Jazzy speakeasy and lots of bourbon: Why Cincinnati & N. Kentucky made a big travel list

As a rule, I’m not fond of lists. You know ... best places to (fill in the blank.) Still, as a travel writer, I’m always curious about “Conde Nast Traveler” magazine’s annual list of best places to go in a given calendar year.

Opening this year’s issue on the 23 Best Places to go in the U.S. in 2023, I found the usual suspects: Boston, Las Vegas, San Antonio – places with a unique sense of history, style or character.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover a newcomer – Northern Kentucky/ Cincinnati. I know how special this metropolitan area on both sides of the Ohio River is, but it was great to see it acknowledged by a national publication.

As often as I’ve visited, I decided it was time for another trip to check out a few of the places that charmed the “Conde Nast Traveler” writer.

Northern Kentucky

You had to know the writer was going to love the bourbon distilleries such as New Riff in Newport, the Neeley Family Distillery in Sparta and the delightfully quirky Second Sight Spirits in Ludlow which are all on the B Line, the northernmost extension of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

But I was able to do something the magazine’s writer didn’t have a chance to – blend my own bourbon at Wenzel Whiskey. Only open since September of 2022, the 1873 building which had previously been a pickle factory and the African-American Oddfellows Hall, has a speakeasy vibe. You even have to go down a back alley to access it.

Owner Bill Whitlow, who has a Lexington connection as the designer of Goodfella’s Pizza in the Distillery District, guided me through a fun afternoon of what was essentially a chemistry experiment involving bourbon.

Under his watchful eye, I blended four bourbons – two from Kentucky, one from Indiana and one from Louisiana. If I had been able to use bourbon instead of sulfates and acids, I would have enjoyed my high school and college chemistry classes a lot more.

As to my blend, let’s just say it tasted more like Louisiana bourbon than Kentucky bourbon.

Whitlow, who expects to open the rooftop bar Opal in the near future, describes his philosophy, “Heritage distilleries spend a lot of time and money to ensure their bourbon always tastes the same; we spend time and money to ensure our bourbon doesn’t.”

“Conde Nast Traveler” also gave high marks to the boutique Hotel Covington. Located in a former department store, it has the design touches (check out the bourbon barrel wall in the lobby) and the hipness factor that most modern hotel designers strive for, without any of the cold starkness many of them end up with. You can actually SIT in their lobby and people watch.

You’ll also want to have a meal in their restaurant Coppin’s, located in a glass-enclosed atrium, which takes on completely different atmospheres at lunch and dinner. Whatever you order, don’t miss their signature tots, perfect squares of potatoes and Parmesan cheese with chili garlic mayo aioli, or the Brown Butter Cornbread with local honey.

As for other meals, a great breakfast choice is Yuca by Cedar in Bellevue, and for dinner, The Baker’s Table Bakery & Pizza in Newport.

The former, colorfully decorated in tropical tones, has a cuisine combining Mexican, Caribbean and Latin American flavors. I went for breakfast and had a difficult time deciding between Caribbean French Toast and the Churro Waffles. Eventually, I opted for the Hangover (fried redskin potatoes, chorizo, crema, jalapeno, fresh pico, eggs, avocado and cilantro.)

The latter, a favorite neighborhood spot in Newport’s historic district, is known for its pizzas, pastries and system-jolting espressos. As a bonus, they offer live music on Wednesday nights (accordion and clarinet.) All in all, a great place for a casual dining experience.

Cincinnati

The Bengals may not have made it to the Super Bowl this year, but Cincinnati still has much to celebrate. It’s not often that your city receives an accolade like the one in Conde Nast Traveler.

One of the things the writer loved most about Cincy was an underground tunnel in the trendy Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. Huh? The real attraction as it turns out is what can be found in this tunnel.

Ghost Baby is a speakeasy in every sense of the word. What else can you say about a place described as “a dimly-lit den of juke swaddled in crushed velvet and unpredictability; a clubby, grainy hideaway where every soul making an entrance transfigures the room?”

I don’t know if I transfigured the room, but it was doing pretty well on its own. Guests sink into plush brocade chairs under chandeliers tinged by soft pink lighting and order a killer cocktail with a clever name such as Love is a-Brewin (bourbon, agave, cold-brew concentrate, black walnut bitters and egg white) and Some Like it Hot (chile-infused vodka, mezcal, soursop, lime, hibiscus and hellfire bitters.)

Stay long enough and you’ll also get live music – from a hot jazz brass band to a classical pianist.

Al Capone, who spent a lot of time in this neck of the woods, would have loved this place.

Once you resurface, it’s time to think about food. Cincinnati has a cuisine for every taste, but Lexingtonians might be interested in checking out the Queen City’s version of Jeff Ruby’s Steak House.

The restaurant has recently relocated to a more glam location on Fountain Square, and the décor is every bit as resplendent as the Lexington Jeff Ruby’s.

This bar also has a raised mother-of-pearl and gold-plated piano, and the main dining room is similarly swanky in its Art Deco opulence, but the private dining areas surrounding it are where the two locations differ. You won’t find anything to do with Big Blue Nation, but rather alcoves like the Legacy Room where the portraits include Pete Rose and Johnny Bench.

What you will find is the same menu with top quality steaks and all the trimmings.

It might not involve eating and drinking, but the Cincinnati Art Museum is a feast, nonetheless. The museum has a permanent collection that might be the envy of other top tier art palaces, including a painting by Cezanne with a recently discovered hidden work underneath.

Additionally, the museum features blockbuster special exhibitions. I saw “Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art,” showing the importance of classical dance in India’s history and mythology.

The current exhibition (through May 7) features the work of Georgia O’Keefe – not her paintings, which most of us are familiar with, but her photography, which most of us aren’t.

Finally, when it’s time to settle in for the night, there is no better place to do so than the Lytle Park Hotel across from the Taft Museum.

Located in an historic 1909 building, this member of the Autograph Collection has become the crown jewel of the Queen City. From the stunning lobby bar (the bar chandeliers are Instagram worthy) to the roof terrace with its sweeping view to its lobby-side Italian restaurant Subito, this is one hotel with both style and substance.

Boston has the history; Las Vegas has the action, and San Antonio has the Alamo, but the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati region has attractions enough to warrant the 75-minute drive from Lexington.

Thank you, “Conde Nast Traveler” Magazine for making it one of the 23 Best Places in the U.S. to See in ’23.