August was a relatively quiet month for local restaurant openings and closings.
That said, we did see a new Jewish bakery open in Hyde Park, a coffee shop replace the much loved Coffee Please, in Madeira, and the second location of a popular Over-the-Rhine restaurant, in Blue Ash.
In other news, we said goodbye to two taprooms, as well as a 12-year-old Korean restaurant in Oakley.
Here's a look at the notable restaurant openings and closings around Greater Cincinnati last month.
Cincinnati restaurants that opened in August
Koriela, Hyde Park
Owner Ifat Lahyani, who grew up in Israel and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu, serves a variety of Israeli and Middle Eastern pastries, as well as espresso drinks and other specialties. Try the house-made bourekas (triangular-shaped phyllo filled with a variety of ingredients
and topped with sesame seeds). According to the food blog immigrantstable.com, "in many Israeli homes, they're the kind of thing you serve for Shavuot brunch or enjoy cold on Shabbat, when reheating isn't allowed."
3670 Erie Ave., Hyde Park. Hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday-Friday. Closed Saturday.
Neighborhood Coffee House, Madeira
Madeira residents have a new locally owned coffee shop to grab their cup of morning joe. Jacqui Wagner took over the former Coffee Please, which opened in 1994 and closed last year. Like Coffee Please, Neighborhood Coffee House will serve espresso drinks and baked goods.
6930 Miami Ave., Madeira, 513-525-5611. Hours: 6:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 6:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Tuesday.
Frisch's, Fort Wright
I never thought I'd have the chance to write about a Frisch's opening, instead of closing, but here we are. As reported by The Enquirer's Haadiza Ogwame, Frisch’s Big Boy reopened its newly remodeled Fort Wright restaurant, bringing back its signature tartar sauce-slathered burgers. The restaurant opened nearly two years after Frisch’s closed dozens of locations in the region. According to a news release, the restaurant is locally owned by Cheryl White, who worked for Frisch’s for more than 30 years. The eatery, which previously operated as a Frisch’s, has been fully remodeled.
494 Orphanage Road, Fort Wright, 859-331-2483,frischs.com. Hours: 7 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.
MadTree Alcove, Blue Ash
MadTree Brewing opened the second location of its Alcove dinner, lunch and brunch concept at Summit Park, in Blue Ash. It replaces the former Brown Dog Cafe, which closed last year. The menu is largely the same as Alcove's original Over-the-Rhine spot, with entrees including pan-seared chicken, steak frites, seared salmon and gnocchi. There are also plenty of appetizers, salads and sandwiches, as well as a full bar.
1000 Summit Place, Blue Ash, 513-371-5900, madtree.com. Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
The Bagel Group, Northside
This locally owned, co-op bagel shop in Northside rolls, boils and bakes their bagels by hand. They also offer steamed bagel sandwiches (I've been a big fan of these ever since my college days, where I was a regular at Bagel Street Deli, in Athens). Offerings include the Spicy Italian with salami, pepperoni, pepper jack cheese, garlic and herb cream cheese, banana peppers, onions and cayenne on a garlic bagel (yes, please) and the Wombo Combo, with smoked turkey, pickles and Japanese barbecue sauce on an everything bagel.
4172 Hamilton Ave, Northside, 513-376-8908. Hours: 7 a.m.-2 p.m. daily.
Blaze Pizza, Oakley
Think of Blaze Pizza as the Chipotle of pizza joints. The Atlanta-based chain lets you choose your toppings as your pizza moves down a line of cheeses, meats and vegetables before it's placed in a gas-powered pizza oven and "fast fired." If you don't feel like making decisions, you can order one of their specialty pizzas, which include the mystic margarita, the barbecue chicken and the meatball pie, among others. There are also salads, cheesy breads and a kids menu.
According to a press release, the Oakley location is owned and operated by Sanjay Patel, an existing Blaze Pizza franchisee who also owns the Blaze Pizza located at 9341 Mason Montgomery Road in Mason. The Oakley opening marks Patel's second Blaze location, with plans to open three additional restaurants in West Chester, Dayton and Northern Kentucky within the next two years.
3206 Vandercar Way, Oakley, 283-224-8404, blazepizza.com. Hours: 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.
Primavista, East Price Hill (reopened)
More than two months after an electrical fire caused extensive damage to its basement, Primavista restaurant, in East Price Hill, reopened on Aug. 14. (I was there on opening night, happy as a clam it was back). The June 10 fire caused smoke to spread throughout Queens Tower, a 16-story high-rise, and about 150 residents were evacuated, according to Cincinnati Fire Chief Frank McKinley. No injuries were reported. Primavista occupies the building's first floor.
At first, John Lenkerd, who co-owns the Italian restaurant with his parents Frank and Joan Lenkerd, along with chef Chris Prince, told The Enquirer they would likely reopen in days following the fire. Eventually, days turned into weeks and weeks into months due mostly to electrical issues.
Primavista, 810 Matson Place, East Price Hill, 513-251-6467, www.pvista.com. Hours: 5-8:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 5-9 p.m. Friday, 4:30-9 p.m. Saturday, 4:30-8 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday-Tuesday.
Traveler's Table, Fort Thomas
Looking ahead, on Sept. 4, Traveler's Table, a new restaurant from restaurateurs Challis and Lauren Hodge will be open for business in Fort Thomas. It's the latest offering from the couple's Taste Food and Wine Group, which formerly operated Conserva Wine & Tapas restaurant and Taste on Elm, both in Ludlow.
In the past year, the Hodges have pulled out of Ludlow and are focusing on Fort Thomas. Traveler's Table will occupy the former Grassroots & Vine, which they purchased last year. They also own Taste Cellar & Pantry, in Fort Thomas.
According to a press release, Traveler's Table will offer guests "authentic dishes, wine traditions and stories from cultures around the world in an experience rooted in discovery, connection and hospitality."
Challis Hodge said the goal is to tell the story behind each dish, placing it in a cultural and historic context, whether it's from Spain, France, Peru, Morocco, India, Japan or Mozambique, among other countries. Menu items will include Gilda, a Basque pintxo the Hodges once served at Conserva, as well as flammekueche, an Alsatian-style pizza.
1011 Fort Thomas Ave., Fort Thomas, 859-814-8391, travelerstableky.com. Hours: 4-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Cincinnati restaurants that closed in August
West Sixth Brewing, Covington
Less than two years after opening, Lexington-based West Sixth Brewing shuttered its Covington taproom on Aug. 29. In a press release, the brewery said its lease was up for renewal, but it could not justify the investment required to continue operating in the years ahead.
Stone Bowl, Oakley
Stone Bowl, a fixture of the Oakley restaurant community, closed after 12 years in business. In a social media post, owners Young Park and Misook Gwon said the closure was due to a job relocation. Stone Bowl was known for traditional Korean staples such as bibimbap as well as noodles, Japanese sushi, bento boxes and ramen.
"Four years ago, my wife accepted a job in another state, and since then our family has been temporarily living apart," the post read. "We did our best to make it work, but now the time has come for us to close this chapter, reunite our family, and begin the next one together."
FigLeaf Brewing, Middletown
According to the Hamilton Journal-News' Eric Schwartzberg, FigLeaf's taproom closed because owner March First Brewing wants to relocate it to West Chester Township. "When and where that location will open there has yet to be disclosed," Schwartzberg reported.
FigLeaf was located in a 8,400-square-foot building at 3387 Cincinnati-Dayton Road. Its original owners were Brian Yavorsky, a long-time home brewer who helped found Star City Brewing in Miamisburg in 2013; head brewer Jeff Fortney, who previously brewed at Warped Wing in Dayton; assistant brewer Andy Allgeyer, a home brewer who has also worked in craft retail; and Rich and Tasha Brown.
Fig Leaf was acquired by March First Manufacturing LLC, the parent company of March First Brewing, in 2019.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 8 restaurants opened (or reopened) last month, while 3 said goodbye
