Many restaurants in Northern Kentucky offer tastes from other countries; few serve flavors from regions within the United States. The Hive East Coast Kitchen in Erlanger serves East Coast-inspired cuisine. Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette opened the restaurant early this year.
The Hive’s origins date back to 1989 when the LaCorte family – Jessica, her parents, and her siblings – moved from New Jersey to Northern Kentucky. Jessica’s parents opened Vianna Pizza in Burlington, which stayed in business until 1996. The LaCorte family remained in the restaurant business, and Jessica married into the Fette family.
This restaurant’s physical location is a landmark. The two-story brick structure was constructed in 1876 and was one of the first homes built before Erlanger was incorporated as a city.
The Hive has four different atmospheres, or physical spaces, in the two-story restaurant. The Parlor is an area with a couch and several chairs in a corner on the second floor where friends can share coffee and chat. The Coffee Bar is located on the second floor and offers free Wi-Fi. It offers coffee, alcoholic beverages, and pastries. The Dining Room is on the first floor. It has a variety of table sizes, and can accommodate up to 72 diners. The Cowork Hive is a conference room that is available for rent as a meeting space area on the second floor. It is available for recurring meetings on a weekly or monthly basis.
How did The Hive get its name? Jessica is a fan of rock music and her favorite rock band is 311. In 1995, the band purchased The Hive, a recording studio in North Hollywood, and has recorded all of their albums at The Hive since 2000. Jessica named her restaurant The Hive to pay homage to 311. The restaurant has a guitar autographed by 311’s members in the Coffee Bar. There are also 311 song lyrics in The Hive.
They have an in-house bakery in the basement of the building. Most of the baked goods are sold on the second floor’s coffee bar.
The Hive has four menus: breakfast, lunch, bakery, and drinks. The breakfast menu includes breakfast bowls, fresh fruit, waffles, pancakes, bourbon-spiked French toast, scones, muffins, biscuits, eggs, bacon, sausage, goetta, pork rolls, and a variety of bread. Their most popular breakfast items are three-topping omelets and bourbon-spiked French toast.
Their lunch menu includes salads, soups, sandwiches, pizza, and side dishes. Their soup offerings – Italian bean soup, tomato bisque, and Italian wedding – show Jessica’s Italian roots. Some of the sandwiches are Italian-inspired: Italian beef and Swiss with mushroom, meatball parm with mozzarella, Italian sausage with peppers and onions, and Italian hot dog with peppers, onions, and potatoes.
Other sandwiches options include roasted pork and vegetable, roast beef and American cheese, pastrami and Swiss with tomato, Reuben/corned beef with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut, goetta and American cheese with egg, and barbecue pulled pork with coleslaw. Their most popular lunch sandwiches are Italian beef and Swiss with mushroom and the Reuben/corned beef with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut.
The bakery’s menu includes seven different varieties of cheesecake, scones, muffins, cake, brownies, bars, cream puffs, cannoli, cookie sandwiches, and peanut butter fudge.
Their drink menu offers five iced drinks: American, latte, mocha, chai latte, and brewed tea. Coffee options include brewed coffee, brewed decaf, espresso, macchiato, cortado, cappuccino, latte, mocha, and Americano.
Tea offerings include chai tea, London fog, chamomile tea, and steamer. They offer hot chocolate, oak milk, and almond milk, too.
Wine lovers can order La Marca Prosecco, Schmitt Sohne Riesling, Bogel Rosé, Bread and Butter Napa Cabaret, and Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc. They offer eight different beers and four wooden casks.
The Hive offers Bloody Mary, mimosa, lavender lemon spritz, espresso martini, Bailey’s iced chai, and bourbon cream latte.
They purchase all of their coffee from Carabello Coffee Company in Newport. The Hive’s most popular drinks include bourbon cream latte and iced chai latter.
The Hive is not just a restaurant, it is a venue that celebrates family, friends, and community.
“Building relationships and friendships are what helps inspire me,” Fette said. “It makes me want to strive for more. If we can provide a location where that happens, we can help be facilitators. I want to be a community space, not just a restaurant.”
If you go:
The Hive – East Coast Kitchen & Coffee Bar
480 Erlanger Road, Erlanger
859-495-5655
https://thehiveerlanger.com
Hours: They are open Tuesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.