September was a relatively quiet month for notable restaurant openings and closings.
We saw a big rebranding of a swanky Over-the-Rhine restaurant, the expansion of a homegrown bagel spot and, in early October, the grand opening of a popular Over-the-Rhine restaurant in Mason. While I try to steer away from chain restaurants, a new breakfast joint out of South Carolina can't be ignored.
Sadly, we also lost a troubled cocktail bar in Over-the-Rhine as well as a woman-owned bakery in Anderson Township.
Here's a little bit about each restaurant that opened or closed in Greater Cincinnati last month.
Cincinnati restaurants that opened in September
Bar Rosso, Over-the-Rhine
After shuttering its Five Kitchen earlier this year, Crown Restaurant Group opened Bar Rosso, a new concept, in the same space. This new restaurant focuses
exclusively on steak frites and vermouth-accented cocktails.
For a set price of $50, guests can enjoy house-made bread, a signature salad and a steak tenderloin with frites (fries) on the side. I haven't visited myself yet, but I've talked to at least three reliable epicures who love it. The drinks program specializes in vermouth cocktails, including martinis and negronis. Instead of offering just two or three vermouths, it will have dozens from all over the world.
1324 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-246-4301, barrossocincy.com.
The Eagle Food & Beer Hall, Mason
Thunderdome Restaurant Group's first suburban iteration of its popular Over-the-Rhine fried chicken restaurant opened in The District at Deerfield on Oct. 5. It is next door to a new CityBird location where the entire Eagle and CityBird menus will be available for takeout. The new Eagle offers the same menu as the original, albeit with some lighter additions, including a marinated cucumber salad with green apples, sesame seeds and champagne vinaigrette and roasted carrots with honey whipped feta. The full bar features rare bourbons and wines and beers meant to pair well with fried chicken.
5200 District Park Drive, Mason, 513-848-1530, eaglerestaurant.com.
Vicious Biscuit, West Chester
I'm excited about this Southern biscuit chain's first restaurant in Greater Cincinnati. After all, for the past several years, their biscuits have been named the best in Charleston, South Carolina, by Charleston City Paper, which is no small feat. Charleston is where the company's first location opened in 2017. It now has multiple spots throughout the South and Midwest, and this will be its third in Ohio, the others being in Akron and Medina. Beyond big, flaky biscuits and decadent biscuit sandwiches, Vicious Biscuit also serves shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, eggs, omelets and even yogurt and keto bowls. Stay healthy, my friend.
7240 Outfitters Way, West Chester, 283-212-2080, viciousbiscuit.com.
King Pigeon, Walnut Hills
After shuttering in March, the Walnut Hills coffee shop is back under new ownership. The original owner, Nick Kallenberg, had closed the business when he decided to relocate to Massachusetts. The new owner is Jesus Andres.
2436 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills.
The Bagelry, Montgomery
As reported by The Enquirer's Haadiza Ogwude, The Bagelry, a family-owned restaurant with locations in Over-the-Rhine and Oakley, opened a third location, this time in Montgomery. The Bagelry, a Findlay Kitchen graduate, was founded in 2017 by Richard Huff, his brother Kyle Jones and sister-in-law Colleen Hert. Huff told The Enquirer in 2018 that his appreciation for bagels began in Louisville, where he and his wife regularly visited a bagel shop called Nancy's.
11013 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, 513-407-3355, bagelrycincy.com
Jacques Modern Brasserie, Rookwood
Taste of Belgium owner Jean-Francois Flechet launched this new fine-dining concept in Norwood. In doing so, he teamed up with Patrick Bowling, the former chef at the late, great Le Bar a Boeuf, to open Jacques Modern Brasserie, a French-Belgian-style brasserie, which will occupy TOB's current location at Rookwood Exchange. According to a press release, the restaurant will now be Taste of Belgium by day, and Jacques by night.
3825 Edwards Road, Norwood, 513-396-5800, tasteofbelgium.com.
Cincinnati restaurants that closed in September
The Cheesecakery, Anderson Township
The Cheesecakery closed its storefront operation in Anderson Township. No reason was given other than owner Liz Field said it was the right decision for her and for the future of her business, according to a Facebook post she made on Sept. 21. Last December, Field also shuttered her Madisonville storefront after six years in the neighborhood.
"The Cheesecakery is NOT closed for good," Field posted, adding that she is still baking, filling orders and doing wholesale, catering and events out of her Madisonville catering operation.
"Thank you to every single person who has supported me through 17 years of this crazy little business of mine," Field posted. "From the food truck, to Madisonville, to Anderson, and now into whatever this next chapter looks like… I’m incredibly grateful."
Alice, Over-the-Rhine
As reported by The Enquirer's Matthew Cupelli and David Ferrara, the Over-the-Rhine bar closed four months after police said a woman was sexually assaulted by a stranger in the bathroom.
Alice announced in a Sept. 4 Instagram post the bar would soon shut its doors. It's final day of operation was Saturday, Sept. 11.
In late April, Cincinnati police said a stranger strangled a woman and sexually assaulted her in the bar's restroom. The September post did not state whether the alleged assault spurred the decision to close.
"We simply can’t continue with the conditions as they are in their current form," Alice's management stated.
A question for clarification about what prompted the closure has still to be answered.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 6 new restaurants opened here last month, while 2 closed up shop
