17-04-2025
Mike Stankovich on punk rock, culture and the cocktail you need to try at Longfellow
When Mike Stankovich learned he was a James Beard award finalist, the news came via text message from Wildweed chef and co-owner David Jackman – the only other finalist to hail from Cincinnati this year. Or Ohio, for that matter.
"He texted me, 'Where are we getting drinks in Chicago?' That's how I found out," Stankovich confessed on this week's episode of The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast.
Stankovich, owner of Longfellow Bar in Over-the-Rhine and Downtown's Mid-City Restaurant, is a finalist for the new award category of Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. He finds out if he wins on June 16 at the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago.
On the podcast, Stankovich talked about his years as a guitarist in the Washington DC-based punk band Striking Distance (not to be confused with the Bruce Willis movie), how he became a well-known cocktail specialist thanks to a feature in the New York Times, and what led him to Cincinnati. (Spoiler alert: It had to do with a girl.) He also shared the secret behind hiring what Enquirer food writer Keith Pandolfi called 'one of the most enviable staffs in Cincinnati.'
'You know it's cliché, but I'd rather hire someone with a good personality rather than a great skill set," Stankovich said. 'I can teach you skill … then it's kind of just maintaining culture.'
Stankovich also revealed his favorite libations at Longfellow and how he really feels about the smoked cocktail trend.
That's So Cincinnati, The Enquirer's weekly podcast on what's making news in our community, features a who's who of special guests. Listen to it at Audioboom, Apple or your favorite podcast platform.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Longfellow owner Mike Stankovich on That's So Cincinnati Podcast
