Brett Milam

bmilam@enquirer.com

Two Cincinnati restaurants, Enoteca Emilia and Son of a Preacher Man, are closing but the owners say it would be "a dream to reopen."

Owners Roger and Margaret Ranalli announced the closure on Enoteca Emilia's Facebook page Saturday afternoon. In part of the post, the Ranalli's were critical of their landlord, Grandin Properties:

Above all, we thank our staff, many of whom have been with us from the beginning. They have served doggedly and faithfully to create a novel and memorable product, even when that meant working in a 120 degree kitchen, with an inordinate amount of smoke and grease, due to a substandard facility. Our apologies to them for our not talking with previous tenants before the signing of the lease. Finally, as a word of warning from the voice of experience: be careful and selective with whom you do business. Evil is alive and well, manifesting through many faces – not the least of which are unmitigated greed, the desire for unjust enrichment, and a paranoia that distrusts everyone. Do your due diligense (sic) – it will save you, your staff and customers much heartache.

Peg Wyant, president and CEO of Grandin Properties, released a statement Monday afternoon, quoting a line from Michelle Obama's Democratic National Convention speech, saying, "when they go low, we go high."

"I have no comment other than we, too, loved both restaurants and regret their departure," Wyant said.

Margaret Ranalli, acting as the spokesperson for the restaurants, said Tuesday morning that she put $100,000 into facility improvements at both locations, but got "beat up at every turn" by Grandin Properties.

"It wasn't a business profitability issue," she said. "Emilia was always profitable."

Ranalli said it was a facilities problem: $12,000 on a new air conditioner at Son of a Preacher Man, $40,000 on the walk-in coolers and rebuilding the kitchen last summer.

"Grandin would just never come to the table and contribute," Ranalli said. "It just buried me."

Ranalli said she did what she needed to do to keep her staff going.

For now, there are no current plans to reopen, as Ranalli said she needs a break and to think "long and hard."

"That would be a dream to reopen," she said, appreciative of the interest from investors and others.

To read the full Facebook post, click or tap here.

Both restaurants are located in the O'Bryonville business district, Margaret Ranalli opened Enoteca Emilia five years ago, with Italian dishes, and opened Son of a Preacher Man next door in 2015.

In May, The Enquirer's food critic Polly Campbell said Enoteca Emilia was "devastatingly delicious."

Review: Choose the chicken at Son of a Preacher Man

The food from the two restaurants won't go completely to waste in the aftermath of their closures, however.

St. Vincent de Paul in Cincinnati, partnering with La Soup, are the beneficiaries of some of their inventory of fresh food, said Larry Shields, director of community relations.

"It will be given to neighbors in need when the Lindner Choice Food Pantry opens tomorrow from 10 a.m. to noon," Shields said. "We received eggs, potatoes, onions, romaine, squash, apples, limes, bacon and many more types of produce."

Fresh food is hard to come by for food pantries, who usually rely on canned items, Shields said.

"While the closing of any business is tough, we feel fortunate that we can help turn this into a positive for our neighbors in need," Shields said. "A donation like this is a big deal to the families who use our food pantry."

Shields said summertime donations tend to go down as well, but the need goes up.

"We have a very small selection of fresh and frozen food, particularly produce. This will go a long way," he said.

The Lindner Choice Food Pantry is located at 1125 Bank Street in West End.