Restaurants in Forestville

Aromas of roasting pine nuts, pesto sauces, and baking lasagna fill the air as chefs at Ferrari’s Little Italy and Bakery craft traditional Italian fare according to the owners' family recipes. They sprinkle the signature insalata Ferrari with cranberries, pine nuts, and gorgonzola cheese and top the pollo basilico's roasted chicken with rigatoni, sun-dried tomatoes, and pesto cream sauce. Additionally, a pair of bakers slides around 150 loaves of fresh focaccia bread into their ovens each day, yielding slices topped with three colors of bell peppers, spinach, and gorgonzola cheese. These appear in glass bakery cases alongside pastries and artisan gelato from local dessert makers Madisono’s Gelato and Sorbet.

Inside Ferrari's multiple dining areas, gas fireplaces flicker among exposed-brick walls, and family photos help create a homey feel. On the outdoor patio, fragrant wisteria vines climb a wooden pergola, and a picturesque fountain quietly babbles recommendations from the wine list.

At Cafe Mediterranean, chefs strew tender chunks of lamb and beef with ribbons of virgin olive oil and fragrant spices. The menu spotlights seasonal fruits and veggies, saving them from dull fates as still-life models. Though recipes hail from Egypt, Morocco, and Lebanon, Turkish cuisine proves the chief focus: Turkish spices grace the shish and doner kebabs, and specialty Turkish beverages such as ayran cleanse palates and grant a break from arduous chewing.

Gilpin's lets their diners do the work, but only when it comes to thinking up and naming each of the shop's steamed sandwiches. After that, the kitchen staff gets to work creating the menu's 70+ sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and hot dogs amid a casual atmosphere. It's so casual, in fact, that it's playful: the restaurant is outfitted with old school Nintendo, Atari, and PS2 systems. And though one isn't supposed to play with one's food, the chefs playfully fold their buttery breakfast croissants over piles of cooked eggs, turkey bacon, and pepper jack cheese.

During the afternoon and evening hours, the staff builds sandwiches on bialy bagels, pretzel buns, ciabatta bread, and gluten-free bread. They construct grilled cheeses from dill havarti and Doritos, pair veggies with hummus, and top piles of meats—from salami and bacon to roast beef—with hot sauce and garlic cream cheese. But sandwiches aren't the only food steamed by the team at Gilpins. To leave exteriors soft and the cheese perfectly melted, they also steam cheeseburgers, pizzas, and beef hot dogs. Gilpin's even incorporates food and beverages from many local suppliers, including coffee from Coffee Break Roasting Company—which, despite its name, does not send out comedians to make fun of employees during office hours.

At It’s Just Crepes, you’re encouraged to eat with your hands. That’s because every crepe on the menu is folded into what Soapbox Cincinnati calls "a convenient to-go style," eliminating the need for knives, forks, or tiny plate-side catapults. Instead, diners bite straight into the golden-brown bundles, which are stuffed with fillings both savory and sweet. The smoky BLT, for instance, oozes with pepperjack cheese and chipotle mayo, while sweet crepes pack in classic flavors such as Nutella, strawberries, and brown sugar. Utensils can come in handy, however, when attacking one of the eatery’s fresh salads, which meld fresh spinach, chopped romaine, and other greens with diced veggies, cheese, dried fruit, and slices of meats.

Co-owner Keven Paizannoglou founded the first It’s Just Crepes with his wife and partner, Karrah, after realizing how much he missed the crepes he’d enjoyed in his native Greece. Now, more than 20 employees serve up the delectable treats from three trendy dining spots decorated with blue and orange hues and contemporary white furnishings.

The chefs at Mt. Adams Pizza are more than happy to let you create your own pizza from their collection of more than 30 toppings—including buffalo chicken, gyro meat, vegan sausage, and roasted red peppers. But they’ve also engineered a selection of specialty pizzas, including the white Diablo Chicken pizza, which they load up with buffalo chicken, blue cheese, and jalapeño peppers. They can craft whole-wheat pizzas smothered in vegan cheese, as well as vegetarian-friendly pizzas. Gyros, calzones, and Italian-inspired hoagies round out the menu. The chefs keep cooking until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, when college students are most in need of a study break.