Best of Metromix Cincinnati 2011Restaurant
No matter what you're hungry for, these eateries will leave you smiling.
And the winner is…
The Precinct
311 Delta Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45226Neighborhood: Columbia Tusculum
Housed in an historic police station, The Precinct has an upscale atmosphere and top-notch service, making that expense dinner for two worth every penny and making it our two-time Best Restaurant winner. Menu items include steaks named for Dusty Baker, Marvin Lewis and Cris Collinsworth.
Nominees
Nada
600 Walnut St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202Neighborhood: Downtown
Mexican food like you’ve never had it before, in the hippest spot downtown. If you can, be sure to sit on the patio for optimal people-watching. Later, the bar heats up, especially during Happy Hour with drink and appetizer specials (like the amazing Nada sliders paired with a house margarita). Here you'll find authentic flavors served in a contemporary way, plus this is a great place before or after a show at the Aronoff. Nada now serves a Sunday brunch from 11 a.m.-3 p.m, with a Mexican take on brunch classics.
Boca
3200 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45209Neighborhood: Oakley
Italian food can be stunning even while it is very simple; thats the kind of Italian food Boca serves at its small and always-busy Oakley location. Everyone tries the braised Brussels sprouts with scallops. Aside from that, there's an ever-changing array of pasta and entrees mixing local, seasonal flavors with the techniques, and wines, of the Old World.
Orchids at Palm Court
35 W. Fifth St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202Neighborhood: Downtown
The exuberant, gilded French art deco of the Hilton Netherland Plaza makes it one of the best settings in town for any commemorative event, and the careful service makes dinner suitably ceremonious. Be sure to make an entrance by walking up the fabulous stairway from 5th Street. Chef Todd Kelly presents often exotic ingredients in combinations that may seem surprising but taste as if they were always meant for one another. You might start with seared foie gras with lemon waffle, peaches and braised pistachios, move on to wild halibut with Dungeness crab, sunchoke puree, tarragon and haricots verts.
Local 127
413 Vine St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202Neighborhood: Downtown
Local 127 used to be located at 127 W. Fourth St., but has moved to the former location of The Bistro. Local 127 has Las Vegas-trained master sommelier Steven Geddes as the brains behind this restaurant aimed to cultivate local producers and use nearby agricultural products as fully as possible. Geddes says the menu concept is New American, emphasizing local ingredients and heritage dishes, but using modern culinary techniques. Local 127's location and class make it a perfect stop for a night on the town.
Honey
4034 Hamilton Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45223Neighborhood: Northside
Enjoy this cozy and casually cosmopolitan spot with wood floors, simple furnishings, botanical prints on the walls and subtle light from skylights. There's an upscale, bohemian vibe to Honey, with a multigenerational and diverse clientele. With menu options that are seasonal and creative -- basil tofu over root vegetables, finished with curried coconut milk, for instance -- you’ll be rewarded if you take a chance on any of their entrees. And don’t forget Sunday brunch: they only serve it for three hours, but it’s jam packed with twists on Cincinnati breakfast staples, including a hot vegan(!) goetta sandwich.
Last year's winner
The Precinct
311 Delta Ave.
Cincinnati, OH 45226Neighborhood: Columbia Tusculum
The Precinct, which recently opened its new bar, also renovated the restaurant’s dining room, lobby and kitchen. Housed in an historic police station, The Precinct has an upscale atmosphere and top-notch service, making that expense dinner for two worth every penny. Menu items include pan-roasted grouper, wood-grilled swordfish, great salads, appetizers like pan-fried crab cakes and steaks named for Dusty Baker, Marvin Lewis and Cris Collinsworth.
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What other people are saying...
Joepalooka - February 24, 2011 at 2:49 PM
MORTON'S Expensive ALWAYS GOOD, w.o. fail!
Report This CommentJonBerndt - February 23, 2011 at 5:01 PM
Honey is very much open. You could be thinking of Slims, which did close near the end of 2010.
Report This Commentlawman - February 23, 2011 at 3:17 PM
Isn't Honey closed.......
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