Restaurants in Newport

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.

Inside Miyako Sushi & Steakhouse, diners gather around the flames of 10 hibachi grills to watch an expert chef flip and sear chicken in teriyaki sauce, while other patrons sit in comfy black chairs in the cool blue glow of the sushi bar. Sleek modern decor surrounds guests as their teeth unpack skillfully rolled sushi and their eyes stare hungrily at the nervous fish inside the restaurant’s aquarium. Miyako’s hibachi and sushi chefs use only fresh ingredients as they craft each dish to diners’ specifications.

A Cincinnati favorite, Mio’s has been baking up their signature pizzas for adoring clientele since 1975. Their original, buttery crust is a canvas for splotches of tangy sauce, which peek through a smattering of cheese and various toppings such as sausage, banana peppers, and black olives. Before deciding on an original or stuffed pizza, guests can whet palates with an order of garlic bread of hot wings. For those who prefer personal servings, calzones and hoagies are stuffed with enough juicy meats and veggies to feed an accomplished linebacker.

Bred on Louisiana-style cooking, local restaurateur Grant Gieseler was dismayed by the lack of quality southern fare in the Cincinnati area. He and his business partner Blake Gieseler founded Bayou Fish House to introduce the area to fresh fried fish and hearty gumbo. Diners can grab meals to go or kick back at the bar or seating area and tell exaggerated tales about the biggest fish they ever ate. The eatery's walls sport a paddle, a life preserver, and various aquatic tchotchkes to remind fish of their home.

The aromas of fresh-baked pita in clay ovens, char-grilled kebabs, and homemade baklava mingle and waft through Istanbul Cafe's bright turquoise dining room replete with Turkish wall hangings. To ensure authentic Mediterranean and Turkish flavors, the chefs do as much food preparation in house as possible, from spearing fresh kebabs daily to hand making desserts from scratch to carving gyros meat right off a spinning gyroscope. The baked eggplant comes stuffed with lamb, tomatoes, peppers, and and herbs served with sauteed seasonal vegetables and basmati rice. Seated around tables, patrons may sip steaming mugs of turkish coffee and tea or uncork their own bottles of wine toted from home.

Arirang Japanese Bistro's discerning chefs funnel only the highest quality ingredients into their Japanese entrees, which are composed of seafood and meats airlifted to the eatery daily. Like a lawnmower let loose in a gourmet market, the dexterous teppanyaki chef slashes his blades through lobster tail and filet mignon, which sizzles atop table-centered grills as diners look on. Artfully presented sushi rolls hug pristine morsels of eel or crab, and entrees showcase dish designers' aptitude for searing veggies, poultry, seafood, and USDA Choice cut steaks. Vibrant, crimson walls flaunt three-dimensional swirls and visually pop next to dark vinyl chairs, obsidian brickwork, and dimly lit black holes.