Allman traces her dream of becoming a restaurateur back to her great aunt Helen and great uncle Joe’s basement. She remembers sipping her first Shirley Temple at the 1950s leather bar in the basement while adults told stories beneath a mounted jackelope her uncle’s friends insisted he had caught.
“It was this magical place where I felt special,” Allman said.
Over the years, Allman built a career in hospitality, working both front and back of house while attending culinary school. Along the way, she was quietly collecting ideas for her dream restaurant, filing them away for someday.
Credit: DAVID STEPHEN FOR ACBJ
Credit: DAVID STEPHEN FOR ACBJ
“Some people escape to a mountain, some a beach, for me, it was always a restaurant,” shared Allman.
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Allman felt motivated to either hunker down or put herself out there and she chose the latter. When it came time to bring her vision to life, Allman began searching for the right chef to partner with.
That person was Chef Jackson Rouse.
Rouse, a veteran Cincinnati-area chef, met Allman in the 180-year old buildings on Hamilton’s Third Street that would become Carmagnola and The Grey, for a look around. As they talked, it quickly became clear they shared the same vision.
There was also an unexpected connection. After hearing Allman’s childhood story about the jackelope, Rouse rolled up his sleeve to reveal a rabbit tattoo, a symbol that had long held meaning for him as well. From that moment on, the partnership felt natural and together, they shaped the concept around Italian culinary traditions.
“European and Italian food has such a strong base because they’ve been doing it the same way for so long,” Rouse said. “When something is stamped DOP, it means it was made exactly the way it’s supposed to be made. There are people whose job it is to protect that process.”
DOP means “Denominazione di Origine Protetta, or ”Protected Designation of Origin." Assuring authenticity, it is a European certification that guarantees a product was grown, produced and processed in a specific region using traditional methods.
Allman and Rouse are focused on sourcing as much of their ingredients locally as possible. Their menu highlights regional producers, including 80 Acres Farms in Butler County.
Similar to the concept known as the “zero kilometer meal,” their goal is to use the high-quality ingredients located where they are.
Some of those partnerships appear both on the menu and in the restaurant’s décor. TAKE Mushrooms, a grower based in nearby Middletown, supplies mushrooms used in the kitchen and displayed throughout the space as natural art pieces.
The experience
Art curated by the Eisele Gallery in Cincinnati lines the walls, also reflecting Allman’s goal of weaving creativity into every part of the restaurant.
Guests can see that collaboration through the restaurant’s chef’s table, located beside the open kitchen and wood-fire oven. Dishes are presented by the chefs who created them, giving diners a chance to hear the story behind each course.
“It’s an open kitchen for a reason,” Rouse said. “We love telling stories here, and the chef’s table lets us share them. Eventually, guests will even meet the farmers at the table.”
Telling the story of where the food came from and how it got to the plate is just one way that stories are told at Carmagnola and The Grey. The cocktail menu, written like a book with chapters, includes a section on how to order a martini to encourage guests to try a new experience.
“We celebrate curiosity here,” she said. “We want people to ask questions and learn,” said Allman.
One standout drink is a parmesan-infused vodka cocktail created by bar team member Kody Cain.
“Kody is talented at working with bones, stocks and fats, and he created a savory cocktail called ‘The One.’ It pairs with steak better than red wine. It’s an absolutely beautiful drink,” Allman said.
One look at the menu reveals just how intentional every item is. Dishes balance bright sweetness with bitterness and depth, inviting diners to explore unfamiliar ingredients in approachable ways. A salad of assorted chicories pairs the natural bitterness of the greens with tipsy pear, smoked hazelnuts and gorgonzola dolce, while a bowl of Zuppa di Funghi layers TAKE Mushrooms with chestnut, Marsala wine and black garlic for an earthy, comforting soup.
The menu also shows a sense of humor. Playful names like the “OG Alfredo,” the beet salad “Beats,” and “Steak Jess’s Way” add personality while nodding to familiar dishes guests might recognize.
Craft and intention, pride in service, learning and storytelling run deep within Carmagnola and The Grey and that extends to the company culture.
“Cooking over a live fire or making fresh pasta the way we do here isn’t something you learn from a book,” she said. “You learn by feeling it, touching it and doing it over and over again. That’s an oral tradition of the culinary community, and it’s important to teach it to the next generation.”
‘It’s our show’
Both Allman and Rouse say it’s important their team has a voice, quality of life and room to learn.
“I always tell cooks when they come in if you love cooking you’ll be great here. I’ll show you what you need to know. I want you to be yourself and I want you to grow and learn. Quality of life matters,” Rouse said. “It’s not my show. It’s our show. I build the menu around the team, not around me.”
The culinary team works four ten-hour shifts each week, giving staff three days off, something Rouse says helps create a healthier kitchen environment. That collaborative approach, he says, is part of what shapes both the food and the experience guests have when they walk through the door.
Watching guests gather in the space is still one of the most meaningful parts of the journey for Allman.
“So often I hear, ‘I’ve never been to Hamilton before,’” she said. “And when people say, ‘I can’t believe this is in Hamilton,’ I tell them, this is Hamilton. We are Hamilton.”
Nina Weierman is a freelance writer and mother living in Centerville. More about her projects and writing can be found at linktr.ee/ninaweierman.
HOW TO GO
What: Carmagnola & The Grey
Where: 24 and 26 S. Third St., Hamilton
Hours: Carmagnola: Lunch 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Monday–Friday; Dinner 5–9 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 5–10 p.m. Friday–Saturday; Closed Sunday.
The Grey: Espresso service 7:30 a.m. Monday–Friday; Lunch 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Friday; Bar service 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Friday.
More: Carmagnolaon3rd.com or (513) 239-0836; TheGreyon3rd.com or (513) 239-0836
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