Best Contemporary American Restaurants in Evendale

Wow!! Aperture is yet another example of why Cincinnati is truly a foodie city. Very impressed with every not-so-little-detail Chef Jordan Anthony Brown put into this restaurant. The space is modern, yet intimate; the lighting is a perfect balance of mood and softness; even with a completely full restaurant, it was never loud; sitting next to the windows on a cold, rainy night, we never felt any temperature difference; the service from everyone was equally excellent, professional, friendly and attentive. Now, for the food. First, watching the chefs in the open kitchen was entertainment in itself. I could have watched this intimate look into the passion and precision of the preparing, creating, and plating each individual dish all night. Every dish we ordered was uniquely different in its presentation and flavor: simple, yet fresh, curious and delicious with combinations I have not previously encountered. The Fennel sausage pasta was perfect in its sauce distribution, flavor and al dente texture. The Stripped Bass delivered a flaky, crisp fish in an emulsion of light chowder-like sauce-Unexpectedly amazing. The simple fire-heated pita with the eggplant hummus was no less impressive. Thank you Chef Jordan Anthony Brown, and the people that work along side you to remind us how decadent and fun eating can be when made with love and dedication.

Our food and service were excellent! We ordered a little bit of everything including grilled and raw oysters, the chilli garlic prawns, arancini, salads, steaks, aragosta, risotto, green beans, wine, espresso martinis, olive oil cake, and tiramisu. Every single thing was to die for and I’d order it all again! The vibes were perfect for a Saturday night date night or even girls night out. We will definitely be returning again and again!

Our server Dillon was fantastic. We started with the Korean corn dogs and the Tuna crudo which were both very good and well portioned. For our main we had the shrimp tagliatelle and the pork shank tacos. The pasta was on the dry side and had a very light flavor, I don’t think I’d reach for it again. The pork shank tacos on the other hand were amazing and I would definitely return for it! We had a few of the signature cocktails which were all delicious and an experience in themselves. We finished off with the creamsicle cloud which was unique and light. We will definitely be back!

Great Valentines Day lunch! Food was freshly prepared and tasted great! Server was kind and did not hurry us. Crème Brûlée was a perfect treat. Will return soon.

Meritage is an outstanding restaurant with excellent service (thank you Tyler) and consistenly delicious food. My friends and I were in the bar during happy hour, thus the noise level measurment, but really that was not at all a problem! We already have plans to return to Meritage and appreciate knowing in advance that we will get the same outstanding quality of food, service and ambiance, because that is what Meritage ALWAYS provides!