OTR

History by the glass in Cincinnati’s OTR

History by the glass in Cincinnati’s OTR

Most city walking tours barely scratch the surface of local history. But, as the name suggests, the Queen City Underground Tour in Cincinnati digs deeper. Guide Craig Maness of American Legacy Tours (1332 Vine St., Cincinnati; 859-951-8560; americanlegacytours.com) led us on a 2-hour trek across and eventually beneath Over-the-Rhine (OTR) as he related the neighborhood's history. That's him at right with ancient bottles discovered in underground OTR. OTR was heavily settled by two waves of German immigrants who arrived in the 1830s and again in the 1850s. The Miami-Erie canal, which separated the district from the rest of the city, was locally nicknamed “the Rhine.” Cincinnatians searching for beer, pretzels, and bratwurst could find them by going “over the Rhine.” The canal was buried long...Read More
Chili, bbq, fine dining, social justice rise in Queen City

Chili, bbq, fine dining, social justice rise in Queen City

Cincinnati chili was the lure. We always have high hopes for any community that has its own food specialty, especially if it's a signature fast food. It means that the folks who live there take pride in their traditions—and it usually signals a strong dining culture. That proved to be the case when we spent a few days eating our way around Cincinnati this summer. The Queen City has all the hallmarks of a great dining destination. In addition to that chili, we discovered delicious and eye-poppingly colorful raspberry chocolate chip ice cream at Graeter's. A welcoming breakfast and lunch place crossed the traditional breakfast sandwich with pimento cheese. We dined at an upscale riverfront barbecue institution as well as an elegant gourmet restaurant whose...Read More