7 new Cincy restaurants opened in November, but 5 closures of note
Two major restaurant openings happened in November. Former Sotto chef Danny Combs premiered his much-anticipated French-inspired restaurant, Colette, in Over-the-Rhine, and Atwood Oyster House saved Cincinnati from a bivalve glut by opening in the former PearlStar Oyster Camp location.
Perhaps the saddest news of November included the closings of the 65-year-old Downtown lunch institution Hathaway's and Taft's Ale House, a beautiful restaurant and taproom located in a historic Over-the-Rhine cathedral.
Read on to learn more.
Last month: 6 restaurants opened in October, 6 closures hit close to home
Cincinnati restaurants that opened in November
Atwood Oyster House, Over-the-Rhine
Located in the former PearlStar Oyster Bar space, Atwood Oyster House (named for the original owner of Boston's famed Union Oyster House) is owned and operated by the same team that gave us Liberty Bar & Bottle and The Pony. Menu items include raw oysters, roasted oysters with green goddess butter ($24), blue crab mixed with heirloom Carolina Gold rice, charred greens and herbs ($29) and breaded swordfish schnitzel with capers, tarragon, celery and split, runny eggs on the side.
There's also plenty of turf to go along with the surf, including a pork chop cooked in Madeira wine and Cheerwine (a popular Southern soft drink) with figs, and red peas and Kentucky country ham with olive oil and capers. Desserts also look enticing, especially the pawpaw bread with sorghum butter and the creme brulee with creme fraiche and maple syrup.
1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-246-4256, atwoodoysterhouse.com.
Colette, Over-the-Rhine
Owned and operated by former Sotto executive chef Danny Combs, Colette is a French restaurant that dips its feet into Italian, Middle Eastern and other cuisines. Offerings include brandade (a whipped salt cod with brown butter) served with a loaf of semolina bread, endive and radicchio salad tossed with Roquefort cheese in a walnut vinaigrette, cavatelli in lambs neck ragout, steak frites and a duck confit cassoulet.
The restaurant is located in the former home of Zula, which closed last year.
1400 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-381-1018, coletteotr.com.
Mad Cheese, Madisonville
Good vegan cheese is hard to find. But Heather Donaldson and her husband, Reggie, are aiming to change that. Their new cheese shop in Madisonville sells vegan versions of feta, Parmesan, pepper jack, ricotta and pimento cheese, as well as vegan "meats" such as pepperoni and andouille sausage. With their fresh taste and spot-on texture, some of their products have already been embraced by local restaurants, including St. Francis Apizza in Hyde Park.
5903 Bramble Ave., Madisonville, 513-227-8412, madcheese.com.
Keahola's Kitchen, Covington
A family-owned Hawaiian lunch and dinner spot serving musubi sandwiches and teriyaki chicken opened inside the former Dee Felice Cafe in Covington's MainStrasse Village in November. Keahola's Kitchen formerly operated a small carryout in Latonia. The restaurant specializes in combo meals and bento boxes where you can choose meat dishes such as teriyaki short ribs, pineapple-teriyaki brisket, slow-roasted pork or baked ginger salmon, among other things, with rice, salad and Hawaiian-style egg rolls.
529 Main St., Covington, 808-217-3070, kealohaskitchen.com.
Lucy Blue Pizza, Over-the-Rhine
After a nearly three-year hiatus from Over-the-Rhine, Lucy Blue Pizza returned last month with a new location in the former Venice on Vine pizza shop on Main Street. The pizzeria's Over-the-Rhine roots run deep, having first opened there in 2001 at 12th and Walnut streets.
Owner Jim Thompson told The Enquirer he had left Over-the-Rhine due to problems surrounding the pandemic, including diminishing lunch and late-night crowds. In 2021, he opened a new location in Anderson Township, which will remain open. Along with pizza, Lucy Blue also serves salads and hoagies. The Over-the-Rhine location will close at 10 p.m. on weeknights and midnight on weekends.
1301 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-407-6353, lucybluecincy.com.
Milk Jar Cafe, Anderson Township
The bubble tea shop opened its seventh location in Greater Cincinnati in Anderson Township. Aside from boba (tea with tapioca pearls), Milk Jar also serves Thai rolled ice cream (literally ice cream that is flattened and rolled) and a full breakfast cereal bar.
7868 Beechmont Ave., Anderson Township, milkjarcafe.com.
King Pigeon, Walnut Hills
While King Pigeon technically opened for coffee and breakfast service in October, they hosted an official grand opening in November as a breakfast spot by day and cocktail bar by night. Inspired by a London cafe, the bar offers a whimsical menu of cocktails, both classic and new. An evening food menu will also be available.
2436 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, 513-221-3000, kingpigeoncinci.com.
Cincinnati restaurants that closed in November
Taft's Ale House, Over-the-Rhine
Taft's closed its flagship location, located inside a historic Over-the-Rhine cathedral. Reasons cited for the closure of Taft's, which opened in 2015, included the coronavirus pandemic, a significant decline in tourism and large increases in material goods costs. Ultimately, Taft's could not overcome the significant loss in sales since the pandemic began, according to a press release.
Hathaway's Diner, Downtown
Hathaway's Diner, located at 25 W. Fifth St. in Carew Tower, closed its doors after 65 years of service. While owner Danny Holbrook cited many reasons for the closure, an official notice posted on Hathaway's inside entrance the day the closure was announced indicated that the business's vendor's license had been suspended by the Ohio Department of Taxation. Holbrook told The Enquirer that he did owe approximately $17,000 in back taxes, but he had worked out a deal with the department to pay the money in December.
Urban Grill on Main, Newtown
After seven years of service, Urban Grill, a popular Newtown restaurant, announced its permanent closure via social media on Nov. 15. "We will miss you and we thank you for your patronage, friendship and support over the last seven years," the post read. No reason was given for the closure, though the owners encouraged customers to support small, independently owned businesses in the post. "Small businesses everywhere are struggling and need support and on-going patronage."
Nomad, Bellevue
The Bellevue restaurant known for its tacos, tater tots and alcohol-infused milkshakes announced its closure via Facebook on Nov. 1. The restaurant, which opened in 2020, cited a slow year "with countless bad weather days & rising food costs" among the reasons it decided to shutter.
Buffalo Joe's Family Restaurant, Fairfield
The restaurant known for its extra-wet chicken wings, charbroiled burgers, sandwiches and small-town charm closed for good in November. Buffalo Joe's posted a sign on its doors citing a closure due to staffing issues. Its website and phone number are no longer active. Buffalo Joe's recently came in second place in The Enquirer's Reheated Eats chicken wing taste test.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati restaurants that opened or closed in November 2023
