Three Tiers Contemporary Cakes and Cupcakes will be opening at the end of the month along Fairfield Avenue in Bellevue.  The shop will offer specialty cakes and cupcakes that shop owner Angela Gallo says are perfect for weddings, birthdays, showers and other special events.Gallo says that growing up around her mother who is also a chef is what got her interested in specialty cakes.  "I took a cake decorating class and fell in love with it, so I decided to go to culinary school so I could take my skill set to another level."Everything from Three Tiers is made from scratch with no shortening in any of the products.  Gallo says that she intends to use fruit from local farmers markets and products that will help her "create the highest quality cakes and cupcakes."Three Tiers will be joining the specialty cupcake craze that has swept the nation's cities for the past several years, and includes local boutique shops like Take the Cake in Northside and SugarPlums CupCakery in Milford.These specialty bakeries focus on style and taste, and seem to be taking control of the sweet tooth market.  While Three Tiers also produces specialty cakes, the cupcakes will surely be a popular draw at their 321 Fairfield Avenue shop.The shop will be located within a three story brick structure built in 1900, and will occupy the ground-level retail space.  Gallo says that customers should expect a "bright and welcoming" shop that will be both chic and elegant.  Customers will also be able to see where and how the cakes are made as there is no dividing wall between the kitchen and front counter.Shop owner Angela Gallo says that there will be a range of six-to-ten cupcake flavors with five-to-six different flavored icings.  Gallo goes on to say that the types of cupcakes will change with the seasons and will also be open to customer suggestions.  Mini-cupcakes will sell for 95 cents and standard size cupcakes will be $1.95.Bellevue seemed to be a natural fit for Gallo's new shop with all of the revitalization ongoing and the up and coming feel of the historic town as Gallo describes it.  "The small business owners support each other and the community itself really tries to support all the local businesses," says Gallo whose mother also owns Mrs. Teapots Tea Room just a few doors down.The new shop will offer scheduled cake tastings, and be open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for those looking to grab a quick cupcake treat.  If you would like to schedule an appointment to taste Three Tiers' cake creations you can contact them by calling 859-431-CAKE(2253).Writer: Randy A. SimesPhotograph Provided

Vito's Cafe has historically been known for its singing servers that always entertain the guests, but now the restaurant is home to Cincinnati's newest microbrewery offering seasonal beers with a personal touch.The microbrewery will be run by Matt Wehmeyer, son of Vito's owners Mary and Vito Ciepiel. Wehmeyer's new business venture is named Red Ear Brewing Company after a familiar fish he used to catch called the "Red Ear Sunfish.""I remember seeing a hundred different beers on the shelf and not knowing anything about them," says Wehmeyer.  A recent trip to Asheville, NC is what really sparked him to move forward with starting his own brewing company."I took a trip to Asheville where they have like seven microbreweries, and I thought to myself that we needed more microbrews here in Cincinnati," says Wehmeyer.  Red Ear is one of the first microbreweries in Northern Kentucky and one of the few in the Cincinnati region.Wehmeyer took a class on how to do home brews at Thomas More College, where he learned the basics of brewing. The first two batches of beer produced at Vito's were five and ten gallons respectively, and the restaurant sold their first Endless Summer Ale on August 9th just after they got their license.Currently Red Ear is producing about 20 gallons a week of their Endless Summer Ale which will be sold through the end of September.  The plan, Wehmeyer says, is to start very small and continually grow and learn to brew bigger and better batches of beer.  The next seasonal beer will be a bolder brew more often found during the winter season.The next step for Red Ear is to obtain a retail license so they can start selling their beer at stores and festivals around town, but for now Wehmeyer is content with turning out a high-quality product in small batches each week.As for Wehmeyer, he says that he loves fellow Cincinnati microbrews like Mt. Carmel and Barrelhouse, but he also really enjoys Kalamazoo microbrewing giant, Bell's Oberon.Vito's Cafe is located at 654 Highland Avenue, Suite 29 in Ft. Thomas (map), and is open Wednesday through Thursday from 5pm to 10pm, Friday and Saturday from 5pm to 11pm, and Sunday from 5pm to 9pm.  The Endless Summer Ale is sold in pints for $4.50.Writer: Randy A. SimesPhotography by Scott BeselerStay connected and follow Randy on Twitter @SoapboxRandy

Every area has its own identity, fueled by its history, local arts, attractions and favorite hangouts. But it's hard to imagine as diverse a tapestry of influences as Northern Kentucky boasts.