By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - City officials are working to attract one of the finest restaurants in the country from downtown Cincinnati - possibly to Madison Avenue.

Covington Mayor Butch Callery and Nat Comisar, owner of the Mobil five-star Maisonette, confirmed Thursday that they are discussing a possible move to Northern Kentucky.

The Sixth Street restaurant has received Mobil Travel Guide's highest rating 40 consecutive years - longer than any other restaurant on the continent.

"We are in negotiations," Callery said.

"We're working with the state of Kentucky on a (financial) incentive package."

Callery would not confirm that Comisar had toured a mostly vacant, older building at Madison Avenue and Pike Street.

Comisar also declined to mention any specific sites.

But sources close to Covington City Hall said Comisar has toured the building and is enamored of its architecture, 20-foot-high ceilings and potential for a restaurant on the first floor and a banquet facility on the upper floors.

"We've looked at numerous sites, including at least four locations in Covington," Comisar said. "The folks in Covington have been very accommodating. They showed me a map of the city and told me to put my finger on anywhere I wanted to go, and they would make it happen."

Comisar said that, because of dwindling business, his family is considering moving the Maisonette to Covington, Norwood or Kenwood.

Financial incentives have been offered at other suburban spots in Ohio, but Comisar would not elaborate.

He said Cincinnati officials have not offered any deal, because the restaurant is not big enough to employ a large number of workers.

"In the heyday of this restaurant the bulk of the business came from out-of-towners," Comisar said.

"We don't have that many out-of-towners anymore in downtown Cincinnati. Tourism and travel are in a funk."

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com