Wayfinder's Guide to Cincinnati: Part 2

We're number 3!

Not usually reason for celebrating, but when Cincinnati ranks just after The Virgin Islands and Hudson River Valley, and before the Four Corners and Puerto Rico, in Lonely Planet's Top 10 US travel destinations for 2012 it's pretty exciting.

Since I am sure you will all be visiting the Queen City soon, or at least becoming a hometown tourist, I am posting some of my own favorite spots. This is Part Two:

Festivals, Food, Drinks & Theater

Festivals
Cincinnati likes its festivals! From Memorial Day's Taste of Cincinnati to Labor Day's Riverfest. From fish frys and church festivals in every neighborhood to North America's largest Oktoberfest. Here are some of my favorites:

The Panegyri Greek Festival : Authentic Greek cuisine, pastries, music, dancing, raffles, games and amusement rides.

Fish Frys: Cincinnati has a lot of Friday Night Fish Frys during Lent. It is our goal to try every one on this map.

Goetta Fest : What's Goetta? You obviously haven't been to Cincinnati. It's a delicious breakfast treat usually made with pork and pin oats. Yum!

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati : North America's largest Oktoberfest! Come out in September to eat, drink and do the Chicken Dance.

Bockfest Goat

Bockfest : Bockfest is a celebration of Cincinnati's historic Over-the-Rhine, its rich brewing heritage and bright future. It is usually the first weekend of March and begins with a parade... led by a goat...  pulling a keg of bock beer.

Midpoint Music Festival  : MPMF is a three day weekend event in downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine. In 2011 there were 18 stages featuring almost 200 bands.

Here's a link to some 2010 festival dates. It's old, but has links for more info!




Food: Markets
Findlay Market : Opened in 1855, Findlay Market is Ohio's oldest surviving municipal market. And we love it. I remember getting a huge pickle to eat (my sister liked cookies better) while I followed my mom through the market as a kid. I was only tall enough to look in the cases. Now Todd & I make regular trips to pick up pork products at Kroeger & Sons Meats, cheese at Krause's, spices from the Colonel De Gourmet, a bottle of wine, tea, Christmas tree, pastries, pho, gelato... the list goes on and is being added to.

Findlay Market

Jungle Jim's : Jungle Jim's is more than a grocery store. It's kind of like a theme park for foodies. It's a bit outside of the city, but well worth the 20+ minute drive! I mean, look at the store map.

 
Food: Restaurants
A Tavola : Great wood-fired pizza in OTR. The oven is gorgeous & super hot! Todd & I always split one Primi, one Bruschetta and one Pizza. This is currently my go to place for date night.

Adriatico's : If you need a pizza delivered and they deliver to where you are, order one now! In Clifton.

Boca : Italian In Oakley, a neighborhood kinda close to Downtown. Moving downtown in October 2012. Upscale. Fantastic food & service.

Cincinnati Chili (Skyline)

Camp Washington Chili : The best Cincinnati Chili, IMHO. Make the trip and you will not be sorry. If you can't get to Camp Washington, Skyline Chili is everywhere and are my #2, but I am sure someone will disagree with all of the above. What is Cincinnati Chili? A unique concoction with cinnamon, cloves, allspice and/or chocolate. Order it over a ht dog or spaghetti as a 2, 3, 4 or 5-way. I say go for the 5 way!  One thing's for sure, you will either love it or hate it.

Enoteca Emilia : Italian Wine Bar in Obryonville, a neighborhood kinda near downtown (and my house - lucky me!). Lots of small bites inspired by the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. We like to pretend like we're in Italy when we go: walk, order lots of small courses, drink wine, take our time... and they encourage it!

Gordo's : Good burgers & Beers in Norwood, a city inside the city of Cincinnati.

Jean-Robert's Table: Mural

Jean-Roberts Table : French Master Chef Jean-Robert De Cavel's latest Cincinnati creation in the heart of Downtown. Casual elegant deliciousness.

Keystone Bar & Grill : Mac n' Cheese, Potato Crisp & Bloody Mary. These are a few of my favorite things at Keystone. They recreated Inn The Wood's famous Potato Crisp!! It is a must order for anyone who misses crawling up to In The Wood after a late night on the town or just likes a good hearty breakfast/brunch! In Covington.

Knotty Pine on the Bayou : These guys are currently relocating, but I HAVE to list them. We had our wedding reception-type-thing here. The food is good & plentiful & Cajun/Creole! I would go on & on about the location, but it is changing.

Molly Malone's : Great spot to watch a game and have a pint. The food is pretty good too, especially the... pizza. In Covington.

Nada : By the folks who brought you Boca. Hip Mexican food Downtown. I have never had bad food or service here.

Nicola's : One of my favorites! Fancy Italian in Over-The- Rhine. Can afford more than once a year.

Pho Lang Tang : Pho. Really good Pho. At Findlay Market. They have other Vietnamese stuff too, but the Pho rules as far as I am concerned.

The Precinct : Part of Jeff Ruby's Cincinnati resteraunt empire, these types of places are usually too fancy smanchy for me, but I love the Precinct! The steaks are brilliant and the location just cool. It's in a 1901 Police Patrol House on Columbia Parkway (a parkway that leads out of downtown).

The Precinct

Rio Grande Mexican : Good (very very good), Cheap Mexican across the river in a strip mall in Newport. There is always a wait!

The Rookwood : More than a Bar & Grill in Mt. Adams, a great neighborhood up the hill from downtown. Located in the old Rookwood Pottery Building. Think Chicken Fried Bacon, Fig Burger, Pork Belly and Craft Drinks. YUM!

The Rookwood : Note the kiln behind the super cool bar.

Suzie Wong's : Great Asian eats in Walnut Hills, a neighborhood close to downtown & Cincinnati's first "suburb." I would eat here a lot, even if I couldn't walk. Everything is good, but I am particularly found of the Big Soup Bowls and Crispy Calamari

Terry's Turf Club : Classic burgers with gourmet toppings if you want them! Loads of neon! Extensive beer selection served out of Beverators! Long waits! Totally worth it. On the Eastside.

Terry's Turf Club : It looks cooler at night

Tom+Chee : They claim "It Will Change Your Life." I agree. I was a grilled cheese aficionado before it was cool. I used to mke up all kinds of combos when I was a vegetarian (long ago) . Where were they?? These guys will make grilled cheese and tomato soup anyway you like it, plus some ways you haven't thought of. Just be sure to try at least one with Grippos! Downtown & Newport.

Virgil's Cafe : Cozy Spot across the river in Bellevue. Kentucky Hot Brown? Ettouffee? Cheddar Cheese Grits? Yes ma'am!


Food: Sweets
Putz's Creamy Whip: My favorite place in the world when I was about 8 years old. I still like it a lot, but don't get funny faces on my cones anymore... as far as you know. On Montana Ave. on the Westside.

Graeters : Graeters has been making people smile since 1870, including Oprah! If you go to Graeters, be sure to get a flavor with chips. The ridiculously large and tasty chocolate chips are what keep me coming back. Everywhere.

Aglamesis : For sodas and icecream sans chips and funny faces, I prefer Aglemesis in Oakley. It wasn't founded until 20 years after Greater's, but it still located in the same turn-of-the century parlor and has nostalgia coming out of the woodwork.

Take the Cake : Bakery & Cafe in Northside. Order a specialty cake or stop in for a yummy lunch and sweet treat.

Bonbonerie : Beautiful, and tasty, cakes, cookies, cupcakes and more. All of the cake flavors are good, but why get anything other than the Opera Cream Torte?In Obryonville.

 
Drinks & such

With a strong brewing (and drinking) tradition, Cincinnati is not short on watering holes.  Be sure to try a local brew. Mt. Carmel Brewing Company and Rivertown Brewing Company are made here now & are very tasty. Hudepohl & Christian Moerlein started in Cincy, but haven't been brewed here in a while. Luckily they are moving back soon. Look for the Moerlein Lager House set to open in February, 2012.


Here are some of my favorite places to have a pint:
 
Blind Lemon : Best old place (Born in 1963). I love this bar! It's extremely cozy (I am always a little afraid I will knock something over) inside and they have a fire pit outside when the weather calls for it. In Mt Adams (near Eden Park), it's the perfect place for a coffee drink after seeing a play at the Playhouse (see below)

The Blind Lemon

City View Tavern

City View Tavern : Best place to have a drink with a view. I used to play pinball and eat BBQ sandwiches and pickles (yeah pickles) here when I was a kid, while the folks were "socializing." In Mt. Adams.

The Comet : Best dive for the cool kids with a super jukebox and tasty burritos. Come on Tuesday for Bike Night! In Northside.

Hap's Irish Pub : Best place to watch, rugby or soccer... er, football. In Hyde Park.

Japps since 1879 : Best new place (Born in 2011).  Ok, it says "since 1879", but it was closed for a while. They have fantastic classic and craft cocktails mixed up by Molly Wellmann (if you're lucky) with her homemade simple syrups, bitters, liquors and fresh juic. In OTR.




The Lackman : Best swanky rock joint in OTR. Housed in a turn-of-the-century building built by brewer Herman Lackman, they have a lot of great beers on tap & in bottles.


MOTR : Best place to hear live local music (and have a damn fine burger & fries). Their motto is " Know your Cincinnati rock 'n roll." In OTR

Mr. Pitifuls : Best place to hang out with (my) friends. In OTR.

Neon's Unplugged

Neon's Unplugged : Best place to drink outside and play Giant Jenga. It's unplugged because all of the neon went with Terry to the Turf Club. In OTR.

Northside Tavern : Best place for hipster karaoke. The crowd is hip & diverse and it's big... with pool tables, outdoor garden area & big backroom for shows. Karaoke is one Thursdays! In Northside. Duh.

Righteous Room : Best swanky rock joint in the Downtown Entertainment District.

Southgate House : These folks are currently relocating, but you should find them wherever they land, because it will be fun. Was in Newport.

Theater
Music Hall : Built in 1878 Music Hall ranks acoustically as one of the finest performance venues in the world.

Aronoff Center for the Arts : The Aronoff Center, the largest performing arts center in downtown Cincinnati, was designed by award winning Argentine architect César Pelli. (Oops, forgot to include it in Architecture. Dang.) It houses three performance halls that seat 150(Fifth Third Bank Theater) to 2,719 (Proctor and Gamble Hall). And the other one seats 437 (Jarson-Kaplan Theater).

Playhouse in the Park : The Playhouse is my favorite theater in Cincinnati. It is a regional theater located in Eden Park (again with the Eden Park! see Cincinnati Art Museum in Part 1 and more to come soon). In addition to producing at least one world premiere production each season, the Playhouse has been honored with two Tony Awards: in 2004 with the Regional Theater Tony Award ®, honoring one non-profit professional regional theater company a year, and in 2007 when Company was named that year’s Best Revival of a Musical.

Shakespeare in the Park : Cincinnati loves it's parks (more on that later) and it also has a thing for Shakespeare. The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, started in1993 under the name Fahrenheit Theater Company, has presented a Shakespeare in the Park tour for the last five years. And it's FREE!

Wayfinder's Guide to Cincinnati: Part 1

We're number 3! Not usually reason for celebrating, but when Cincinnati ranks just after The Virgin Islands and Hudson River Valley, and before the Four Corners and Puerto Rico, in Lonely Planet's Top 10 US travel destinations for 2012 it's pretty exciting.

Since I am sure you will all be visiting the Queen City soon, or at least becoming a hometown tourist, I am posting some of my own favorite spots. This is Part One:

Architecture, Museums & History

Architecture
Union Terminal (Cincinnati Museum Center): The Union Terminal is one of my favorite buildings in Cincinnati. It was originally built as a train station in 1933 and is an Art Deco masterpiece.  You can read more about the history and architecture here. The building has gone through many incarnations and is now the Cincinnati Museum Center, home to The Cincinnati History Museum, The Museum of Natural History and Science, The Cincinnati History Library and Archives, The Children's Museum, The Omnimax Theater, The Edge of Appalachia Preserve and The Geier Collections and Research Center.  And, you can still catch a train at the Amtrak station!!

Union Terminal : Museum Center

Bridges: There are 9 bridges that cross the Ohio at Cincinnati. My two favorites are the Roebling Suspension Bridge and the Purple People Bridge. The Roebling Suspension Bridge was the model for Brooklyn Bridge (also designed by John Roebling). Completed in 1866, it was the longest suspension bridge at the time, until the Brooklyn Bridge surpassed it in 1883. The Purple People Bridge is a pedestrian only bridge connecting Cincinnati to Newport, making it easy to visit both riverfronts without getting in your car.


The Carew Tower: The Carew Tower is another Cincinnati Art Deco gem. It is one of the finest examples of French Art Deco in the world. Until recently it was the tallest building in the city. It's still the coolest. Built in 1930, it stands 49 stories tall. It is home to offices, retail and the Netherland Hotel, a beautiful place to stay, eat or have a cocktail. Be sure to take a trip to the 49th floor observation deck for great views of the city. You can even climb it in February! We did last year in The Fight For Air Climb.

CAC                         

Contemporary Arts Center: Architect Zaha Hadid won the competition for the new CAC in 1998, becoming the first woman to design a major museum in the United States. The lobby is described as "The urban carpet", serving as a kind of public square. The outside is brought in, by pulling the sidewalk into the building to become the back wall. The galleries are like a "jigsaw" floating over the lobby space, different sizes and shapes work to accommodate the range of exhibits inherent in contemporary art.

Music Hall: Built in 1878 Music Hall ranks acoustically as one of the finest performance venues in the world. I've seen everything from The Nutcracker (which is a big deal in Cincy) to Peter, Paul & Mary to Sam Kinison here. Sam's screams sounded amazing!

St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption : A beautiful example of Gothic Architecture, the minor basilica in Covington, KY was built between 1894 and 1915. The exterior is inspired by the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and the interior was modeled after St. Denis in France. The north transept window is said to be the world's largest church stained glass windows, measuring 67 ft (20 m) high by 24 ft (7.3 m) wide. Self-guided tour brochures are free and available in English, Spanish, French, German, Russian, and Japanese.

Architreks: Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Preservation Association's Guided Walking Tours. They are usually available May - October and include Mt. Adams, Northside, OTR, Walnut Hills, Clifton and Findlay Market.

History
Fountain Square: Founded in 1871 and renovated in 1971 and 2005, Fountain Square is the heart of Cincinnati. The Genius of Water (better known as the Tyler Davidson Fountain) symbolizes the uses of water, both natural and man-made. Today, the square hosts over 200 events including ice skating in the winter and live music in the summer.

OTR : In the mid-1800s the area to the north of the Miami & Erie Canal was primarily populated with German-Americans. Crossing the canal became referred to as "going over the Rhine," a tongue-in-cheek reference to Germany's Rhine River. The OTR neighborhood was full of saloons, beer gardens, restaurants, and theatres at a time when Cincinnati was known for it's pork, beer and "hard-drinking citizenry." Today "Over-the-Rhine is one of the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United States." The architecture includes Art Deco, Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne. And though a lot of it is in disrepair, a lot is being saved.    

Findlay Market: Opened in 1855, Findlay Market is Ohio's oldest surviving municipal market. And we love it. I remember getting a huge pickle to eat (my sister liked cookies better) while I followed my mom through the market as a kid. I was only tall enough to look in the cases. Now Todd & I make regular trips to pick up pork products at Kroeger & Sons Meats, cheese at Krause's, spices from the Colonel De Gourmet, a bottle of wine, tea, Christmas tree, pastries, pho, gelato... the list goes on and is being added to.

Findlay Market

Reds : Founded in 1866,  Cincinnati Reds (at the time The Red Stockings) became the oldest professional baseball team in 1869. And if you were alive in the 1970s you probably remember Sparky Anderson and The Big Red Machine (Bench, Rose, Morgan, Pérez, Concepción, Foster, Griffey, and Gerónimo). If you can, come for Opening Day. Historically, The Reds always hosted the first Opening Day game and Cincinnati just named Opening Day an official holiday, which is good because most of the city takes the day off anyway. If you can't make Opening Day, at least try to catch a game and visit the Hall of Fame & Museum. See more on the Museum below.


Tours
Brewery Tours: Otherwise known as "Prohibition Resistance Tour" "Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood is home to one of the largest collections of pre-Prohibition brewery architecture, in the middle of one of the largest historic districts in the country."

Heritage Tours: including the Union Terminal, Inclines & Overlooks and Hauntings of Greater Cincinnati.

American Legacy Tours include Haunted Tours, Civil War Cincinnati, Queen City Underground and Newport Gangster Tour.

Architreks: Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Preservation Association's Guided Walking Tours. They are usually available May - October and include Mt. Adams, Northside, OTR, Walnut Hills, Clifton and Findlay Market.

Museums
Cincinnati Museum Center: including The Cincinnati History Museum, The Museum of Natural History and Science, The Cincinnati History Library and Archives, The Children's Museum, The Omnimax Theater, The Edge of Appalachia Preserve and The Geier Collections and Research Center. It is housed in the Union Terminal. See Union Terminal description above, in "Architecture."

Art Museum: The Cincinnati Art Museum is open Tuesday-Sunday and is always free! It is located in one of the many city parks, Eden Park (read more on Eden Park in Part 3). It houses over 60,000 works spanning 6,000 years, in addition to many traveling exhibits each year.

Reflections in CAC Lobby
Mural by Shepard Fairey

Contemporary Arts Center : The CAC was one of the first U.S. museums to dedicate itself to Contemporary Art. It was founded in 1939 as the Modern Art Society and the first exhibit was in the basement of the Cincinnati Art Museum. The CAC is a non-collecting museum, helping it live up to the goal of only displaying "the art of the last five minutes." The museum moved downtown in 1964, eventually occupying 10,000 square feet in Mercantile Center, one of the largest spaces dedicated to Contemporary Art at the time. This is location is where the exhibition Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment was displayed, after much highly publicized debate. In 2003, the CAC moved to its first free-standing home.  See more abt the new bldg above under "Architecture." The Museum is free on Mondays.

American Sign Museum : I ♡ Signs. That's what my button says from the America Sign Museum. And it is true. Especially old neon signs. And they have them here! Unfortunately it's closed, but only until Spring of 2012, because it is moving across town. I can't wait to see the new digs!

Reds Hall of Fame and Museum: Experience the history of the Reds....and they have bobbleheads! Big Red Machine Bobblehead Series is coming in 2012. You get a free one when you visit on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. Yay! See more on the Reds above in "History."

Big Red Machine