On a March night in 1879, a gunshot rang out near Washington Platform Saloon. After a man named Harry Baldwin was found with a mortal wound, William Schaller, the son of a wealthy brewer, was arrested and charged with murder. The following hours begot the city’s first high-profile murder investigation. The case against Schaller started to fall apart, and the days and months ahead added nothing but more twists, turns, allegations and dead leads. The crime almost destroyed the Schaller-Gerke brewing empire, threatened to expose a celebrity Madam’s list of exclusive and influential clientele, and laid bare the depths of Cincinnati’s moral depravity.
Murder on the Menu begins with a brief walking tour of the 1879 crime scene. Guests then return to Washington Platform and begin a four-course, nineteenth-century inspired meal. Each course reflects items that were popular in Cincinnati in the late 1800s. Some of these foods and preparations have stayed with us through time, while many have been rediscovered by Chef Jon Diebold. Each month offers a different menu paired with select craft brews. Author and attorney, Michael D. Morgan, unwinds the major theories of the case between courses. Ticket price is all-inclusive (tour, food, beer pairings as well as gratuity included.)