Here’s a review of this week’s questions:

  1. What is the name of the Italian eatery in downtown Cincinnati that is named after a famous Italian opera singer?
  2. Who is the University of Cincinnati graduate and operatic soprano who is both a Grammy and Emmy Award-winner?
  3. What is the name of the Cincinnati bar that makes its own Amaro? Bonus question – what is Amaro?

And here are the answers:

  1. Scotti’s Italian Eatery. Legend has it that, in 1911, restaurateur Salvatore Scoleri met Metropolitan opera star Antonio Scotti and asked if he could call his restaurant “Scotti’s” in honor of the famous baritone. Scotti’s Italian Restaurant opened the following year, on Vine Street in downtown Cincinnati, where it continues today. As one of the oldest eateries in the city, Scotti’s has an illustrious history that can be savored with each mouthful of their traditional Italian fare. Specialties include Fettucine Ala Pasquale and Linguine Con Vongole, along with house-made Italian bread and a vast wine selection.
  2. Kathleen Battle. Born just upriver from Cincinnati, in Portsmouth, Ohio, in 1948, Kathleen Battle attended UC on a scholarship and taught music at an inner-city Cincinnati school before moving on to her illustrious music career. Battle is arguably the only lyric soprano with the ability to bridge the gap between the European bel canto opera and the African American tradition of vocal improvisation. She has performed in every major opera house in the world, sharing the stage with luminaries like Placido Domingo & Luciano Pavarotti. She is a five-time Grammy winner and was inducted into the NAACP Image Hall of Fame in 1999.
  3. Longfellow. Opened in 2017, Longfellow Cincinnati is a low-key cocktail bar and café with expertly crafted drinks, a rock-solid beer and wine selection and old world inspired food. Their location on Clay Street also offers a smaller space behind Longfellow called The Other Room, featuring Ohio’s largest rum selection and proper absinthe service. Longfellow have also recently started making their own Amaro, which is a an Italian herbal liqueur, commonly consumed as an after-dinner digestif. They also began making their own line of cocktail bitters, infused with chamomile and coriander, which fans can get to-go.