This story originally appeared in the Nov. 25 edition of the weekly LINK Reader. To see this story and others sooner, subscribe to the weekly newspaper here.
The Ritchie Avenue area of Crescent Springs is right off the expressway, and there are so many hidden gems.
Sweet Basil: 2520 Hazelwood Circle
This small spot used to be Rima’s Diner, which was one of my grandma’s favorite places to take me and my siblings. When they closed down, I was sad to see them go, but thankfully they were replaced by Sweet Basil.
Sweet Basil has a variety of options. They are a Thai and sushi bar, making it easy to find a dish everyone will like. While I don’t crave sushi, I seek out Thai food all the time, and I find myself coming back to Sweet Basil for each craving.
Though the inside is cozy, service is quick and so is finding a seat. Large groups should make a reservation online.
When I visit Sweet Basil with a friend, she always orders adventurous sushi rolls, mixing up classic California rolls with an eel roll. Meanwhile, I stick with a low-heat pad thai and a Thai iced tea. And that’s what I love about Sweet Basil – they have options for both safe and daring palates.
I also enjoy the gyoza and wonton soup. The prices and huge portions make it easy to come back for more.
Miyako Sushi and Steakhouse: 2511 Ritchie Ave.
In high school this was the place to be. I had two classmates who sat in front of me in my last class of the day, and every day they would plan to go to Miyako after school.
Like Sweet Basil, they offer sushi and more. However, Miyako doubles as a steakhouse with hibachi grills.
The hibachi offers a show as the food is made right in front of guests. High-end atmosphere and entertaining chefs make it an easy choice for a large group or simple sitdown experience.
I highly recommend reservations online, as the hibachi side quickly runs out of space.
Moonrise Donuts: 2513 Ritchie Ave.
When Moonrise Donuts opened earlier this year, you would think it was the first and only donut shop in all of Kentucky. It was madness, but the popularity and anticipation was largely due to their Latonia location’s success. People were anxious to have another store to find these tasty treats.
The biggest difference in this location from their famous Latonia spot, is that this one operates in the mornings, as the original operates at night.
You do have to visit fairly early in the morning to catch them before they close at noon. Early risers can get a head start on the crowds, if they show up at 6 a.m. when the shop opens.
For those who need an extra hour of sleep, Moonrise lets you preorder donuts online a day in advance. All you have to do is roll in and pick them up. The flavors rotate often but there is nothing like a hot, fresh donut on a cold morning.
For donuts of this high a caliber, they are easy on the pocket book. So really, the only worry here is choosing the right donuts to make the perfect dozen.
Framed NKY: 2519 Ritchie Ave.
Though this is a custom frame store, I very first came upon Framed NKY for reasons one would not expect. My siblings and I wanted to transfer old home videos from VHS tapes onto DVDs for our parents as a gift. We did our research and found that Framed offered just that. It was a quick, easy process and the staff was very attentive, assuring everything was perfect.
The gurus at Framed also source local art, and can put buyers in touch with artists for customized pieces.
After seeing how much my parents loved the gift, we took more home tapes back to Framed to be transferred. Gifts like this are priceless and the extra care they took in helping us was amazing that I will definitely be back to utilize their many other services.
Have a city, street, business you want me to check out next? Email me at mchehman@gmail.com and it could be featured on the next installment of LINK streetscapes.