The Best of Eats in Cincinnati
And we are continuing the conversation on Cincinnati. The previous post here on the site gave you some insights on our recent adventure over to Cincy and where we stayed, 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati. Just in case you missed that post, you can click HERE to give it a read and trust me, you will want to!In addition to finding the most unique place to lay our heads when we travel, we believe in putting lots of thought into our eats. Ok, this is more of a big deal for me than Jason, but he has become accustomed to my endless researching and reviewing to find the best possible food the chosen city has to offer! When venturing away from home, I place an even higher priority on dining at restaurants that are local to the City! Eating locally guarantees a super unique experience than something you've tried before! During our anniversary weekend trip, we had the opportunity to dine at 3 local gems: Fiery Hen, Metropole and Crown Republic Gastropub.
NO. 1: FIERY HEN
Our first stop upon arriving to Cincy was the Fiery Hen. Located Downtown and not very far away from 21c, the Fiery Hen is all about that southern spicy chicken. Being the Southern gal that I am, I was particularly jazzed about our lunchtime pit stop. You have the choice of chicken baskets, salads, and sandwiches! There's also an assortment of southern sides, spirits, and soft drinks! This spot is perfect if you are looking to do a little casual dining but still have a cool and unique experience. Oh yes, I should mention...the menu includes a nice variety of spice levels for the chicken! I definitely aimed for more spice, while Jason aimed for moderate spiciness. All in all, we left having our desire for some good southern fried chicken satisfied, full tummies and conversation on when we might be able to make a return visit to the Fiery Hen!Price: $$
NO. 2: METROPOLE
There's nothing I love more than a beautiful dinner spot! And I love a beautiful dining spot all the more when it is connected to your hotel! Metropole on Walnut is the featured restaurant for 21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati. Metropole is a contemporary restaurant with a unique touch of whimsy. We dined there on Friday night and absolutely loved it! Apparently, I loved it so much that I forgot to take a picture of our meal! #humanmoment. No but seriously, dining at Metropole was the highlight of our dining adventures for our weekend away. We both enjoyed mixed green salads as our starters, steaks, mocktails, and dessert. Per my understanding, the menu changes regularly, which is amazingly cool...it means that you are guaranteed to taste something new every time you visit. One of my favorite things about this dining experience is, once you receive the check, you also receive a complimentary bowl of lemon-flavored cotton candy! Yes, you heard me right. Lemon is a little nod to the hotel's mascot, the Yellow Penguin. Also, you could find the mascot displayed throughout Metropole, dining with some of the guests at their tables. I truly love the idea of an interactive art piece.Price: $$$$
NO. 3: CROWN REPUBLIC GASTROPUB
ALL IMAGES ROOSEVELT GROUP
For our final local dining experience, we made a visit to Crown Republic Gastropub. Located just a couple blocks away from 21c, we made the easy walk on Saturday evening. Crown Republic has a charming rustic vibe! The menu is comprised of unique small plates, entrees and signature cocktails (and they can make any cocktail a mocktail...winning). With a dose of Italian flare, Crown Republic prides itself on creating most all of the ingredients in-house! Simply put, it is a true from-scratch kitchen and you can taste that purity and love in every bite. We started our dining experience by selecting the Apple Butter Toast. You guys...DEAD! That's how good it was. Comprised of anise lardons, caramelized fennel, and onion, topped with gorgonzola cheese and eaten on warm ciabatta bread...this is quite possibly the most delicious thing I've had in my life! From there, I opted for a pasta entree and Jason chose steak, both of which were amazingly tasty. For dessert, we tried the housemade gelato and it did not a disappoint! What made this experience especially unique was getting a sweet check-in from Anthony Stiek, the chef/proprietor. In our brief chat, we had a chance to learn a little more about the heartbeat behind Crown Republic and that made us appreciate our meal all the more <3.
This post is kindly brought you by Fiery Hen, Metropole and Crown Republic Gastropub. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.