This landmark waterfront (in the water) restaurant was a haunt of mine over 25 years ago as a first stop on the way to a Reds ballgame with clients in the Cincinnati area. I never forgot it – at the time I ate all types of seafood which is their claim to fame. Going back years later brought even more surprises (it was a default location with the closing of Scalea’s in Covington – later renamed).
OK… though I won’t call their eggplant melanzane, I will call two of their variations very good. One was a part of an entree called a mountain (or hill or heap) of eggplant and fried green tomatoes (check their website for exact name). Though I was turned off to green tomatoes in a spot in Galena, IL, when combined with eggplant and cooked well there is hope for them. The second variation was their fried eggplant appetizer (for four bucks!) which was really a heap of eggplant served with cocktail sauce. You could have made it a meal in itself. Since I ate here two days in a row, I also had their Mississippi bean soup (similar to good old fashioned pork and beans but with a tangier sauce). The other entree was chicken florentine which was prepared nicely; the extra steamed vegetables were welcome (I skipped the rice pilaf – enough starch in the eggplant breading).
Wine choices are thoughtful with at least a half dozen reds and whites to select by the glass. My California Zinfandel (night 1) and Pinot Noir (night 2) were fine.
If you like seafood, this also looks like a pretty good choice (judged by the menu and passing dishes).
One Ben Bernstein Place
Covington, KY 41011
(Accross the river from Cincinnati)
(859)261-4212