Cincinnati Eats: Otto's

Okay, okay, it's really in Covington, Kentucky across the river from Downtown Cincinnati, but you may not find yourself staying there if you're visiting the Cincinnati area. But, this pocket of restaurants and businesses is worth crossing the river for. We've had some great meals there during my work travels.

This time, we walked from our hotel over to Otto's on Main Street.

This small restaurant is very artsy and eclectic inside, and it reminds me of a spot you'd find in Tremont here. But, on that particular night, we snagged a table for four on the sidewalk. It was a perfect summer night to sit outside and people-watch.

We started with the Grilled Toast of the evening ($8 - toppings vary).

It was topped with apricot preserves, crumbled bleu cheese, arugula, and crispy bacon. It had me dreaming of grilled toasts that we could make at home.

Then, I had the Lobster Salad with greens, lobster, grapefruit, avocado, and citrus vinaigrette ($12).

This salad was packed with large chunks of lobster meat. It was light and refreshing, but I would have loved a squeeze of lemon juice on top. It lacked a bit of citrus for me, and I also didn't care for the raw peppers included. I don't think that they worked well with the lobster and grapefruit flavors.

For my main dish, I ordered the Sea Scallops with roasted asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, Parmesan risotto, and smoked tomato aioli ($26).

This is their most popular entree, and I can see why. It was well-balanced, the scallops were seared perfectly, and I enjoyed the aioli with the rich, cheesy risotto.

Another table favorite was the White Fish with garden panzanella, white beans, herbs, crispy prosciutto, and a citrus beurre blanc ($26). The type of fish changes, but the preparation remains the same. It was a great piece of halibut that evening, and it was cooked perfectly.

Otto's was another great find, and we'll be back.

Otto's
521 Main Street
Covington, KY 41011
859-491-6678