Plaza One Grille, located inside the Courtyard Marriott along the Great Miami River, is just a stone’s throw from most downtown businesses and places like Marcum Park and Riversedge Amphitheater. Their menu features a variety of delicious, homemade foods designed to meet every taste and price range, with new featured items emerging frequently.
“We’re breathing fresh air into our menu and getting back to Hamilton’s roots with our decor,” said Leah Harville, Restaurant Manager at Plaza One Grille. “Food-wise, we are a from-scratch kitchen creating everything in-house, including all our delicious sauces. We want this to be a comfortable and accessible hometown restaurant.”
Special Events at Plaza One Grille
While most people know of Plaza One Grille here in town, many people don’t know that in the past few months they have created a successful and exciting array of special events, from the Taste of the Town series last summer to the Mommy and Me Fairy Tea last Mother’s Day weekend. In every case, they hire professionals in our community and bring recognizable local food and drink to the forefront.
“We tried these events last summer, and our following has kept growing; we want people to know that we care about local breweries, local ingredients, and local musicians,” Harville said.
The events this year are still in the works, but will likely include a dinner themed around the restaurant’s growing Bourbon list, more family events like last year’s Fairy Tea, and more Taste of the Town events that pair local beers with in-house-prepared appetizers to match. These events allow Hamiltonians to mingle over excellent food and drink.
“The community here in Hamilton is so fantastic and close-knit, and because they are so supportive of local business, that we wanted to show what Hamilton is made of,” she said. “I wanted to show the surrounding area all the things we can do.”
Taste of the Town will be returning this summer on the patio starting the first Tuesday in May and will continue every Tuesday, ending on August 27th with a Battle of Breweries that includes all participating breweries from the summer series. Guests will vote on a Taste of the Town 2019 winner at that event.
Dinner and Much More
Sous Chef Marcus Washington creates many of the specials at Plaza One Grille, and he draws inspiration from his intuition about what creates comfort and a feeling of home.
Washington explains, “I have lived in Hamilton for 8 years; I have a feel for what the people of Hamilton will like.”
Everything from a delicious chicken cordon bleu to crispy salmon croquettes, the specials at Plaza One Grille tend to sell out, even on special days.
“We did a Valentine’s menu with strawberry balsamic glazed pork; we take what people know, what Mom would make, and put a little culinary quirkiness to it to make it even more special,” Harville recalls.
Beyond the dinner menu, the happy hour menu creates a perfect set of options for budget-friendly dining and meeting up with friends.
Happy Hour includes a variety of great deals, including 50 cent wing nights and $5 flatbreads, which are some of the most popular items on the menu. At the bar, a variety of unique cocktails, a well-chosen wine list, and plenty of craft beer keep the good times rolling.
On any given weekday, you’ll also find the lunchtime regulars chowing down on barbecue burgers, rigatoni pasta, and turkey melts with pesto mayo.
“That rigatoni is my favorite thing; it is rustic and hearty,” Harville laughs. “You can tell it is just made with love.”
No matter the meal, Plaza One Grille’s from-scratch approach makes many of their menu items easy to cater to food allergies and restrictions. They make sure that healthy options are available, like their recently-added kale and quinoa salad, and they feature local and seasonal ingredients whenever they can.
“We have a delicious vegetarian dish with penne pasta and seasonal roasted vegetables, cooked in a tomato broth,” Washington said. “We try to cater to all dietary preferences.”
Stop by Plaza One Grille to try their from-scratch, flavorful dishes in a relaxed but beautiful dining room, and keep an eye on “Plaza One Grille” on Facebook to see upcoming special events.
“You don’t have to be a guest of the hotel,” Washington said. “We’re here to serve you and here to see you! Come in off the street and have something to eat with us.”