Royal Treatment in the Queen City

Cincinnati is not known as a hub of luxury. But on a recent trip, we experienced the Queen City at its lavish best.

21C Museum Hotel

This boutique hotel chain has a great partnership with American Express. Book through AmEx and you get upgraded, plus $100 towards food or the spa.

We had a lovely 2 room suite, with a large work table, a couple of couches and a giant bathroom. The king sized bed was extremely comfortable.

Since it was my husband’s birthday, I booked him a deep tissue spa. The bargain basement treatment, on the top floor of the hotel, was one of the best he’s had. The spa is one floor down from the rooftop bar, which sadly was closed due to cold and rain.

The 21C has a large gym and on weekdays, offers free pastries and fresh fruit in the lobby for breakfast. Every day, there is fresh coffee in the lobby, plus a Nespresso machine in your room.

Cozy Peasant Food

Sotto, a subterranean place a block from 21C, was a welcome antidote to a chilly, rain swept night. The warm, cozy restaurant specializes in comfort food, and offered vegetarian substitutions when we mentioned we are vegetarians. We wanted the simple arugula and parmigiano salad without the prosciutto, and the waiter offered to add walnuts. The incredibly fresh walnuts paired perfectly with the bitter arugula.

Likewise, veggie stock was used in the rigatoni con pomodoro instead of the usual chicken stock. The knockout dish of black truffle and parmigiano had the perfect amount of deeply flavorful truffle shaved over spaghetti.

Mini chain

Sleepy Bee Cafe, a local mini chain of three restaurants, has a branch a couple of blocks form 21C. It is the perfect breakfast or lunch spot. Cincinnati has a local specialty, a porky chopped meat called goetta. Sleepy Bee has a vegan version, made with mushrooms. I can’t compare it to the meat version, since I’ve never tried it, but this is a delicious sandwich. And the coffee is excellent.

Findlay Market

No trip to the midwest is complete without a stop at Findlay Market. This foodie focused place has a casual restaurant, Goose & Elder, from James Beard-nominated chef Jose Salazar. We got a great avo toast here. It came with shaved radish, pickled jalapeño, parmesan and sunflower sprouts and very seedy bread.