Cincinnati Eats: Mita's

Next up on our culinary adventures in Cincinnati is dinner at Mita's Restaurant and Bar. With multiple nods from the James Beard Foundation and the same operators as one of our favorite spots, Salazar, I had high expectations.

While the restaurant space felt a little sterile and much like a hotel lobby restaurant (I can't pinpoint why, but we both felt it.), the floor to ceiling street views of Downtown, food and drink did not disappoint. I enjoyed one too many of their El Luchador craft cocktail with blanco tequila, ginger, citrus, jalapeño, and triple sec.

The Modern Mexican food reminded me a lot of Cleveland's beloved Momocho. The menu is built with small plates options to build a meal or for sharing.

We kicked off the meal with fantastic Tostones y Guacamole ($11) with twice fried plantains tossed in garlic butter and served with crushed avocado dip. Seriously, we need to recreate this at home so where can we buy good plantains in Cleveland?

We also ordered the Ceviche of the Day ($17). It was a good ceviche, but for the steep price I'd probably stick with ordering other menu items.

The Tacos De Calamares (2 for $10) of fried calamari tacos, pickled fresno peppers, cilantro, onion, corn tortillas, and harissa aioli were also awesome.

My least favorite dish was the Arepa Con Queso Fresco Y Chorizo ($10) of a cornmeal cake, farmers cheese and pork sausage. The flavors were good, but it was a tad dry and really needed some sauce.

We ended the meal with a light and sweet Pastel de Tres Leches ($9) of sponge cake, three milks, and dulce de leche caramel.

While I didn't love the vibe of the restaurant, everything else was very good and I'll happily dine there again during my Cincinnati travels. 

Mita's Restaurant and Bar
501 Race Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 421-6482