Cincinnati wine stores and restaurants

I’ll be in Cincinnati for 6 days for work. I might have a bit of time to grab a nice dinner and visit a store or two.

Does anyone have any recommendations? For restaurants I’m particularly interested in any medium-priced places with an excellent and reasonable Old World wine list.

Thanks!

Hi Jayson,

Store wise I’d check out the following: The Partysource (Disclaimer, I’m part of the wine staff) & DEP’s in Northern Kentucky. Also, the Wine Merchant(Cincinnati) & Jungle Jim’s(if you have time to drive). As far as restaurants go Cincinnati is a big California red & white steakhouse kinda dining scene I can’t thing of anywhere off the top of my head that will be Old World dominate. Dutch’s (retail shop also) in Hyde Park could get you close to that kind of list. The Eagle in Over-The-Rhine for great fried chicken/southern style food & a very good beer list. Ando sushi in the Northern part of the city. They don’t have a liquor license but, you can bring bottles & I believe the bottle fee is small or non existent. I’ll check around with other staff members and get back with you if I find anything else.

Where are you staying? I travel there frequently and was just there a couple of weeks ago. Hyde Park Gourmet is not insanely far from downtown and they have a good selection of Old World wines (as well as good New World stuff). The Wine Merchant is not far from there and is larger and a more traditional wine shop. Many of the better shops are on the outskirts. You could go over to Covington/Newport and check out large places like The Party Source or Liquor City Uncorked.

Probably not a ton of restaurants that fit your stated desire but Jean-Robert’s Table and Bocca are downtown. A cool wine bar/bar is Liberty’s up in Over The Rhine (OTR). Jeff Ruby’s is a really good steakhouse.

Nicola’s in OTR as well, all Italian wine list.

I’m staying in Mariemont. I’ll have to figure out the geography.

Hyde Park is not too far from Mariemont. You’re sort of in the burbs if not exactly. Mariemont has National Exemplar and the Dilly Deli (sounds weird but good food and an attached bottle shop). Red Feather Kitchen is not too far either.

I use to frequently go to Cincinnati but it’s been a couple of years…there is a nice wine bar in Hyde Park called Unwind and a block away is a restaurant Alfio’s which is worth a stop in. Another Jeff Ruby restaurant in the suburbs is Carlo & Johnny. Never made it to Nicola’s but wish I had and there is (or use to be) a quaint French Restaurant in the Clifton area near the UC campus (but the name escapes me) and their sweetbreads were crazy good.

I am from the Nati and don’t forget about the great breweries. The ones with a good scene and great beer are Mad Tree and Rhinegeist. Jungles Jim’s great for wine but also a foodies paradise. I highly recommend Bocca’s and Orchids.

Thanks everyone. I just arrived and will have to make some choices.

The fried chicken and Southern fixings at the The Eagle are appealing. I love really good fried chicken.

Prime Cincinnati!, Boca and Nada are all downtown in the Theater District. As a plus Prime has my Veleta wines on the menu!!! I am only 45 mins north of Cinci, perhaps we can coincide at some point over the next few days…

Red Feather in Oakley is a great restaurant. Has a great burger and great wine list. Mad Tree brewery is right down the road from there also

Red Feather is less than 10 minutes away, so I’m teeing up a trip. Like the website.

I’ve been told from an industry friend that Pleasantry is good with a disorderly type wine list. Never been myself, but would try it based on this friend’s recommendation.

I have done winemaker dinners there 2 of last 3 years (and once when the space was occupied by Bocca years ago) and the food was terrific especially last year. Space is very nice as well and they make good cocktails.