Main Street, OTR

Most visitors looking for a bite to eat in the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood find themselves on Vine Street at one of the trendy restaurants or bars. We love Vine Street, but we also suggest you get off the beaten path. Today we explain why you should check out Main Street, just two short blocks to the east.

Over-the-Rhine’s reemergence as THE place to be may have actually begun on Main Street in the 1990’s. Here, artists and musicians found they could rent space cheaply and began to settle in galleries and lofts. Some bars and nightclubs followed, and Main Street took on a personality of its own. The street is now home to a population diverse in socioeconomic level, race, and interests with some still “living on the edge.” But along with the eclectic mix of residents, you’ll find some wonderful, locally owned specialty shops and eateries that call Main Street home as well.

As you walk down Main, you’ll note the delightful smell of fresh-baked bread. Along with Shadeau Breads, a fixture in Over-the-Rhine for more than ten years, you now also have fresh bread baking at Allez’. Right next door to Allez’, you’ll find Macaron Bar, French pastries that rival those found in Paris. Across the street is Goodfella’s Pizzeria with its hand-tossed New York-style pizza. (Insider’s tip: Don’t miss the hidden courtyard in the back at Goodfella’s or the upstairs bourbon bar.) Farther north on Main, you’ll find the historic Woodward theater, recently reborn as a live music venue and events hall. Right next door to the theater is Buzzed Bull Creamery, the dream of a team of local entrepreneurs who use liquid nitrogen to make ice cream desserts right before your eyes. Scattered on Main are numerous shops and retail businesses with more food options coming soon. Toss in some amazing architecture, a monthly Second Sunday on Main festival and a Cincinnati Bell Connector streetcar stop, and you have plenty of convincing reasons to explore Main Street. What are you waiting for?