Rediscover French bistro dining in Cincinnati's most memorable neighborhood

Keith Pandolfi, Cincinnati Enquirer
Updated ·2 min read

Mount Adams. Remember Mount Adams? It’s still our prettiest neighborhood. Brick row houses, some restored by whimsical architects in the 1980s, mixed with more traditional ones that haven't changed much since its Irish Catholic days. I can take visitors to every neighborhood in Greater Cincinnati − to Over-the-Rhine and Hyde Park Square, to Mainstrasse Village or Mariemont − but it's Mount Adams they always remember.

On sunny spring days like these, it’s also a great place to escape from the office for lunch. My suggestion is Luca Bistro. It will remind you of the French bistros and restaurants that used to dominate our dining scene. It might also remind you of the late Jean-Robert de Cavel and his long-gone Jean-Robert's Table. There is red banquet seating set against Tuscan yellow walls. There are travel posters from Nice and Lyon. Don't quote me on this, Chef, but I think you would like it here.

Steak frites from Luca Bistro, in Mount Adams.
Steak frites from Luca Bistro, in Mount Adams.

The menu should be familiar to any French bistro fan. Nicoise salad, croque madam, steak frites, cod Provencal and haricot verts seasoned with herbs de Provence. The chef here has mastered all of them. His name is Frederic Maniet and he grew up in the south of France. I've yet to meet him in person, but one of my favorite local chefs, Drew Rath at Tuba Baking, once told me he is one of the best chefs in Cincinnati. Coming from Rath, that means something.

The cod Provencal at Luca Bistro, in Mount Adams.
The cod Provencal at Luca Bistro, in Mount Adams.

Get an Orangina to drink with your meal, or a glass of wine. Walk off the calories with a quick jaunt through the neighborhood. Grab a coffee to take back to work at the Bow-Tie Cafe or, if you're cutting out early, nurse a pint of Guinness at Crowley's Highland House. Either way, being in Mount Adams will remind you why so many people fall in love with it − and why you need to get up here more often.

934 Hatch St., Mount Adams, 513-628-5345, lucabistro.com.

Highly Recommended is a weekly spotlight on some of food writer Keith Pandolfi's favorite finds as he eats his way across Greater Cincinnati. Find more of his recent food writing here.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Escape for lunch in Cincinnati's prettiest neighborhood at Luca Bistro