7 new restaurants opened here last month, but 1 gut-punch closure

It was a slow month for restaurant openings and closings in and around Cincinnati.

Most of the former were relocations or additional locations of already established spots. We also saw the reopening of a popular rooftop bar. While there was just one closing to report this month, it was a big one that left many Cincinnati diners, especially fans of chef Jose Salazar, saddened.

Cincinnati restaurants that opened in June

The Rooftop at 21c Hotel, Downtown

Summer is here and the Rooftop at 21c is open for business. The boutique hotel recently hired executive chef Kam Losonsky, who, along with helming the kitchen downstairs at Metropole, is cooking Peruvian-style cuisine on the roof (both the bar and the country are located at high altitudes, get it?).

Menu items include red snapper crudo with a strawberry aguachile, roasted banana and avocado; glazed pork belly sliders with Peruvian salsa, chili peppers and smoked sweet potato mustard, and halibut ceviche with roasted corn, avocado, cilantro and sweet potato. There's an extensive cocktail menu and plenty of beer, wine and N/A options, too. The rooftop is open from 5-11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

609 Walnut St., Downtown, 513-878-6672, 21cmuseumhotels.com.

San Jeanetta's Table, Sycamore Township

After starting out at Element Eatery in Madisonville, husband-and-wife team Dion and Tiffany Metts have opened a brick-and-mortar location for their comfort food restaurant in Kenwood. San Jeanetta's Table serves lunch and dinner inside the former location of 6 'N' The Mornin,' which moved to the former Branch restaurant space in East Walnut Hills earlier this year. Menu items include an enormous chicken sandwich, shrimp and grits, and macaroni and cheese bowls.

7714 Montgomery Road, Sycamore Township.

Voodoo Brewing, West Chester

The Pennsylvania-based brewery, which has a Downtown spot already, opened a second Cincinnati location in West Chester. Voodoo serves craft beers cocktails and pub fare that includes New Orleans-style po boys, pickle pizzas, pad Thai noodle bowls and fried chicken sandwiches.

9456 Water Front Drive, West Chester, voodoobrewery.com.

Deeper Roots, Montgomery

Deeper Roots Coffee opened its first suburban location in Montgomery Quarter, which is also home to a very good tapas spot called Livery as well as Bru Burger. Established in 2011, Deeper Roots also has locations in Oakley, Downtown and Findlay Market.

9340 Montgomery Road, Suite 101, 513-655-6535, deeperrootscoffee.com.

Kawa Revolving Sushi, Oakley

It's not just sushi coming around the conveyor belt at Kawa's new Hyde Park Plaza location. You will also find tonkatsu ramen, seared teriyaki steaks, stuffed jalapenos and more. Located in the former Another Broken Egg spot, this is Kawa's second location in Greater Cincinnati after opening in Symmes Township last year.

3880 Paxton Ave., Oakley (inside Hyde Park Plaza).

Ruby's Chocolates, Over-the-Rhine

The chocolate shop relocated from Oakley to Findlay Market in Over-the-Rhine. Owner Melinda Mueller specializes in chocolate truffles, chocolate-covered bananas, turtles and other specialty items.

1725 Elm St., Findlay Market, 513-873-7992, rubyschocolates.com.

Raising Cane's, Hamilton

The Baton Rouge-based restaurant chain, known for its battered white meat tenderloin chicken fingers, opened its second Hamilton location in June. It features an outdoor patio and indoor dining space.

3011 Bridgewater Landing Drive, Hamilton, raisingcanes.com.

Cincinnati restaurants that closed in June

Goose and Elder, Over-the-Rhine

After nearly six years, chef Jose Salazar shuttered Goose & Elder, his casual neighborhood bar and restaurant that opened near Findlay Market in 2019. Salazar said closing it was the best way to concentrate his energies on Safi, the new Moroccan wine bar he opened in the former Salazar space last month, while building out Salazar 2.0, which will be located on the first floor of the former Saks Fifth Avenue space, Downtown.

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