Greater Cincinnati town named among best small US cities for food and drink by Food & Wine

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Food & Wine magazine recently released its list of the top small U.S. cities for food and drink, and one Greater Cincinnati town made the list.

Thanks to its bourbon and unique food scene, Covington, Kentucky, earned a spot among the 11 standout cities, according to the magazine.

The list, released June 4 as part of Food & Wine’s 2025 Global Tastemakers awards, highlights places with less than 100,000 residents and was curated by Ohio-based travel writer Wendy Pramik.

“Just across the river from Cincinnati, Covington is where smooth bourbon meets savory goetta, and North meets South,” Pramik wrote. “This walkable river town blends Appalachian, German, and Southern influences into a culinary identity all on its own.”

The city’s restaurants, including Anchor Grill, Otto’s, Bouquet and Carmelo’s, received shoutouts in the story, as did Northern Kentucky’s Bourbon trail, the B-Line, and Goettafest, a multi-day celebration of the beloved breakfast sausage dish in neighboring Newport.

“Set against a backdrop of cobbled streets and a restored Mainstrasse Village, Covington combines small-city soul with big character,” Pramik wrote.

The magazine recognized small cities in alphabetical order, including:

• Asheville, North Carolina.
• Bozeman, Montana.
• Burlington, Vermont.
• Fredericksburg, Texas.
• Greenville, South Carolina.
• Healdsburg, California.
• McMinnville, Oregon.
• Oxford, Mississippi.
• Santa Fe, New Mexico.
• Traverse City, Michigan.

The destinations for the “Top Small U.S. Cities for Food and Drink” were “chosen through research, local insights, and recommendations from fellow travel writers and editors at the magazine and beyond,” along with Pramik’s experience.

Louisville Courier Journal reporter Amanda Hancock contributed to this report.