Cincinnati

*hidden gems 😊

Be sure to try the Cincinnati Chili! And don’t go on the boring boat tour. Their parks are lovely with the large hardwood trees. I was there for a few days, so locals can give better “hidden gem” advice.

Yes to the Chili! There are two competing chains you will see all over - Skyline and Red Star. It's fast food that is unique enough to try at least once. To be honest, I don't think there's much safely walkable around the downtown other than Fountain Plaza (I've stayed at that hotel for conferences). But you can walk to the baseball stadium on the riverfront, if your timing is right for a Reds game.

Graeters Ice Cream.
Had US relatives who lived up Mount Adams....I just lived on that ice cream
Never had better

Check out the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood - https://www.downtowncincinnati.com/districts/over-the-rhine/.

I'm from Cincinnati and lived there most of my life until I retired. Here are my favorite places there.

OTR (Over the Rhine) is a fantastic neighborhood directly north of downtown (it's across Central Parkway). It's called Over the Rhine (although every refers to it as OTR) because when it was settled by many German Catholics back in the 1800's, they traveled over a canal that ran through downtown. They referred to it as going "over the Rhine." The "Rhine" canal was eventually drained and paved over and became Central Parkway, but the name stuck.

Now it's a medley of gorgeous architecture (it has the largest number of Italianate buildings in the US), incredible restaurants and unique shops. Just walk through - it's a wonderful place to spend an afternoon or a day just wandering around. You can use the Cincinnati Connector streetcar to get there, but it's an easy walk from your hotel. Just ask the concierge at the Hilton how to get there. There have been quite a few movies filmed here, including Lost in Yonkers, Carol, Traffic, Rain Man, Marauders, Miles Ahead, and many more.

Mt. Adams, as was suggested, is another interesting area that sits above the city. It also has some wonderful old architecture and cool buildings. It was known as a very bohemian spot in the 60s and 70's and now has developed into a more sophisticated place, but it's still a nice place to walk around and see the beautiful views from atop the city. You can get there by walking, although it's a bit more of a trek, and would be uphill heading up. Or you can take a cab, Uber or bus up there.

Near Mt. Adams is Eden Park, which is a beautifully scenic green space in the city. There are multiple walking paths, with beautiful Ohio River views, and you can visit the Krohn Conservatory, home to exotic plants and a seasonal butterfly exhibit. The park also contains the Cincinnati Art Museum, which is a wonderful museum. I took art lessons there when I was a kid and still visit when I am in town. If you get to Mt. Adams, you can always walk down to Eden Park, although you might want to save it for another day.

Findlay Market is one of the oldest markets in the country and is in the north downtown area. I highly recommend a visit. It's open 7 days a week, although Saturday and Sunday are its busiest days. My sibs and I used to come here with my great aunt in the 60's when she would take the bus here and she would shop for her groceries.

You can walk down to the river where there are some lovely walking paths that will take you to Smale Riverfront Park and on, with gorgeous river views.

Another place is MainStrasse Village, which is across the river in Covington, KY. This is a quaint area that has made the most of its German heritage, and has some very nice walks and restaurants and shops. It's a bit of a walk, although you could Uber there quite easily.

You can also walk over the Purple People Bridge, a pedestrian-only walk that will take you over to Newport, KY. This is another lovely neighborhood in northern Kentucky. Back in the 70's, it was known only for crime and prostitution, but has changed its ways and now is known for it's lovely 1800's architecture and walkable neighborhoods.

I will do a separate reply about restaurants. 😊

Okay, restaurants. But before I go there, I mean to tell you that your hotel is wonderful! It's quite beautiful and has a lot of history. My daughter's best friend was married there, and I've been to a number of conferences there as well. It's a great location and I think you will enjoy it there.

Also, in terms of food, Cincinnati is known for its wonderful restaurants. You will find a plethora of places that will serve some delicious food. I have never yet found a place to compare to it (maybe NYC and San Francisco). 😊

My most favorite restaurant in downtown Cincinnati is Sotto. It's rustic Italian food and is phenomenal. I ate here as often as I could before I moved, and still make a point to eat here when I visit. I highly recommend making a reservation for dinner, though, as soon as you can. They can be booked for several months ahead, especially on the weekends. It's not terrible expensive but is well well worth it. Great atmosphere, too. It's on E. 6th St. so very close to your hotel. https://www.sottocincinnati.com/

Another wonderful downtown restaurant for dinner is Mita's owned by Chef Jose Salazar. Wonderful Spanish tapas, and the best margarita I've ever had. They have other interesting cocktails that are worth a try as well. Beautiful location with open spaces and very large windows to look out on the downtown scene. https://www.mitas.co/

For lunch, I loved going to Maplewood Kitchen and Bar, which is a short walk from your hotel. It's counter service here, although they bring it to your table. Wonderful array of foods, with an emphasis on healthy and organic. Everything tastes great, too. You really can't go wrong here. It can get crowded around lunchtime as the business crowd likes to eat here, so it pays to come a bit early or a bit late. They also offer breakfast as well. Opens at 8 am and closes around 3 pm. https://www.maplewoodkitchenandbar.com

If you like Mexican, Nada is a good choice. It's on E. 6th as well and has some wonderful contemporary Mexican dishes. It's open for lunch and dinner. This is another favorite place I used to come for lunch. https://www.eatdrinknada.com/

If you're in OTR during the day, here is a list of some very good lunch spots that I have eaten at and love:

Abigail Street (Mediterranean Wine Bar & Tapas), is a wonderful tiny place that serves tasty tapas and wine on tap. I love coming here.
http://abigailstreet.com/

Eagle Street OTR is known for it's southern comfort food and fried chicken. I highly recommend the fried chicken sandwich! https://www.eaglerestaurant.com/

Bakersfield OTR has great Mexican street food and liquor. Their motto is Tacos, Tequila and Whiskey. Very good tacos!

And as others have noted, do NOT miss a trip to Graeter's! There is one on Fountain Square near your hotel, and another one in OTR. The best ice cream EVER! Even Oprah agrees with me. My favorite is the Black Raspberry Chip, which I could eat for days, but they're all good. https://www.graeters.com/

And Cincinnati Chili--you have to try it! Most people love it, some hate it and those of us who grew up with it crave it with a passion. My favorite is the 3-way, which is spaghetti topped with the chili sauce (basically chili with a unique spice medley created by 2 brothers who emigrated from Greece in the early 20th century) and then topped with finely shredded cheddar cheese. A 4-way adds either kidney beans OR onions; a 5-way adds both. A few chili parlors have a 6-way that adds jalapeno poppers. Try Skyline Chili,, which is the best known and has the most chili parlors. I frequented the one at 6th and Vine, as it was near my law firm, but there are several downtown.

I'm almost at the maximum length here, but if you have any questions about any of the above, please let me know. If I think of more places, I will let you know. I would ask the concierge at your hotel as well, as I'm sure they will have some good recs for you.

There are two competing chains you will see all over - Skyline and Red Star. It's fast food that is unique enough to try at least once.

Stan, I think you mean "Gold Star" which is the competing brand. Skyline is the best, though, so I would try that first. There are also many independent chili parlors like Dixie Chili, Blue Ash Chili, Camp Washington Chili and so on, but most of them are in the neighborhoods and suburbs outside of downtown.

To be honest, I don't think there's much safely walkable around the downtown other than Fountain Plaza (I've stayed at that hotel for conferences). But you can walk to the baseball stadium on the riverfront, if your timing is right for a Reds game.

Stan, FYI, it's Fountain Square, not Plaza. 😊 Also, I definitely do not agree with you about safety in walking Cincinnati. Maybe 20 years ago you could have said that because Cincy was a little rough and ready, and had a bad rep because of the 2001 riots. But over the years, Cincinnati has really revitalized and is safe to go just about anywhere.

The only place I would probably not go by myself is OTR outside of the main streets (Vine and Main St). But I have walked all over Cincinnati during the day (I worked downtown for over 20 years) and in the evening (sometimes alone - sometimes with friends) and have never had a problem.

Thanks Mardee. I should have been less judgmental. We have the same kind of downtown renaissance going on here. And yes Gold Star - I confused it with the yeast brand I had just used.

A couple of other places i forgot about:

The Taft Museum of Art is a wonderful museum located in a very attractive green space near Lytle Park. It's about a 15 minute walk from your hotel. It's well worth a visit and after your visit, you can take a walk through Lytle Park and the historic district there. It's really a lovely area and makes for a nice walk. Nearby is the Phelps (now a Marriott hotel), which was renovated after a century of so of use as an apartment building. One of my aunts lived there for years and I still remember coming downtown to visit her and being able to order room service. At any rate, the Marriott at the Phelps has a really nice rooftop bar where you can eat and/or drink and drink in the views of Cincinnati.

There is also the Contemporary Art Museum, which is a gorgeous architectural marvel, designed by Zaha Hadid. There are some beautiful pieces here, plus a nice gift shop and a cafe. The building is very close to you--it is on the corner of 6th and Walnut.

Also another restaurant that you and your husband might like is Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse. I'm not a big meat eater, but most of the people I know love it here and rave about the steaks. It's pricey but most people think it's worth it.

Lastly, one other not-to-miss place is Cincinnati Music Hall, which is a short walk from your hotel. Head west on 5th St. towards Elm, then turn right (heading north) until you get to Music Hall, which is one of the most beautiful buildings in Cincinnati. It's home to the Cincinnati Symphony, and the Cincinnati Opera (where I used to work) and is gorgeous. Walk inside and view the lobby and if you can, the theatre. Across the street from Music Hall is Washington Park, which is a lovely large park with lots of green space, fun fountains and many events going on, like free concerts. You can check when you get here to see if there is anything going on. https://washingtonpark.org/events/

Wow! Thanks everyone! Now I’m really excited to visit and explore.

Mardee - thanks so much for all the info. I’m interested about the German connection in Cincinnati. I am part German and my son and his family live there and we’ve been a number of times.

I hope this isn’t “offending”, but does any of the chili come beanless? I just can’t take the texture of most legumes 😝

And a funny side note, I work at Duluth in Portland, OR

And yes Gold Star - I confused it with the yeast brand I had just used.

Ha ha, I've definitely done that! And no worries about the safety issue. For a long time, people did think that because of the riots. But it really has changed a lot and is very safe now. I still miss it very much.

I’m interested about the German connection in Cincinnati. I am part German and my son and his family live there and we’ve been a number of times.

Oh, that's neat! Yes, there is a VERY strong German connection in Cincinnati. I've read that something like 40% of Cincinnatians have some German heritage. All four of my dad's grandparents came from Germany, and so I grew up eating lots of German food. If you go into Old St. Mary's Church on 13th St. in OTR, there is a lot of history there as that is where most of the German immigrants went to church (including my paternal grandfather and his family). And here's a fun fact: Cincinnati has the largest Oktoberfest outside of Munich.

I hope this isn’t “offending”, but does any of the chili come beanless? I just can’t take the texture of most legumes.

Then you are in luck! That's the difference with Cincinnati chili! There are no beans in the chili. It's just ground beef cooked very fine, with onions and lots of spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg and cumin. Beans are only added if you want a 4-way or 5-way. I usually get a 3-way, which is just chili and no beans. Also, you can get a cheese coney, which is really good. It's a hot dog (mustard and onions optional) covered with the chili sauce and the shredded cheddar cheese. It's SO good!

And a funny side note, I work at Duluth in Portland, OR

Ha, what a coincidence! That is funny--I guess we have a couple of connections!

A few additions, and some corrections to Mardee's suggestions:

Findlay Market would be a terrific spot for you to explore, however they are closed on Monday. If you go, try one of the Cinnamon Rolls at Makers Bakers; they are delicious! Another great little bakery for treats and a coffee is Brown Bear Bakery. It is not at Findlay Market, but is located on 13th Street in OTR. (closed on Monday)

Abigail Street is fabulous, however it is not open for lunch, and it is also closed on Monday.

Mita's is one of my personal favorites, and is diagonally across the street from your hotel. IMO, Jose Salazar is the best chef in Cincinnati and he was once again nominated for a James Beard Award for Mita's. I would suggest making a reservation there. Jose's other, more casual restaurant is Goose & Elder, and it is across the street from Findlay Market. It is open seven days a week, but some days are only from 8-3. They serve Eckerlein's goetta, (which is the best in town) it is another food unique to Cincinnati.

A recent addition to our dining scene is Colette which was opened by Danny Combs who was the chef for years at Sotto. It is located across the street from Washington Park. It is fabulous, but reservations are needed as soon as the window is open for the dates you will be in Cincy. Thunderdome Restaurant Group owns Pepp and Dolores which is very good Italian, so make a reservation early. They are open for dinner 7 days a week and for lunch on Fri. Sat. and Sun. By the time you arrive in Cincinnati, they will have also opened "The Davidson" which will be located on Fountain Square, about a block from your hotel.

If you like BBQ, then some of the best here can be found at Bee's Barbeque. They just opened a spot on Vine Street, a few doors down from Graeter's.

The Freedom Center Museum is worthwhile and could be combined with a walk to Smale Park on the river. https://freedomcenter.org/ American Legacy Tours offers some wonderful walking tours of downtown Cincinnati if any of them would suit your interests. https://www.americanlegacytours.com/

Enjoy exploring our beautiful city!

Another great little bakery for treats and a coffee is Brown Bear Bakery. It is not at Findlay Market, but is located on 13th Street in OTR. (closed on Monday).

I meant to add Brown Bear Bakery to my list so will second TravelBug79's recommendation. 😊 The pastries and baked goods here are some of the best you will ever find. Not just delicious but beautiful as well. It used to be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but is now open on Tuesdays. It is catercorner from Old St. Mary's, the beautiful old German church I mentioned above (and which still has Masses in German).

If you take a walking tour through OTR, by the way, you will spot the occasional old church that has been converted to something else, but still has the word "Kirche" inscribed on its facade somewhere.

Another “yes” for going through the Freedom Center! I found it very interesting and well done, plus my hometown in Iowa had been part of the underground railroad. This explained even more detail than I had previously known about it.

The Freedom Center is exceptional, a do not miss! And Cincinnati Chili is delicious.