Nuvo At Greenup, Covington

Though the original Nuvo shuttered in 2009, chef Mark Bodenstein could not shake the feeling that he had more work to do. So in late 2013, he decided to breathe some life back into his old concept, flexing his creativity with an everchanging prix fixe menu of imaginative and aesthetically astonishing plates. As Cincinnati Magazine put it, "This is food you'll be thinking about for days." 

Though he cooks with meat, Bodenstein believes that veggies are more dynamic. To this end, his staff finds greens wherever they can find them, whether that's from the onsite garden or nearby farms. Here are some of the less familiar plants that might grace the plates at Nuvo At Greenup.

Maitake mushrooms: In the United States, they're known as hen of the woods. In Japan, their name means "the dancing mushroom." These huge, scalloped mushrooms are easily found by foragers and savored for their rich umami.

Wheat berries: This is what wheat looks like before it's ground into flour. Rich with fiber, protein, and B vitamins, these berries add a barley-like texture to soups and stews.

Nasturtium: The blossoms of this plant are edible, but the flavorful leaves taste peppery and bittersweet.

Fiddlehead ferns: The tightly coiled tips of this fern add grassy brightness to dishes but are only available for a short time period—in the early spring, when ferns are just growing new shoots.