Cincy Favorites

I love food and have tons of Cincinnati restaurant recommendations, but Nolia in OTR is definitely one of my favorite spots. It's offers traditional southern cuisine as well as contemporary reinterpretations. I don't go there often enough!

Because I love food, I have to burn off all the calories I eat.  My fitness activity of choice is CrossFit which I have been doing for the past 8 years. And no, we don't need to spend all day talking about "that one time, at Crossfit." That's my team pictured above. We are members of the NewCov Crossfit Gym which is located right across the river from Downtown Cincy in Covington, KY.

People travel from all over the world to experience BLINK, a festival of light and art that encompasses Downtown Cincy and parts of Northern KY. It's an amazing event including large-scale projection mapping, murals, and interactive light sculptures from around the world. Put it on your bucket list.

This market located east on Beechmont Ave is a recent discovery for me since our move to this part of town in 2022. Excellent produce, meats, cheeses, with a vast selection of wine and beer.  Small, quaint, friendly, local, LOVE IT! PLUS, wine and beer tastings held regularly. 

This beautiful park just outside the city will have you picnicking and walking the trails. It is open to the public for free and is a great place to escape to for some quiet time to take in nature, read a book, or picnic with family and friends. 

Celebrate the start of Fall with Camargo Hunter Trials! This is a horse show, combined with a tailgating competition, and loads of fun! Spectators can enjoy walking the field and seeing all the riding competitors, or they can buy a VIP ticket and have all the food and drink they want ringside underneath a tent.  That's me on my horse Wilden in the picture above! 

Luckily, Cincinnati is in no short supply of Fido-Friendly establishments. Hanging out in Old Milford's DORA district is a favorite, usually ending with a pizza, beer, and bag of Brewhaus dog bones for our Foxhound Dexter. 

The Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden is beautiful every season, but visiting during the Festival of Lights is a must-do wintertime activity. There you will be enchanted by the display of over 4 million twinkling lights. We usually go twice each year, once with the kids, and once for a romantic night out. Just make sure you dress warm!

Cincinnati isn't close to the ocean, but we have a fun beach at East Fork Lake! Let the kids run free as you pull up a beach chair to relax. This is also a great spot for boating, and it's only 35 minutes outside of the city. That's a pic of our little kids getting in touch with their wild side. Not seen- Kevin and I sipping on cheap domestics with lemon.

There are so many great places to eat around town, so it's hard to choose a favorite. But if you want something with an old-world appeal, Pompilio's in Newport, KY has been around since 1933. We like to chill at the bar on Sunday evenings. This place also boasts Hollywood stardom, as it was featured in the Dustin Hoffman classic, "Rain Man." Order the Shrimp Ronaldo!