This story originally appeared in the Aug. 23, 2024 edition of the LINK Reader.
There are too many good places to eat in Northern Kentucky to count, so where to head when you want a bite of something new can be a challenge. Fortunately, the people at LINK like to eat (and occasionally drink), and so, as part of our duty to keep you informed, we’re sharing some recommendations.
I asked our team members (and myself, of course, LINK’s digital editor) four questions: What is your favorite NKY…
• Fast food joint?
• Date-night spot?
• Overall favorite restaurant?
• Restaurant to recommend to people visiting the region?
Read on for our answers – with a lot of talk about delicious dishes and fantastic vibes.
Fast food joints
While his favorite NKY fast food spot is no longer around (the Alexandria Gold Star), business reporter Kenton Hornbeck said he would now choose the Dixie Chili off Madison Avenue in Covington. I agree with Dixie Chili, although my favorite is the Newport location. The Cincinnati-style chili joint has three locations (Newport, Covington and Erlanger) and has been around since 1929. It serves classics like coney’s, chili cheese fries, three-, four-, five- and six-ways (the sixth ingredient is garlic), plus some of its own unique dishes like the Alligator, which involves a dill spear, a hotdog, mustard, mayo and cheese on a coney bun.
Sticking with the hotdog theme, our CEO Lacy Starling’s favorite fast food spot is Larry’s on Ninth Street in Covington. This neighborhood dive bar offers loaded hot dogs, tater tots, quesadillas and more. Lacy said she likes it because it’s “cheap, quick, and you can get beer or a cocktail.”
Nicole Trimpe, our VP of development, couldn’t pick just one place. Her picks ranged from Clean Eatz in Newport (can fast food be healthful?) to Reality Tuesday Cafe in Park Hills to The Standard in Covington. If you saw her face when she came into the office with a hummus platter from Reality Tuesday, though, you would know that that’s her true favorite.
Date-night spots
A common thread for the LINK team seemed to be good drinks and good (i.e., low) lighting, because … do we really need to see our dates or have them see us?
Recommended as the best place for a date night by both Nicole and Brad Crosby, VP of sales, was Ripple Wine Bar on Pike Street in Covington. This cozy spot features an ever-changing collection of wines, small bites like cheese and charcuterie boards, and what they call “petite entrees” ranging from perogies to beef Wellington popovers to various flatbreads. Of the space, Brad said, “We love the joyful atmosphere and the big-city vibe it gives off in such a small space. The wine is pretty good, too.”
Staying in Covington, Lacy’s go-to for a date night is Junipers, a gin bar with a robust martini list and a rotating menu of small plates featuring bar favorites like warmed olives and a Deviled Egg Trio. “It’s such a great place to go and get small plates and craft cocktails,” Lacy said. “There are no TVs, and the lighting is SUPER flattering.”
Mentioned by several staff members, Camporosso in Fort Mitchell is a favorite of the LINK team, and it’s one of Kenton’s favorite date-night spots. This wildly popular wood-fired pizza place was featured in Food & Wine magazine’s “The Best Pizza in Every State” as one of the top pizzerias in Kentucky. In Kenton’s opinion, “People might not want to hear this, but Camporosso might have the best pizza in Greater Cincinnati.”
Knotty Pine on the Bayou in Cold Spring is the go-to for Shelly Braun, LINK’s office and production manager. For over 50 years, this spot has stuck to classic Cajun-influenced dishes like Cajun shrimp boil, oysters on the half-shell, gumbo and more.
Overall favorites in NKY
LINK editorial board member Ashleigh DuBois’ favorite NKY restaurant, Purple Poulet, really piles on the Southern charm. Ashleigh loves the fried green tomatoes, one of the bourbon bistro’s signature dishes. In addition to having over 500 bourbons and ryes, it offers classics like shrimp and grits, fried chicken and waffles, and some unique takes like a peanut butter-crusted pork chop.
Cincinnati-style chili is back on the list with Shelly’s favorite: Empress Chili. Opened in 1922 in downtown Cincinnati, Empress was the original Cincinnati chili parlor. Once a chain, now only the Alexandria location survives. This classic chili joint offers two-, three-, four- and five-ways plus coneys, sandwiches and even a chili pizza. On top of that, Shelly said “their chicken salad is better than any place I’ve tried.”
Kenton’s pick, Kung Food AmerAsia in Covington, is a pan-Asian restaurant serving Chinese, Taiwanese and other Asian cuisines. Rich Chu and his son, Johnny Chu, own and operate the popular dining spot. Kenton said this places offer “good vibes and good food.” Plus it’s close to the LINK office. His go-to order is Singapore chicken noodles, spice level three.
My favorite has to be Mama’s on Main. Mama’s was mentioned by respondents in multiple categories, including as an amazing date night spot and place to recommend to visitors. This red-sauce Italian restaurant with a twist opened in 2022 in Mainstrasse and has an amazing vibe and even better food. I highly recommend the chicken parmesan and, of course, several orders of the focaccia bread service.
Our best for visitors
Three LINK team members, editorial board member Michele Day, Brad and Nicole, all had the same answer: Otto’s. This Mainstrasse classic has been around since 2003 and offers lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The menu features Southern classics, such as fried pork chops, the BLFGT (bacon, lettuce, and fried green tomato), Kentucky Hots Browns. Brad said he recommends it because it offers “good food, good people, great location.”
Newport’s La Mexicana Restaurante Cantina & Tienda is where Kenton said he would take a visitor. In his opinion, it’s “the best Mexican restaurant in all of Northern Kentucky.” This place, part restaurant and part grocery, serves up tacos, enchiladas, tamales, fajitas, chilaquiles and more. They offer glasses and pitchers of margaritas plus a selection of Mexican beers.
Because we are south of the Ohio River, we had to have some barbeque on the list. We got it with Shelly’s No. 1 recommendation for visitors: Four Mile Pig in Alexandria. This family-owned spot offers a small but mighty menu of all the best BBQ options, from pulled pork to brisket, plus sides like smoked wings, macaroni and cheese, and baked beans.