New food hall at Newport on the Levee offers barbecue, Asian, Mexican, Italian food
What has Asian, Mexican, Italian and barbecue food all within a few steps from each other? Northern Kentucky's new food hall, The Galley on the Levee, in Newport.
Food halls are a popular trend that put an upscale twist on the food court layout everyone grew up with. But instead of grabbing a $5 burger from a big national chain, the vendors are local, have better quality food, and the space is set up restaurant-like so people are encouraged to stay for dining and drinks.
The Galley Group, a Pittsburgh-based company, owns the food hall, along with two others in Minneapolis and Pittsburgh. It also runs the full-service bar, which has mostly local beers on its 15 taps.
CEO Chad Ellingboe said the idea for having local restaurateurs open in the food hall is for them to get a handle on the industry.
"They get their feet wet, understand the business, and learn the menu and what works. And either they stay here and they expand outside of our footprint, or they move on and they open up a brick-and-mortar space – something like that," he said.
There are several food halls already open in Cincinnati, like Element Eatery, but, per a quick Google search, it seems like this one at the Levee is the first to set up shop in Northern Kentucky.
The food hall's grand opening is Saturday beginning at 4 p.m. Then, it will open again full-time on Nov. 1.
Here's what you can expect from The Galley on the Levee:
Stick and Buns
Owners: Lee Cummings, 35, of Wilder, and Mike Cappellino, 42, downtown Cincinnati
Restaurant concept: "It's Asian street food. It's approachable. It's flavorful. It's got everything you need. And we specialize in steam buns, bowls, and then just fun snacks for people to share," Cummings said.
Favorite menu item:
Cummings: "The karaage bun – the fried chicken with the gochujang honey and the street slaw."
Cappellino: "I would say the pork belly bao bun. It's brined overnight and then roasted really low and slow in the oven, and then cut and then finished off on the flattop to get that really beautiful crispiness with hoisin and then put in the bun."
What's on the menu: Bao buns, Bibimbap, Korean fried chicken, and nibbles like edamame, house pickles, and Brussels sprouts.
Fun fact: The owners met at the Culinary Institute of America in New York City about 15 years ago. Since then, Cummings has been a private chef for football players and private events while Cappellino was a chef on superyachts. He was based out of North Carolina until he moved to the Queen City two months ago.
You can also find them: This is Cappellino and Cummings' first restaurant together.
Los Tacos Hermanos
Owner: Mapi De Veyra, 33, downtown Cincinnati
Restaurant concept: A West Coast Mexican and Californian blend of food that combines classic recipes, some with a leveled-up edge.
What's on the menu: Tacos with filling choices like chorizo and pollo asada, tortas (sandwiches made with crusty bread), and shareables like chips and dip.
Favorite menu item: Carne asada fries, which are seasoned with a homemade spice and served with sour cream, guacamole and salsa that's made in-house, and topped with marinated beef. (It's his own creation.)
Fun fact: De Veyra was the executive chef at Quan Hapa for eight years and is the co-owner of Decibel Korean Fried Chicken. Most of his employees at Los Tacos Hermanos have been longtime co-workers who've always wanted to open a taqueria. Oscar Mateos and Kevin Pablo, both Latino, spearheaded most of the menu with their recipes.
You can also find them: This is the only place to find Los Tacos Hermanos. But De Veyra is opening his first restaurant that's entirely of his creation, soon. Nice, Nice, Noodles and Rice will open its doors at Factory 52 in Norwood in the next few weeks.
Four Mile Pig
Owner: Robert Viox, 66, Tammy Viox, 56, both of Alexandria
Restaurant concept: A barbecue joint with smoked meat, a nod to Robert Viox's upbringing on a farm.
What's on the menu: Burgers, smoked pork or turkey sandwiches, smoked wings, macaroni and cheese, and banana pudding
Favorite menu item: "We are known for, of course, our smoked meats and whatnot. But people come to our restaurant, lot of ladies come, just for our brussels sprouts. They're amazing. They have a garlic cream sauce on them and they have our dry rub, the same seasonings that we put on our pork," Robert Viox said.
Fun fact: They named their restaurant after the street they've lived on for about 20 years because they couldn't think of any other name.
You can also find them at:
Element Eatery in Madisonville
Wherever their food truck roams.
Zaria Italian Street Eats
Owners: Robert Viox, 66, Tammy Viox, 56, both of Alexandria
Restaurant concept: "We're trying to have the most authentic food that you would have in Italy if you were walking down the street. So our pizzas are much different than what you're going to see here in Cincinnati because we use just big globs of fresh mozzarella."
What's on the menu: Pizza, pasta, salad, piada Italian street wraps (which are flour wraps), and gelato
Favorite menu item: The pizza, which is cooked with a Brooklyn-made dough.
Fun fact: The restaurant is named after their nine-month-old grandaughter Zaria
You can also find them: This is the first location for the couple's Italian restaurant.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Newport on the Levee food hall The Galley: Here are the dining options
