Essentials Magazine Essentials Fall 2016 | Page 21

EDspaces Host City
nati’s revitalized historic neighborhood, a short walk, cab or
streetcar ride from downtown.
In the early 1800s the first
wave of German immigrants
to the United States came to
Cincinnati and established an
early neighborhood known
as Over-The-Rhine, which
became the most densely
populated neighborhood in
the country outside of New
York City.
A once-bustling community
of German beer brewers and
pork packers built the nation’s
largest collection of 19th-century Italianate architecture in
this thriving area that is one of
the nation’s largest urban historic districts — 943 buildings
made the National Register
of Historic Places in 1983.
Another milestone connecting pre-Prohibition history
in OTR to present day is a
recent discovery of abandoned
underground lagering tunnels
and caverns. Before the turn
of the century, these were
used to cool and store beer before refrigeration was invented. Today, several
companies offer escorted tours of these
hidden passageways.
Over-The-Rhine has undergone a
dramatic revitalization over the past
decade and is now one of the most diverse
and iconic of its kind in the Midwest
characterized by its unique architecture,
brightly painted buildings, award-winning
restaurants and an emerging microbrewery scene. OTR now has dozens of dining
options boasting nationally-renowned
chefs (like Daniel Wright – Food + Wine’s
Great Lakes Chef of the Year for restaurants Abigail Street and Senate) and entrepreneurs who created businesses around
unique dining options, inspired by the
OTR’s business start-up scene. Every Day
with Rachael Ray, New York Post, Food +
Wine, Bon Appetit, and others have taken
notice of these unique dining options.
Here are a few of my team’s favorites:
• OTR: Start anywhere on Vine

street north of 12th (the streetcar runs
here, or it is an easy 15 minute walk
from the convention hotels). When
you determine a place you want to eat,
put your name in (or reserve your table) and then grab a drink or snack at
a wine or cocktail bar for happy hour.
There are a huge number of great and
varied options within a few blocks; a
couple personal choices are The Eagle
for cocktails and great fried chicken if
you dine; 1215 Wine Bar and Coffee
Lab for a pre- or post-dinner drink or
snack; Abigail Street for a large wine
list and great small plates; Kaze for
sushi and small plates in their outdoor
courtyard; Zula for carpaccio of beef
or various fish; and Salazar for a top
notch meal in a small, personalized
atmosphere.
• Take a 5 minute cab ride over to
Covington’s Main Strasse neighborhood: bourbon lovers will be in heaven
in Good fella’s Wise Guy Lounge (2nd
floor) or OKBB (Old Kentucky Bourbon
Bar) — you’ll find many dozens of bour-

bon choices and great craft cocktails; try
a flight of mescal and great small plate
appetizers at Frida’s; or dine at high-end
Bouquet (be sure to get a reservation)
or Lisse (very unique steakhouse with a
rood patio view of downtown).
We are excited to welcome the educational facility community to EDspaces
in Cincinnati, November 2-4. Hope to
see you there!
n

TOM GREEN is
president of the
John R. Green Company in Covington,
KY, an educational
distributor founded
in 1950. Tom is a
past Chair of the
Education Market
Association and a
current member of
the EDmarket Executive Committee.

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