46 MAY 2022

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opener food styling by KATY DOENCH
prop styling by EMILY CESTONE

MAY 2022 47
48 MAY 2022
LaRosa’s
Buddy LaRosa is the son of Italian immigrants who
witnessed how much people loved his Aunt Dena’s
pizza recipe at church festivals, so he and some
Glier’s Makes Goetta
friends took a chance in 1954 and opened their own
pizzeria on the West Side. When his friends left the
business, he renamed it LaRosa’s. While maintaining
Evangelists of Us All —BRANDON WUSKE
a family-friendly tradition—along with the original
recipe—LaRosa and his own sons, Mike and Mark, have
embraced consumers’ new dining and ordering habits
by introducing dairy-free cheese and plant-based
Glier’s Meats, our beloved breakfast feature 50 unique
pepperoni options, regionally-sourced greens, and
located in the heart of meat. goetta concoctions
drive-through pickup windows. • Multiple locations,
Covington, describes Of course, Glier’s (no duplicates
larosas.com goetta as “A German Meats is the ultimate allowed). Goetta
breakfast sausage “Goetta Evangelist,” Missionaries and
Izzy’s Reuben that blends the and has been since Evangelists take note:
Known for its superior cuts of meat, Izzy’s has been textures and flavors 1946. That’s when this festival will be
in the deli business for more than 120 years. And of pork, beef, whole Dan’s father Robert worth the
nothing on the menu is more well-known than the grain steel-cut oats, Glier (who also came pilgrimage.
restaurant’s “world’s greatest” Reuben. Stacked fresh onions, and spic- from a family of
high with Izzy’s famous corned beef, the sandwich es.” And Glier’s should butchers) opened a
comes with sauerkraut, Izzy’s special dressing (a rich know: they sell more small sausage shop
Thousand Island-ish flavor), and melted imported than a million pounds on Pike Street in
Swiss cheese, served on rye bread. If you need an of the delicious break- Covington. According
extra dose of corned beef, order a “Reubenator,” fast mash-up every to Dan Glier, the busi-
the double decker version of the classic. One bite year. In the same ness operated rela-
and Izzy’s guarantees that you’ll be back. • Multiple way that goetta has tively under the radar
locations, izzys.com become synonymous for decades before
with breakfast in becoming the area’s
Skyline Cincinnati, Glier’s has premier purveyors
To many of us, Skyline and “Cincinnati chili” are syn- become synonymous of goetta: “For a long
onymous. Visitors, ex-pats, and Cincinnati celebrities with goetta. time, we weren’t get-
on national TV will all say, Let’s get some Skyline! when I asked Glier’s ting any recognition.
referring to the local delicacy. It’s easy to understand second-generation Then, about 35
why, given its outsized presence downtown, at sports president, Dan Glier, years ago, we
stadiums, and in numerous neighborhood business what makes goetta decided to focus
districts. And yet you can still harken back to the jug- such an iconic local on our best prod-
gernaut’s early days by visiting the old-school Clifton dish. He credits uct: our goetta.”
parlor. • Multiple locations, skylinechili.com goetta’s quirkiness For evidence
for its regional— that the company’s
and, increasingly, paradigm shift paid
national—success: off, look no fur-
Celebrity Dis# “It’s strange enough—
weird enough—that
ther than
Goettafest.
people in Cincinnati The Glier’s-
Aftab Pureval, take pride in it. And sponsored
Cincinnati Mayor people take it with event has been ex-
Shio Ramen, Kiki them, so that the panded to two week-
College Hill
whole country recog- ends this year, in late
“My favorite food right now nizes it.” Glier’s has a July and early August.
in Cincinnati, which I think term for Cincinnatians Dan Glier told me
is unique, is the Shio ramen who spread the gospel that this year’s
at Kiki in College Hill. We of goetta beyond our festival
Cincinnatians are well known for our love of region: “Goetta Mis- will
noodles, and this is a dish that is reflective of a sionaries.” “Goetta
new classic that builds on the traditional love Evangelists,” on the
of Cincinnatians and is reflective of the growth, other hand, is the
the diversity, and what’s next in our city. My wife Glier’s term for goetta
and I found Kiki and specifically their ramen fans who introduce
a couple years ago, and we really fell in love uninitiated locals to
with it. It’s one of our favorite date night spots,
we’ll go there pretty regularly, either just as a
couple or with friends. It’s a great atmosphere
there in College Hill. That is really reflective of
the energy and dynamism that’s going on in
Cincinnati.”

P H OTO G R A P H CO U R T E SY O F F I C E O F M AYO R A F TA B P U R E VA L / G O E T TA FO O D ST Y L I N G BY K AT Y D O E N C H MAY 2022 49

 Iconic Sweets
These Cincinnati food icons know a
thing or two about la dolce vita.

Graeter’s Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip

The family-owned ice cream company introduced this flavor in the late 1970s,
and owner Richard Graeter says it’s the best-seller—more than 1.5 million gallons
are devoured each year. What’s the secret to BRCC’s luxurious texture, distinct
mauve color, and signature dark chocolate chunks? “Without question, you have
to start with quality ingredients,” Graeter says, like local eggs, pure cane sugar,
Peter’s Chocolate, Oregon black raspberries, and cream from the same fourth-
generation family dairy his father bought from. Then, there’s the signature
French pot process. “When our ice cream comes out of a French pot, it’s thick,
like peanut butter. Modern ice cream is still very liquid-like and foamy, so that it
can be pumped into containers at a high speed.” Sacrificing quality for speed has
never been the Graeter’s way. The company still makes each batch 2½ gallons
at a time, packing pints by hand. • Multiple locations, and your local supermarket,
graeters.com

Kings Island’s Blue Soft Serve

A day at Mason’s biggest playground isn’t complete without a ride on the Beast, a
spin on the Monster, or a stop for a blue Smurf cone. The blueberry-flavored soft
serve was introduced in 1982 as an homage to those happy blue Hanna-Barbera
characters, and it’s been sold (almost) every season since. When it took hiatus in
1992, fans cried out for the Smurf cone’s return, leading to its permanent reinstate-
ment on park menus. Future generations reap the benefits of their brave stand.
• 6300 Kings Island Dr., Mason, (513) 754-5700, visitkingsisland.com

Busken Smiley Face Cookies

Move over, Goldfish—Cincinnati loves another snack that smiles back. Busken’s
smiley sugar cookies have taken many forms over the years, like candidate
cookies for presidential elections, honoring the seasons and our favorite sports
teams, and even custom cookies with your image iced on. Nothing’s wrong with
the classic smiley, though, which are tasty enough to eat by the dozen (we’re not
talking about the minis, either). • Multiple locations, and your local supermarket,
busken.com

Holtman’s Donuts
There are simply too many tasty pastries at Holtman’s to single out just one icon,
so we’ll say anything that fits in that classic black-and-white box is iconic—from
apple fritters to Long Johns, from maple bacon doughnuts to vegan treats, from
blueberry cake dunkers to yeast raised glazed. Since 1960, Holtman’s has been
serving up scratch-made breakfast treats (delicious at any time, and always best
fresh). • Multiple locations, holtmansdonutshop.com

United Dairy Farmers Milkshakes and Malts

A trip to UDF typically means fueling up, but where else can you top off your tank
and grab an old-fashioned milkshake for the ride home? Made with UDF’s Home-
made brand ice cream, a special malt base, malt powder, and fresh dairy, any
flavor you choose for this signature summer treat tastes like the good old days.
• Multiple locations, and your local supermarket, udfinc.com

Schneider’s Ice Balls

On any given summer evening, Schneider’s Sweet Shop has a line around the
block for this wonderfully simple combination of snow cone and homemade ice
cream. Owner Kelly Schneider-Morgan, who recently took over from her parents
and has worked at the family business since she was 13, says there’s a reason
people keep coming back: Everything about the ice balls, from the ice cream to
the syrups to the ice itself, is made in-house using the same recipes the shop used
when it opened in 1939. • 420 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, (859) 431-3545, schneiders
candies.com

50 MAY 2022
 Favorite Local
Candies
Aglamesis Bros. Chocolates
For more than 100 years, Cincinnati has indulged
in the rich gourmet chocolate confections (and
signature ice cream and Italian ice) at Aglam-
esis Brothers. Picking up opera creams, salted
caramels, toffee, or a double scoop cone in the
charming Oakley location feels like stepping
back in time to an Old World candy shop—but the
flavors inside are timeless.

Airheads
The air smells a little sweeter near the Perfetti
Van Melle plant in Erlanger, where these fruity
treats are born. Airheads are undoubtedly a Hal-
loween favorite, but we see no reason why you
can’t grab a Mystery flavor or a classic cherry
chew any day of the week.

Papas Opera Creams

Since 1935, Papas Candies in Covington has
made chocolate-covered opera cream eggs an
Easter favorite. Fill a basket with a dozen flavors
like peanut butter, maple nut, and mint cream.
Whichever’s your favorite, Papa’s eggs are a
delight to find in your Easter grass.

Doscher’s Candy Canes and

French Chews
When you get something right the first time,
sometimes it’s best to leave it be. That seems to
be the Doscher’s philosophy—the handcrafted
candy canes still use the same recipe Claus
Doscher created in 1871, and its signature French
Chews have gotten stuck in the teeth of Cincinna-
tians for decades.

Buckeyes
These chocolate-dipped peanut butter treats
are named for their resemblance to the seeds
that fall from the Buckeye trees dotting Ohio’s
landscape, which themselves are named for,
well, bucks’ eyes. A bevy of local shops stock the
delicious confections—leading us to wonder if
an “official state candy” designation might be in
order. We’ll keep writing our congressman—and
chowing down on Buckeyes in the meantime.

The BonBonerie Opera Cream Torte

This luscious torte is made with delicate opera cream—a Cincinnati creation,
in case you didn’t know—layered between rich chocolate cake, studded with
chocolate shavings, and decorated with creamy white icing and white chocolate
accents. The torte also features on many local dessert menus, and for good rea-
son—you’d be hard-pressed to find a cake more luxurious than this for a special
occasion (or a just-because indulgence). • 2030 Madison Rd., O’Bryonville, (513)
321-3399, bonbonerie.com

I C O N S BY E M I V I L L AV I C E N C I O MAY 2022 51
 New Icons
They may not be dynasties yet,
but these local eateries have already
cemented their status as instant
Cincinnati classics.

Taste of Belgium
In 2007, Jean-Francois Flechet began selling his
dense Belgian waffles—made with a 120-pound cast
iron press—in the back of a produce shop inside Find-
lay Market. Today, his empire has grown to seven
bistro locations across the tri-state serving the most
iconic chicken and waffle dish around. • Multiple loca-
tions, authenticwaffle.com

Gomez Salsa
Andrew Gomez brought his abuelita’s flavors from
Brownsville, Texas, to Cincinnati, including the
restaurants’ eponymous salsas like classic Gomez
pico, spicy Kowabunga pico, corn, pineapple, and
salsa verde. Perhaps most famous are the Turtle
shells, stuffed with your choice of savory meats and
ingredients, folded, and finished on a griddle to
achieve maximum crispy goodness. • 107 E. 12th St.,
Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-1595 • 2437 Gilbert Ave.,
Walnut Hills, (513) 954-8541; gomezsalsa.com

Bakersfield
Tacos. Tequila. Whiskey. That’s the mantra of this
western-themed bar and grill, which opened on
Vine Street in 2012 and has since grown to seven
restaurants in six states to bring its homage to
Bakersfield street food to the masses. We especially
love the short rib and fish tacos, paired with a
whiskey strong enough to make a cowboy blush.
• 1213 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 579-0446,
bakersfieldtacos.com.

Kung Food Chu’s AmerAsia

Don’t let the hole-in-the-wall appearance fool you—
you’ll find delicious Asian fusion fare at AmerAsia,
like the Dragon’s Breath wontons, spicy boiled pork
dumplings served with chili bean paste and hot
chili oil. Look beyond the “beginnings” menu to find
whimsical names—Sesame Street Chicken, Fly Rice,
Brocco-Lee—for a unique take on classic dishes.
• 521 Madison Ave. Suite E, Covington, (859) 261-6121,
kungfood.online
Pho Lang Thang
The flavors of Vietnam abound at this Findlay Market
spot best known for pho, a traditional dish of rice
noodles in broth with herbs and meat. Go with the Bò
(beef), Gà (chicken), or Chay (veggie) in any combo
of add-ins you wish. And don’t sleep on the bánh mì,
either. • 1828 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 376-9177,
pholangthang.com
Just Q’in
This Black-owned BBQ joint opened in Walnut Hills
in 2016, and it prides itself on making everything
from scratch. All of the meat, sourced from Fischer
Farms in Jasper, Indiana, is cherry- and sugar
maple-smoked, and all of the sauces and rubs are
made in-house. No wonder it’s all so good. • 975 E.
McMillan St., Walnut Hills, (513) 276-7507, justqin.
com
Dewey’s Pizza
The year-round offerings on hand-tossed crust and
the fresh salads are equally iconic, but Dewey’s
seasonal pies truly shine, like the Cuban, topped with
pickles, Canadian bacon, pulled pork, and mustard
sauce; the Tito Santana, named for the Mexican-
American wrestler and built like a taco with beef,
lettuce, tomato, chipotle ranch, and Fritos; and the
Ballpark, which piles on stadium favorites sauerkraut,
caramelized onions, and spicy sausage atop a mus-
tard sauce and mozzarella base. • Multiple locations,
deweyspizza.com
Maverick Chocolate Co.
Sitting around their kitchen island, chocolate
lovers and avid travelers Paul and Marlene Picton
decided they wanted to make their own world-
class candy from ethically sourced ingredients.
In 2014, they opened Maverick in Findlay Market
followed by a Rookwood Commons store in 2018.

52 MAY 2022

Today, the Pictons create their chocolate delights in
small batches, focused on quality and care. • 2651
Edmondson Rd., Norwood, (513) 834-8369 • 129 W.
Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, (513) 381-0561; maverick
chocolate.com
The Eagle
On The Eagle’s culinary stage, fried chicken steals
the spotlight. The food and beer hall is well-loved
by OTR’s hungriest, seeking crispy, peppery fried
chicken with spicy honey and southern comfort ac-
coutrement, like collards, spoonbread, homemade
biscuits, and more. • 1342 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine,
(513) 802-5007, eaglerestaurant.com
P H O T O G R A P H C O U R T E S Y S H E I L A G R AY
Celebrity Dis#
Sheila Gray, WKRC anchor
Graeter’s Ice Cream
“I was familiar with Graeter’s years and years before I ever moved here. I grew up
in Sydney, Ohio, and when I was in high school, I was in all the plays and musicals.
And my drama teacher got the costumes down here in Cincinnati at this place that
doesn’t exist anymore.... If you were really, really on her good side, you could come
down and get the costumes and go to Graeter’s. So that would probably have to be
my number one choice just because it’s been the Cincinnati food that I’ve known the longest. I like to
switch it up. I love the mint chip, that’s what I always used to get. But I love the coffee flavor and the new
[Caramel Macchiato flavor].”
MAY 2022 53
 “The First Edition of a 1922
The Kiradjieff brothers
begin serving signature

Cincinnati Tradition” —SAM ROSENSTIEL

chili over spaghetti at
Empress Chili
1929
Dixie Chili opens in
Newport

1940
Cincinnati chili has gratitude to Empress The original Empress after band gigs in high
Camp Washington Chili
been a constant in Chili and the broth- Chili may be long school, and he started
opens on Colerain Avenue
our lives. We’ve never ers Kiradjieff. In gone, but a single his first franchise
known a time before 1922, Macedonian location remains in in 1985 at age 23. 1949
it was available over immigrants Tom and Alexandria, Kentucky, Running the business Skyline Chili opens its origi-
spaghetti with moun- John began serving to serve those has always been a nal location in Price Hill
tains of cheese at chili a tangy meat sauce seeking the original family affair—Martin’s
parlors, on hot dogs with Mediterranean Cincinnati chili. parents, siblings, 1962
with mustard and on- spices over spaghetti “I absolutely and 29 nieces and Price Hill Chili opens
ion at ball games, and to hungry show-goers think it’s an icon,” nephews have all 1965
in cans and freezer funneling in from the says current Empress worked in the parlor Daoud brothers rename
aisles ready to satisfy Empress burlesque owner Steve Martin. at some point. “Now, their Hamburger Heaven
at-home cravings. It theater down- “Different areas have other employees restaurant “Gold Star Chili”
has inspired heated town. The popular their unique food that were like family, to celebrate their new chili
debate—is it chili, is restaurant went on to items, and [when] you their children are now recipe in Mt. Washington
it meat sauce, who become a local chain think of Cincinnati, starting to work in the
makes it best—but that inspired many chili is the first item store,” Martin says. 1969
chili is undeniably a versions of its sig- that comes to mind.” Like its family Blue Ash Chili opens
Queen City food icon. nature dish at more His fondest memories dynamic, Empress
1971
For its creation, than 250 chain and at Empress include hasn’t changed what
Skyline opens its first
we owe a debt of independent parlors. late night chili runs goes in the pot for 100
Florida location in Ft.
years, a secret blend
Lauderdale
of spices that comes
from the Kiradjieffs’ 1985
homeland. Martin Daoud family relative
himself has eaten chili opens Chili House in
nearly every day for Amman, Jordan, and
37 years, be it a three- would go on to open
way, four-way, or several franchises across
some classic coneys: the Middle East
“I mix it up since I eat
it so much.” Tastes 2000
surely change over a Camp Washington Chili
century, but will our wins a James Beard Ameri-
love for Cincinnati can Classics award
chili endure another 2012
100 years? “I think it President Barack Obama
just keeps growing,” visits Skyline Chili at
Martin says. “We’ve Seventh and Vine streets
got people moving
in from out of the 2013
area…who have Smithsonian Magazine
never heard of it, and names Camp Washington
all of a sudden they Chili one of 20 “Most Iconic
seem to like it. They Food Destinations”
think of it being not
2020
what they’re used
Skyline Chili featured in
to, and then discover
the good taste of a The Simpsons episode “The
Road to Cincinnati”
Cincinnati-style chili.”
2022
Chili Time Joe Kiradjieff, More than 250 chili parlors
son of original co-owner Tom are currently open in
Kiradjieff, at an Empress Chili Greater Cincinnati
in the 1970s.

54 MAY 2022 PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY EMPRESS CHILI

Frisch’s Big Boy
Tartar sauce? On a hamburger? Don’t make that
face. You shouldn’t knock it until you try it. Accord-
ing to some diehard Frisch’s fans, it’s exactly what
makes Frisch’s Big Boy worthy of icon status. This
quarter pound of beef is divvied up into two patties,
layered with cheese, lettuce, and pickles, served
on a double decker bun, and slathered with that
tangy sauce. It’s so popular that when NRD Capital
purchased the chain in 2015, the owner almost im-
mediately announced that the burger was staying on
the menu to assuage fans’ fears. Now that’s iconic.
• Multiple locations, frischs.com

Greyhound Tavern
A century ago, the Dixie Tea Room served ice cream
to streetcar travelers at the very end of the line in
Ft. Mitchell. Today’s hungry travelers are greeted
with a more substantial menu, including two house
specialties that rightfully belong in any local food
hall of fame. First, the onion rings. Huge, sweet
Spanish onions, hand-sliced and hand-battered, are
deep-fried golden brown, the platonic ideal of onion
rings. Follow that with fried chicken. While it’s on the
menu every day, on Monday and Tuesday, the moist,
perfectly breaded half chicken is served family style,
with bottomless bowls of mashed potatoes, gravy,
coleslaw, green beans, and biscuits. It’s true home
cooking. • 2500 Dixie Hwy., Ft. Mitchell, (859) 331-
3767, greyhoundtavern.com

Celebrity Dis#
Caty McNally,
tennis player
Skyline Chili
(honorable
mentions to The
Precinct and
Graeter’s Ice
Cream)
“We would always go to Skyline on Sunday
night after family practice. So that’s the first
thing that always comes to my head. And it’s
one of the meals that I always try to have when
I get back in town from traveling for a long
time. I just go to Skyline and it never really
disappoints. And on a fancier note, I would
say, if we’re going to celebrate an occasion
with a family member, or I’ve been traveling
for a long time I would say The Precinct is
always a really good option. The meals there
are great, and the service there is amazing,
so that’s always another good place to go.
And then Graeter’s—I love ice cream. I don’t
know how you can’t not like it. I’ve been going
to Graeter’s obviously since I was a really
little girl, and I am always telling people to go
there when there’s the [Western & Southern
Open] tournament in Cincinnati and Mason
I’m always telling them ‘You’ve got to go to
Graeter’s, you’ve got to go to Skyline.’ ”

P H OTO G R A P H BY W TA / J I M M I E 4 8 MAY 2022 55

 Seven Supermarket Faves
If these items aren’t on your grocery list, are you
even from Cincinnati?

Rhinegeist
Truth
Let’s get one thing straight: a list
of Cincinnati’s iconic beers could fill its
own issue of CM, but Rhinegeist’s original
India pale ale stands out for its haunting
hoppiness, its citrusy brightness, and its
reach beyond the Rhine. Available in
seven states, a cold Truth offers out-
siders a taste of the Queen City’s
craft beer scene at home.

Pringles
In 1968, Procter & Gamble began
selling these stackable crisps in Indi-
ana. The name may have derived from
a phone book listing with a Pringle Drive
address, but that origin story is hotly con-
tested among chip fanatics. Now owned
by Kellogg’s, Pringles are available in
dozens of flavors in snack aisles
around the world.

Ale-8-One
George Lee Wainscott concocted
this spicy-sweet pop in Winchester,
Kentucky, for the 1926 Clark County Fair.
It is said a young fairgoer christened the
drink “A Late One,” or 1920s slang for the
latest and greatest. Nearly a century later,
Ale-8-One is still bottled in Winchester,
and its balance of sweet citrus and hot
ginger is still the greatest thing in
soft drinks.
 Gold Star
This titan of Cincinnati’s chili scene, like most oth-
ers, built its business on family recipes from the
founders’ Mediterranean homeland. The Daoud
brothers came from Jordan, however, not Greece,
and their chili has a spicier, meatier flavor profile
Grippo’s Bar-B-Q when compared to the Empress/Skyline/Camp
Chips Washington approach. The four brothers bought a
Cincinnati’s snackers have been restaurant in Mt. Washington, Hamburger Heaven,
reaching for bags of Grippo’s for more in 1964 and changed its name to Gold Star the
than 101 years because of the spicy zing following year. Today, their sons run the company,
of their Bar-B-Q, the light crunch of which has 70 company-owned and franchise
their classic potato chip, and their locations in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana offering
new flavors, like Carolina a varied menu of chili and sandwiches, includ-
Classic Bar-B-Q. ing (of course) hamburgers. • Multiple locations,
goldstarchili.com

Zip’s Burger
Last summer, Zip’s Café was ranked the best burger
Barq’s Red in Ohio by Food & Wine magazine. Be they amateur
Crème Soda or professional, the Mt. Lookout joint consistently
Richard S. Tuttle ran the Barq’s makes nearly everyone’s “best burger” list. It’s
Bottling Franchise downtown in 1937, deceptively simple (onion, pickle, tomato, lettuce,
according to “Food Etymologist” Dann and mayo on a Klosterman bun) so we chalk its
Woellert (also a distant relative of Tuttle’s). popularity up to the chuck—the burgers, seasoned
Tuttle had the brilliant idea of adding red and hand-formed into patties, are made fresh with
food dye to Barq’s famous crème soda, and ground chuck from Avril-Bleh. Jazz it up with your
the world was never the same. Who knew choice of condiments but you won’t need much;
a simple color change could turn an just let that flame-broiled goodness shine through.
old classic into one of America’s • 1036 Delta Ave., Mt. Lookout, (513) 871-9876,
favorite soft drinks? zipscafe.com

Queen City
Sausage
We have QCS founder Elmer Hensler
to thank for continuing Porkopolis’s
meat-packing heritage. Whether it’s a
game day celebration for the Reds or FC
Cincinnati, the entrée of a summer family
cookout, or a Queen City-themed break-
fast, these craft sausage makers have
fed our get-togethers since 1965.
Pass the mustard.
Hen of the
Woods Chips
Bold flavors like red wine vinegar,
white cheddar jalapeño, and every-
thing bagel helped grow this chip em-
pire from a stand in the Washington
Park farmers’ market to a popular
snack available in stores all
over the country.
Celebrity Dis#
Lucho Acosta, FC
Cincinnati
Sammy’s Craft Burgers
& Beer’s Lucho Burger
(also available at TQL
Stadium)
“The Lucho Burger, of
course. I made it. I made
the chimichurri, the steak, how we cook it, the
sauce, the cheese, of course. We tried three
burgers, and I made the difference. We wanted
it to be something exciting and innovating,
something the fans had never seen. Something
new. We talked, and we decided that it would
have to be a burger. And we called it the Lucho
Burger, and we gave it the number 10, for the
fans at the stadium.” (Editor’s note: The Lucho
Burger is also available at TQL Stadium on
match days.)
Do you have a sweet tooth for any Cincinnati
desserts?
“Prime Cincinnati has this brownie, [the
Grippo’s Pretzel Crusted Brownie] with ice
cream. It’s amazing...I’ve never tried anything
like this.”

P H OTO G R A P H C O U R T E SY F C C I N C I N N AT I MAY 2022 57

 Sum of Its Parts
What makes an icon? Take a closer look at what comprises
three classic Cincinnati dishes.

5
5

2 2

1
1

Five-Way with a special blend of Empress. LaRosa’s nearly 70 years. lone each week—or

Chili cinnamon, cocoa, and 4 Diced onions add a

Buddy 3 Pepperoni always 1,920 tons annually. It
seems like a lot until
Spaghetti Deluxe
other spices depend- bit of freshness. goes under the cheese
ing on your preferred 5 A heaping mound on a LaRosa’s pie to you figure LaRosa’s
chili parlor. give it more flavor serves more than 7
of shredded cheese
1 No matter where 3 Beans offer a 1 It all starts with from the sweet and sa- million pizzas a year.
completes any five-
you go, spaghetti is hearty boost to the way, but you can go the crust: your choice vory sauce during the 5 This pie piles up
the bedrock of this five-way, whether the extra mile with of traditional thin, bake. Buddy LaRosa some serious Italian
quintessential Queen they’re kidney or oyster crackers, 6 hand tossed, or deep has been doing it that meats with capocollo
City meal. black-beans-and-rice fried jalapeño caps dish pan. way since 1954. ham and sausage.
2 A generous mix at Skyline, red at Blue Ash Chili, or 2 The family chain 4 Speaking of 6 Zesty banana pep-
ladleful of Cincinnati beans at Gold Star, or fresh chopped garlic has used Aunt Dena’s cheese, LaRosa’s uses pers add a tangy kick
chili goes next, made red kidney beans at at Dixie Chili. pizza sauce recipe for 40 tons of fresh provo- to this deluxe pie.

58 MAY 2022 I L LU S T R AT I O N S BY K E L S E Y C O B U R N
 Jeff Ruby Steaks
5 Almost from the moment it opened in 1981, The Precinct became known as
the best steakhouse in town, delivering prime aged beef to diners hoping
for a side of sports hero stardust. New Jersey transplant Jeff Ruby started
his local hospitality career managing Holiday Inns and overseeing iconic
nightclubs, including Lucy’s, before he made the jump to his own spot in a
1901 former police station on Columbia Parkway. Over four decades, the
sports heroes have changed (all hail Joe Burrow), but the steaks have stayed
spectacular. Ruby’s daughter Brittany Ruby Miller is now CEO, overseeing
the company’s seven restaurants across three states • Multiple locations,
jeffruby.com

Taco Casa
Polly Laffoon is sometimes credited with introducing Tex/Mex to Cincinnati
when she opened Taco Casa in 1968, and the devoted fans of Taco Casa’s
particular brand of Americanized “Mexican” food would likely agree. There’s
4 nothing authentic about much of the menu. The taco salad here is iceberg
lettuce, seasoned ground beef, onions, tomatoes, pinto beans, ranch dress-
ing, and cheese. Not even a tortilla bowl for novelty. Then there’s the tuna
boat: Tuna salad, wrapped in a tortilla, warmed, topped with cheese and
buttermilk ranch dressing, plus diced onion and jalapenos on top. It’s an only-
in-Cincinnati institution. • 4600 Smith Rd., Norwood, (513) 827-9440 • 10798
Montgomery Rd., Montgomery, (513) 891-8333; tacocasa.com

Montgomery Inn
In 1951, Ted Gregory and his wife Matula purchased McCabe’s Inn, where he’d
been working, and renamed it for its suburban home. Gregory would eventu-
3 ally become known as Cincinnati’s Rib King, thanks to Matula’s barbecue
recipe and homemade sauce as well as to the movie stars, pro athletes, and
U.S. presidents who stopped by for a bite. The family’s Boathouse on the Ohio
River has a higher profile these days, and fans across the country can have
ribs, chicken, and desserts shipped to them. But you owe it to yourself to
lounge at the old inn with a bowl of warm Saratoga chips and sweet barbecue
dipping sauce and let the world drift by. • montgomeryinn.com

2 Celebrity Dis#
Bootsy & Patti Collins,
funk ambassadors
Graeter’s, Skyline,
and Gold Star
Patti: “One of our favorite
treats is taking our grandkids
1 to Graeter’s and enjoying all the
sweet treats there.… For my kids, it’s the Graeter’s vanilla ice cream with
sprinkles, and for me, it’s the wonderful Graeter’s vanilla milkshake. And
then my mom—every week I go there to get like a half-dozen brownies.
That’s her go-to. So it’s a family affair, right?”
“I’m a Skyline girl, and he’s a Gold Star guy. So if we’re out and about

Zip’s Café 2 Zip’s uses a 4 Finish it off with

and I’ll say to him, ‘Hey, wanna go to Skyline?’ he’s like, ‘Hey, you wanna go
to Gold Star?’ A lot of times, we’ll just go through the drive thru, and I’ll go
Double
no-nonsense blend all the fixin’s: fresh
through Skyline, and he’ll go through Gold Star. Or I’ll give in some times
of local beef from lettuce, tomato, sliced
Zip Avril-Bleh Meats, with onion, pickles, and and I’ll just do Gold Star.… And Gold Star was a partner of ours some years
back with the Bengals. We actually did a song for the Bengals, and the CD
Burger your choice of cheese
melted right on.
mayo.
5 Top with a bun,
was actually sold at Gold Star, so we would go in and do in-store celebra-
tions with them. Bootsy would sign the CDs, and we would get free coneys
3 Bacon makes tuck a napkin into
1 Like many great and all that.… For Bootsy, it’s the coneys with some mustard on it, with the
everything better, and your shirt collar, and
sandwiches, it’s onion, and the cheese, and the chili, of course. For Gold Star, I like the four-
that goes double for dig in.
hard to start with way with the chili and cheese and a little onion. We always get everything
this double cheese-
anything but a fresh on the side and then we just add it ourselves.”
burger.
Klosterman bun.
Read longer interviews with Cincinnati celebs about their favorite local eats on cincin
natimagazine.com.

P H OTO G R A P H C O U R T E SY PAT T I C O L L I N S MAY 2022 59