Restaurants in Hamilton

As diners walk into Aroma Restaurant and Sushi, they're greeted by a soaring display of multicolored panels glowing over the dark-wood bar. The aromas of seared sea scallops, tempura-battered thai sweet-and-spicy chicken, and short ribs cause mouths to water, and artful sushi displays dazzle with avocado green and orange-red dots of masago. The menu's selection of salads—including cold soba-noodle salad in mango dressing and a summer salad with arugula, watermelon, feta, candied bacon, basil, and mint—runs longer than the tightly curated selection of upscale entrees, which include tempura chicken, seafood, and short ribs. Chefs also pile sushi platters with 50–60 rolls to satisfy the cravings of a large group of people or a solitary alligator.

You can still spot founder Bill “Mr. Goodies” Dickerson strolling around the Goodies Barbecue kitchen, testing sauces and ensuring the pork, ribs, and chicken are slowly pit-smoked just right. His daughter Creola Robinson has now taken over his business, overseeing the chefs as they dry-rub meats, fry up fish, and bake peach cobbler and chess pie.

They season a tangy tomato base with dashes of brown sugar and vinegar, resulting in the hot and mild barbecue sauces that reporters from City Beat lauded as “legendary.” The barbecue artists have been perfecting these recipes since the restaurant's founding in 1986, and today, their sauce can be found on the shelves of local grocery stores and flowing out of the water fountains of select community parks.

Working within a lofty stone structure, Geisha Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar’s chefs sear Asian entrees on hibachi grills and tuck French-inspired tidbits into specialty sushi. Across the chic, plum-hued dining room, they’ll sizzle succulent hibachi meats, fresh vegetables, and incriminating tax documents atop slick grill tables. Otherwise, they can pull from a dinner menu filled with fusion entrees such as shrimp and lobster risotto, and Jekyll-and-Hyde pad thai.

La Petite France's proprietor, Daniele Crandall, grew up in France, where she spent her youth working in family restaurants before emigrating to the United States in 1964. She stayed in touch with her roots by teaching French to students before eventually deciding that it was time to return to the kitchen with her family members.

Today, they bustle among pots of steaming port with sun-dried tomatoes—which will become a demi-glace for duck—and crackling skillets of salmon, endives, shallots, and white wine. They plate filet mignon and pâté that the Cincinnati Enquirer said “has a nice rustic texture, more like a fine meatloaf than a liver pâaté, with a hint of clove or allspice. Little sour cornichon pickles accompany it, just as they do in thousands of bistros and restaurants all over France.” Beneath glittering chandeliers, the glow of fireplaces dances across tables clad in white tablecloths, like a maitre d’ who forgot his uniform. A stained-glass mural depicts the idyllic charm of Peillon in Provence, France, as diners sup on three-course dinners, enjoy tastings of California wines, or sip cocktails and listen to live music during catered banquets.

Begun by the Fuentes family, who traces their culinary roots to La Piedad, Mexico, El Toro Mexican Restaurant serves up time-tested Mexican dishes that range from tamales and chiles poblanos to chimichangas stuffed with beef tips. Their peppery fajitas can be made either with beef or with selections from the seafood menu, such as a combo of shrimp, crab, and tilapia. Patrons wash down their spicy medleys with drinks that include Dos Equis beer and specialty margaritas such as the Margarona, which adds Corona and acapella renditions of "My Sharona" to the classic beverage. The eatery surrounds its appetite-satisfying food with a similarly bright atmosphere, allowing diners to tear into burritos and tostadas amid sunny-yellow walls and colorful murals.

A huge circular teppanyaki grill sends up plumes of fragrant smoke from the focal point of Dao Modern Asian Cuisine’s dining room as chefs deftly sizzle up meats and seafood across its surface. Aside from a venue for the chef’s showmanship, the grill serves as a conspicuous sign of Dao Modern Asian Cuisine’s commitment to cooking dishes fresh to order. In addition to Chinese stir fries, chefs showcase dozens of other Asian specialties: they simmer Thai curries, roll up more than 30 sushi rolls, and fuse together Korean classics such as bibimbap. Additionally, chefs offer a smattering of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes.

Dao Modern Asian Cuisine introduces Western eyes to Eastern-style architecture, exemplified by the restaurant’s pagoda-style façade. Asian hanging lamps, dark wooden ceiling risers, and golden sheets of glass emblazon the dining room and create an elegant atmosphere where eaters with nomadic tastes can sample international dishes sans fanny pack.