The Precinct

The Precinct Restaurant Review:

In Cincinnati, the name "Jeff Ruby" is synonymous with "steakhouse," and this is regarded as the gem of his dining establishments. In a word, it's "clubby," in all of the country club ways you could imagine. The Precinct is iconic for its food, its service and its setting in a former police station. The dining room once held the horses that drew the patrol wagons, and the lobby was a two-man office. These days, though, the steaks are almost as famous as its historic setting. You'll find the usual suspects: thick filet mignons, New York sirloins and porterhouses. But you also may choose from more creative steak entrées, including the steak Collinsworth, a filet topped with king crab and asparagus, accompanied by béarnaise and mushroom bordelaise. Sides range from "boardwalk fries" to truffle creamed corn and fried risotto balls. There’s a nice selection of seafood, too, such as the pan-seared salmon with an Asian-sesame flair or blackened diver scallops with couscous and pine nuts. For a tableside show at the end of the meal, we recommend the bananas Foster for two, a performance of flambéed bananas topped with vanilla ice cream, walnuts and hazelnut syrup.