Frank Duveneck: American Master and Cincinnati Native

By: Stephanie Denzel

Videography by: Shae Combs

Frank Duveneck is a name synonymous with Cincinnati’s rich art history. Born in Covington in 1848, Duveneck’s brilliant and inspiring work made a substantial and enduring impact on the international art world of his time.

Now, more than 90 examples of the Covington’s native’s work is on display at the Cincinnati Art Museum. With 35 pieces on loan from collections across the country, this exhibit gives a fresh, in-depth look at this important artist.

See Duveneck’s work for yourself by purchasing tickets online. Advanced registration for timed entry is required.

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley Announces Two New Initiatives to Support Bars & Restaurants at The Banks

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley announced two new initiatives to support and drive revenue to bars, restaurants and retail at The Banks. The plan includes a Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA) at The Banks as well as the creation of a pedestrian walkway on the most eastern block of Freedom Way. Both initiatives are in the planning phases and are working toward an opening by Cincinnati Reds Opening Day, planned for April 1, 2021.

The DORA designation will allow patrons of participating eateries and pubs to carry up to a 16 ounce open alcoholic beverage in a designated cup anywhere within the boundaries of The Banks from Heritage Bank Center to Paul Brown Stadium and from Mehring Way to Second Street. To create the pedestrian walkway and urban park setting, Freedom Way will be permanently closed to vehicular traffic between Joe Nuxhall Way and Walnut Street. This closure will also provide additional outdoor service areas for those bars and restaurants.

“With the creation of a DORA and pedestrian walkway at The Banks, we open the opportunity for more outdoor dining and entertainment options as well as more vibrancy and revenue at The Banks,” said Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley. “This next phase of energy and experiences at The Banks will provide a boost to our restaurants and bars when they need it most.”

“We look forward to the excitement these initiatives will bring to Opening Day and every day at The Banks,” said Phil Castellini, COO of the Cincinnati Reds. “We thank Mayor Cranley for helping to build upon the robust and continuously evolving vision for this area.”

“The Mayor’s announcement is much needed good news as we close this year of innovation and perseverance - for all at The Banks,” said Jim Moehring, co-owner of The Holy Grail Tavern & Grille at The Banks. “These initiatives provide new avenues for growth as we solve against current challenges, and tremendous opportunity as all of us move forward.”

Cincinnati named best racing city

On the strength of the popularity of the Flying Pig Marathon powered by P&G, Cincinnati ranks first for runners among midsize cities by RaceRaves, the premier online resource to discover, review and track races and connect with other runners.

While Cincinnati was tops among midsize cities, only Boston earned a higher score among all cities in the RaceRaves poll. "And the #1 reason for its nationwide popularity among runners," the article says, "is the ham-mazing Flying Pig Marathon, the only two-time winner as America's Rave Race." 

Also earning kudos was the female-centric Queen Bee Half Marathon, scheduled in October each year. 

"We're honored to play such an important role in seeing Cincinnati ranked tops for runners," said Iris Simpson Bush, CEO of Pig Works, the umbrella organization for the Flying Pig, Queen Bee and TQL Beer Series. "But you only have to drive downtown or in the neighborhoods on Saturday mornings to see why we're ranked number one: The runners who train in all kinds of weather are the ones who earned the city this honor." 

Registration is open for the 23rd edition of the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon weekend, April 30-May 2, 2021. For information and registration link, visit www.flyingpigmarathon.com. 

Getting back into sports safely

From the pros to college, high school and youth sports, athletes are getting back on the field to prepare for the fall. But after a long layoff away from the field or the pitch, athletes may need extra time and attention to get back to the game. Ken Rusche from Oxford Physical Therapy has advice on getting back into sports safely, from the pros to the weekend warrior.

Defending Flying Pig Champion Looks at Future of Running

Anne Flower holds a number of titles: Two-time and defending Flying Pig Marathon champion is one of them; Olympic Marathon Trials participant is another; and now, perhaps most notably, Doctor.

Dr. Flower is wrapping up her residency in emergency medicine at the University of Kentucky this month and will be heading closer to home, in Northern Kentucky, to start her practice this summer. In between her shifts at UK before the running calendar was shut down, the Anderson High School grad was one of four former Pig champions to participate in the USA Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta (joining Caitlin Keen, Autumn Ray and Amy Robillard in the field).

We’ll talk running in a moment, but first, Anne reflects on being on the frontlines of medicine during the pandemic. “I think we were blessed in central Kentucky in the sense that we were not the first wave,” she said, “we got to see how Europe and then New York City dealt with the pandemic and then when it finally got here, we were ready.”

A recent New York Times article described running as “a natural for social distancing” and Anne says her running routine helped her make it through med school. “I ran a little through high school and college, but when I was stressed and doubting myself in medical school and not really sure this was what I wanted to do, running was really something that was rewarding every day,” she said.

“It got me outside, definitely did incredible things for my mental health, especially when the sun’s out. I’m here in Lexington, so I can go out on the trails, I can go out to the horse park and get away from it for a little while.”

Running opportunities, at least in an organized sense, have been few and far between for all runners since the spring shutdown, which makes Anne’s appearance at the Olympic Marathon Trials even more special. “Oh my gosh, so much imposter syndrome,” she laughed. “You’re walking down the hallway at the hotels and you’re seeing all the Olympians, it was so amazing.

“They treated us all like we might be one of the top three, everything from organizing travel so that when you got off the plane, there was someone there to direct you toward the bus or train and when you checked in at the Omni, all the stops were pulled out for us. There was so much athlete support, it was really, really cool.”

The Olympic Marathon Trials, held at the end of February, just made it under the wire before activities began to shut down to control the pandemic. So what does Anne think it will take to get running events back on the calendar, given her unique perspective as a runner and as a doctor?

“I think that spacing out people would be the best way to mitigate corrals,” she said. “Also making sure there’s some signature form that says you haven’t had symptoms in 14 days. Maybe that’s part of picking up your packet now, the accountability that you sign to say that you don’t have symptoms.”

She also said the development of faster, more reliable rapid testing at the event sites might make participants feel safer about returning to the start line. “I know that folks like the NBA and other sports organizations are interested, so there’s a lot of effort being put toward it. It will be interesting to see where biomedical research goes with that.”

As for her own schedule, even with a new job on the horizon, Anne’s planning to continue running. “I love traveling for races. I got to fly to Moab last October (for the Dead Horse Ultra) and to see a new city, run a race the first day and then travel for three or four after, was really fun.

“I don’t know if I need to do 50 miles again, but I would love to run marathons when the world opens up, in Europe and Japan and Chamonix and all these incredible places. Even San Francisco, they shut down the entire city and you get to run through it for the morning, so that’s my hope. I love marathons so hopefully I’m staying on with that.”

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code.

COVID-19 pandemic effects on movie sets

Cincinnati-native and photographer Brian Douglas talks about what it was like to be on a movie set when the COVID-19 pandemic first started and what it could be like on a movie set when he gets back to work.

Pure Romance Soars in Virtual Times

While other companies shut down, Pure Romance geared up to meet soaring demands during stay-at-home orders. The company enjoyed a 60 percent increase in sales in March and April, including a 160 percent jump in lingerie sales. Pure Romance President and CEO Chris Cicchinelli sits down with our own Betsy Ross to talk about Pure Romance's success during the COVID-19 pandemic and how consultants are using technology in creative ways.

Grilling the Perfect Jeff Ruby Steak

You have your Jeff Ruby Meal Kit, now cook it like a Jeff Ruby Steak. Learn how with Britney Ruby Miller.

To purchase your Jeff Ruby Meal Kit, visit https://www.jeffruby.com/.

Ultra Marathoner competes in global race in his backyard

Harvey Lewis sits down with Game Day's Betsy Ross to talk about his ultra marathon experience in his own city while competing with thousands of runners across the globe.

In this unprecedented time, we will support our small local businesses, together

By: Eric H. Kearney

We will get through this, TOGETHER.

Party politics, blame, and the division of our differences are luxuries that will have to wait.

In this unprecedented time, we can only get through this TOGETHER.

TOGETHER, we will support our small local businesses, now and when we return to our new normal. In this time of uncertainty, we will show our love for our communities and our neighbors. You and I, TOGETHER.

Keantha Brandy is our neighbor. Her grandmother taught her to make cheesecakes. Now, Keantha is the small business owner of Key’s Cheesecakes and Pies. We will show Keantha our support.

Curt Moody is our neighbor. More than 35 years ago, Curt opened an architecture firm, a field that had very little minority representation. We will show Curt and Moody Nolan our support.

Alecia Kintner is our neighbor. Alecia runs ArtsWave, the engine for arts in the Cincinnati Region. ArtsWave funds organizations like Kick Lee’s Cincinnati Music Accelerator, which works to make sure there are no starving artists in Greater Cincinnati. In addition to hundreds more, ArtsWave also supports The Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati which educates, engages, and entertains audiences of all ages through diverse theatre productions. We will show Alecia our support.

Rev. Damon Lynch, Jr. is our neighbor. He is the pastor of New Jerusalem Baptist Church. His congregation, like many others, is finding new and exciting ways to share the Good News. We will show Rev. Lynch our support.

Matt Cuff is our neighbor. He runs a for-profit social enterprise that hires, develops, and trains individuals with barriers to employment. His small business, Just Q’in glorifies and honors God by providing authentic, well-prepared food, while creating a warm and loving environment for all guests, no matter their faith. We will show Matt our support.

Michael “Funky” Forgus is our neighbor. Faith is also the driving force behind Funky’s Catering Events. As weddings and events are postponed, Funky’s is innovating by offering family-style carryout and delivery meals. We will show Michael our support.

Ronald Evans, Jr. is our neighbor. His One Love Unity Apparel is more than t-shirts. They host free lunches, dinners, and music in the park - turning no one away. We will not turn them away. We will show Ronald our support.

Jason Vaughn is our neighbor. He oversees Frisch’s Big Boy restaurants. For our convenience, his team recently added essential items like half gallons of milk, loaves of bread and bags of sugar to their carryout menu. We will show Jason our support.

Britney Ruby Miller is our neighbor. She is the president of Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment. Her father, Jeff Ruby, built a restaurant empire in our community. Last week, in what Mr. Ruby called, “the saddest day of his career,” Britney was forced to lay off more than 600 employees. She is working with the Ohio Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association to make certain ALL restaurants benefit from federal assistance. We will show Britney our support.

Kenyatta Morris is our neighbor. As the owner of KP Heating and Cooling, he believes that no one should have to wait for repairs to heating and cooling systems. He should not have to wait for our assistance. We will show Kenyatta our support.

The Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce supports the work of Governors DeWine and Beshear to halt the spread of COVID-19. They are taking strong measures that will have a devastating impact on our small local businesses but are necessary to flatten the curve and save lives.

Our businesses, the heartbeat of our communities, cannot survive without our support. Our small local businesses can only get through this if we support them and support each other.

Black and white.

Democrat and Republican.

Rich and poor.

You and I.

We will get through this, TOGETHER.

Eric H. Kearney is the President/CEO of the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce.

Flying Pig winner tells her story of triumph and tragedy in “My Race for Life”

Cincinnati native and UC medical school graduate Alison Bedingfield Delgado, the 2005 winner of the Flying Pig Marathon, is the author of a new book, “My Race for Life: Finding New Strength After Tragedy.”

The book chronicles her win at the Flying Pig as well as her near-fatal accident years later when a car hit her bicycle, leaving her with broken bones and head injuries. Alison had to come back not once, but twice, from severe brain trauma to return to medical school and miraculously, return to running.

Her story has been told by ESPN and Runners World, among others, but this is the first time Alison has written about her journey herself. The book will be released in April.

Cincinnati People visited Alison at her pediatric clinic in Park City, Utah, where she talked about what winning the Flying Pig Marathon meant to her:

Amy Robillard goes for the gold

By Betsy Ross

The last time Amy Robillard toed the start line of a marathon, she qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials. The next time she does it, it will be at the Trials on Saturday, February 29 in Atlanta.

Robillard qualified for the Trials with a personal best 2:43:51 at the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon in November—the second time she’s made the field. The first time was four years ago, running the Trials in Los Angeles in nearly 80-degree weather—the hottest temperature for any U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. It was hot enough that more than a quarter of the men’s and women’s fields dropped out of the event.

Amy wasn’t one of them.

She finished in the blazing Southern California sunshine in 3 hours and 11 seconds, out of Olympic contention but with the determination that she’d get back to the Trials in four years.

“It was a deer in the headlights race early, but it was also an awakening in the sense that no matter what level you are, a marathon is a marathon, the 26.2 is the same for everyone. I went into that race seeing runners that I had seen on the covers of Runners World magazine, and it scared me at first, then I saw some of the big names going down and I was still going.

“You have to adjust to tough conditions, you have to be smart, to adjust your expectations, I remember thinking this is going to be one of my slowest marathons, and that’s OK. I needed to show my kids and my family out there that you can finish. And I didn’t want to freak out my kids, either, because I’ve never not finished, and I didn’t want to think mom’s not at the finish, something’s wrong.”

Immediately after the 2016 Trials, Amy was determined to return in 2020. “I wasn’t satisfied,” she said. “I wasn’t satisfied with the outcome of it, and I wanted to do a marathon I’m capable of doing at the Trials. Not falling into the pitfalls of ‘Do I belong here, can I run with these people, why am I here, because I qualified.’ I forgot about that whole part, so I want to give myself another shot to see what I can do.”

People in Cincinnati know her as a runner, with victories in three Flying Pig half marathons (2011, 2012 and 2016) and two marathon wins (2014 and 2015). But at the University of Arizona she was a student-athlete in swimming (she still coaches the sport).

Running was for training until her family moved to Cincinnati when, just after the birth of their son, Jameson, they found out he had a rare genetic disease that required a bone marrow transplant. Then, running became her release. Whether it was power walking through the halls of Children’s Hospital or running through the Clifton neighborhoods, running became therapy.

“The route was a little more than a quarter mile from one end to the other, and when Jameson was having treatments or was finally asleep, I would power walk and jog the first floor. The security guards would tell me where to run and where not to run, and I had a little bit of a support team there.”

That led her to enter her first Flying Pig half marathon (in 2011). “Just over the short time we’d been here, I’d already started knowing people at Children’s, the families, the nurses and doctors that we had, it was an instant family, and it was inspiring that people took me in.” 

With the Olympic Marathon Trials coming up next month, Amy’s now concentrating on squeezing in her final training miles around her coaching schedule and kids’ calendars (she and her husband also have an older daughter). While her training miles are important, Amy just finds that running gives her a much-needed break.

“I don’t do a lot of conscious thinking when I run, I just go out and things get sorted out. A lot of times my training is unconventional, I don’t have a planned workout, but when I have the chance to run, I release things I don’t know I’m holding onto. It’s my time.”

Amy’s family is planning to join her again for the Trials in Atlanta, and she knows she’s fortunate to be going back, because not everyone gets a second chance to make an Olympic team. “I’m grateful,” she says. “I’m representing everyone who has supported me and been along this journey with me. Because there are many runners who can’t be there.

“I’m very grateful I’ve been able to put it together and have the support I have so I can get there. There are so many people who wish they were here. It doesn’t matter if you do marathons or a 5K. A runner’s a runner. If you get out and run, you’re a runner. And just the fact I’m representing them, all I can do is give it a shot. I’m just grateful.”

The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials will have nearly 600 hopefuls, the largest Trials field ever. The top three men and three women will represent the United States at the Tokyo games. The men’s field will take off at 12:03 pm, the women at 12:13 pm. on Saturday, February 29. The Trials will be broadcast on NBC.

Kelly Rippin returns to Cincinnati’s morning TV lineup on WLWT

Video by Shae Combs

TV Anchor Kelly Rippin returned to Cincinnati airwaves this month joining WLWT News 5 as a morning anchor replacing Lisa Cooney, who recently retired.

You may remember Rippin from her time at FOX 19 in the mornings. Before returning to Cincinnati, she served stints on the air in Nashville and Orlando.

Cincinnati People Publisher Jackie Reau invited Rippin to sit on the “hot seat” for 10 Questions with Kelly Rippin.

You can watch Kelly Rippin on the air Monday through Friday from 4:30 a.m. to 7 a.m. on WLWT News 5.

Cincinnati’s Summer of Soccer Starts Now

Now that Cincinnati has been christened “Soccer City USA” by the U.S. Open Cup and others, this late spring-early summer season gives soccer fans in our area plenty of ways to celebrate the sport.

Let’s start with the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the return of World Cup Village presented by Fox19, the official watch party in Cincinnati to see Team USA take home the title. Last year nearly 10,000 visitors came to The Banks to watch men’s World Cup action, and crowds are expected to be larger this year with the U.S. Women’s National Team heavy favorites to win it all.

The party starts on Tuesday, June 11 at 2 p.m. when Team USA faces Thailand in the opening match. Freedom Way will be closed each time the US plays, and the match will be shown on the big screen at Great American Ball Park. In addition to providing the video wall on the side of the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum, the Reds will also hand out a limited number of special edition Reds soccer t-shirts at the street parties with the purchase of a ticket voucher package. 

Skyline Chili will furnish the victory celebration in the form of free coneys for 150 lucky fans each time the United States wraps up a victory. Graeter’s will serve its world-famous small batch ice cream from their scoop truck which will be parked right on Freedom Way for each event. The official beer of World Cup Village, Rhinegeist, will be offering a curated selection of brews at every party. 

The family-friendly events will feature free kids’ soccer exhibitions led by Kings Hammer on one of the giant inflatable soccer fields provided by Cincinnati Sports Leagues, which will be situated in the street between the SkyWheel and the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. 

Other confirmed World Cup Village dates are Sunday, June 16 as the U.S. faces Chile, and Thursday, June 20 when it’s USA vs Sweden. Future match dates will be determined after group play.

Cincinnati has a rooting interest in Team USA with Rose Lavelle, a Mount Notre Dame graduate, making her World Cup debut this month. A commissioned mural of Lavelle is now up at The Banks, by Taste of Belgium. Lavelle already has been tabbed as a breakout star for Team USA by firstpost.com while Yahoo Sports says that “no one on the USWNT roster can provide the same sort of central playmaking that Lavelle can, and she figures to play a big role in France.” Keep an eye on number 16 for Team USA.

Still looking for your soccer fix? Head to the Ensemble Theatre and “The Wolves,” a play following the lives of nine teenage girls who are members of an indoor soccer team and how they grow through wins and losses, personal angst and outside pressures.  “The Wolves,” a Pulitzer Prize finalist and winner of the American Playwriting Foundation’s Relentless Award and Obie Ensemble Award, runs at the Ensemble through June 29th.

For more information and tickets for “The Wolves,” go to https://www.ensemblecincinnati.org/shows/the-wolves?dm_i=44JV,6B7P,14M11A,NTGR,1.

Flying Pig Says “Thanks” to Denise Hovey

By Betsy Ross, Contributing Writer

When Denise Hovey first joined the Flying Pig Marathon, it was a new event in need of volunteers. Now, 21 years and hundreds of thousands of participants later, Denise will retire after the 2019 event having held a number of positions with the Pig, including serving as the founder and coordinator of the event’s environmental program.

“I saw an article in the paper that there was going to be a marathon,” Denise said. “I thought it sounded like an exciting event and I wanted to be part of it. 

“I contacted Michael Boylan (the executive director) about volunteering and he asked me to be the registrar. At that time, I was an instructor assistant at Sands Montessori School, not far from the Flying Pig office. After school was out, I would go to the Pig office and work a couple of hours on registration.”

Shortly after, Denise became an official member of the Flying Pig staff. “When I joined the staff side, we were a staff of three. I was office manager, bookkeeper, registrar, and in charge of the health and fitness expo,” she said. “I was excited to move my volunteer office from the closet to a room with a window!

“At that time, there was no online registration, so I personally touched and entered all 6,000+ entry forms. Many times, letters or notes were included with the registrations, and I felt I knew many of the participants. Some were surprised when they came to packet pickup and I recognized their names and stories.”

A little more than 10 years ago, Denise saw the need for the Flying Pig to take a more active role in being more environmentally responsive, especially as the event grew. “When my son was in the sixth grade, he had a homework assignment to take a bag of trash from home and divide it into items that could be recycled, composted or trashed. When we saw how much we could divert from the landfill, we started composting and recycling at home.

“It wasn’t until I had been involved with the Flying Pig for 10 years, when I was in the finish area of the race and saw how many water bottles were being trashed, that we decided to start recycling at the event.”

The first year that the Pig launched its “Greening of the Pig” initiative, in 2009, the event recycled close to a ton of water bottles. Two years later the Flying Pig was certified as a Green Event by the Council for Responsible Sport and had almost doubled its recycling.

“Our Greening of the Pig continues to find more resources to divert waste from the landfill,” said Denise. “In 2018, 37% of our recycling was through outlets other than our local recycler, Rumpke. Now there are more options for composters, helping us keep close to one ton from the landfill.”

Denise has worn many hats in her 21 years with the Pig, but she says the “green” hat she wears now is probably her most rewarding. “It’s a physically demanding job, but having the participants thank you for recycling and seeing how much is diverted from the landfill makes it worthwhile. I like the challenge of finding ways to recycle or reuse difficult to recycle items.

“Also, being invited to be an Inspire Gold Level marathon, being recognized for Excellence in Public Recycling and being awarded the Green Business Award for Green Practices are icing on the cake.”

And while Denise may be retiring from the Flying Pig, that doesn’t mean she and her husband, Marty (a Flying Pig Streaker), will be leaving the Pig entirely. “The next three years will be busy with traveling to places like Alaska and Hawaii so Marty can complete the seven marathons he needs to run a marathon in all 50 states. And in between the volunteering and running, we will travel to the East Coast to visit children and grandchildren.

“After more than 20 years, it’s hard to walk away, so you might still see me behind the scenes as a volunteer!”

Coke & Conversation with Dudley Taft

Dudley Taft is a world-renowned blues rocker from Cincinnati. He sits down with Betsy Ross to talk about his love from music and his upcoming show in this latest edition of “Coke and Conversation.”

See Dudley Taft in concert with Johnny Fink on February 23 at 7 p.m. at the 20th Century Theater. Learn more here.

A Coke & Conversation with Harvey Lewis

Harvey Lewis is a Flying Pig Streaker, an ultra-running champion and spent his summer traversing the Appalachian Trail in one of the top 10 Fastest Known Times. Betsy Ross sits down with Harvey in this latest edition of "Coke and Conversation."

A Coke & Conversation with Santa

Santa is one of the most popular people this time of year. He found time in his busy schedule to sit down with our Betsy Ross for “A Coke & Conversation.”

Santa talks about his joy of talking to children and how Coca-Cola helped shaped his current image.

If you have an idea for a Coke & Conversation, drop us a note.

How George Zappas plans to continue the legacy of Orchids

By Betsy Ross

Video by Shae Combs

George Zappas had an idea of what he wanted to grow up to be, way back in grade school in his native Pittsburgh. That’s when the local paper wrote an article on him and when the reporter asked what he wanted to do, he said “I want to cook.”

Today, he cooks for hundreds of people at a time as the new executive chef of Orchids at the Hilton Netherland Plaza downtown.

But he’s not just in charge of the kitchens (there are three kitchens plus a kosher kitchen)—Chef Zappas is in charge of the legacy of excellence that permeates this hotel like the smell of fresh baked brie. Open in 1931, this Art Deco property is the place where guests go to celebrate—whether it’s a wedding, an anniversary or a birthday. There is an emotional connection for visitors, just as there is for Chef Zappas himself.

He basically grew up in this building, first as a kitchen supervisor, then through the ranks as sous chef, director of purchasing, and now, as the executive chef overseeing everything food related, from banquets for 300 in the Hall of Mirrors to dinner for two at Orchids. His run of 10+ years in one kitchen might be unique for the business, but, Zappas says, not unusual for the Netherland Plaza.

“This hotel has a high level of retention with employees,” he said, referencing a private dinner this week for 75 that will celebrate hotel employees who have been there 20+ years. “What usually happens is you find people who fit this hotel and they find everything they need here. We have a separate butcher shop, a hot food banquet department, pastry shop, we have all those things that you can find your right fit. There’s a lot of opportunity for growth here and the culture is correct, so if you’re the person who wants to be here, you can be here for a long time.”

Even though he knew he wanted to cook as a sixth grader, Zappas didn’t necessarily design the path that led him to the Netherland Plaza. Like so many college students, he cooked his way through school (Ohio University) to pay the bills. “I left there and said, ‘I’m never working in a kitchen again.’ But you have to take from every experience what you can learn, and in that kitchen, I learned how to do volume. I learned how to execute 300-400 covers on a Friday and Saturday night. It’s learning how to organize your brain, organize your thoughts and to be able to execute any type of cuisine.”

When he moved to Cincinnati with his then-fiancé, he used those kitchen skills to turn it into a profession.

“It was in my blood and as much as I wanted to fight it sometimes, because in this industry also comes the holidays, the late nights, the weekends, all that fun stuff. But I’m very blessed. I have a wonderful wife, a wonderful family and she’s very supportive of everything I do.

“We talked about this decision to become the executive chef well before it was done, and what it meant to take over the kitchen, what it meant to grow this kitchen and grow these departments back to where we want them to be. I’ve got a great team in there, I’ve got great sous chefs who came on board, great executive sous chefs, and these people are now my family and they’re pushing forward with me.”

It’s a proud culinary tradition that Zappas takes over, with Orchids perennially winning five diamond awards from AAA and four stars from Mobil under the direction of former Executive Chef Todd Kelly, who left a little more than a year ago for Atlanta. Kelly’s touches remain at the Netherland Plaza, including the bees who live on the fifth floor.

“That was the brainchild of Todd when he was here,” Zappas said. “Without the bees we don’t have produce and food we need to cook in the kitchen. They have their beehive in the city and they’re looking for food, so we have plants, we have herb gardens, they produce honey for us and we take care of them. They’re our little children.”

From fresh honey to fresh herbs and local farm suppliers, Zappas realizes guests have certain expectations when they dine at the Netherland Plaza, and he looks at his new position as a way to honor the past, while adding his own signature to the history of the property. “It’s my chance to put my chapter in the book. And this book is the whole hotel. This is now my turn to put my chapter in, my turn to put my stamp on it and say I was part of this for a number of years, however long I’m here for, and saying, this was mine.

“This is the food I produced, and this is the vision I had, and this is the quality that went out. This is the team I’ve developed, these are the sous chefs I’ve promoted, that are now executive chefs over here, this is the culture I’ve created. That’s what it means to me. It’s about being able to impart on everyone all the knowledge I can, and grow them to the next level, and also to take this restaurant to the next level.”

A Coke & Conversation with Frisch’s CEO Jason Vaughn

By Betsy Ross, Contributing Writer
Video by Madison Schmidt

Welcome to a new series from Cincinnati People called “A Coke & Conversation with …” where our Betsy Ross will interview Cincinnati people so they can share their interesting stories over a Coke at a local Frisch’s. 

This week, we begin with Frisch’s CEO Jason Vaughn who shares his story andthe story of how he and his team worked to bring Coke back to Frisch’s.

If you have an idea for a Coke & Conversation, drop us a note.