The Nati

I must say, I haven't been overly impressed by the previous choices by CityBeat for Person/Group of the year. However, this year's selection (Jean Robert de Cavel) is right on! Everyone should read this article, because this is what it's all about to make things happen in the community. It's not about OTR vs. Downtown, or Downtown vs. Inner Suburbs, or Downtown vs. N. KY. It's about getting things done, providing excellence in what you do, and giving back to the community.

While the media has been focused on the negitive, the dangers of downtown, businesses leaving and the lack of development in the city, Jean Robert has been busy opening 4 fantastic restaurants all to rave reviews from dinning public. Jean Robert's Pigall's was the first to open, shortly after the OTR riots (as well as shortly after Jean Robert lost his infant daughter to SIDS). The restaurant is nearly impossible to get into, while it's comparable restaurat (Massionette only wants to talk about Govt Support, and finding a location outside of Cincinnati). He then opened a Bistro (JeanRo) right around the corner, also downtown, and a Vietnamese-French Restaurant in Oakley (Pho-Paris). Finally he is in final stages of his remaking of the popular WildFlour Cafe in Covington. In his spare (?!?!) time, he is a center piece for many fundraising events around the city... all this from a transplant to Cincinnati. If only we had more people like him in this city, people could spend time making dinner/shopping plans downtown, instead of worrying about why a downtown business can't survive in Cincy.