Cincinnati
September 2026
Another work conference, another whirlwind tour of a great American city. This time, we continued our tour of the rust belt (see Detroit, Pittsburgh) with five days in Cincinnati. I found it bemusing that like Jersey City for New York and Kowloon for Hong Kong, the best views of Cincinnati come from across the water in Covington, Kentucky where our conference hotel was located. Downtown Cincinnati is an easy walk across the gorgeous Roebling Bridge, which provides striking views of the skyline.
On our first night, we reunited with three old friends (and one new one) at Mita’s, a wonderful tapas restaurant, where the cheap beer, great food, and hilarious conversation brought us back to a simpler time in our lives.
Dinner the next night was at the much-hyped Cafe Mochiko, where the Cincinnati Chili ramen somehow worked? We took a long walk back to the hotel through the grounds of the Art Museum, Eden Park, and along the Ohio in the shadow of the Reds’ stadium.
The following morning we rented a car and drove to Dayton to visit the National Museum of the United States Air Force, one of the world’s great aviation museums (and we’ve been to a fair few). The highlight here is the only surviving XB-70 Valkyrie, in my opinion the most beautiful plane ever built. Like the Udvar-Hazy, the number of historically significant aircraft on display is astonishing and overwhelming: Multiple planes used as Air Force One (including the one on which Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in after the Kennedy assassination), the Memphis Belle, Bockscar (which dropped Fat Man on Nagasaki). The museum is a chronicle of our country’s innovation as well as its war crimes.
After a conference event at the eerily empty and fantastically-named Great American Ball Park, we headed to the requisite dinner at Skyline Chili. As a reformed Texan, I have long talked smack about Cincinnati Chili without ever trying it myself. It was fine. The taste was decent though the aroma hinted faintly of body odor. The vibe in the restaurant was like a midwestern Waffle House, and despite the validation of my smacktalk, this is something I can always appreciate.
On our last day, we returned to the wonderful (and free) Cincinnati Art Museum, this time during opening hours. The highlight was turning the corner and seeing an unmistakably Warholian portrait of Pete Rose, wondering aloud “This has to be some local artist doing Warhol,” then spying the adjacent soup can and realizing that no, Andy did indeed paint ol’ Charlie Hustle.
That night we took the streetcar up to Wildweed, an absolutely fantastic New American fine dining restaurant. The rotating cast of waiters regaled us with local history and stories without a hint of pretension, while the food easily surpassed several Michelin-rated restaurants we've visited. Clearly worthy of its laundry list of accolades (NYT Best 50, BA Best 20, James Beard).
Cincinnati is yet another example of a great American city hiding in plain sight. Between the delightful food, world-class museums, and a great skyline (and decent Skyline), it makes a strong case for a return visit.
Recipes: Classic Cuban Negative, Summer Chrome, Ektar 100.
Artistic Direction: My Wife.
