Hi, I’m Brie! 👋
An introvert who can’t stop exploring, one restaurant, hidden gem, and local event at a time.
I’ll be upfront with you: I am not a natural extrovert. Crowds make me tired. Loud bars with nowhere to sit make me want to go home. And when I first moved to the Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area to be with my partner, I genuinely wasn’t sure what I was walking into.
I pictured Skyline Chili and… not a lot else. I was so wrong.
What I found instead was a region that rewards the people willing to actually look, the ones who cross the bridge into Covington on a quiet Tuesday, who find the tiny restaurant on a side street in Bellevue that nobody’s written about yet, who show up to the neighborhood festival and end up staying three hours longer than planned. Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have a way of surprising you. This blog exists because I couldn’t stop talking about those surprises.
What Cincy + NKY Wanderlust is actually about
My partner and I make it a goal to visit somewhere new at least once a week. A restaurant we’ve been curious about, an event we spotted on a flyer, a neighborhood we’ve driven past a hundred times without stopping. Every place on this blog is somewhere we’ve actually been together, which means every recommendation comes with a built-in date night perspective.
I write for people who want honest, specific, useful information, not hype. What to order. Where to park. Whether the vibe is actually what the Instagram photos suggest. The things a friend would tell you before you went, not a press release.
“If you’re the kind of person who researches a restaurant before you go, reads the menu in advance, and scope out the parking situation ahead of time — you’re my people.”
Why Northern Kentucky deserves its own spotlight
Most Cincinnati-focused travel content stops at the river. I think that’s a mistake.
Northern Kentucky: Covington, Newport, MainStrasse Village, and the smaller cities scattered across the region, have a dining and social scene that is genuinely world-class in spots, wildly underrated overall, and almost entirely overlooked by the blogs that are supposed to be covering this area. Bellevue has a restaurant row worth seeking out. Dayton has neighborhood gems most people drive past. Fort Thomas, Florence, Crescent Springs, too, there’s more there than most people know.
I cover both sides of the river because the best version of this region includes both sides of the river.
What You’ll Find Here
This isn’t a place for generic “Top 10” lists copied from a quick Google search. Everything on Cincy + NKY Wanderlust is based on real visits, real meals, and real opinions, from someone who genuinely can’t stop exploring this region.
Here’s what I cover:
- Restaurants & Bars — honest reviews from someone who took notes and went back for seconds
- Things to Do — from the classic attractions to the spots only locals know about
- Places to Stay — because sometimes you just need a weekend away, even if you live here
I’m a homebody at heart, which means when I do leave the couch, I want it to be worth it. My goal is to help you skip the duds and go straight to the good stuff.
A Little More About Me
I’m a big foodie, probably my most defining quality, honestly. I moved to the Cincinnati/NKY area and fell in love with it slowly, through food and festivals and wandering. I’m introverted by nature, which means I notice things: the quiet corner table, the bartender who actually knows the cocktail list, the neighborhood that feels like it’s on the edge of something.
I’m not a professional travel writer. I’m just someone who goes to a lot of places, takes a lot of notes, and wants to make it easier for you to find the good stuff, without having to wade through content that feels like it was written by someone who’s never actually been there.
If there’s a place I absolutely need to try, drop it in the comments anywhere on the blog. I’m always looking for my next great meal, or my next great reason to cross the river.
— Brie
Let’s Be Friends
Have a recommendation? A hidden gem I absolutely need to try? A place you think is overrated and want my honest take? I want to hear it.
And if you want to keep up with all my latest finds, follow along on social, I share the good stuff there too.
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