6 new restaurants opened here in May, but 3 victims of local downsizing

May saw the opening of a gourmet deli operated by two "Top Chef" alumni, in Over-the-Rhine, a new wine bar in Mount Lookout and the rebirth of the old Salazar space. Closings were minimal, though three local restaurant groups decided to engage in a little downsizing. Looking forward, one of my favorite restaurateurs is set to open a Ukrainian-themed spot downtown.

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Cincinnati restaurants that opened in May 2024

Safi, Over-the-Rhine

Jose Salazar reopened his eponymous Salazar restaurant space as a Moroccan-themed wine bar and restaurant. The menu at Safi includes small plates such as chicken pastilla "cigars," zalouk (eggplant and tomato compote) and briwat (Moroccan almond pastry). Larger entrees include a slow-cooked lamb shank tagine with couscous. The kitchen is helmed by former Salazar sous chef Eddie Jarret Clark, and the front of house is run by Sarahi Godinez, the restaurant's former bar manager. Back in March, Salazar told me the inspiration for Safi came during a visit he made with his wife, Ann, to Morocco, where they learned about local cooking techniques. Salazar has played with Moroccan flavors before, most notably at his James Beard-nominated restaurant, Mita’s. But Safi will dig deeper into the cooking techniques he learned during the visit. Meanwhile, Salazar recently announced that his namesake restaurant will reopen next year inside the former Saks Fifth Avenue space, Downtown.

1401 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-763-1201.

Vinology, Mount Lookout

Is it just me or is Mount Lookout Square turning into a really interesting place to eat these days? Along with stalwarts such as Zip's, Cloud 9 Sushi and the Mount Lookout Tavern, it's also home to Sago, VV Italian and Delwood. The newest addition is Vinology, a new wine bar that shares space with Lookout Joe Coffee. It offers a selection of more than 400 wines curated by David Schildknect, a locally based wine critic and journalist.

3181 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout, 513-321-0636, vinology.club.

Ziggy's, Over-the-Rhine

The Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. recently opened Ziggy's, a new bar located in the former Yoli space near Ziegler Park. Ziggy's offers frozen cocktails, canned wines and canned and draft beer as well as several non-alcoholic options, which you can enjoy at a table or along a horseshoe bar. There are also two dog-friendly patios and a shuffleboard court. Other 3CDC-owned bars include the Fountain Bar, on Fountain Square, and the Sherwin-Williams porch at Washington Park.

213 Woodward St., Over-the-Rhine.

Mercer Social House, Newtown

The ol' Urban Grill has been given new life with the opening of Mercer Social House, its name in honor of Mercersburg, which was established in 1792 and later renamed Newtown. The menu includes a mix of burgers, sandwiches, pastas, salads and soups. I'm particularly interested in the spicy chicken sandwich with siracha aioli, cabbage slaw and cherry peppers, the French onion soup and the smoked wings. Owner Nick Fucito might be a familiar face to Newtonians since he also owns the Anderson Township Pub, which is located just a few miles away in Anderson Township.

6623 Main St., Newtown, 513-514-0069.

HighGrain, Brentwood Bowl, Springfield Township

After a long wait, Springfield Township finally welcomed the second location of Silverton-based HighGrain Brewing Co. to town. The new brewery is located in the former Brentwood Bowl building and can accommodate 300 customers with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. During a private tasting a few months ago, I had a chance to taste the new menu, which was developed by chef Christian Ireland. And I was impressed by the chicken wings, smoked cauliflower, gourmet corn dog, sheet-pan nachos and sloppy joe gordita.

6860 Plainfield Road, Springfield Township, 513-791-7000. highgrainbrewing.com

Young Buck Deli, Over-the-Rhine

Young Buck is operated by husband-and-wife team Brian and Caitlin Young, who met while competing on season 16 of the Bravo reality show "Top Chef." The deli serves breakfast and lunch. As reported by The Enquirer's Haadiza Ogwude, the menu includes a variety of savory sandwiches on house-made focaccia bread, like the mortadella sandwich, made with mortadella and stracciatella cheese and pistachio cream, and the Boston 3-Way, made with rare roast beef, barbecue sauce, fried onions, white American cheese and mayo. The deli will also offer an assortment of breakfast sandwiches, including a biscuit sandwich with black pepper bacon or sage breakfast sausage, pimento cheese and a sunny-side-up egg.

1332 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, 513- 287-7867, youngbuckdeli.com

Coming soon: Sudova, Downtown

Sarah Dworak, owner of Wodka Bar (Over-the-Rhine) and Babushka Pierogi (Findlay Market), will open a new Ukrainian restaurant on Court Street this summer. Sudova, which is under the umbrella of Dworak's Selo Hospitality Group, will feature modern takes on classic Eastern European dishes, such as rye pelmeni with salt cod and potato brandade, topped with caviar beurre blanc, or hand-formed varenyky stuffed with house-made tvorog and crispy pork belly. Expect a full review soon.

Cincinnati restaurants that closed in May 2024

Nation Kitchen + Bar, Pendleton

Nation Kitchen + Bar officially announced the closure of its original location at the corner of Broadway and East 12th Street, in Pendleton. It came as no surprise to Pendleton residents, since the burger joint, which opened in 2015, has been closed since last year. In a May 1 Facebook post, the owners said they wanted to focus more on Nation's other locations at The Banks, Milford and Westwood. "We have been proud to call Pendleton our home," the post read, "but it was time for us to move on."

Tahona Kitchen, Loveland

The restaurant, known for its tortas, tacos and tortilla soup, closed its Loveland location, though its Blue Ash location at Summit Park remains open. "It wasn’t an easy decision because we’ve received tremendous support from the Loveland community," Scott Schmidt, founder of Looking Glass Hospitality (which operates Tahona), told The Enquirer in a statement. "While closing is difficult, after much discussion and evaluation, we believe this best serves our long-term strategy for Looking Glass Hospitality."

Taste of Belgium, Liberty Township/Kenwood/Clifton Heights

The local restaurant group closed its Kenwood, Liberty Township and Clifton Heights bistros, though it reopened its formerly closed Symmes Township location in what it called a "consolidation move." "We've learned so much this last year about the neighborhoods we serve, where our customers want us to be and how critical it is that we focus on our Belgian-inspired and locally infused culinary experience," founder Jean-Francois Flechet said in a statement.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati restaurants that opened or closed in May 2024