The term "concept" has been used in the restaurant industry for decades.  I think it started as a way to describe new restaurant chains to prospective franchisees.  The menus and setups at franchises are designed around different types of hypothetical franchise owners, ranging from husband/wife to big-time investors who build all of the franchises in a chain for a particular city and hire a few GM's to run all of them.  Sub chains especially are designed around very simple set-ups which allow them to fit into small storefronts and require minimal prep and tear-down each day.  There is no exhaust system and there is very little waste.  This is why sub chains specifically are good for mom/pop franchisees.  Meanwhile full dine-in restaurants like a Ruby Tuesdays or whatever are exponentially more expensive to setup and run.  The walk-in coolers and exhaust systems are huge, and there is a lot of wasted food and beverages. 

 

What's going on in OTR is that these new restaurants are having to adapt their menus to the very small spaces since they often can't economically put in sort of ventilation or walk-in cooler necessary to prepare and store certain kinds of food. 

 

They also are talking a lot like big city trendy restaurateurs, something I'm very happy to see.  I wonder how space restrictions force restaurants to be more creative and thus create better food scenes?

Smaller spaces and smaller menus lead to restaurants being highly specialized and doing 1 or 2 things really well. Which is good for OTR.

Old news now...

 

 

Ruby's Waterfront became 'Poseidon Adventure'

1:55 p.m. EDT October 28, 2014

 

 

Demolition of Jeff Ruby's Waterfront restaurant began Monday, but Ruby didn't go.

 

He couldn't. It was too painful.

 

Instead, a text message with the words "funeral for a friend" scrolled across his phone. The message captioned a picture of construction equipment tearing into The Waterfront and turning it into scrap metal.

 

Cont

From the Northern Kentucky: Random Development News & Info thread: Canoes, kayaks coming to Waterfront site in Covington

Cincinnati restaurateur returns to Hyde Park with new concept

 

A Cincinnati restaurateur is planning a new concept in an old spot that's very familiar to him.

 

Mike Hama is planning on opening E+O Kitchen at 3520 Edwards Road just around the corner from Hyde Park Square early next year.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2014/12/cincinnati-restauranteur-returns-to-hyde-park-with.html

Kentucky-based juice bar opens in Hyde Park Square

 

A Kentucky-based restaurant that serves cold-pressed juices and raw vegan foods has opened it doors on Hyde Park Square.

 

The Weekly Juicery opened on Dec. 6 at 272 Erie Ave. next to the fire station. It's the third location for Lexington entrepreneur Kimmye Bohannon, who started the business with a neighbor in 2011.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/12/18/kentucky-based-juice-bar-opens-in-hyde-park-square.html

Take a look inside Nick and Drew Lachey's new bar

 

 

Nick and Drew Lachey joined city and 4EG officials to cut the ribbon on their new bar in Over-the-Rhine on Dec. 19 in a neighborhood with a lot of history for the brothers.

 

"Of all the neighborhoods in Cincinnati, this is the most meaningful not only for me but for my brother as well. We went to school two blocks away at the SCPA (School for Creative and Performing Arts) on Sycamore and spent every day of our lives walking through this neighborhood to school," Nick Lachey told me. "We always understood the potential, and it's so exciting to see the rebirth of this neighborhood, and the opportunity to be a part of it on a business level was very exciting for us."

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2014/12/take-a-look-inside-nick-and-drew-lacheys-new-bar.html

Haha.  I wonder if they are paying royalties to Louisville's athletic department for use of their logo.

I have heard a number of people complaining about Lachey's Bar, but I would like to say that I am happy to have a new establishment in OTR.

 

What's annoying is that Nick Lachey apparently made a comment about Lachey's Bar being the first sports bar in OTR. That is ridiculous. There is another sports bar (Rhinehaus) less than 1/2 block down the street on 12th, and I think it's been open for almost two years.

And that one bar at 12th and Clay...

I have heard a number of people complaining about Lachey's Bar, but I would like to say that I am happy to have a new establishment in OTR.

 

What's annoying is that Nick Lachey apparently made a comment about Lachey's Bar being the first sports bar in OTR. That is ridiculous. There is another sports bar (Rhinehaus) less than 1/2 block down the street on 12th, and I think it's been open for almost two years.

And that one bar at 12th and Clay...

 

One in the same.

I think Lachey's will bring people into OTR that may not have been drawn to the area before because it is a household name in the Cincinnati market... if it introduces people to a part of the City they have not experienced then i think that is great... brings more money, jobs, people and investment into the area.

 

It may not be everyone's favorite place, but a broad mix of places is good. And connecting Vine to Main via 12th is great. Hopefully Walnut will continue to progress with the rest of Mercer commons coming online.

^Bingo.

The great part will be all the people that are brought into the area for the first time who don't realize nor even accept the fact that they are in OTR. I know people who eat at Senate and don't realize that they're in OTR, or will say something along the lines of "that OTR" to differentiate the OTR that exists in their minds (ghetto) from the one that is real.

 

Overall, I'm glad OTR has a new cougar bar. If I were a single man I'd stop by from time to time.

The great part will be all the people that are brought into the area for the first time who don't realize nor even accept the fact that they are in OTR. I know people who eat at Senate and don't realize that they're in OTR, or will say something along the lines of "that OTR" to differentiate the OTR that exists in their minds (ghetto) from the one that is real.

 

Overall, I'm glad OTR has a new cougar bar. If I were a single man I'd stop by from time to time.

 

Erie Ave. by Marburg is their stronghold. 

 

Cougars or the "that OTR" people?

I think Lachey's will bring people into OTR that may not have been drawn to the area before because it is a household name in the Cincinnati market... if it introduces people to a part of the City they have not experienced then i think that is great... brings more money, jobs, people and investment into the area.

 

It may not be everyone's favorite place, but a broad mix of places is good. And connecting Vine to Main via 12th is great. Hopefully Walnut will continue to progress with the rest of Mercer commons coming online.

 

 

This may sound cynical, but I just hope people don't venture up Walnut while drinking.  I know a lot of people mugged on Walnut, including myself.  That could turn "new people" to the OTR scene off.

I've found through working in Hyde Park and with many Hyde Park residents that the people on the east side generally believe that OTR is coming back but for some reason don't often make their way there. I hear all the time, "oh you live in OTR, it seems like it's doing really well finally" followed by, "I should go check it out sometime." These are the types of people we should be pushing for. They are open to the fact that OTR is changing and drawing them down to the core again would be good because they accept that times are changing.

 

West siders though...they seem like the ones least likely (I'm obviously making massive generalizations here) to believe that things are getting better. My friend is currently living with his parents on the west side and they asked where I lived and I said "OTR right by Washington Park" and their faces showed how they felt. His mom asked if I ever feel nervous with "all that crime" happening "all the time" and then complained that it's expensive and only rich people can live there. I didn't even bother trying to correct her contradictions. I also didn't bother telling her off when she wondered, aloud, how ANYONE could possibly want to live in a studio after I told her I lived in a studio...these are the types of people who aren't going to ever be patrons of OTR and that's fine. We should strive to comfort and allow for those who are more open to things changing.

To many in Hyde Park, they come to OTR once a month or so for a night out away from the kids. They go for dinner at Zula or The Anchor, go to the Aronoff or Music Hall, and go out for drinks at Japp's, Kaze, or The Lackman. They typically go to bars or restaurants in Hyde Park or the immediate area, but they get a sitter to watch the kids and go out for a night on the town in OTR/Downtown. I think that's just fine. We shouldn't be striving to bring Hyde Park/Oakley/Mt. Lookout people down every week. OTR doesn't need any more people patronizing businesses on Vine until more businesses open up. And a steady stream of new places should keep the pace slowly growing and more people moving into the neighborhood.

I think Lachey's will bring people into OTR that may not have been drawn to the area before because it is a household name in the Cincinnati market... if it introduces people to a part of the City they have not experienced then i think that is great... brings more money, jobs, people and investment into the area.

 

It may not be everyone's favorite place, but a broad mix of places is good. And connecting Vine to Main via 12th is great. Hopefully Walnut will continue to progress with the rest of Mercer commons coming online.

 

This may sound cynical, but I just hope people don't venture up Walnut while drinking.  I know a lot of people mugged on Walnut, including myself.  That could turn "new people" to the OTR scene off.

 

Walnut is going to change almost overnight, as development stretched from the current cluster at 12th & Walnut (Half Cut, Gomez, Rhinehaus, Lachey's Bar) to the new barcade moving into Mercer Commons on Walnut.

 

Didn't they improve the lighting on Walnut with the recent streetscaping? Wasn't it just cobraheads before?

My friend is currently living with his parents on the west side and they asked where I lived and I said "OTR right by Washington Park" and their faces showed how they felt. His mom asked if I ever feel nervous with "all that crime" happening "all the time" and then complained that it's expensive and only rich people can live there. I didn't even bother trying to correct her contradictions. I also didn't bother telling her off when she wondered, aloud, how ANYONE could possibly want to live in a studio after I told her I lived in a studio...these are the types of people who aren't going to ever be patrons of OTR and that's fine. We should strive to comfort and allow for those who are more open to things changing.

 

I hate that. People who never come here either think OTR is a ghetto or that it's just expensive restaurants for people who live in half million dollar condos. Or they think it is simultaneously both.

 

That's why when I'm far from downtown and someone asks me where I live, I usually just say "downtown" rather than get into a conversation about OTR specifically.

Walnut looks great now. They did put in new lights and it's very bright and welcoming. Once the Mercer Commons spaces are open it will change pretty quickly.

Over-the-Rhine diners play 'restaurant roulette'

 

"I see it all the time," said Dan Wright, owner of Senate and Abigail Street. "A car stops on Vine Street, a few people get out. One goes to Senate, one to Bakersfield, another runs down to Taste of Belgium."

 

Wright understands why people play restaurant roulette, "but really it's the worst thing for everybody," he said. "I wish people would just decide where they wanted to eat and wait for a table." He thinks people would be just as likely to get seated in the same amount of time.

If these places took reservations it would be different. But they don't, and Cincinnatians aren't accustomed to waiting more than 45 to an hour for a table at a restaurant. OTR on the weekends gets up to 3 hours at dinner time. Although lately it's gotten a little better as more competition has opened up.

The article discusses the problems with reservations.

 

The thing I find most interesting is Pontiac's plan to not have a waiting list or take reservations. You just have to wait in line. We'll see how well that works.

They mentioned Kaze as one of the places that takes reservations. What's interesting is that you can order the full food menu at the bar, and you can usually walk into the bar and get a table with no wait.

As I wrote on the Enquirer's Facebook post - I'll abbreviate it here.

 

On most weekends, I don't even bother with OTR's restaurants anymore. It's predictable that it will be too crowded and all restaurants will have waits of at least an hour or more. When I'm showing someone the city, I'll show them OTR and take them to eat in either downtown or in other neighborhoods/cities to save on time. The weekdays are marginally better, sans Monday and terribly cold/rainy nights.

 

When I lived in Cincinnati, my relatives (and parents) had very little patience for any wait over 30 minutes, so we never ate in OTR. The one exception was for the Lager House on the riverfront - they didn't mind the 30 minute wait and loved the food and views.

 

It's not a bad problem to have - the waits, but people do grow tired of it and some will eventually stop coming to the restaurants on the weekends, opting for downtown and elsewhere until the crushing demand goes down. That will only happen with more great restaurants to match demand - which has a ways to go, it seems. But as we've seen with Lavomatic, restaurants can have zero queues so... :)

The article discusses the problems with reservations.

 

The thing I find most interesting is Pontiac's plan to not have a waiting list or take reservations. You just have to wait in line. We'll see how well that works.

 

It seems like they're trying to copy Eli's. The line thing works there because you can wait in line while drinking a beer that you brought with you, and then sit around in the massive outdoor space drinking your cheap booze while you wait for your food. If Pontiac has people wait around in line for a table, and a traditional server ordeal after that, it won't work as well.

It seems like they're trying to copy Eli's.

 

This is fairly standard bbq restaurant practice.

 

people do grow tired of it and some will eventually stop coming to the restaurants on the weekends

 

Classic "no one goes there; it's too crowded" comment.

There is a difference between a place that is always busy and a place that is almost impossible to get inside.

 

As an example, I can take the family to Dewey's in Clifton almost anytime and get a table for 5 people with minimal wait, even though it is always crowded.  However, if I take those same 5 people to The Eagle, we are told the wait is over an hour. 

I'm not sure of the point. The difference is that the length of the queue at the eagle is longer.

 

I guess that we want to be a big city sort of place with hustle and bustle but just not where I happen to want to eat.

I'm not sure of the point. The difference is that the length of the queue at the eagle is longer.

 

I guess that we want to be a big city sort of place with hustle and bustle but just not where I happen to want to eat.

 

Comes with the territory. It's not like we live in a box anymore where we're the only ones in-the-know on these places. They're popular. Demand is going to be high. And it produces the desired hustle and bustle.

 

Could be worse. I've tried to get reservations in other cities for popular restaurants where you have to place them over a month out. I'll take waiting 2 hours at the bar any time.

Is the food that good or are these just the places to be?

I'll put it this way -- it's pretty hard to get a bad meal at one of these places in OTR.

 

But I think the real distinguishing feature is that none of these places is a chain. Since people are craving authenticity and uniqueness of any kind, to go along with their common shared experiences via Facebook, instagram, etc., these places create a destination-level draw.

Yes the food really is that good.  I honestly cringe now when my wife suggests going somewhere like red lobster or fridays for dinner.  I would much rather wait in line for food that is a much higher quality level and local than something from a chain.  And the amazing thing is that even with the food being better quality, the price point is pretty similar too.  I just can't bare to spend 30 or 40 bucks at a nice chain anymore, when I can spend that same money on something local and way way better quality.

I'll put it this way -- it's pretty hard to get a bad meal at one of these places in OTR.

 

But I think the real distinguishing feature is that none of these places is a chain. Since people are craving authenticity and uniqueness of any kind, to go along with their common shared experiences via Facebook, instagram, etc., these places create a destination-level draw.

 

Only had lunch at I think it was Bakersfield. It was fine. They are in multiple locations now. By far have eaten more at Palomino over the last 10 years than anywhere else. Never had a bad meal or service. Been to Boca a few times. Filet and Amish Chicken is very good.

Yes the food really is that good.  I honestly cringe now when my wife suggests going somewhere like red lobster or fridays for dinner.  I would much rather wait in line for food that is a much higher quality level and local than something from a chain.  And the amazing thing is that even with the food being better quality, the price point is pretty similar too.  I just can't bare to spend 30 or 40 bucks at a nice chain anymore, when I can spend that same money on something local and way way better quality.

 

The odd thing these days is that old people who grew up entirely on locally-grown pre-pesticide/pre-hormone foods seem to be the biggest patrons of processed food in chain restaurants.  For example my grandparents grew up almost entirely on food from western Hamilton County, but now scrunch their noses at the idea of eating locally sourced food.  The canning and processing of food took leaps "forward" during WWII and I think they have an odd nostalgia for packaged foods since it was the new thing when they were young adults. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...

I guess that we want to be a big city sort of place with hustle and bustle but just not where I happen to want to eat.

 

Cincinnati certainly has the look of a much larger city, now its finally getting some of the feel ;)

 

Nothing but good things all around for this, its also taking the food scene to a much higher level than it was before too.  Success breeds success and I'm sure this is not over yet.

I'll put it this way -- it's pretty hard to get a bad meal at one of these places in OTR.

 

But I think the real distinguishing feature is that none of these places is a chain. Since people are craving authenticity and uniqueness of any kind, to go along with their common shared experiences via Facebook, instagram, etc., these places create a destination-level draw.

 

Only had lunch at I think it was Bakersfield. It was fine. They are in multiple locations now. By far have eaten more at Palomino over the last 10 years than anywhere else. Never had a bad meal or service. Been to Boca a few times. Filet and Amish Chicken is very good.

 

Funny that you mention Palomino.  I like the food there just fine and the cocktails are good, but it's actually one of the places we typically don't take recruits for lunch because we can't get in and out on time.  Maybe it's just a more laid back experience there, I don't know. 

Goodfella’s Pizzeria set to open in OTR

 

 

New York-style pizza and 101 bourbons. That's the marriage of New York and Kentucky that's opening as Goodfellas Pizzeria in Over-the-Rhine on Wednesday.

 

Goodfellas, at 1211 Main St., will host its grand opening on New Year's Eve. The three-level bar and pizzeria will be giving away T-shirts and have a midnight champagne toast to ring in 2015. It will also be serving up 11-inch slices of pizza all night.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2014/12/goodfella-s-pizzeria-set-to-open-in-otr-slideshow.html

 

The odd thing these days is that old people who grew up entirely on locally-grown pre-pesticide/pre-hormone foods seem to be the biggest patrons of processed food in chain restaurants.  For example my grandparents grew up almost entirely on food from western Hamilton County, but now scrunch their noses at the idea of eating locally sourced food.  The canning and processing of food took leaps "forward" during WWII and I think they have an odd nostalgia for packaged foods since it was the new thing when they were young adults. 

 

 

My folks are/were from that generation and they said that it was a big deal for food to always be "in season", not be partially rotted, not give you food poisoning and not full of bugs. They also said that when pizza hit the US in the '50s it was also a big deal. I think they got tired of all the labor involved not only with cooking but also not having to bathe in washtubs, use washboards to clean clothes and take dumps in the house rather than in a freezing outhouse. It's all rolled up into one. Neither of them was born in a hospital.

 

When my dad was little (1940s), my grandparents moved out of their modernized house in Circleville with full plumbing, carpet and a modern kitchen to a rural, primitive house with wood floors and an outhouse. This was not for economic reasons -- they were more wealthy than ever -- rather my grandfather wanted to live the old way in his twilight years (yes he was 70 when my dad was born). So there was interest in doing things the old fashioned way back then too. My dad assumed that they had become poor.

There has always been an interest in going "back" to some former, more wholesome time and lifestyle.  It dates back to Greece and Rome in the West, and similar sentiments no doubt existed in ancient China and elsewhere. 

 

Industrialization made it much more obvious, with the rise of Primitivism, which is probably my favorite Modernist theme.  Gauguin was probably the first major European artists to get famous for painting primitive scenes in the later 1800s, and Picasso did it a little too slickly starting around 1905.  Primitivism of course is a big part of real rock & roll, and by real I DON'T mean hippie drum circles. 

 

Oddly a tidy corollary has never emerged in food.  Maybe a backyard chicken coop sort-of counts, but most people aren't butchering their own chickens.  My grandfather tells me that in Kansas he once chopped off 250 chicken heads in one day.  Chew on that, hipster. 

 

I think, for a lot of Boomers, going to restaurants was a very occasional thing for them growing up. So as the U.S. transitioned to a more service-based economy and we saw an explosion of chain restaurants (especially stuff like TGI Friday's and Olive Garden), Boomers started eating out more and simply thought these restaurants were "nice" because restaurants=nice. Meanwhile, most people I know that are my age grew up going to these places and now want something more sophisticated, more unique, and higher quality. Younger people also seem much more willing to try international foods that our parents would never try. I am generalizing, obviously, but this seems to be a common experience with almost all my friends that are my age.

Cafeterias and greasy spoons died off under the Boomers' watch. I think becuase they were the first generation that ate school lunches and their aversion to fat, respectively.

Yeah I remember my grandmother telling me that she often went more than a year without eating in a restaurant.  Now she's hardly cooked a meal for herself in 20-30 years. 

 

There is a great written account by her uncle of the routine he and his brothers had brining flowers to Cincinnati's 6th St. market in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  They had a greenhouse on their land and drove a horse cart from Colerain Twp to Cincinnati starting at midnight in order to set up at 4am.  By 7-8am it was all over, the market closed, and they turned around and got back home by lunch.  On the way down there was no room for extra passengers in the cart so the boys walked.

 

Now we have generations of people who scoff at the idea of walking or biking even a mile, but back then people routinely -- weekly in fact -- went on 10+ mile walks.

 

It's an interesting case right under our noses in Cincinnati -- Tucker's diner near Findlay market. That place has been slingin' goetta since WWII. Think about the transition they've been through. The complete disintegration of their thriving neighborhood economy, and now revitalization creeping up on them. I wouldn't call their food sophisticated or unique -- probably not even high quality -- but I would call the whole experience ultimately authentic. I believe that Saturday and Sunday (at least) will still be pretty packed with a healthy mix of young folks.

 

I really think that people nowadays are becoming more aware of, and interested in, people around them who actually know how to do something. (Like cook, or grow food.) A locally owned and sourced restaurant is infused with that sort.

 

Knowledge is everywhere now - I mean you're not even allowed to ask a question without searching for the answer first, and the answer you'd get anyway is just a poorer version of the search results - but actually experiencing an expert hand at work can be somewhat unique. This is different from just having the food taste delicious.

 

I should add that in my opinion this is all a very good thing. I mean it can get annoying listening to a 24 year old talk to you with enthusiasm about all the different places he's eaten Pho, which is after all a common street food, but maybe these same people will eventually cap the growth of evil empires like Walmart, after my generation expires.

Went to Goodfellas and the Wiseguy Lounge upstairs on the 31st. The upstairs is incredible. You should all check it out.

New upscale pizzeria opens in Hyde Park

 

A new upscale pizza restaurant is now open off Hyde Park Square, serving unique pizzas, paninis and salads.

 

J Bar Pizzeria is the new restaurant from Jason Esterkamp and Ryan Stacy, the co-owners of O'Bryons Irish Pub in O'Bryonville.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2015/01/new-upscale-pizzeria-opens-in-hyde-park-slideshow.html

Nicola’s owner plans new restaurant

 

The owner of Nicola's in Over-the-Rhine and Via Vite on Fountain Square is planning to open another eatery in a new neighborhood, the Enquirer reports.

 

Nicola Pietoso plans to open Cinque by Nicola's in the former Germano's space in Montgomery. It will be the fifth restaurant he has owned and will serve fine-dining Italian dishes similar to his eatery in OTR with a lower price point.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/morning_call/2015/01/nicola-s-owner-plans-new-restaurant.html

Pontiac Bourbon & BBQ is now open

 

 

Pontiac Bourbon & BBQ, the latest restaurant from Senate and Abigail Street owners Daniel and Lana Wright, opened its doors for the first time on Jan. 13.

 

The restaurant is a neon tribute to American flavors, combining the best of all the barbecue joints the Wrights have seen in their travels along with this country's signature spirit. Daniel Wright says he wants to serve up "Ohio-style" barbecue, his take on what Ohio BBQ should be.

 

More below:

http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/blog/2015/01/pontiac-bourbon-bbq-is-now-open-and-we-got-a-look.html