That's So Cincinnati

When the invitation came to Aftab Pureval, who had just been elected Cincinnati mayor, to visit the White House late last year along with other new mayors he wasn't sure what to expect. But Pureval went to the Dec. 14 meeting prepared, bringing with him a request for what he sees as Cincinnati's most pressing need from the federal government: A new Brent Spence Bridge. He did pitch that project th...

Enquirer executive editor Beryl Love and columnist Jason Williams discuss the biggest stories of 2021. Where does UC football making the College Football Playoff, Brood X cicada invasion and Aftab Pureval winning the mayor's race rank among the top stories?  Find out on "That's So Cincinnati." 

Cristian Pietoso takes pride in offering an authentic Italian dining experience at his four Greater Cincinnati restaurants. Early next year, guests at Downtown's Via Vite will have a new experience. They'll be able to watch up close the pasta-making process, a viewing area that'll be part of an upcoming remodeling at the Fountain Square restaurant. Via Vite is scheduled to temporarily shutdown on...

A decade ago, Chris Seelbach ran for Cincinnati City Council wanting to help stop the city's yearslong population decline. The trailblazing Democrat was personally doing his part. He purchased a condo in Over-the-Rhine for $125,000, $10,000 of it an inheritance his parents told him he was squandering on such a purchase. Seelbach, first elected in 2011, has watched his neighborhood thrive ever sinc...

Montgomery Inn partner Dean Gregory tells stories about his dad and the restaurant's late founder, Ted Gregory; his mom's secret BBQ sauce; how Bob Hope got involved; and the exploding cigar prank. 

Cincinnati City Councilwoman Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney and former President Barack Obama have been friends since they were classmates at Harvard Law School 30 years ago. Their families have stayed in touch. Kearney and her husband, former state Sen. Eric Kearney, held fundraisers for Obama and worked on his campaigns. Did Lemon Kearney turn to Barack and Michelle Obama for political advice while r...

David Pepper first ran for office 20 years ago , the start of a career that now includes Cincinnati City Council, the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners and Ohio Democratic Party Chairman. Pepper, 50, of Indian Hill, pivoted in recent years to a new career: author, writing political thrillers. His newest book, Laboratories of Autocracy: A wake-up call from behind the lines, is a non-fiction to...

REDI Cincinnati is the region's leading organization charged with recruiting new companies and jobs. It played a big role in regional leaders' pitch to World Cup officials last week, and REDI President and CEO Kimm Lauterbach joined "That's So Cincinnati" podcast to discuss.

The Flying Pig is back, albeit it with a smaller field of racers and later in the year than usual.  But it will still be the same community-driven event that it was before the coronavirus pandemic forced Cincinnati races to be virtual last year, said Iris Simpson Bush, executive director at Flying Pig Marathon, Inc, which runs the marathon and several other races throughout the year.  "We're thril...

American soccer veteran Geoff Cameron is always outspoken about something. A few years ago, it was about his support of Donald Trump. Nowadays, though, it's more about how much he loves Cincinnati and the city's soccer fans. Cameron, in his first season with FC Cincinnati, spent time on his off day to chat with The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast partly about his decision to back away fr...

After throwing years of popular LGBTQ-friendly tea dances, Richard Cooke embarked on opening a bar in Over-the-Rhine, which he envisioned as a place to "dance in a safe and welcoming place." The pandemic hit as the Procter & Gamble alum readied to open the bar. But there was only one thing to do, Cooke said: Stay the course.  e19 Lounge Bar & Discothèque, located across the street from Rhi...

No one knows the history of University of Cincinnati football better than Jim Kelly, a member of the school's athletics hall of fame and long-time radio analyst. Whether as a player, broadcaster, son of a former assistant coach and athletic department administrator or fan, Kelly has attended nearly 500 Bearcats football games in his lifetime. None will be more significant than Saturday's showdown...

Findlay Market CEO Joe Hansbauer highlights the improvements made to the market over the last 20 years on The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast this week.  The market house was re-done and is bustling. The nearly 18 storefronts along Elder Street, are nearly full. There is Findlay Kitchen , a non-profit food business incubator, where 60 businesses are operating and now, Findlay Launch , wh...

Tom Brinkman, a longtime conservative state lawmaker, talks about why he decided to tackle corruption at Cincinnati City Hall. 

Sam Adams' Jim Koch joins us on this week's episode of That's So Cincinnati.

700 WLW host and ESPN college football analyst Rocky Boiman joins That's So Cincinnati podcast. 

Britney Ruby Miller wasn't just handed the keys to her father's steakhouse empire in spring 2020. She earned it – and her experience of having worked her way up from server to CEO of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment immediately paid off as Ruby Miller tackled head on the challenges of the pandemic had on the restaurant industry.  Ruby Miller was not only a leader for her company. She was a leading...

3CDC's Steve Leeper says the next major Downtown development priority needs to be the area around the Duke Energy Convention Center. The aging convention center is surrounded mostly by blighted properties and surface parking lots. The old Millennium Hotel is in the process of being demolished, but there's no plan for a new convention center hotel. Leeper, the development organization's president a...

Rosemarie Moehring, marketing director for Cincinnati-based concert promoter Music & Event Management, Inc., joins That's So Cincinnati podcast. 

Two years ago when Hamilton County Commissioner Stephanie Dumas voted against putting $1.3 million in earnest money toward purchasing the Millennium Hotel for redevelopment purposes, the Democrat faced criticism for standing in the way of progress. The deal got done anyway in a 2-1 vote. Today, as the hotel comes down with no plan to replace it with a new convention hotel , Dumas said about her vo...

Cincinnati restauranteur and bar owner Bob Deck, a managing partner at Four Entertainment Group, joined The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast this week to chat about:  Jeff Ruby's impact on Deck's career   4EG's role in the revitalization of Downtown and Over-the-Rhine The struggles of being a bar and restaurant owner during a pandemic Expansion, including opening the Ernest Hemingway-inspir...

Bengals punter Kevin Huber has been an All-American and an All-Pro in his football career. Big awards, no doubt, but they’re not his most unique accomplishment. Huber is the rare athlete who’s been able to play every level of football in his hometown. Huber talks about his journey from McNicholas High School star to University of Cincinnati All-American to being the longest-tenured player on the B...

You probably don't know Tom Tsuchiya. But you know his work.  From molding creek clay in his backyard to building statues of Cincinnati icons like Pete Rose, learn about the life of a sculptor. 

Fifty West Brewing founder Bobby Slattery talks about growing his company into Greater Cincinnati's family friendly brewery; expansion into Southeast Ohio and West Virginia; and whether the region is oversaturated with breweries.