From Southern-inspired biscuits to homemade tortillas.
If you ’re under the impression thatCincinnati ’s culinary chop are limited to its celebrated cinnamon - spiced chile and its German - inspired meat , consider again . Recently call one ofAmerica ’s next enceinte food city , the Queen City is teeming with ok dining insane asylum , uniquely innovative eatery , and atmospherical establishment from award - acquire chef . Whatever you ’re craving , be it new - made tortillas , an Asiatic fusion dish , or something else entirely , Cincy ’s dining scene has something for you . Below , we ’ve round up some of the live patch in the city ( and some just over the river in Northern Kentucky ) that make the Cincy region worth a sojourn .
Mita’s Bar de Tapas
Mita ’s , the second eating house and brainchild of acclaimed James Beard Award - nominated chef Jose Salazar , pays tribute to his Colombian grandmother ( dearly love as " Mita " ) . In the heart of business district Cincy , Mita ’s alluring ambiance and farm - inspire carte observe the acculturation and flavor of Spain and Latin America . commingle traditional and modern-day culinary art , the restaurant process up dishes like tapas , ceviche , cured ham , and mouthwatering paella . And for wine-colored aficionados , the eatery offers a curated excerpt ( let in some wines age in locally - sourced oak from the Ohio River Valley . ) Top off your dining journeying with a household - made water ice , glass cream , or natilla de maize , a mellifluous corn custard with peaches and Marcona almonds .
Nolia Kitchen
AtNolia Kitchen , place in the historic Over - the - Rhine neck of the woods , eating house - leaver get the expert of both worlds : Midwestern charm and classical southerly flavors . inspire by his upbringing in New Orleans , Chef Jeff Harris transports diners to the Deep South with inventive and unconventional turn on gourmet peel - n - eat half-pint , marinated crab claw , buttery skillet cornbread , and crispy fried green tomato . ( There are also tasty dessert on offering , like cheesecake and artisanal popsicles . ) before this twelvemonth , the restaurant was named a finalist for the James Beard Foundation ’s Best New Restaurant Award alongside several eateries in cities with top - nick culinary scenes like New York and Washington , D.C.
Cafe Mochiko
With its choice of Asiatic - American pastry and fragility , Cafe Mochikowill replete any mellifluous tooth . Owned by chef Elaine Uykimpang Bentz and Erik Bentz , the café ( fondly referred to as Mochiko by locals ) serves up imaginative pastries like the fan - favorite everything cream cheese bao , a gentle bun with emollient cheeseflower filling and everything beigel spice . If dinner is more your velocity , Mochiko provide a mountain range of dine - in - only lulu like fry soy - marinated chicken thigh drizzled in karashi mayo . In 2022 , Mochiko was namedone of the 50 in force new restaurantsin the body politic , and in 2023 , Chef Elaine Bentz was constitute as a finalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker .
Meritage
nestle in the charming hamlet of Glendale , Meritage Restaurant ’s quaint atmosphere sets the degree for a memorable dining experience . The eating place takes great superbia in crafting each lulu from scratch , from the salad dressing to sweet made from local constituent . The card boasts an array of options like fresh seafood , mitt - cold shoulder steak , distinctiveness sandwiches , and a various categorization of crisp , flavorful salads , including the Meritage salad with candied pecans , Brie , and pear .
Bouquet Restaurant
Just across the Ohio River , you ’ll find a unambiguously local dining experience atBouquet Restaurantin Covington , Kentucky . Chef Stephen Williams opened Bouquet as one of the first restaurants in the area to squeeze local and sustainable farming , the restaurant has since nurtured deep kinship with more than 50 local sodbuster , which allow for a perpetually evolve menu inspired by the season ' freshest ingredients . you may dine on a selection of charcuterie , sweet , and entree like pork barrel tenderloin , along with sampling its extensive bourbon collection , too .
Kiki College Hill
Kiki College Hillowners and husband - and - wife chef duo Hideki and Yuko Harada have a simple mission : Serve up food that they actually want to consume . After meet at the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka , Japan , the couple want to add their favorite Nipponese dishes to the Cincy region . The resulting Kiki , located in the up - and - coming Westside neighbourhood of College Hill , extend an array of reliable Nipponese cuisine including housemade kimchi , seaweed salad , pork gyoza , and dawdler bowls . Do n’t bequeath without trying the sexually attractive Japanese desserts made with seasonal local fruit and matcha .
Boomtown Biscuits
Also just over the river in Union , Kentucky , Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskeyelevates comfort nutrient with a contemporary take on classic American frontier nutrient like biscuits and gravy . Menu highlights admit plates like Gold Fever ( Buffalo mac ' due north tall mallow twin with deep-fried chicken , blue cheese , and bacon ) and the New Saddle sandwich , with French toast biscuit , braised short rib , and an ancho barbecue sauce . dining compartment can pair those traditional comforter nutrient stunner with a noteworthy extract of top whisky , let in plenty oflocally - distilledones .
Lalo
locate in the heart of business district Cincy , just a stone ’s stroke away from Court Street Plaza , Lalois a dining gemstone where the best flavors of Latin and Asian food harmoniously unite . Born from the rich ethnical heritage of its owners , who hail from both Latin and Asian backgrounds , Lalo ’s card is a delightful blend of family recipes , culinary creativity , and heartfelt imaging . As a part of the esteemed Cincy - based culinary lab Huit Group , which is known for its innovation in Asian and Asian fusion cuisine , Lalo require pride in assist tube - area diners its signature tune Chino Latino - inspired menu like fervor - roasted elote coated with sriracha mayo and queso fresco or its mango lime prawn .
Tortilleria Garcia
Tortilleria Garciaowner Omar Garcia expend his childhood on a Indian corn farm in Michoacan , Mexico , where , in the consequence of each harvest , his kin would come together to transform the Indian corn into masa ( the indispensable boodle for craft authentic tortillas ) . It was within this raise environment that Omar ’s mother and grandmother convey the family formula that now form the heart and soul of Tortilleria Garcia . Embracing their love for reinvigorated , wholesome nutrient , Omar now portion out this tradition with anyone who walk through the door of his three Cincinnati restaurants turn up in the neighborhoods of Springdale , College Hill , and Mason . Whichever one you claver , be prepared to descend in love with the enthralling aroma of newly made tortillas and reliable Mexican culinary art like Tamale and tacos .
Quan Hapa
Quan Hapa , an Asiatic fusion gastropub located in Over - the - Rhine , undergo a complete transmutation a few age ago ( under the guidance of the Cincy - basedLang Thang Group ) to add a brand - new dining room , flourish patio seating , and a refreshed menu . It now boasts crowd - pleasing dishes like its famous Korean deep-fried crybaby wings , ramen , hand rolls , and okonomiyaki . bar in for dinner party or for happy minute from Tuesday through Saturday , where you’re able to also sample the restaurant ’s all-inclusive listing of draft on tap .
Mita’s.|Aidan Strasser.
Cafe Mochiko.|Seyla Ran.
Kiki College Hill.|Catie Viox.
Lalo.|Catie Viox.
Quan Hapa.|Mike Dew/Lang Thang Group.
