ThisWeek Community Newspapers Hilliard
March 3, 2011
Page C1
The Beat Arts, eats and fun in central Ohio
FAB 5 By Jim Fischer
jfischer@thisweeknews.com The Beat sees that some Lady Gaga person is having a concert March 10 at the Schottenstein Center. How come you don’t hear that much about her? On to the Fab Five.
1 Celtic musicians make the
lage, bookended by gigs at the Hey Hey Bar and Grill on Whittier Street Saturday night and Sunday afternoon. Great harmonies and fiery picking are common themes form all three shows. For details, call (614) 445-9512. CityMusic welcomes the ethereal Altan in concert Wednesday, March 9, at the Lincoln Theatre. The Donegal, Ireland, ensemble combines traditional ballads and dance tunes with contemporary folk songs in an acoustic setting, Mairead Ni Mhaonaigh’s alluring vocals providing the perfect complement to the flute, fiddle and guitar accompaniment. Tickets are $26-$11. Call (614) 4690939.
rounds at all times of the year, but you know it’s getting into March when the density increases. Like during the next week, for example. The Dollyrots are prepared Neo-traditional party band Gael- 2 to unleash bubble-gum punk ic Storm, touring in support of its of the highest order on denizens latest CD, Cabbage, starts things of The Summit Friday, March 4. off Friday, March 4, at the NewFronted by Avril-meets-Gwenport Music Hall. Tickets are meets-Courtney Kelly Ogden, the $19.50/$25. Call 1-800-745D-Rots are probably best3000. known for their tunes BeAcoustic duo Switchcause I’m Awesome, Kick back will perform Me to the Curb and their original liturgical cover of Brand New Key. music at the It doesn’t get much more 11:30 a.m. fun, as the band Mass Sunday, tours the U.S, in March 6, at support of St. Mary 2010’s A Little Catholic Messed Up on Church in Blackheart German Records. That is, Vi l the label run by Joan Jett, a patron for and advocate of the Florida-based trio. The relationship could not be more apropos. Ranger Danger and Charlie Hustle open. Tickets are $8/$10. Call (614) 268-9377. Thomas 3 Chris King may have Trout Fishing in America
sold his soul to the devil a decade ago as Tommy John-
5 Nothing personal, ‘recording’ and ‘per-
Chris Thomas King
son in O Brother,Where Art Thou?, but his real-life chops are bona fide. The son of bluesman Tabby Thomas, CTK peppered his blues with hip-hop and other forms, and later on hit it big acting in and scoring films, including O Brother and Ray. King, who has a new album due out call Sketches of Time, and his band will play the Lincoln Theatre Saturday, March 5, in a concert sponsored by the Jazz Arts Group’s Inside Track series. Local band The Floorwalkers opens. Tickets are $30/$25. Call (614) 469-0939. think children’s music 4 You that appeals to adults is a recent phenomenon? Then you haven’t been paying attention, as Trout Fishing in America — the duo of guitarist Ezra Idelet and bassist Keith Grimwood — has been at this game for about 30 years. Lullabies, story songs, audience participation and a goofy, self-deprecating sense of humor, all delivered via first-class folk-pop musicianship is TFIA’s MO. Trout Fishing in America will be in concert Saturday, March 5, at Newark’s Midland Theatre. Tickets are $20-$7.50. Call (740) 345-LIVE.
forming.’Ari Hest loves you. He just loves songwriting more. “There’s something about the feeling of coming up with a good melody or a good line,” Hest told The Beat. “That’s why I do what I do.” Hest, a Brooklyn-based pop singer-songwriter, has proven his adroitness in those other areas as well. In the midst of a heavy touring schedule, he self-produced his 2009 album Twelve Mondays. The project culminated a 2008 Web-based project in which he wrote, recorded and released a new song every Monday throughout the year, allowing fans to then select their 12 favorites for the album. “I made all the decisions,” Hest said. “So (for his new record, Sunset Over Hope Street), I gave up the reigns.” Specifically, to indie musician and producer Alex Wong. “I knew going in that this was going to be something I wasn’t used to, but it was very much an ‘I’d like to try this’ mentality,” Hest explained. “I knew going in I would be pushed. Alex uses a lot of strings and keyboard sounds – things I’m not used to. But I left much of the arranging to Alex. I worked on writing and re-writing songs.” While he consciously stepped back in making Sunset Over Hope Street, Hest admitted the making of this record tested his patience after the immediacy of his song-a-week project. “(Sunset) was recorded over a year, in between breaks while both Alex and myself were on tour,” Hest explained. “It was a long time in the making, with a lot of time to listen back to what we had done so far. I started to get slightly impatient, because the songs were done but not finished.” Patience is a theme throughout the album, although, Hest explained, in a more personal sense. “(The title track) is essentially about being patient waiting for something new to come along when you’re just getting out of something, and also feeling happy for the other person as they move on and you try to move on,” he said. The job, now that the album is complete and
Ari Hest will play the Rumba Café Saturday, March 5. The Mooncussers and Crowe open. Call (614) 268-1841.
tour forthcoming, was to “recreate the album with new arrangements for two people,” Hest said, explaining that, for this tour, he’s bringing along a drummer and that’s all. “The songs stand on their own,” Hest said. “They started out this way, so they don’t require a band.” The Columbus date is early in the tour. Hest said he’s looking forward to playing these new songs for audiences. “I hope everything resonates with people in some way,” he said, sounding like a person who cares about the songs the way every good songwriter should. ■ For more from The Beat’s interview with Ari Hest, read the BeatBlog at www.ThisWeekNews.com.
Pickerington pizza shop is a real heavyweight champ The reputation of Catalfino’s pizza precedes it. For over a decade, Catalfino’s took first or second place in the Slice of Columbus competition. It scored several consecutive second places in the North American Pizza and Ice Cream Show. And Catalfino’s landed in the top 10 of the American Pizza Championship. Catalfino’s business also has a storied past going back to the mid-1970s. That was when the family that still owns and operates Catalfino’s co-opened their first one-oven, two-table shop on the East Side of Columbus. Decades of success, change, expansions and relocations eventually brought Catalfino’s to its newest spot in Pickerington a couple of years ago. This latest incarnation is a big and bright, nice but casual restaurant with a decidedly sporty at-
MENU by G.A. Benton titude. There’s lots of Buckeye stuff on the walls, plus tons of TVs beaming in games and races (it’s the kind of place where a NASCAR dad gets decked out in full stock-car regalia). Largely full of happy families, Catalfino’s also has a fully stocked bar detailed with a crazy parade of flattened beer caps. A crazy parade of “Man vs. Food”-type munchies can adorn Catalfino’s pizzas, salads, sandwiches and starters if you so desire. I so desired. That’s why I picked the funky Fagiolo Fries appetizer ($6). It was a big pile of “krinkle” cutters doused in a nice, black-pep-
By Jodi Miller/ThisWeek
The Champion pizza at Catalfino’s in Pickerington.
pery homemade pasta and bean soup topped with melted provolone. Yeah, it sounds odd, but really it’s not far from chili cheese fries. Think of it as Italian-Amer-
ican poutine, if you want, but do think of it. Also think of the Chicago Combo ($9), which the menu says is fully endorsed by The Fan’s Mike Ricordati. Here, a decent Italian beef sandwich increased its girth by the addition of a spicy sausage patty. Was it an authentic Windy City dish? Not really. Did it’s blend of “jus” (I would have liked more), griddled roast beef, spicy sausage and giardiniera (hot pickled veggies) prove Ricordati knew what he was talking about (at least in this case)? You betcha. Of course Catalfino’s topnotch pizzas are the stars. You can design your own, go with a traditional combo or pick one of the shop’s over-the-top specialties ($8.50 to $22). If you’re considering the latter, here are some uncommon things Catalfino’s
Catalfino’s Italian 10501 Blacklick-Eastern Rd., Pickerington 614-575-5380 Web: catalfinos.com Cuisine: Pizza Price: $ (up to $10 per person) Patio: Yes Hours: 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.11:30 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.10:30 p.m. Saturday, 4-9:30 p.m. Sunday will toss onto their excellent, thin and crispy crusts: wing sauce, chicken and celery; BLT; spaghetti and meatballs; pulled pork. I’m generally not a fan of barbecue on pizza, but Catalfino’s Carolina pulled pork was a winner. I liked how its homemade
thick, tangy and smoky barbecue sauce complemented both the good meat and — wait for it — onion rings! Also terrific was the wellnamed Champion (ricotta, bacon, sausage, ham, pepperoni and much more). Catalfino’s menu says this pie’s won more than 20 awards in competitions, and I could see — and taste! — why. The menu also says The Fan’s Scott Torgerson declared the Spicy Italian “will be his final meal if he’s ever on Death Row.” After demolishing that irresistible grease bomb (killer spicy marinara plus double meats and cheeses), Death Row seemed almost redundant. To read G.A. Benton’s blog visit ColumbusDiningGuide.com
Warma for the shawarma: Spit-roasted meats gaining popularity Behold the vertical rotisserie, a magnificent machine that is being used by a growing number of ethnic restaurants in Columbus. Spit-roasted options are the signature dishes at such newcomers as Lavash, Pita Hut, Los Guachos and Lashish, the Greek. The electric broiler rotates a composite of meat in front of bright-orange heating lamps, which melt away fat and leave the outside golden brown and glistening with moisture. The outer shell is then sliced off per order, and often placed in a pita or is part of a larger plate ensemble.
Most everyone is at least familiar with the gyro, brown cuts of herb-flecked meat cut from the large, twirling cylinder, and garnished with shredded lettuce, onions, tomatoes and tzatziki inside a soft pita. While not new, a different brand of twirling, carnivorous delight is tempting local diners: the shawarma. Several local restaurants offer their own variations.
By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek
Lufti Ayoub, owner of the Pita Hut, cuts the shawarma on Feb. 26. The Pita Hut’s shawarma is seasoned with spices imported from Jerusalem.
Pita Hut in Clintonville has a Jerusalem-style, “As the ethnic population increases, these restauusing alternating layers of dark-meat turkey and rants will remain popular,” he said. lamb. Owner Lutfi Ayoub said the seasoning is Latif said the competition is good, opening up key to the alluring, complex flavor. He uses a blend diners to different cuisines and their spit-roasted of 10 herbs and spices, ground fresh in Israel and dishes. shipped to Columbus. He said he dry-rubs the “Bottom line: the customer wins,” he said. pieces of meat and marinates them, usually overnight, before placing them on the skewer for cooking. The place offers nine condiments, from hummus to cucumbers, for added flavor. “That’s the important part, always,” he said. The sauce also is a big part of the equation, says Recipe of the week Nasir Latif, owner of Lavash, also in Clintonville. He offers a simple but bold garlic sauce for his two shawarma options: a Lebanese-style using lamb and beef and a chicken selection. Latif said big beehive-shaped columns of meat pirouetting behind the counter help draw in customers. “It looks good,” he said. “It tastes good.” Shish Kebab Mediterranean Café and Café Istanbul use the rotisserie to make doner, the Turkish equivalent of gyro. Ilyas Batuk, chef and partner of Shish Kebab on Bethel Road, said the secret to excellent doner is using a good fat ratio – 25 percent – and forcefully compressing the ground beef and lamb mixture on the spit, which gives it a fine texture. “If you don’t have the fat, it’s no good,” he said. Customers seem to agree, as the doner is one of the top sellers in the restaurant. He makes 80 pounds each Friday and Saturday and another 50 pounds on Sunday, with smaller amounts during the rest of the week. Mike Polster, a partner of the Louis R. Polster Co., a restaurant-equipment supplier in the Brewery District, said he believes the sales of the ver- Orange butter cake with Grand Marnier, courtical broilers will continue to increase. tesy of Richard Blondin of the Refectory.