Cincinnati -- best places to eat right now

[johnbycz]

Planning a celebration of sorts on Friday -- might be just my wife and I, but could include my daughter and son-in-law. I'm just wondering what people think are the best places to eat right now in Cincinnati. My recent list includes Cafe Istanbul, Mount Adams Fish House, Mesh, Nicola, Bella Luna, Nada, Knotty Pine on the Bayou, and Dickmann's Sports Bar (good wings!). I like Honey but my wife thinks it's too loud. All the Ruby restaurants (take your pick) leave me feeling kinda oily. Haven't been to Boca or Jean-Robert's in a while. Been meaning to try Hugo. I guess I'm looking for something festive and with great food. Any thoughts?

[squidhole]

Anchor Grill is always tantalizing, always colorful and always open.

[AMFM]

last great meal i personally had in cincy was at boca as well. but i was pregnant and only eating about half of what i usually ate so i wasn't a good judge my brother and SIL love it though.

[sibeats]

Has anyone eaten at Seny Tapas Bar? It sounds really good, but haven't found any info on it here.

[dixontc]

I have eaten at Seny once and really enjoyed it. I have heard some others say it is a bit too pretentious, claiming to be more authentic tapas than it was or something, but we thought the food was very good. It was several months ago and I think some of the dishes have changed a bit since we were there; I know that we had a cured meats plate, a mussels dish, and scallops, but the descriptions on the current website menu seem different than what I remember having. I do know that we had the Patatas Bravas which I believe is still the same; it was good but not great. I think we had a fifth dish.. possibly shrimp? The potatoes were my least favorite; everything was excellent with the cured meats being my favorite. We also had a pitcher of their house sangria which seemed to be popular throughout the room. It's definitely different than most other dining options in the area and I loved the opportunity to have a few bites of many different things without stuffing ourselves. They recommend three plates per person; we ordered five plates between the two of us and it was a good amount. This is a little late response to your question and I'm giving a pretty general revew, so let me know if there is anything else specific you are looking to know. It's not someplace that I want to eat weekly, it's a little expensive for what it is, but it's a really fun dinner date once in a while and I hope to go again soon.

[Ldog]

I respect most of the responses, but IMHO, Boca rules. There's no better food. Jono Fries and David Falk are just amazing. Hand down best food.

[tizzie]

Ottos in Mainstrasse (Covington) is much better than Dee Felice. Twist is excellent, and I also love Vito's. They are all very different experiences: Otto's is young and friendly, but with excellent food and a good, reasonably-priced wine list. Twist is uber-sophisticated but fun, and Vito's has an all-ages appeal. It's really a great "night out" - not just a meal, more like dinner theatre.
Daveeds is wonderful, but will not appeal to the meat-and-potatoes person in your crowd (if there is one.) Mesh is superb, but pricey, and on the outskirts of town.
From your list: Mt. Adams Fish House is good if you are on the hill anyway, but Daveeds is a better reason to make the trip. Nicola is excellent. Don't automatically dismiss the Ruby restaurants, especially Tropicana. The food is very good.
One more suggestion I'd make, though, is York St Cafe. It's a festive place with great food - just what you were looking for.

[johnbycz]

My last experience at Tropicana wasn't good -- too many children on the wait staff. They didn't know the menu and forgot stuff.

Boca is wonderful, I acknowledge. However, I decided I would like a celebratory slab of meat, so we're going to Embers.

[tizzie]

I hope you'll let us know how it was!

[johnbycz]

We had a very good meal at Embers. Reservations were for 8 pm. We arrived a little early and were seated. The dining room, warmly decorated, was very full. I noticed many people eating sushi (there is no sushi bar; it's prepared in the kitchen).

For the four of us, I ordered the cowboy bone-in ribeye, my wife ordered the black-and-blue filet, my daughter ordered the sea bass and my son-in-law ordered ribs and chicken. We all ordered salads.

Consensus was the chopped tomato, lettuce and bleu cheese salad was the best. Consensus also was the ribeye was best. I like my steaks done "Pittsburgh" -- charred black outside and cold red inside -- and it's hard to find a restaurant that can do them this way. I don't believe any of Ruby's does. Embers does, and my steak was terrific.
Filets can be tender but a little dry, and my wife wasn't thrilled with it. Ribs and chicken were average. I didn't taste the sea bass, but my daughter thought it plain. None of the sides were terribly exciting -- mashed potatoes a little bland, average mac-and-cheese with the ribs and chicken -- though the Anna Potatoes served with my wife's filet were good (sliced thin, pan cooked till dark).

(By the way, if you like steaks cooked like I do, try El Coyote. They do Pittsburgh, and have a terrific ribeye for about $24.)

We took Polly Cambell's recommendations and ordered chocolate souffle and the banana bread and ice cream for dessert, to share. The banana thing was great.

Overall, I preferred Embers to any Ruby's steakhouse. More casual, less over-the-top; we were looking for a good dinner out and we got one. Service was efficient and unobtrusive. My wife said she preferred this meal to our last visit to Mesh (Christmas Eve; do restaurants have their second string in on Christmas Eve?) This is not a Boca-level restaurant but I wasn't looking for that. I'd go back.

[Emm]

I'd been thinking about trying Embers, and am a little confused by your review. You indicate twice that the meal was good--especially the ribeye and one of the desserts--but also mention things like "not thrilled," "average," "plain," "a little bland," etc. I'm left with the impression of a menu that is average overall, with a handful of outstanding items. Is that reasonably accurate?

[AMFM]

I totally agree. I thought - "wow! you must have low standards or write really differently than me" because after that review I would NOT have described the meal as really good. I would've described it as below average. I wouldn't be back. Not at those prices. Sounds like a typical steakhouse meal to me. Expensive and bland.

[johnbycz]

Hey, a meal is more than food. Service was great, atmosphere was very good. The place was busy -- on the first Friday in Lent, that's something in this town. My steak was very good, desserts were very good. Selection of wines by the glass was good, my wife's martini was good. My wife's filet was what it was -- big, tender, cooked the way we ordered it, but somewhat lean. I'll admit that my daughter's sea bass could have been better, and my son-in-law erred: Never order ribs in a place that doesn't specialize in them. So, some of disappointments, if you want to call them that, were a matter of choice.

All in all, if I were in the mood for a good steak and a nice evening out, I would go back. As Cincinnati steakhouses go, I would take this above the Precinct or Jeff Ruby's. I haven't been to Red or Jag's. Embers is not on par with Boca or Jean-Robert's, but that doesn't mean it was a disappointment.

(Thanks, honestly, for the give and take.)

[AMFM]

Fair enough. I don't like Ruby's places either. But as I mentioned I'm not a steakhouse girl. Thanks for explaining because I do want it to be good!
And I understand about bad ordering - I've been known to do that! :)

[johnbycz]

Any opinion of Jag's or Embers? Jag's sounds over the top, like Ruby's downtown, but Embers sounds promising.

[intuitive eggplant]

My only experience at Jag's was during Restaurant Week, where the menu was limited and you had to be seated in the bar where, on Friday nights, I believe they have a "networking" happy hour. It was loud and I was underwhelmed by both the food and the service. If I were going to pay the regular prices Jag's charges, I would go somewhere else. If I were going to drive across town to West Chester, I'd would definitely prefer Mesh.

[kingstreet]

Try and hit Twist, Jean-Robert's new bar/lounge before or after dinner. We were there on a Friday night a few weeks ago and it was hoppin'. It had the most diverse crowd I've ever seen in Cincinnati. It's gorgeous, drinks are good, as are the apps. Nada and Daveed's also get my vote for dinner.

[farmgirl722]

Cross on over to Dee Felice in Main Strauss in Covington... Excellent food with great live jazz Thursday through Sunday. Main Strauss also seems to have a celebratory atmosphere most of the time. Also if you are looking for good pre or after dinner drinks, the Avenue on Madison in Covington is a nice little place and has a large variety of drink options.

[intuitive eggplant]

I will add a recommendation for Julie Francis' Nectar in Mt. Lookout, where I have enjoyed several celebration dinners, although I would describe the vibe as more comfortable than festive. I hear it can get loud on weekends (and it did at the one quasi-monthly Dinner Club I attended, but in that instance was quite convivial). I especially recommend her charcuterie appetizer, featuring a variety of housemade items. It is my impression that it is consistently on the menu, although most of the other offerings vary depending on seasonality and availability of ingredients. A note: the website is not updated frequently, and the menu posted there will not necessarily be what you get the night you go.

[CurryLover]

I am paying attention to this thread...it looks like our son has chosen to attend U/Cinncinati this coming fall. I don't know much about the Cincinnati area or restaurants since we are in Akron. I imagine we will be making many weekend trips to Cincy. Akron has a shortage of good & ethnic restaurants - and it has been that way since we moved here from Boston nine years ago. I'll want to know where to go in Cincy & places to take college kids, etc.

[dumpling]

Hugo, Daveed's, and Vito's Cafe in Ft. Thomas are the most celebratory places I've found lately. I'm sad Pho Paris is gone. Cafe Istanbul is great--I'm planning on going there this week.

If your daughter and son-in-law are included I highly recommend Vito's Cafe. It's so much fun. Hugo is great, but it's a little bit pretentious--not food-wise, but the waiters are not quite comfortable yet. At least that was our experience. I do adore the shrimp and grits, though.

Daveed's is just outstanding. We hadn't eaten there in the past couple years, but recently went again. I loved the meal. The tuna tartare and duck breast were first class.

Now I'm hungry.

I still recommend Vito's cafe for a foursome. It's excellent.

[KID]

Wow, quite a range of places. For festive, I like Nada. Been there once with a group. Food was great. Plus you're downtown which at times can be festive.

[AMFM]

may be far because it's in montgomery but my parents (i don't live there anymore) say that their best meals lately have been at allure. they were surprised but returned with a big group of foodies and they all liked it.

http://www.allurecincinnati.com/menu.php