Mid-City Restaurant
Photography by Allison McAdams
CINCINNATI, OH — Mike Stankovich is known around Cincinnati for his OTR hit Longfellow—a Euro chic bar serving the city’s most creative cocktails (worth a trip, even if you’re waiting four deep to order). But his more recent brainchild, Mid-City Restaurant, breathes life into Downtown’s Court Street renovation, and asks us to consider the larger space—and to imagine what’s possible.
In an homage to vintage dining cars, Mid-City’s ambiance features warm wood hues, balancing slate blue upholstery and exposed brick throughout. Gorgeous curved ceilings adorn the bar and set a backdrop for surprising menus and attentive staff, transporting diners to an intimate yet oh-so-accessible culinary adventure. You’re invited to sit, taste a small plate (or three), and savor something unexpected.
Driven by his culinary background and personal tastes, Stankovich and the Mid-City team design seasonal menus that foster a progressive, shareable dining experience. “I don’t like committing two hours of my life to one plate of food in the same restaurant,” he says. Mid-City gives diners the option for a full meal made up of several small plates—or the flexibility for a more movable feast: a nibble and sip, then on to the next place.
It’s clear Stankovich has a way with food, space, and people. His chefs represent the best of the region, opening with Francisco Alfero (nominated for a James Beard semifinalist award), and with Joe Cheek currently at the helm. As a team, they’ve skipped some of the region’s go-tos: pasta, fried chicken, and tacos. Their menus tend to be vegetarian and gluten-free friendly, even if not by design. And with a different spin than Longfellow, Mid-City wins with classic cocktails like the Tom Collins or a proper Old Fashioned.
It’s a vibe, indeed. Mid-City defines cozy comfort with a palpable sense of ease.