Things are heating up at TQL Stadium.

Thursday, FC Cincinnati debuted a special new menu for the upcoming ‘Hell is Real’ rivalry matchup against the Columbus Crew. (For those unaware, the rivalry is named for the famous sign on I-71 that sits directly between Columbus and Cincinnati.) Plenty of new menu items were on hand, alongside exclusive merchandise commemorating the match that takes place on Sunday, October 18 at 5 p.m.

“As everyone in this room knows, this rivalry is about more than soccer,” said FC Cincinnati’s Chief Youth and Community Officer Kate Solomon at the event. “It’s about pride, passion, of course, bragging rights and — of course — the energy that exists between Cincinnati and Columbus every time these two clubs meet. That intensity is really what drives this rivalry and what makes these matches so special … and this menu has creative, bold flavors. They’re designed to match the personality of this rivalry.”

TQL Stadium’s Executive Chef Sheldon Morgan and his team handed out samples from the spice-heavy menu at the event, including everything from habanero poppers to bulgogi fries.

“We’re really cranking up the heat on this one. You know, they’re turning up the heat on the pitch, so we got to bring it in the clubs and on the concourse,” Morgan said.

My favorite item of the event was the “Orange and Blue” sandwich from Alveo. I might be a bit biased; seeing the Mariemont sandwich shop’s name on the list immediately had me thinking Well, that’ll probably be the best thing I’ll have today.

It didn’t disappoint; while I wouldn’t say it was up to the shop’s usual standard of excellence (this is stadium food, after all), I think sitting at a sports game with a beer in hand and eating a sandwich with roasted turkey, Calabrian chilies, prosciutto, gorgonzola crema, red onion and arugula sounds like heaven on earth to me.

Another highlight was the habanero poppers. And boy, did they pop. The pepper itself sported the perfect amount of heat, and the cheese was just the right consistency; gooey enough to be satisfying, but not so runny that it’d be too messy to eat in the stands.

Two other major highlights were the bulgogi fries from Bibigo and the stadium’s own pretzel smashburger. The loaded fries — emphasis on loaded — were covered in bulgogi, kimchi, chili crisp and a spicy aioli.

Thankfully, the fries were rather crispy and held up well against the plethora of ingredients lathered on top, even after sitting for 20 minutes.

I probably would’ve gone back for a second plate if I had the time. The burger, meanwhile, was nothing unusual but well-executed: two smash patties, jalapeno beer cheese and bacon. The bun was also shaped like a soccer ball, so bonus points for aesthetics, I suppose.

Other options on the menu included a hot Italian pizza from LaRosa’s that tasted exactly how you’d expect — at this point, you know what you’re getting from the beloved local pizza chain — alongside a short rib with horseradish sauce, which was decent, and a red velvet chocolate lava cake, which was strangely devoid of the ‘lava’ that gives the dish its name.

There was also a specialty cocktail that’ll be served around the stadium titled the “Orchard’s Revenge,” which features Angry Orchard mixed with Fireball cinnamon whisky and habanero-soaked oranges. Full disclosure: I knew I wouldn’t like the drink going in since I’m not a fan of cider in general, but I did sample it for curiosity’s sake and found that the flavor combination worked a lot better for me than I thought it would. Hard cider and Fireball are a well-known combo, but the orange added a nice touch to an otherwise standard cocktail.

On the merch side of things, there was a hat, a t-shirt, a hoodie, a pin, and — of course — a scarf to commemorate the matchup. There were also new offerings in the team’s “Orange Out” line of clothing, like a corduroy jacket, crewneck sweatshirt and a knit beanie.

If you wanna experience any of the above for yourself, make sure you head to TQL Stadium on October 18 for what will likely be FC Cincinnati’s biggest match of the year. For more information, visit the team’s official website.

The post FC Cincinnati debuts new menu for ‘Hell is Real’ rivalry matchup appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

If you’ve driven around Over-the-Rhine at any point this summer and fall, you’ve probably seen them. A group of animal rights activists have been protesting outside Kroger headquarters and around the neighborhood nearly every single day since May.

Late last month, their protests escalated dramatically when nine members of the organization Animal Equality were arrested for chaining themselves to the front door of Kroger’s headquarters. Those nine activists will appear in court Friday for a pre-trial hearing on charges of criminal trespassing or resisting arrest.

So why are they doing it?

In 2016, the grocery store giant promised to sell only 100% cage-free eggs by 2025 and reaffirmed that promise in 2018. But in 2022, the corporation quietly announced it would no longer meet that goal, saying the “cage-free egg supply continues to outpace customer demand,” according to a company statement.

For Animal Equality president Sharon Núñez, Kroger going back on its promise is a slap in the face to animal rights activists all over the globe.

“We have been working worldwide to end cages for animals, specifically, cages for hens. This is one of the cruelest systems that exists, where these birds can’t even spread their own wings, and they spend their entire lives living on top of wire,” she said. “This is unacceptable, and we’ve been campaigning for the last five months to ask Kroger to meet with us to work towards a path forward.”

Kroger has claimed it met with members of Animal Equality, but Núñez refuted that.

“I have been doing this work for many years, and at this stage of a campaign, a company at least tries to engage with you. This has not been the case for Kroger,” she said. “We have, to this day, not received a single email or call from Kroger, which is very surprising.”

CityBeat reached out to Kroger for comment earlier this week, but has not received a response.

To escalate their campaign even further, Animal Equality has opened an office at 914 Race Street, which is just steps away from Kroger’s headquarters on Court Street. Now that the organization has set up shop in town, Núñez promised “new, intense, highly visible actions in Cincinnati” on a regular basis, similar to the door chaining event that occurred in September.

In the past, claims of affordability and supply chain costs have been common arguments against going cage-free; however, Núñez said that in states where caged-hen eggs are completely illegal, eggs aren’t any more expensive. She showed evidence of a Kroger store in Lambertville, Michigan, where Kroger’s in-house brand of cage-free eggs are listed at $1.79 a dozen. Just a few miles away in Toledo, Ohio, Kroger’s caged-hen eggs are the same price.

“If Kroger can sell a dozen cage-free eggs for $1.79 in Michigan and a dozen caged eggs for the same price just ten miles away, it needs to explain why affordability supposedly prevents it from fulfilling its yearlong pledges about shifting to cage-free eggs,” she said.

She also cited a recent report by the Center for Responsible Food Business that showed one in three Kroger stores in Ohio are overcharging customers and a 2024 federal court case where a Kroger executive testified under oath that the company had intentionally hiked the price of necessities like milk and eggs beyond the scale of inflation as more reasons she doesn’t believe “affordability” is Kroger’s main goal.

“Kroger is a $150 billion company, and what it wants to do when it comes to cage-free eggs is to pass the costs onto shoppers. But Kroger has already made the decision to sell cage-free eggs where it’s had to for the same price,” she said. “Kroger knows exactly what it’s doing. They can easily move towards a cage-free future, but putting it on consumers and putting it on affordability is just a straight-up lie.”

As for when the protests will stop? Well, that’ll be when Kroger finally decides to sit down with the organization.

“Our ask is reasonable. We’re asking for them to sit down with us and negotiate. We’re not asking them to go cage-free overnight. We’re not asking them to do something extreme or radical. We’re simply saying work with us, and we can be of help,” she said. “Have an in-person meeting with me … and let’s work together on a reasonable path forward to eliminate cages for good.”

The post Animal rights activists have been protesting Kroger for months. Now they’re moving in appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

The team behind Alfio’s Buon Cibo and Noche are bringing something new to the suburbs.

D’Oro, a new Italian-Argentine restaurant, opens Tuesday, October 6 in the space that formerly housed the beloved restaurant Senate at 1100 Summit Place in Blue Ash.

The menu centers on handmade pasta, steaks, fire-driven dishes, empanadas and shareable plates. Similar to its sister restaurants, D’Oro will feature an expansive wine and cocktail program.

As with the other two restaurants, co-owners Chef Alfio Gulisano, Jennifer Birt and Michelle O’Brien are leading the charge at D’Oro. The name draws from the Italian word “oro,” meaning gold. In comparison to Alfio’s Buon Cibo, which skews fine-dining, D’Oro is designed to be more approachable for everyday dining.

“We wanted D’Oro to feel special without requiring a special occasion,” O’Brien said. “There’s a lot of intention behind the food, the wine, the cocktails and the way we take care of people, but we also want this to become a place people come back to often.”

Initially, the restaurant will only be open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday, although lunch service will be added “soon” in the weeks following the opening. The restaurant features a full-service bar, a main dining room, a patio and a private dining room for up to 16 guests.

O’Brien said she wants guests to show up at any and all times, whether it’s “cocktails at the bar, date night, family dinner, business dinner, private celebration or simply a Tuesday evening.”

“We’ve been building toward this for a long time,” she said. “At this point, we’re just excited to open the doors and start taking care of people.”

Reservations for D’Oro are available now on OpenTable. For more information, visit the restaurant’s website.

The post Alfio’s, Noche owners open new restaurant in Blue Ash appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

One of Over-the-Rhine’s most famous restaurants is branching out to the suburbs.

On Thursday, CityBeat attended the soft opening of The Eagle’s new location at the mixed-use development The District at Deerfield, 5177 Parkway Drive. Thunderdome Restaurant Group has done a lot to ensure that guests keep coming back even if they’re familiar with the original restaurant, as there’s plenty that will differentiate this new location from its downtown big brother when it opens on October 5.

For example, this new 4,600 sq. ft location of The Eagle takes on more of a “third space” role compared to its counterpart. There are 13 televisions scattered across the space, placed so that viewers can always see the TV from every single one of the 134 seats in the restaurant. Several game-day-related promotions are in the works, including a DJ every Sunday during Bengals games.

Plus, the bar has a strong focus on hard-to-find bourbons and a unique offering of a single-barrel reposado tequila from Corazón, aged in Eagle Rare barrels. This location will also feature wines curated by Pepp & Dolores — Thunderdome’s Italian restaurant, which is opening a new location right next door in November — that were chosen specifically because they pair well with fried chicken.

Also next door to this Eagle is a new hybrid location of both The Eagle and its fast-casual sister restaurant CityBird, offering the full menu of both restaurants (and DORA beverages) as takeout options to neighborhood residents.

In addition, given that the new restaurant is located in the suburbs, there’s lots of family-related activities planned for customers who dine in.

“We’ve really focused on families a lot. Of course, we have an expanded kids menu here with some coloring and some different quizzes and that sort of thing,” John Lanni said. “But we also have things like warm chocolate chip cookies at the end of the meal. We have kids comment cards. We have family conversation starters, which is a little card deck that we give families when they sit down just to kinda get the conversation going. There’s a lot of family-friendly options here.”

Most notable, though, are the new dishes. For the first time, there’s some cross-pollination between Thunderdome’s restaurants, as CityBird’s tenders and beloved ‘city salad’ are on the menu. In addition, there are plenty of new starters, like a blackened shrimp skewer with remoulade, roasted carrots with honey-whipped feta, or — my personal highlight — a wedge salad with cherry tomatoes, bacon, bleu cheese, garlic breadcrumbs and a green goddess dressing. One other notable new item (that I sadly did not get to try) was a smashburger made with beef from Findlay Market favorite Eckerlin Meats.

This is The Eagle, however, which means it’s all about the fried chicken. And boy, did it not disappoint.

If, like me, you’ve been disappointed by the quality of the food at the Over-the-Rhine location in the past few years, consider giving this new location a try. One of the media personalities dining with me said they hadn’t been to The Eagle in ages, but said the chicken tasted “exactly how (they) remembered it.”

I had similar feelings — when The Eagle opened all the way back in 2013, it was one of the first restaurants I dined at in Over-the-Rhine as a young teenager, and ended up becoming a frequent customer. Now a longtime resident of the neighborhood, I usually opt to go elsewhere for my fried chicken fix. But after chowing down on some insanely good drumsticks and spoonbread last night, I felt like I had been transported back to my teenage years. Seems like I might have to give The Eagle a shot once again.

The new location of The Eagle opens on October 5 at 5200 Parkway Drive, inside The District at Deerfield. For more information on The Eagle, visit the restaurant’s official website.

The post Inside the opening of The Eagle’s new location appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

An Over-the-Rhine late-night dining option has closed without warning.

Lucky Dog, which is located at 1210 Main Street and was famous for its extensive menu available until 3 a.m., has removed all signage and graphics from its windows and the storefront is empty. It is unknown when the restaurant closed, but CityBeat can confirm it was open for business as recently as last Friday evening.

While open, the restaurant served pretty much everything you could think of, from the Cincy-style coneys that gave the place its name to wraps, tater tots, macaroni and cheese, club sandwiches, individual slices of bacon, walking tacos, double deckers, marshmallow chocolate chip peanut butter cheesecakes, slushies, milkshakes and more.

It is currently unknown why the restaurant closed — although the inside of the restaurant is completely empty, their website is no longer in service and their Instagram page has been wiped of all posts. Neighboring businesses also confirmed that Lucky Dog was permanently closed. CityBeat has reached out to ownership for comment.

The post OTR late-night eatery Lucky Dog closes without warning appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

The Carmelo’s team is headed even further south into Kentucky with their next restaurant.

Billy Grise and Mitch Arens, the co-owners of the Italian restaurant that’s taken Covington by storm since it opened in November 2024, are opening an American chop house in Fort Wright, Kentucky.

The location of the new restaurant is the building the former Fort Wright Frisch’s Big Boy occupied on 20 Kyles Lane until it moved to Orphanage Road in August.

“Building restaurants for the people and community around us is what we love doing,” Grise said. “We’re channeling old-school hospitality in a historic building, and giving the people of Fort Wright a place to escape to again.”

Carmelo’s has already drawn national acclaim since it opened; in January, USA Today readers voted it the second-best new restaurant in the United States.

Grise named Carmelo’s for his great-grandfather Carmelo Caserta, a Sicilian immigrant who ran a neighborhood tavern and grocery. Arens, the chef and co-owner, founded the private chef company Southernly and has worked in kitchens for more than 20 years.

The new restaurant is a “chop house,” which is slightly different from a steakhouse. The term originated in Britain in 1690 and referred to casual restaurants serving all sorts of meat (not just steak) where men would stop in for a quick bite after work. While the two haven’t decided on a name for the new place yet, they hope to evoke a similar feeling when the restaurant opens.

“I grew up in a large family in Northern Kentucky. For me dinner was a table full of food and a room filled with everyone I love,” Arens said. “That’s what we want to re-create here. Comfort food you recognize before you taste it, that hopefully brings back memories of the potlucks, the cookouts, and family celebrations so many of us experienced during our childhood.”

The new spot will seat 160 people and feature an outdoor patio. The stretch through Fort Wright where the restaurant will be located was once known as the Gourmet Strip for the restaurants that lined it, so Grise and Arens will be drawing on both that and the history of Dixie Highway for the restaurant’s overall design.

For more information on Carmelo’s, visit the restaurant’s official website.

The post Carmelo’s owners to open new chop house in Fort Wright appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

One of Ohio’s oldest ice cream chains is making its way down south.

Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, the Youngstown-based chain founded in 1945, is set to expand to Cincinnati.

Six new parlors will open across the Cincinnati area, with the first slated for late summer 2027. No locations have been announced yet, but all six will be owned by Royal Scoop, LLC.

“What really stood out to us about Handel’s was not only the strength of the brand, but the people behind it,” said Raj Patel, operational principal of Royal Scoop in a press release. “As experienced multiunit operators, we know how important it is to have a strong partner behind us as we grow. The Handel’s team has been incredibly supportive throughout the process, and their commitment to franchisee success gave us a lot of confidence in our decision. We’re excited to bring a product that customers genuinely love to Cincinnati, and we look forward to growing with the brand for many years to come.”

Founded in the summer of 1945, Handel’s began when Alice Handel started serving homemade ice cream from her husband’s gas station in Youngstown, Ohio, using fruit from her backyard and her personal recipes.

The brand now has 200 locations across the U.S. and has recently started rapidly expanding across four markets: Cincinnati, the Chicagoland area, the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and Fort Collins, Colo.

“Cincinnati holds a special place for us as an Ohio-born brand, and we’re proud to bring Handel’s here,” said Handel’s VP of Franchise Development Erin Snyder. “We’ve been inundated with inquiries into this market for a long time, which allowed us to be incredibly selective, and we found exactly the right partner in Royal Scoop. Their experience in multiunit restaurants and hotel operations, combined with their passion for community and genuine love for our brand, makes them the ideal franchisee to introduce Handel’s to this city. Cincinnati is a market that has wanted us for a long time, and we’re developing it in a major way.”

To learn more, visit the official Handel’s website.

The post Youngstown-based ice cream chain expands to Cincinnati appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

One of Cincinnati’s most popular bagel shops is expanding once again.

The Bagelry, the family-owned eatery with locations in Over-the-Rhine and Oakley, is opening a third location in Montgomery this Friday.

“We’ve always wanted The Bagelry to be a place where people can get really good, high-quality, scratch-made food without it being overly complicated or expensive,” said Richard Huff, co-founder of The Bagelry. “After opening our second location, we almost immediately had guests asking us to consider their neighborhood for our next location and after a lot of careful thought, Montgomery felt like the right fit for us.”

The new restaurant, located at 11013 Montgomery Road, is the largest yet and offers expanded seating alongside a more streamlined ordering experience for guests.

The storefront originally started as Huff, a former attorney, was trying to recreate a meaningful weekend ritual with his wife after moving back home to Cincinnati. With the encouragement of family and friends, Huff began selling bagels in earnest, growing from a pop-up concept into its first brick-and-mortar storefront in 2018 in OTR.

“Catching up over bagels on the weekends became such an important and grounding weekly ritual for us and it’s what inspired us to create The Bagelry as that kind of place for ourselves here in Cincinnati,” said Huff. “This is why we’re especially thrilled our newest location is larger than our previous stores, giving guests plenty of room to spread out, meet up with friends and reconnect.”

The shop’s bagels are made in-house, given an overnight cold rise to develop flavor, traditionally kettle-boiled and then baked fresh every day. Guests at the Montgomery location will find the same menu served at the brand’s other restaurants, including classic bagels and housemade cream cheeses, fresh-cracked egg sandwiches, Cincinnati-inspired favorites featuring Glier’s goetta, the NYC Lox sandwich, smoked turkey club, avocado toast, BLTs and pizza bagels.

“The business was built around a simple idea: take the basics of a great bagel and do them exceptionally well,” Huff said. “We like to say they’re New-York-style bagels with Cincinnati passion.”

The Montgomery location will be open Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday through Sunday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a grand opening celebration planned for Friday, September 25. For more information, visit The Bagelry’s website.

The post The Bagelry to open third location appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

The annual fundraising dinner at the Northside Farmers Market is bringing some serious local star power this time around.

At this year’s dinner, Cincinnati chefs David Jackman (of Wildweed), Noah Vasquez (of Cafe Mochiko) and Kymberly Wilbon (The Passion Plate) will be cooking each dish — using fresh ingredients from the market, of course. The farm-to-table dinner will take place at The Factory in Northside, located at 1546 Knowlton Street, on October 18 from 4 -6 p.m.

The dinner will feature salads, appetizers, locally-sourced bread, several main dishes, and plenty of dessert. In addition, the event will have various games, a photo booth and raffle drawings happening all night.

For more information, visit the Northside Farmers Market website or check out the ticket page.

The post Northside Farmers Market to host fundraising dinner featuring Wildweed, Mochiko alums appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.

One of Atlanta’s most outlandish fast food chains is headed to Cincinnati.

Slutty Vegan, the plant-based burger shop founded and owned by “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Aisha “Pinky” Cole Hayes, announced in a press release that a new location would soon be opening somewhere in the Queen City in an as-yet-undisclosed location.

The agreement was signed by Soul Republic Hospitality Group, led by founder Akin Affrica, the same operator behind Slutty Vegan’s Columbus and Cleveland locations.

“Cincinnati was always part of the plan for us,” said Akin Affrica, founder of Soul Republic Hospitality Group, in a press release. “After signing on for Cleveland and Columbus, we saw firsthand how much demand there is for this brand in Ohio. Adding Cincinnati was an easy decision. We know the market, we know the guest, and we are ready to bring that same energy here.”

Slutty Vegan’s Columbus and Cleveland locations have yet to open, but are anticipated to open later this fall. The chain originally launched in Atlanta in 2018, and became well-known for its vegan items with provocative names, like the “Sloppy Toppy” burger which comes with “Slut Sauce” and has “Hooker Fries” as an add-on.

“When a franchise partner comes back to invest in a third market, that further compounds the fact that our brand is valuable and in demand,” Hayes said in a statement. “Ohio is primed for a concept like Slutty Vegan, and Cincinnati rounds out the top three markets in the state.”

For more information on Slutty Vegan, visit the official website.

The post Plant-based chain ‘Slutty Vegan’ from ‘Real Housewives’ star comes to Cincinnati appeared first on Cincinnati CityBeat.