Conde Nast Traveler, a nationwide luxurious way of life and journey journal, shines a highlight on Greater Cincinnati eating places this month. In a characteristic titled “The best restaurants in (or near) Cincinnati,” former Cincinnati City Beat editor Maija Zummo compiles a listing that focuses on our eclectic mix of high-end dining institutions, with a specific concentrate on lesser identified native favorites. She additionally explains why so many cooks are interested in Cincinnati proper now.
“Cincy is quietly becoming a nationally recognized culinary hub thanks in part to its comparative affordability, rich immigrant history, and access to top-tier ingredients from the verdant Ohio River Valley,” Zummo writes. “This means chefs are more easily able to open restaurants and execute their creative vision than in some of the more traditional big-city dining hubs, producing a glut of delicious dining options.”
Zummo mentions our rising variety of nationally acknowledged cooks, amongst them this 12 months’s James Beard Award semifinalists David Willocks of Baker’s Table, in Newport; Jeff Harris of Nolia Kitchen, in Over-the-Rhine; Mike Stankovich of Mid-City, Downtown, and Longfellow, in Over-the-Rhine; Sarah Dworak of Sudova, Downtown; and Hideki Harada of Kiki, in Clifton. But her major focus is on regionally beloved spots that the majority guests may overlook.
Northern Kentucky weighs in closely, with nods to Wayfarer Tavern, in Dayton, Kentucky; Otto’s, in Covington; and Walt’s Hitching Post, in Fort Wright. Other featured eating places embody the Blue Jay, in Northside, which Zummo notes for its glorious Cincinnati-style chili; the century-old burger joint Zip’s, in Mount Lookout; “Top Chef” alumni Brian and Caitlin Young’s Young Buck Deli, in Over-the-Rhine; and the subterranean Italian spot, Sotto, Downtown.
“Together these restaurants reflect chefs and owners deeply invested in their communities,” Zummo writes, “acting as both cultural anchors and driving forces behind Cincinnati’s culinary evolution.
You can read the full article at condenastetraveler.com.