Best New Downtown Flavor:
Downtown lost a few good eateries during 2004, so we were especially glad to welcome Kun Ying Thai, a cuisine we love but which had been AWOL from our urban core. We’ll take curry and a live Thai musician at lunch any day over the beef and starch that Longhorn Steak formerly served in this spot.
713 Vine St., Downtown, 513-381-4777.

Best Gourmet French Fries:
Cut fresh daily and double fried, the taters at JeanRo have a beautiful rich brown, crispy exterior. Wrap them in parchment paper, serve in a stainless steel tumbler and viola! You’ve got one classy, damn tasty fry.
413 Vine St., Downtown, 513-621-1465.

photo: matt borgerding Best Comeback: The Diner on Sycamore

Best Comeback:
The Diner on Sycamore
On New Year’s Eve, the late, lamented Diner came back to life in Over-the-Rhine. Shuttered since December 2001, The Diner’s dark windows and broken neon were an eyesore and, even worse, a reminder of what might have been. But new owner Alex Patel and his partners saw the potential that’s still there and decided to reopen the old favorite. They tapped into such a reservoir of eager goodwill that the kitchen ran out of food on Day 1, and they’ve been struggling to keep up since. It’s been a challenging three months, seeking to find the right formula, but we suspect the return of chef Henry Waxman — the original Diner’s original chef — will put things in order. Give us an order of White Chili!

1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-721-1212. (Rick Pender)

Best Boca Fries:
They’re baaaaaack, only now they’re at Bella. Remember the original Boca and its amazing fries? Bella has a great new menu, and while they don’t call them Boca Fries that’s what they are, with a colorful twist — purple potatoes. While you’re at it, check out Bella for Sunday Brunch, which recently began with live Jazz and complementary Mimosas.
600 Walnut St.,Downtown, 513-721-7100.

Best Bittersweet Chocolate Brownie:
The dark and decadent morsels at Salt of the Earth are as much of a well-kept secret as the place itself. Squeezed between the Ohio BMV and some plastic surgeons in a strip mall on Red Bank Road, Salt of the Earth is a combination carryout, dine-in (for lunch and early dinners), catering company and purveyor of hard-to-find retail delicacies (area chefs shop here for things such as Pomegranate Merlot Sauce) and boutique wines.

4760 Red Bank Expressway,
Madisonville,
513-272-3650.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie:
Falling under the category of if-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it, Take the Cake’s owner still uses the recipe of the bakery’s original owners. Chock full of sweet dark chocolate chunks and butter, this is the reason God made milk and taught us how to dunk.

1437 Main St.,
Over-the-Rhine,
513-241-2772.

Best Molten Chocolate:
The desserts at Nicola’s are excellent, a testimony to the return to town of owner Nicola Pietosa’s son Cristian, back after several years abroad, including a stint as a pastry chef at London’s Savoy Hotel. Try the Chocolate Fondent with Chocolate Ganache and Crème Anglaise — a rich, warm chocolate creation that’s firm on the outside, molten chocolate on the inside and served with a scoop of ice cream.

1420 Sycamore St.,
Over-the-Rhine,
513-721-6200.

photo: sean hughes/photopresse.com Best All That And A Bag Of (Homemade) Chips: Poppies Deli Rohs Street Cafe Photo: Mandy Janes

Best All That And A Bag Of (Homemade)Chips:
Poppies Deli
There’s chips with sandwiches, and then there’s Poppies chips — hand cut Idaho and sweet potatoes fried and seasoned with the owner’s secret recipe. It’s the perfect crunch to accompany a gourmet sandwich like the Genevieve (grilled turkey and brie on focaccia with jalapeno jelly). Aesthetically speaking, the chips’ burnt orangey color gives the combo a little pop. Ripply fare just wouldn’t do here. At just over a year old, Poppies garnered many a CityBeat devotee — who get daily e-mail notices on specials — from the get-go. As it should be: In addition to their chips and sandwiches, the inventive salads and soups are making a name for the place among diners looking to put some originality back into the workday — that popularity translated into Poppies’ winning the readers pick for Best Deli. 819 Elm St., Downtown, 513-421-9888. (Jessica Turner)

1203 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-721-1212. (Rick Pender)

Best Intermission Indulgence:
The dark chocolate-dipped, double-stuffed Oreos you can get for $1.25 in the lobby at Music Hall and the Aronoff Center for the Arts. They come from Divine’s European Chocolates in Loveland. (cincinnatichocolates.com)

Best Name for a Shot of Caffeine:
If you need a jolt of joe to start your mo, you might head to Reality Tuesday Café. We salute the inspired business name — just what we need at midweek. 1518 Dixie Hwy., Park Hills, 859-261-4939.

Best Starbucks Alternative:
Owned by a hard-working couple with three or four kiddos who often come by to help, McNally’s Coffee House is a new family business thriving amid chains. They offer a large menu of coffee and “coffee-alternative” beverages, serve the requisite muffins/scones/ cookies and even offer lunch-time fare like panini sandwiches and soups. McNally’s has live music on Friday and Saturday nights on a small stage tucked into the corner of the restaurant. Our favorite beverage? Hands down, the chocolate peanut butter cup. It’s like liquidating a Reese Cup and drinking it through a straw. 8944 Columbia Road, Loveland, 513-774-7080.

Best Alternative Salad:
How do you chose between the shawarma salad at Andy’s Mediterranean Grill and the spanakopita salad at The Vineyard Café? In its home country of Lebanon, shawarma is usually served as a fast food type of sandwich in its home country of Lebanon, but brothers Majed and “Big Andy” Hajjar transform the traditional dish into a salad composed of greens, vegetables and rotisserie chicken marinated in a “secret recipe” and served with tahini sauce and warm pita bread. Meanwhile, the spanakopita salad combines the elements of a Greek salad and spinach pie. The two large, buttery triangles of phyllo, spinach and feta lay across a mixed green salad with tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and Kalamata olives dressed with extra virgin olive oil and reduced balsamic vinegar. Andy’s Mediterranean Grille, 906 Nassau St., Walnut Hills, 513-281-9791. The Vineyard Café, 2653 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, 513-871-6167.

Best Seafood Appetizer:
Another tie, this time between Bonefish Grill’s mussels Josephine and Brown Dog Cafe’s lobster wontons. The mussels are served in a glistening mound atop a buttery, white wine sea. This appetizer was made for the lazy gourmand — the lightly steamed, creamy innards pretty much melt in your mouth. Brown Dog gives an upscale treatment to the traditional crab Rangoon recipe. The delicate crispy wonton wrapper is filled with cold water lobster and blue crab ricotta and served with a sweet raspberry chipotle hoisin sauce. Bonefish Grill, 2737 Madison Road, Hyde Park, 513-321-5222. Brown Dog Cafe, 5893 Pfeiffer Road, Blue Ash, 513-794-1610.

Best Corn Chowder:
Kona Bistro serves corn chowder with a ’tude, the kind of attitude that brings you back again and again. The sweetness of the corn you expect in chowder is there, but it’s enhanced with crab meat and just enough heat from peppers to take the flavor up a notch. This one ain’t low cal, but it’s worth every bite! 3012 Madison Road, Oakley, 513-842-5662; 31 W. High St., Oxford, 513-523-0686.

photo: matt borgerding Best Cheap (And Healthy) Dinner Date: Myra's Dionysus Rohs Street Cafe Photo: Mandy Janes

Best Cheap (And Healthy) Dinner Date:
Myra's Dionysus
With the recent closing of Mullane’s Downtown, Myra’s Dionysus stands uncontested as the city’s low-budget veggie-friendly destination (CityBeat readers agree, picking Myra’s as Best Vegetarian). Good desserts and inexpensive glasses of wine complement the soup, pita sandwich and salad menu. You’ll appreciate the low tab, while your companion will be impressed by your healthy eating habits. In warm months, escape from the Calhoun Street noise by eating in the courtyard out back. New construction promises many changes to Calhoun Street and the surrounding Clifton Heights neighborhood, but Myra’s is fine just the way it is — the youthful staff is consistently courteous, and you’ll always find some homemade cookies on the counter and vegan chocolate cake and flan inside the front case. 121 Calhoun St., Clifton Heights, 513-961-1578. (Steve Ramos)

Best Side Dish:
Now, take that look off your face and just try the lima beans at Floyd’s! These aren’t the little packets of paste from your childhood. Floyd’s transforms the much-maligned veggie into a mashed delicacy with fresh parsley, garlic, olive oil and lemon. 127 Calhoun St., Clifton Heights, 513-221-2434.

Best Breakfast Dive:
For a hearty breakfast that doesn’t hurt your wallet, make sure to stop by the Blue Jay Restaurant in Northside. The diner serves cheese coneys ($1.30) and cheeseburger platters ($4.15), as well as daily breakfast specials that cost around $4. Just don’t forget to order a delicious dessert to go. Most homemade cakes and pies cost $1.50, and will keep you dreaming of this cozy mom and pop dinner for the next few days. 4154 Hamilton Ave., Northside, 513-541-0847.

Best Alternative Chicken Salad:
Trio’s Southern fried chicken salad is a must for anyone who is tired of the same old chicken salad, Atkins fanatic or not. The mixed greens, Mandarin oranges and almonds are topped with a deep fried chicken breast that tastes fabulous with the light honey mustard dressing. You can actually justify indulging in Southern fried chicken. 7565 Kenwood Road, Kenwood, 513-984-1905.

Best Sandwiches on the Move:
An Oakley institution for years, developers forced the Production Line Cafe to relocate. The new store in Camp Dennison came with nasty blue siding (it’s been removed), a liquor license and a post office. They still have the best homemade sandwiches around. No processed meats here; owner Carol Forbriger and her staff cook their own pork loin and ham for the Cuban and other unique flavor combinations. Award-winning potato salad and a fabulous Greek salad are two sides you don’t want to miss. Off the beaten track, it’s worth the trip with a delicious selection for carnivores and vegetarians alike. 7832 Glendale-Milford Road, Camp Dennison, 513-321-1205.

Best Sandwich South of the River:
The Meatloaf Sandwich at Bar Louie is a mammoth plate that will challenge even the hungriest eater. Plus, the place is cool, the view is nice and the beer selection is diverse. Just wear your loose-fitting pants. Newport on the Levee, Newport, 859-291-4222.

Best Promotions at a Restaurant:
Hands-down, Chipotle offers the most creative coupons of any business in the market. Kiss your sweetie on Valentine’s Day and get a free burrito. Come dressed as a burrito for Halloween and win free food. You never know what they’ll do next! (chipotle.com)

Best Place to Get a Fried Pickle:
We knew fried green tomatoes were delicious, but pickles? The Crooked Nail must have some deep-frying trick, because this appetizer item is delicious and filling. Combine it with one of their draft beers for a tasty snack. 9303 Cincinnati-Columbus Road, West Chester, 513-755-7800.

Best Triple Threat Appetizer:
The spinach, artichoke & smoked gouda at Carol’s on Main is an appetizer that eats like a gourmet meal — before you even take a bite the aroma makes your mouth water. Underneath a warm slab of smoked gouda that tastes as rich as its fragrance promises is a creamy dip of spinach and artichoke that blend together on chunks of fresh bread that make it hard to share. 825 Main St., Downtown, 513-651-2667.

photo: sean hughes/photopresse.com Best Food For A Song: Potluck

Best Food For A Song:
Potluck
Sharing a patio with Best Bar readers pick winner Northside Tavern, Potluck brings gourmet-style carryout to Northside. Chef/ owner James Demaree offers daily entrées like Herb Encrusted Pork Loin, Pad Thai and the wildly flavored Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms (with caramelized onions, fresh basil, tomatoes and bleu cheese), plus heaping bowls of salads: Caesar, Pasta Primavera, Buffalo Mozzarella and Tomato and Fresh Fruit, among others. Take some next door and enjoy the local music. 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside, 513-542-2444. (Donna Covrett)

Best Evidence the West Side Is Hip:
Westerners now have a cool java joint at which to meet, the Front Porch Coffeehouse. Listen to live music, peruse local artists’ work or just surf the free Wi-Fi. That’s right, the West side has arrived and is caffeinated! 5245 Glenway Ave., Price Hill, 513-471-JAVA.

Best Mammoth Improvement on Monmouth:
Mammoth Coffee is great for several reasons — the sunny colored retro furnishings, the sandwiches, the reading material, the visual art. But the show stopper has to be the coffee (it’s a coffeehouse after all), which is all Fair Trade certified and organic. Even better is the way they lure you in on 12-inch snow days — the sidewalk chalkboard boasting “drinkable hand warmers.” 515 Monmouth St., Newport, 859-291-TUSK.

Best Second Office:
Any office absentee with a good laptop can stay connected to the boss man at the longstanding Coffee Emporium in Hyde Park thanks to free Wi-Fi Internet. In warm months, work al fresco under the arbor of the sprawling back patio between runs or games of tennis at nearby public courts. During winter, a large second floor offers privacy. Energy boosts needed to make deadlines come from good coffee, tea, pastries, candy and the Emporium’s trademark waffles. Just ignore the packs of stroller moms who cluster around second floor tables to brag about their newborns. 3316 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, 513-321-5943.

Best Barristers and Baristas:
Lookout Joe’s is the cure for the sterile chain-coffee-store. The moment you walk through the door, the rich aroma of coffees make you want to try one of everything. Not sure where to begin? Every month a menu of available beans is hanging on the wall just inside the front door. Better yet, ask the staff. If you stay to enjoy your java, bring your laptop to take advantage of free Wi-Fi or pick a game off the shelf if you don’t feel like reading anything in the magazine and news paper basket. Nobody glares at you if your Scrabble game runs long or you and your friends take up part of the sectional couch for a rousing game of euchre. 3181 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout Square, 513-871-8626.

Best Elegant Asian:
From the second the server gives you a hot towel to clean your hands to the moment you choose an origami figure from the bowl on the hostess stand as you leave, Aoi offers a gracious, elegant dining experience. With menu choices such as creamy sushi that delivers a wasabi whollap and thick, udon noodles in soupy broth of shitake mushrooms and poached egg, Aoi is a player in the city’s Asian cuisine race. Newport on the Levee, Newport, 859-431-9400.

Best Chinese Before and After Midnight:
Open until 3 a.m. on the weekends, Shanghai Mama’s serves some of the tastiest Chinese this side of the Yangtze — so good they warn that frequent patrons face the danger of becoming addicted. A drug of choice is the Wild Mushroom soup with its four, count them four (shitake, straw, button and black) kinds of ’shrooms. Not interested in a meal? No problem. Park yourself at the bar for an egg roll and a Tsingtao and enjoy the morning. 216 E. Sixth St., Downtown, 513-241-7777.

Best Seafood Source:
No, it’s not the banks of the Ohio. It’s Luken’s Fish, Poultry and Seafood at Findlay Market. Because they provide seafood for some of the city’s best restaurants — Jean-Robert at Pigall’s and Boca, for instance — they also stock an eclectic array for Findlay shoppers. How about fresh skate, monkfish or barramundi? You won’t find them at Kroger. Findlay Market, 125 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-621-5567.

Best Roast Beef:
Don’t think your high-end steak house is the only place you’ll find some top-notch red meat. Check out Krause’s at Findlay Market — lots of shoppers know them for their cheese selection, but don’t pass on their beef. They roast it to perfection. Findlay Market, 1813 Pleasant St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-421-0024.

Best Reason to Keep the Oven Turned Off:
Though the address for Tattie’s Gourmet Delicatessan is Dragon Way, this little deli faces Wooster Pike across from Frisch’s Mainliner as you enter Fairfax. A good choice is the famous Chicken Salad Sampler, which allows you to choose from one of the specialty chicken salads like Cajun, cranberry or curry as well as two side items ranging from pasta salad to the house Tattie’s salad, an interesting mix of fruits and vegetables. Sandwiches, coffee and softdrinks like Jones, Vitamin Water and Sugar Cane Cola also hit the spot. 5729 Dragon Way, Fairfax, 513-561-8646.

Best Popcorn on the Cob:
We go to Taste of Cincinnati each year primarily for the corn on the cob from Eddie’s Southern Style BBQ. Served steaming hot right on the husk, dipped in movie popcorn butter — it just doesn’t get better than this. Sure, you look like an idiot walking around eating off a corn husk, but what do you care? 7633 Dixie Hwy., Florence, 859-525-0771.

Best New Construction to Hit Symmes Township:
About 99 percent of the construction in this suburb is awful, but every now and then a winner slips through. This year’s nominee is MorningStar Coffee Creations, a drive-thru coffee spot that’s doing big business. It’s just what we needed up North, where carpools, kids’ activities and taxi moms are the norm. Best bargain? The hot chocolate is only $1. 11911 Montgomery Road, Symmes Twp., 513-683-5190.

Best New Wine-Tasting Spot:
Polo Grille features a variety of wines from all areas of the world, especially from South America, where polo is dominantly played. Most wines cost between $20-$30, and all are described by polo-related terms. We particularly like choosing from the “Mallet Smashing Reds and Whites” menu. 5035 Deerfield Blvd., Mason, 513-701-POLO.

Best Rural Dining:
It’s easier to find a suburban dining experience than a rural in the greater Cincinnati area, but take a short drive down a winding road to Cold Spring and bingo! Located on the banks of the Licking River, Knotty Pine on the Bayou serves up Cajun cuisine in a roadhouse setting. On nice days try to get a seat on the enclosed patio overlooking the river while you enjoy your gumbo, fried alligator or shrimp boil. And don’t forget to order the green beans — slow cooked with onion and bacon. 1802 Licking Pike, Cold Spring, 859-781-2200.

Best source of West-Side pride:
Rondo’s is an oasis amid the restaurant-deprived desert of the West side, serving up stellar, varied “New American” food and attentive, friendly service. And how can one not love an upscale — yet never stuffy — joint that allows patrons to bring in their leftover six-pack of Negra Modello to complement a meal? Hot tip: The fish dishes are fresh and fine. 3230 Harrison Ave., Westwood, 513-662-3222.

Best Use Of Mullane’s That Isn’t Mullane’s:
Though eclectic, bohemian restaurant Mullane’s closed last year, owner Audrey Cobb is still bestowing her culinary brilliance on Cincinnatians by designing Arnold’s lunchtime menu. Nearly just as good as Cobb’s inventive dishes (for St. Patrick’s Day, “Whiskey Soaked Sausage Sandwich”) is the price: All lunch items are $3.99. 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, 513-421-6234.

Best GOP Diner in a Liberal Neighborhood:
The Proud Rooster, Clifton. When the election heated up in the fall, it became very clear where Bob Doll, a West-sider who owns The Proud Rooster in Clifton, stood on Sen. John Kerry. He removed all the Heinz Catsup bottles from the tables and replaced them with an off brand. That showed ’em! 345 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, 513-281-4965. ©