most nights with local scenesters and power brokers (and those who think they are), everything in this urban steakhouse is generous—from the portions to the expert service. Waiters deliver two-fisted martinis and mounds of greens dressed in thin vinaigrettes or thick, creamy emulsions. An occasional salmon or sea bass appears, and there’s a small but decent assortment of land fare. But most customers are there for the slabs of beef (dry aged USDA prime). The best of these is Jeff Ruby’s Cowboy, 22 ounces of 70-day dry-aged bone-in rib eye. This is steak tailor-made for movers and shakers.

505 Vine St., downtown, (513) 784-1200, jeffruby.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DC. $$$$

LOSANTI

A bit more upscale than its sister restaurant, Crown Republic Gastropub, Losanti is also more conservative in its offerings. Service is friendly and informal, and though the meal feels like a special occasion, prices and atmosphere are right for, say, a date, rather than a wedding anniversary. The filet mignon, rib eye, and New York strip are cut to order for each table (there are a few available weights for each). The steaks themselves are totally irreproachable, perfectly seasoned, cooked to precisely the right point. Losanti even makes the steakhouse sides a little special. Sweet and smoky caramelized onions are folded into the mashed potatoes, a nice dusting of truffles wakes up the mac and cheese, and the sweet corn is at least freshly cut off the cob and recalls elote with lime and chile.

1401 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 246-4213, losantiotr.com. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$

THE PRECINCT

Part of the appeal of the Ruby restaurants is their ability to deliver deep, comfort-food satisfaction. And the steaks. The meat is tender with a rich mineral flavor, and the signature seasoning provided a nice crunch, not to mention blazing heat. The supporting cast is strong—the basket of warm Sixteen Bricks bread with a mushroom truffle butter, the addictive baked macaroni and cheese, the creamy garlic mashed potatoes, the crisp-tender asparagus with roasted garlic and lemon vinaigrette—and dinner ends on a sweet note with a piece of Ruby family recipe cheesecake. Neither cloyingly sweet nor overwhelmingly creamy, it’s a lovely slice of restraint.

311 Delta Ave., Columbia-Tusculum, (513) 321-5454, jeffruby.com/precinct. Dinner seven days. MCC. $$$$

TONY’S

He is a captivating presence, Tony Ricci. Best known for his 30 years in fine dining—including the Jeff Ruby empire while managing the venerable Precinct—Ricci has built a life in the hospitality industry. Much of Tony’s menu is right out of a steakhouse playbook: tiger shrimp and king crab legs from the raw bar; Greek and Caesar salads; sides of creamed spinach, mac-and-cheese, asparagus, and sautéed mushrooms; toppings of roasted garlic or Gorgonzola butters to accompany your center cut of filet mignon. There are boutique touches, though, that make it stand out—a garlic herb aioli with the calamari, steak tartare torch-kissed and topped with a poached egg, a superb rack of lamb with balsamic and lemon gastrique and served with traditional ratatouille.

12110 Montgomery Rd., Symmes Township, (513) 6778669, tonysofcincinnati.com. Dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$$$

THAI

GREEN PAPAYA

Inside this simple dining room, replete with soothing browns and greens and handsome, dark wood furniture, it takes time to sort through the many curries and chef’s specialties, not to mention the wide variety of sushi on the something-for-everyone menu. Have the staff—friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable—help you. When the food arrives, you’ll need only a deep inhale to know you made the right choice. The Green Papaya sushi rolls are as delicious as they look, with a manic swirl of spicy mayo and bits of crabstick and crispy tempura batter scattered atop the spicy tuna, mango, cream cheese, and shrimp tempura sushi—all rolled in a vivid green soybean wrap.

2942 Wasson Rd., Oakley, (513) 731-0107; 4002 Plainville Rd., Mariemont, (513) 272-8424, greenpapayacincinnati.com. Lunch and dinner seven days (Oakley), Lunch and dinner Mon–Sat (Mariemont). MCC. $$

TEAK SUSHI & THAI

Owner Chanaka De Lanerolle has said that he decided to bring back Teak’s take on Thai food because of the renewed vibrancy in Over-the-Rhine, which he compared to the energy he felt in Mt. Adams during his time there. But for all of the hype around the restaurant’s re-emergence on the scene, it’s probably best to consider it a reimagining

rather than a reopening. While long-time favorites show up on the menu, prepared by many of the same kitchen staff members from Mt. Adams, some adaptations have been made to better meet expectations of modern diners. Letting go of preconceived notions about Teak will serve you well. With a two-sided, standalone sushi menu and a wide variety of main plates ranging from small bites to signature dishes, you have plenty of room to craft your own dining experience.

1200 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-8325 ; 110 S. Second St., Loveland, (513) 583-8325, teakotr.com. Lunch and dinner Tues–Sun. MCC. $$

THAI NAMTIP

Classic Thai comfort food on the west side from chef/owner Tussanee Leach, who grew up with galangal on her tongue and sriracha sauce in her veins. Her curries reign: pale yellow sweetened with coconut milk and poured over tender chicken breast and chunks of boiled pineapple; red curry the color of new brick, tasting of earth at first bite, then the sharply verdant Thai basil leaves, followed by a distant heat. Tom Kha Gai soup defines the complex interplay of flavors in Thai food: astringent lemongrass gives way to pepper, then Makrut lime, shot through with the gingery, herbaceous galangal, all yielding to the taunting sweetness of coconut. Even the simple skewers of chicken satay with Thai peanut sauce are dulcified by honey and dirtied up by a smoky grill.

5461 North Bend Rd., Monfort Heights, (513) 481-3360, thainamtip.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MC, V. $

WILD GINGER

The ability to satisfy a deep desire for Vietnamese and Thai fusion cuisine is evident in Wild Ginger’s signature Hee Ma roll—a fortress of seaweed-wrapped rolls filled with shrimp tempura, asparagus, avocado, and topped with red tuna, pulled crab stick, tempura flakes, a bit of masago, scallions, and of course, spicy mayo. It’s tasty, even though the sweet fried floodwall of tempura and spicy mayo overpowered the tuna completely. The spicy pad char entrée was a solid seven out of 10: broccoli, carrots, cabbage, succulent red bell peppers, green beans, and beef, accented with basil and lime leaves in a peppercorn-and-chili brown sauce.

3655 Edwards Rd., Hyde Park, (513) 533-9500, wildgingeroh.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS. $$

VIETNAMESE

PHO LANG THANG

Owners Duy and Bao Nguyen and David Le have created a greatest hits playlist of Vietnamese cuisine: elegant, brothy pho made from poultry, beef, or vegan stocks poured over rice noodles and adrift with slices of onions, meats, or vegetables (the vegan pho chay is by far the most flavorful); fresh julienned vegetables, crunchy sprouts, and herbs served over vermicelli rice noodles (again, the vegan version, bun chay, is the standout); and bánh mì. Be sure to end with

a cup of Vietnamese coffee. 1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 376-9177, pholangthang.com. Lunch and dinner seven days. MCC, DS, DC. $$

QUAN HAPA

The Nguyen brothers, along with partner David Le, followed up on Pho Lang Thang’s success with some of the boldest flavors in the city at Quan Hapa. this small restaurant features a mash-up of Asian street foods—okonomiyaki, turmeric chicken skewers, and hearty noodle bowls—and inventive cocktails, and glass garage doors that roll up to the vibrant Vine St. scene. 1331 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 421-7826, quanhapa.com. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Wed–Sun. MCC. $$

CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, (ISSN 0746-8 210), April 2026, Volume 59, Number 7. Published monthly ($19.95 for 12 issues annually) at 221 E. Fourth St., Ste. 130, Cincinnati, OH 45202. (513) 421-4300. Copyright © 2026 by Cincinnati Magazine LLC, a subsidiary of Hour Media Group, 5750 New King Dr., Ste. 100, Troy, MI 48098. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or reprinted without permission. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, and artwork should be accompanied by SASE for return. The magazine cannot be held responsible for loss. For subscription orders, address changes or renewals, write to CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071, or call 1-866-660-6247. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, Ohio, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send forms 3579 to CINCINNATI MAGAZINE, 1965 E. Avis Dr., Madison Heights, MI 48071. If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year.

COMING SOON

Acclaimed Chef

Makoto Okuwa is set to open the contemporary Japanese restaurant Suzu at the Madison Square development in Madisonville in May. The eatery will feature indoor and outdoor seating, a private dining room, a craft cocktail bar, and a 12-seat Edo-style omakase counter. thesuzu.com

HUNGRY

Ready, Set, Read!

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE OCTOPUS IN FRONT OF THE GOEBEL PARK CLOCK TOWER? HOW about the rainbow by Crafts & Vines? If so, you’ve participated in Read Ready Covington’s A–Z Word Walk Scavenger Hunt. In six Covington neighborhoods you’ll find 26 little signs designed by BLDG, each featuring a word and pictures starting with a different letter of the alphabet—some also include the Spanish translation. Kids can grab a Word Walk passport from the Kenton County Public Library or City Hall and complete the trail in exchange for a prize. The program was developed as part of Read Ready Covington, a citywide collaborative initiative to imp rove and encourage literacy as a community. “It gives families something safe, outdoors, active,” says Read Ready Covington Founding Director MaryKay Connolly. “[The signs] nurture the curiosity children already have, but also give them opportunities to develop.” The Word Walks have grown so popular that RRC has been asked by other NKY towns like Newport and Dayton to expand the program there. “We need to have these public learning landscapes,” says Connolly. “We need things in our communities that are engaging and inspiring for young children.”

—CLAIRE LEFTON

EAT YOUR WAY

cincinnatimagazine.com/weeks

REDHAWKS ARE LEADING THE WAY

RedHawk50 celebrates the 50 fastest-growing Miami-led businesses

RedHawk50, in collaboration with Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), recognizes alumni success and provides a forum to celebrate the crucial role that Miamians play in their communities. Miami graduates and former students who founded, own, and lead thriving businesses pass valuable lessons to the next generation of Miami entrepreneurs. Meet our honorees at MiamiOH.edu/RedHawk50

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR CINCINNATI-AREA HONOREES:

1809 Capital

Mark Richey ’80, Managing Partner

John Gardner ’84, Partner

Kim Walker ’80, Partner

Kevin Mendelsohn ’96, Partner

3D Color

Bob Jennings ’92, CEO

All-In Cincinnati Coalition

Denisha Porter ’03, Executive Director

Brandience

Brian McHale ’88, CEO and Owner

Clear Advantage Logistics

Ryan Ward ’04, President and Owner

Curiosity, LLC

Gregory Livingston ’82, Co-Founder, Partner, and COO

Eleeo Brands

Richard Palmer ’92, Co-Founder and CEO

FC Cincinnati

Jeff Berding ’91, President and Co-CEO

HOMEstretch

Derek Shewmon ’05, Founder

Interlink Cloud Advisors

Matt Scherocman ’97, Co-Founder andCEO

Kinettix

Chad Mattix ’93, Founder and CEO

Kruger and Hodges

Hometown Injury Lawyers

Joshua Hodges ’11, Co-Founder and Managing Partner

Remote Vans

Tony Alexander ’99, Co-Founder

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati

Jennifer Loeb ’92, CEO

Rooted Grounds Coffee

Dave Knopf ’90, Co-Founder and President

Patsy Knopf ’88, Co-Founder and CEO

Kris Chari ’92 , EVP

Verdant Commercial Capital, LLC

Mike Rooney ’78, CEO

John Merritt ’85, EVP