Cincinnati restaurants in the twentieth century and into the twenty-first have been considered among the best in the nation.[1][2][3][4] In 1960 Great Restaurants of America wrote "Cincinnati has more good French restaurants than any other city, except New York".[5] In 1986 the Rock Island Argus called it "one of the more sophisticated cosmopolitan centers when it comes to food and wine".[6] The reputation dates to 1948 when the Gourmet Room gained a national reputation under chef Henri Guglielmi.[5]
Cincinnati was home to three of the eight Mobil 5-star rated restaurants in the United States in the 1960s and early 1970s; at the time, New York City had two.[7][8][9][10] By 1986 Cincinnati had two 5-star Mobil restaurants, Pigall's and The Maisonette; it was one of only a few cities with two restaurants with the rating.[6]
The Maisonette, which closed in xxxx, was the holder of the longest-running continuous 5-star Mobil review in the United States.[7] It received Mobil's highest rating for 41 consecutive years, more than any other restaurant in North America.[11][12]
Pigall's was another Mobil 5-star restaurant. When Jean-Robert at Pigall's closed in 2009, it had earned five consecutive 4-star Mobil ratings and was the only Mobil 4-star restaurant in the tri-state area surrounding Greater Cincinnati.[7]
The Gourmet Room was located on the twentieth floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel.[5]
Cincinnati has multiple notable regional creations, including Cincinnati chili and goetta. Mock turtle soup and city chicken have traditionally been popular.