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To those who haven't been to Symmes Tavern on the Green in a while, its owners have this message: Come on back.

"People that have not been here in the last six months, they should come out and taste the difference in the quality of food and product," said co-owner JoJo Schwarz. "I don't think we've ever had better quality."

That difference is directly attributed to executive chef Rick Rogers and pastry chef Annie Schmidt.

Executive chef

Rick Rogers

Rogers took over the culinary reins full-time in August. He's changed the menu and said he's added passion into the kitchen.

"We've been trying to move the menu along, give it a little more flare," said the 23-year chef trained in Tennessee and at the University of Cincinnati. "We're trying to make the food a little bit more exciting."

Some of that excitement includes in-house hand-cut meats, new marsala and piccata items, and more fresh items, like fish.

"We've brought it along way," said Rogers, who has more banquet than restaurant work. He worked for Jeff Ruby at The Precinct in Cincinnati in the 1980s. "It's simple stuff, but done right."

Rogers said he hasn't incorporated even half of his plans.

"If everything goes well, we'll have a little more white table cloth menus, make it a little more fancier," Rogers said.

Pastry chef

Annie Schmidt

Schmidt was born in Vietnam, trained in Singapore and worked all over the world — and Greater Cincinnati.

Schmidt said her Asian training makes her desserts a little more unique, even though they are classics.

"My desserts are a little bit different," said the 25-year pastry chef. "Everyone loves it because of the different combinations."

Schmidt has tried to bring fine dining to Symmes Tavern with her desserts. That is not only quality, but presentation.

"I've worked at lot of fine dining restaurants," said the West Chester Twp. resident.

She said all of her desserts are her specialities — she's memorized all of her recipes — but said the banana cream cheesecake, coconut cream pie and the peanut butter pie are must-tries.

Since she's been with Symmes, she's seen her work load increase 25 percent to 30 percent.

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5112 or mpitman@coxohio.com.