Over the holidays, my husband and I went to his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, to visit family. I have been to Cincinnati with him several times before, but with each visit I learn a little more about the city. This visit was all about the food. 

I realize every town has foods unique to the area, but something about Cincinnati just feels a bit more intense. My husband’s personal hometown favorite is LaRosa’s Pizzeria. Because we live in New York City, you would think he would be all about the slices here, but that’s just not the case. We ate at LaRosa’s four times in four days. The sauce is sweet and the pizza square and the crusts are soft. At first I wasn’t a big fan, but after a while it grew on me; and I have to admit it’s good stuff. LaRosa’s has done a great job of branding itself in Ohio, and I’m not sure why it has yet to expand out of the region; but I think it would do well. 

Next on the checklist of Cincy faves was Skyline Chili. I don’t eat red meat or pork, so I can’t comment on the chilli, but I’m told they include cinnamon and chocolate in the sauce. They give out homemade oyster crackers with each order, and popular menu items include cheeseconies, the three-way and chilitos. 

Montgomery Inn ribs is another famous Cincinnati staple. I’ve been to Montgomery Inn twice and was very impressed with both visits. Although I tried the BBQ chicken vs. the ribs, and I have to say the sauce was delicious. I also enjoyed seeing the majority of customers decked out in bibs. 

A hometown visit wouldn’t be complete without stopping by Graeter’s, a famous ice cream shop. Even Oprah has Graeter’s French Pot ice cream delivered to her home. They seem to be most well known for their chip flavors, and I heard several people say the mint chocolate chip is the best they’ve ever had. 

The professional sports teams in Cincy have these foods available for purchase at the games. There is also a website that has items available for shipping nationwide. So in case you don’t make it to Cincinnati any time soon to try them, I would recommend ordering from this site because there’s really nothing like them.

— Christie Rhodes, advertising manager, Eastern region