Queen City Bee Breakfast Sandwich, Redskin Potatoes – Sleepy Bee Cafe, Blue Ash, OH

If you’re like me, the most important meal of the day is often approached with utility in mind—whatever pastry or sketchy fast-food egg sandwich that can be washed down with the morning’s coffee usually does the trick. However, the weekend affords us the opportunity for a nice, leisurely luxury—brunch. On this sunny winter morning, I moseyed in to Sleepy Bee Cafe for a delicious indulgence to start my day.

The lively eatery has three locations in the Cincinnati area, boasting a creative and eclectic menu to go along with its cheery ambiance. They dish out breakfast food staples with a refreshing flair. After much deliberation, I chose the Queen City Bee—a ciabatta-stacked breakfast sandwich with goetta, an over-easy egg, arugula, apple slices, and “nectar” sauce—a seasoned mayonnaise thickened with cream cheese and honey.

For those of you who may be unfamiliar, goetta is a unique-to-Cincinnati breakfast sausage made with ground pork and oats that has its roots in Germany—similar in preparation and regional status to Pennsylvania’s beloved scrapple. When seared up properly like this, it’s got a crispy crust and crumbles delightfully under a hardy bite.

While goetta takes center stage on this distinctly regional sandwich, the supporting cast elevates the city’s favorite sausage to a new pinnacle. The broken egg yolk mixes with the “nectar” sauce to form a seductively rich condiment that oozes all over the bread and beyond. It almost serves as a dressing for the peppery fresh arugula and the crisp apple slices, which brighten up the otherwise rustic sandwich. It’s a quintessential blending of the queen city’s humble pork-packing culinary history and the modern innovation of today’s kitchen wizardry.

A good cup of coffee is always an indication that a breakfast place is worth its salt. I knew I was in for a treat after one sip from the Sleepy Bee-branded mug. Whether you’re in the mood for an extravagant brunch with the whole family or a quick bite before work, this charming Queen City cafe is the place to bee from breakfast to lunch.

Hot Chicken, Pimento Mac & Cheese, and Fries – Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, Nashville, TN

Despite the incendiary side effects, spicy food holds a special place in our Prilosec-soothed hearts. Western New York has Buffalo sauce, Korea has gochujang, Jamaica has scotch bonnets, Ethiopia has berbere, and China has Sichuan peppercorns. No matter where or what the heat source is, diners flock to these fiery foods for a rush of endorphins they would never otherwise receive sitting down for dinner. Nashville’s Scoville-packed claim to fame is Hot Chicken—a cayenne-spiked spin on a traditional southern-fried treat.

Hattie B’s, along with its contemporaries Prince’s and Pepperfire, dishes out some of the finest Hot Chicken in the music city. They offer a variety of spice levels from mild to “shut the cluck up!!!” for the more masochistic gluttons among us. I wisely chose the middle option, “Hot!”, and found the heat level to be pleasant without being painful. The burn has a slow crescendo throughout the meal before coming to a climax at the total sinus expulsion caught in the roll of paper towels that are wisely placed at each table.

The key to Hot Chicken is that the spices are mixed in with some of the hot cooking oil or melted butter that is then re-applied to the chicken. This results in a moist and spicy bird that maintains the crispy golden brown deliciousness we expect from fried chicken. The food fire is contained by the acidity of the pickles and extinguished by the creamy Mac’ n cheese that I strategically chose as a side dish.

Whether you’re looking for a subtle kick or a full-on gastronomic sauna session, Nashville Hot Chicken provides a flammable take on a soul food classic. The chicken packs a punch without overpowering the juicy white meat, the crispy, sinfully fatty skin—the reasons fried chicken is such a beloved institution of southern cuisine. Like a sip of Tennessee whisky, Hot Chicken leaves your taste buds tingling for more of the music city’s sultry serenade.

Ribs, Pulled Pork Sandwich, Jalapeño Cheddar Grits w/pork crispins, Coleslaw, and Baked Beans – Eli’s BBQ, Cincinnati, OH

Hotdogs and apple pie may get more patriotic publicity but no food is more American than barbecue. The longstanding southern ritual of smoking meats over hardwood is a regional art form practiced with religious fervor. However, the fine folks at Eli’s BBQ bring these landlocked flavors just north of the Mason-Dixon Line, serving up some of Cincinnati’s best barbecue.

Let’s start with the ribs—perhaps the toughest bbq dish to tackle, as they can dry out quicker than the Kalahari Desert. Eli’s avoids this common pitfall with a smoking process that creates a thick bark around the ribs, keeping them moist and crunchy. You can squeeze these puppies and watch juice pour out of the meat’s striations like soap from a sponge. The pulled pork has a similarly intoxicating char intertwined throughout the succulent strands of swiny goodness, piled up on a buttery bun with a refreshing cup of coleslaw. Both hickory-scented preparations have the intensely smoky flavor you look for in barbecue without tasting like the pig puffed cigars every day of its life. Meats as good as these don’t demand to be doused in sauce, but Eli’s signature recipe is nuanced and tangy—not to be confused with the cloyingly sweet molasses lacquer served on lesser barbecue. Here, the sauce complements the meat.

Much like the iridescent pink smoke ring in the pork, good side dishes are often an indication of quality barbecue. The baked beans have a depth of flavor you seldom find in a side dish with hints of brown sugar playing nicely alongside the salty meat. The crispy pork-topped cheddar jalapeño grits are a creamy, indulgent delight as well. If you haven’t had grits, I recommend these for your maiden journey. They’re spicy, cheesy, and have a unique texture—like savory, butter-laced Pop Rocks.

The smoke billowing out back of Eli’s Barbecue is a beacon of hope along the banks of the Ohio River. This understated eatery pays homage to a deeply rooted southern point of pride, offering an authentic rendition of America’s tastiest tradition.

Gyro and Greek Fries – Durum Grill, Blue Ash, OH

It may be hard to pronounce but they’re easy to devour—gyros have become one of the most popular fast-casual options for diners looking for a lunchtime alternative to burgers and subs. The Mediterranean street food favorite—made up of spit-roasted lamb and beef, vegetables, and tzatziki sauce on pita bread—is a hardy handheld treat that will stick to your ribs without emptying your wallet. Durum Grill, a no-frills eatery wedged into a Blue Ash strip mall, is known for serving some of the best gyro’s in Cincinnati—a reputation it has undoubtedly earned.

The meat—delicately shaved from its mythical rotating cone to be tonged into place atop a heavenly fluffy pita—is herbaceous, tender, and succulent. It has the subtle gaminess from the lamb and juiciness from the beef. It’s rare that I rave about vegetables, but the lettuce, tomato, and onion make for a fresh, crisp bed for the heaping pile of gyro meat to rest on. The tzatziki sauce—a yogurt-based condiment, perfumed with garlic and cucumber—is like a cool breeze on a summer day, gently cleansing your palette bite after savory bite. The hot sauce (shown on the side) is the yin to this yogurty yang as it adds an intensely spicy kick to the sandwich without overpowering the other bold flavors at play.

Greek fries may technically be a side dish, but they certainly don’t play second fiddle here. The spuds are topped with a briny, garlic-spiked vinaigrette and a salty, melt-in-your-mouth feta cheese—like parmesan and bleu cheese had a baby that herded sheep. More importantly (for slobs like me), these fries are a safety net at the end of the meal, when the massive gyro inevitably falls into disarray. All of the delicious debris plummets from the gyro onto the fries, resulting in a scrumptious splatter painting for you to mop up before rolling your way back to work or hopefully home.

With fresh, high-quality ingredients and unmatched authenticity, Durum Grill has garnered acclaim for being one of the best gyro spots in the city. Whether you’re hungry for the taste of home or looking for something new to try, you’ll walk away from the table stuffed and smiling.

Chili 4-way, Cheese Coney, and Gravy Cheese Fries – Pleasant Ridge Chili, Cincinnati, OH

Buried under comically large piles of shredded cheddar cheese is the culinary lifeblood of the Queen City—Cincinnati-style chili. This Greek-inspired meat sauce is thinner than most varieties of chili and has a sweet, complex flavor laced with allspice, cinnamon, and even a hint of dark chocolate. Think of it as midwestern mole sauce. Any self-respecting Cincinnatian has their chili order committed to memory. More common dishes like chili cheese fries and coneys are readily available, but the distinguishing feature on the menu is chili spaghetti, also known as “ways”. You can order a 3-way (spaghetti, chili, and cheese), a 4-way (add onion or beans), or a 5-way (add onion and beans). Either way, you’re in for a gut-bustingly tasty treat.

Out-of-towners may be familiar with local chains like Skyline and Gold Star, but there are mom and pop chili spots all over the tri-state area. These quaint eateries also offer a wide variety of menu items like breakfast and double decker sandwiches to go along with the trademark chili. The east coast has their diners—Cincinnati has our chili parlors. Pleasant Ridge Chili is one of the oldest (est. 1964) and most acclaimed chili parlors in town, so I had to stop in and try their take on the classics.

Don’t be intimidated by all of that cheese—it’s the glue that makes the chili adhere to the pasta. It can be equally binding to your bowels, but don’t let that discourage you. A 4-way may seem odd to outsiders, but it is in fact a complete dish. The spaghetti is the starch, the chili is the sweet and spicy protein, the onions are technically a vegetable and give the bite and crunch for textural variety, and the sharp cheddar cheese gives that umami kick while providing the dairy we all crave. The beauty of it is the progression of the dish over the course of the meal. When the plate first hits the table, the cheese is still cold, providing a pleasing contrast in temperature against the warm chili spaghetti. By the end of the meal, the cheese has melted and everything has transformed into a singular cornucopia of flavor and texture.

Alongside the usual suspects, Pleasant Ridge has gravy cheese fries that have been a staple since the start. The fries defy the laws of physics and somehow remain crispy after being lathered in the delectably rich, full-bodied gravy—or I just inhaled them before they had the chance to get soggy. They hit all the right notes at Pleasant Ridge Chili. The booths are red vinyl, the register is cash-only, and the walls are lined with classic photographs. It’s not hard to see why this chili parlor has been a neighborhood institution for over 5 decades.

If your travels take you to Cincinnati, you can’t leave town without trying the chili—it’s the defining food of the city and contains all the heart-warming flavors you could ever dream of in one dish. If you’re a local, I urge you to seek out these endearing little chili parlors that serve up our favorite comfort food with a timeless side of charm.

Torta Cubano – Tahona Kitchen & Bar, Blue Ash, OH

Nestled in the quiet Cincinnati suburb of Blue Ash, OH, Tahona is a hip little taco joint that is both family and millennial-friendly. The ingredients are fresh, the salsa bar is bountiful, and the ambiance is lively. The taqueria is one of four eateries in Summit Park, a massive enclave that boasts a skating rink and a 150-foot observation tower to enjoy a panoramic view after you’re done devouring tacos.

If you’re in the mood for something a little hardier than a taco, I highly recommend the Torta Cubano. The sandwich features braised pork, bacon, a medley of pickled vegetables, chipotle mustard, and jack cheese. If you’re enticed by the picture above, I also recommend the movie, Chef , for a fully-fledged spank reel on the Cuban sandwich.

The more kinds of pork you can pile onto bread, the better. Why have 1 violin in an orchestra, right? In this case, the unctuous pulled pork and crispy bacon compliment each other wonderfully. However, it would all be moot if it were stacked on two soggy pieces of wonder bread. The jam-packed panini is held intact by their telera roll—a less-dense cousin of ciabatta bread that is the real secret to the torta’s success. Combine that with the day-brightening pickle garnish and the sinus-clearing mustard, and you have a sandwich that will slide down your gullet faster than your second margarita.

If you’re a real suburban thrill seeker—grab yourself a torta, knock back a few drinks, and waddle your way to the skating rink outside of Tahona for a perilously fun time.

Pastrami Reuben-Sherman’s Deli & Bakery, Palm Springs, CA

Most kids grow up with their parents prodding them to eat their vegetables. I grew up with my father trying to convince me that delectable dishes like gefilte fish and chopped liver were our “soul food”. I was about as receptive to eating a slimy patty of fish paste as I was to attending Hebrew school. But one part of my heritage that actually stuck was pastrami—and with good reason.

The pastrami reuben—a heaping pile of generously-seasoned brisket served on grilled rye bread with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut—is the holy grail of Jewish delicatessen. While the elderly folks of Palm Springs may have to remove their dentures to fix their lips around this iconic sandwich, the experience at Sherman’s is well-worth the effort.

The star of the show is obviously the pastrami—as you can tell by the real estate it occupies in the photo above. The meat is tender, as lean as beef needs to be, and wonderfully aromatic, with lots of black pepper and coriander brightening up the bovine decadence. The fixings are the perfect foil and really what make the sandwich such a ubiquitous menu item at deli’s across the country. The slab of Swiss cheese is the glue between the meat and the briny, pucker-inducing sauerkraut that cuts through the fattiness of the pastrami perfectly. With a sandwich like this, you’ll also want a side of pickles that could peal the paint off the walls. The rye bread—scattered with floral caraway seeds that are little fireworks of flavor—is the ideal vesicle for the mammoth caloric cargo load. To top it off, the Reuben comes with a cup of rich, creamy Russian dressing that I was shamelessly tongue punching by the end of the meal.

In this age of Uber Eats and fast-casual dining, traditional deli’s like Sherman’s are falling by the wayside. But few things have the nostalgic power to bring us back to better days like the foods of our forefathers. My normally-health-conscious aunt having a Meg Ryan-esque orgasm over the same sandwich certainly added to my delight. We all have a history that we can sink our teeth into, which may not make up for the 2,000 calories I just ingested, but it makes meals like this even more delicious and soulfully nutritious.