Cincinnati’s Hottest New Restaurant: LouVino

If you live in Cincinnati or the surrounding area, surely you have heard of LouVino, one of Cincinnati’s newest restaurants. If you haven’t heard of them or dined in… where have you been?! :) For those who might not know, LouVino is a Southern inspired, small plate restaurant and wine bar located on Main Street downtown. They are originally based out of Louisville, with their name deriving from a combination of Louisville + Wine. Although they have only been opened locally since August, their reputation has spread like wildfire. Cincinnatians began flocking to their doors as soon as they opened and have not stopped.

Biscuits and Gravy

A little background about them:

LouVino is southern influenced because of the owner’s home state of Georgia. The concept started with a love for contemporary southern cuisine, along with a much needed, new take on a wine bar space. What makes LouVino so unique is the extensive wine selection. 60 wines by the glass to be exact- that’s pretty uncommon. This makes learning about and trying new wines so much more approachable and attainable than having to purchase an entire bottle of course (we definitely agree!) Wine paired with contemporary, creative, southern small (but very generous) plates continues to provide everyone with something they can enjoy.

Each location’s executive chef has the ability to create their own seasonal section on the menu. They are encouraged to be creative and have a passion for adventurous and contemporary southern cuisine. The executive chef, Tavis Rockwell, along with his wife Sarah (OTR’s head chef) both come from southern roots. Many of their skills and techniques are passed on to those that work within LouVino kitchens.

: Steak & Hoe Cakes

: Mixed Green Salad

: Fried Green Tomatoes

Sioux chef Jeffrey Harris, who happened to be on site when we visited, is originally from New Orleans and has an extensive family history of cooking and an impressive background himself. He has worked in restaurants alongside Emeril Lagesse and Jose Salazar. That certainly makes us feel pretty confident about the chefs LouVino chooses to have on site. Jeffrey expressed working at LouVino has allowed him and others to be more creative with menu items. What you’ll notice is the core Southern influence is ever present, but with a unique spin on these traditional items. Whether it’s the breakfast corndogs for brunch or the seared scallops with friend green tomatoes for dinner, you will find items you’ve always known and loved, but with a fun twist.

Many people ask what the top selling items are. For the OTR location specifically, the Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad is #1 and Baked Potato Tots are #2. We can certainly say they both are amazing! In addition to these top sellers, we loved the risotto, breakfast corndogs, and scallops. It was pretty tough to pick our top items, as everything we’ve had has been great!

: Brussel Sprouts Salad

: Risotto

: Loaded Baked Potato Tots

: Seared Scallops

: Breakfast Tacos

: Duck Fat Frites

also, don’t forget about their desserts! Might we suggest the Stuffed Beignets. Mouth watering!!

Stuffed Beignets

As with most restaurants, we are always curious about the future. Louvino will soon offer wine classes (we can hear you all shouting for joy…even in the back ;) They want anyone who wants to learn about the wonderful world of wine to be able to. They are aiming to begin wine classes this February. These will range from classes about wines from different regions to specific wine groups. Coming soon: Great Reds of the PNW, Celebrating Female Wine Makers, BIG GABS, Rose all May (cute!), bubbles, etc. There is a level 3 (advanced) sommelier on staff who will be leading many of these, along with two very talented level 2 sommeliers as well. They aim to teach and make the learning experience oh so fun! They are also aiming to begin themed, wine dinners as well. One in particular will be an incredible Harry Potter Wine Dinner sometime in 2019!

In addition to their wine classes, they will also begin offer lunch in April 2019. Woop! That is more opportunity to get the items we have come to love!

When we asked the team if someone has not been to LouVino, what would you say they are missing?, their response was “Adventurous small plates coupled with an attainable approach wine, along with 60+ wines by the glass, bourbon, beer and cocktails. Paired with our inviting chic interior, it’s the night out on the town that you’ll want every week.” This is the experience we have had every time. They are friendly, warm, modern yet classy, and have an unlimited amount of delicious options. We are so happy they’ve made their way to Cincinnati

Cheers to continued success Louvino!

**Be sure to check out our Instagram for a fun Louvino giveaway!**