Our Rich History: Bernstein Family’s multi-generational role in region’s culinary history

By Raymond G. Hebert, PhD
Special to NKyTribune

Part 8 of an occasional series about Casual & Fine Dining

It all began with the patriarch, Ben Bernstein, and his talented wife Shirley Tennenbaum Bernstein, who together created one of the most influential and successful hospitality businesses in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky history.

Polly Campbell, a long-standing food critic for the Cincinnati Enquirer , wrote of the death of Shirley in 2020 that the “Bernsteins opened the influential El Greco restaurant first, owned the Mike Fink riverboat restaurant for many years, put riverboats back on the river, and were involved in the development of the Covington riverfront in the 80s and 90s” (Polly Campbell, “Shirley Bernstein Restaurant Entrepreneur of Mike Fink, BB Riverboats, Dead at 97,” Cincinnati Enquirer , April 30, 2020, pp. 1A-2A).

The Bernstein’s deep love relationship and mutual entrepreneurship is well covered by Polly Campbell. For example, it was in Quito, Ecuador — where Ben worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development — that “Shirley entertained visiting dignitaries and diplomats, something at which she was a natural” (Campbell).

After four years in South America, they returned home and opened the El Greco restaurant in Southgate. Several obituaries refer to that restaurant as being special to Shirley because her parents lived there and treated patrons as if they were “coming to their home.” Polly Campbell makes a special point of attributing the eclectic menu at El Greco to Shirley’s love of all kinds of foods from around the world as described by their son, Alan, such as “French fondue, Italian pasta, and Ecuadorian Ceviche” (Campbell). Apparently in the spirit of devotion to the concept of El Greco as a family restaurant, it gained a reputation after just a few years as a Mother’s Day favorite. A Cincinnati Post feature entitled “Take Mom Out to Dinner,” noted: “Always special for Mother’s Day is the food to be had at El Greco, where a fine atmosphere, excellent foods, and pleasant service are common” (“Restaurants Ready to Cater to Mother,” Cincinnati Post , May 10, 1972, p. 25).

Alan spoke of his parents’ love of riverboats, beginning with their purchase of the Mike Fink Restaurant in 1976 from Captain John Beatty. The Mike Fink Restaurant was housed in a 1936 boat, the John W. Hubbard, built by the Dravo Corporation. ( See the NKyTribune’s story here .)

Then, as the Cincinnati Enquirer obituary states the Bernstein’s love of the river, the Mike Fink Restaurant was followed by Crockett’s River Café and Covington Landing and that “the two of them became known as that extraordinary couple that spurred the restaurant developments along the downtown stretches of the Ohio River in Kentucky” (Shirley Tennenbaum Bernstein Obituary, Cincinnati Enquirer , April 23, 2020, p. B11).

For the Mike Fink, the Bernsteins hired the former fabled maître d’ Lou Schulte from the Beverly Hills Supper Club (that burned in a tragic fire in 1977). He had been “one of the guiding forces at Beverly Hills, where he moved about the main dining room with his cart,” fixing a “Caesar salad here, Fettuccine Alfredo there, or his special sautéed shrimp.” Son Alan Bernstein joined his parents in their business after several years of training in the Catskills. Ben said of his son: “Alan is a superb kitchen man . . . the best chef in Cincinnati other than French food.” With another son Jim having left his job as an aerospace engineer with General Electric to join the cause as well, Ben could say: “That’s the only reason I was contemplating doing this . . . if the two young fellows came into the business” (Dale Stevens, “Dining Out,” Cincinnati Post , October 28, 1977, p. 26).

In a 1977 review of the El Greco, Stevens reminded his readers of the cleverness of the Bernsteins with their “Italian restaurant with a Spanish name hosted by the Jewish couple, featuring American steaks, French onion soup, Ecuadorian ceviche and Swiss fondue . . . suggesting that you could eat at El Greco for the rest of your life and not sample everything” (Dale Stevens, “El Greco, Bright, Clever, but . . .,” Cincinnati Post , December 30, 1977, p.23).

The Bernsteins purchased an excursion boat that they renamed after their friend, Betty Blake, beginning the BB Riverboats, which they compared to the cruises on the Seine in Paris. The boat had been named in honor of “the Cincinnati and Kentucky lady who was celebrating her 25th anniversary of association with inland river boats . . . creating a revival, awareness, and continuance of pleasure passenger riverboats in this century,” said Bernstein (Ellen Brown, “What’s a River for If Not to Cruise?” Cincinnati Enquirer , March 27, 2980, p.65). The offerings started slowly, but soon the options included “dinner cruises, luncheon cruises, afternoon sightseeing, moonlight dance cruises, and even a Bluegrass music cruise each Tuesday night.”

BB Riverboats has continued as a family affair. In 2001, for example, Anna Cuido wrote about grandson Ben who earned his “captain’s license at age 19, making him one of the youngest captains on the Ohio River.” Noting that the Bernstein family had been a fixture on the Ohio River since the 1970s, the article emphasized the continuation of a tradition (Anna Cuido, “Bernstein Tradition to Continue,” Cincinnati Enquirer , May 10, 2001, p. 50).

Meanwhile, Mike Fink’s, close to the heart of the family patriarch, continued on for a number of years. In 1982, for example, when interviewed, it was clear to the author Deborah Cummins that: “to hear Ben Bernstein talk about the Mike Fink’s is to learn that it’s more than a restaurant to him – it’s a romance.” She added, as the lead into her restaurant review, “And for diners too, the restaurant captures a nostalgic spirit” (Deborah Cummins, “Mike Fink Has Authentic Atmosphere, River Views,” Cincinnati Post , July 8, 1982, p. 15). Even later, in 2002, Polly Campbell herself had many positive things to say about Mike Fink’s as “the quintessential Cincinnati restaurant” known for its “Cincinattitude.” She even concluded that “one of the most Cincinnati things about Mike Fink’s is that it is one of only a few locally owned restaurants where you can . . . watch the sunset on the skyline and watch the light change on the water” (Polly Campbell, “Fresh Seafood with an Attitude,” Cincinnati Enquirer , August 23, 2002, p. 102).

In the meantime, BB Riverboats moved from Covington to Newport in 2005 “to make way for the demolition of Covington Landing.” Newport and Mayor Tom Guidugli were excited about the prospect: “It is a great fit with tourism and what we’re doing with tourism,” said Guidugli (Bob Driehaus, “Pulling up Stakes – BB Riverboats Moving Upriver from Covington to Newport,” Cincinnati Post , December 28, 2005, p. 10).

As for Mike Fink’s, after serving as a landmark for 30 years on the Covington Riverfront, it closed in February 2008 for a major remodeling. Brad, one of the grandsons, said at the time, “We wanted the Mike Fink to be the showcase boat that it really is (while needing an upgrade) . . . being that it’s a landmark on the river and an institution, it should stand out from all the other restaurants” (Cindy Schroeder, “Mike Fink Going off to Rehab – Boat Expected to Reopen in September,” Cincinnati Enquirer , February 11, 2008, p. 13). Cindy Schroeder followed up with another story later that year that described in detail “the makeover that took nearly five months and cost $500,000. In Alan Bernstein’s words: “The new steel hull should increase the former towboat’s life by about 50 years.” The article emphasized that the temporary loss from the riverbank was like “picking up Mother of God Church and sending it away to be renovated . . . according to Mayor Callery, there was a gaping hole in the Covington landscape when it was gone” (Cindy Schroeder, “Mike Fink Returning Home to Big Welcome,” Cincinnati Enquirer , August 1, 2008, p. 18).

Sadly though, as related in a later 2014 article by Terry De Mio, “the restaurant, which was in business by the end for almost 40 years, never reopened in 2008 (Terry De Mio, “Mike Fink Moves up Ohio River,” Kentucky Enquirer , January 14, 2014, p. B5). Scott Wartman, of the Cincinnati Enquirer inquired about the decision not to reopen after the renovation, including the addition of a new iron hull. Alan Bernstein responded that, “After the family poured $500,000 into the new hull (as we all know the economy tanked in 2008).” Saying that it would take at least another $3 million to make it restaurant-worthy, he added how “that’s a lot of crab legs to sell” (Scott Wartman, “Whatever Happened to the Mike Fink Floating Restaurant in Covington?” Cincinnati Enquirer , December 15, 2017).

Alan Bernstein, in what seemed a reminiscent mode, reminded us that “restaurants are smaller now . . . the Mike Fink seated 350 people, too many in this day of boutique restaurants.” He admitted, non-apologetically, that the Mike Fink may “have gone a little out of norm” before adding that “back when we bought that restaurant (40 years earlier), it was a happening place” (Wartman). It should not surprise us that Alan Bernstein’s focus today is with the successful BB Riverboats, a creation of his talented, creative parents Ben and Shirley Bernstein, and a venue that gives great pleasure to groups of people having fun on the Ohio River.

It seems fitting to close by reflecting on Shirley Bernstein, clearly the woman behind the man (husband Ben died in 1992) and the matriarch of the clan. It was said of her that she “was always known for her infectious and dynamic personality . . . and she was able to remember all of the customers’ names of those she came into contact with at the restaurants” (Obituary, Cincinnati Enquirer , April 23, 2020, p. B11). In a separate obituary, Alan said touchingly of his mother that, “to call my mother a great lady isn’t quite enough” adding, about both parents, that there were three reasons they were successful, “they had personality, they always strove for perfectionism, and they knew how to work hard.” Alan also praised his mother’s refinement – always “dressed impeccably, her nails, her shoes always perfect . . . never underdressed” (Polly Campbell, Obituary, Kenton County Recorder , April 30, 2020, p. 2A). In an ending quote, Alan added the perfect conclusion: “If she’d had a chance to change anything about her life, I don’t think she would have” (Campbell).

Dr. Raymond G. Hebert is Professor of History and Executive Director of the William T. Robinson III Institute for Religious Liberty at Thomas More University. He is the leading author of Thomas More University at 100: Purpose, People, and Pathways to Student Success (2023). The book can be purchased by contacting the Thomas More University Bookstore at 859-344-3335. Dr. Hebert can be contacted at hebertr@thomasmore.edu

Paul A. Tenkotte, PhD is Editor of the “Our Rich History” weekly series and Professor of History and Gender Studies at Northern Kentucky University (NKU). He can be contacted at tenkottep@nku.edu . Tenkotte also serves as Co-Director of the ORVILLE Project (Ohio River Valley Innovation Library and Learning Enrichment). For more information see https://orvillelearning.org/

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