Columbus Crave

Fall 2011 l $3.99 ColumbusCrave.com

local buzz

Ohio’s wines

at work

behind the scenes at martini

www.cafeistanbul.com 3983 3989 Worth Avenue - Easton, Columbus, OH 43219 Phone: 614-473-9144

Whether you’re hosting an intimate dinner with friends, an annual picnic, a company meeting or a celebratory brunch, our Event Planners can help you select a menu to please one and all from our new 2011 Event Planning Menu with exciting, exclusive, chef-created dishes.

Featuring our Chefs’ best — everything from cookout classics, fine dinner entrÊes and artisan salads to sandwich boards, artisan cheeses and charcuterie platters — our new menu allows you to host events big and small with ease and taste!

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Call 614.538.0783 or visit MarketDistrict.com/ EventPlanning for more information.

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Kingsdale

3061 Kingsdale Center Upper Arlington, OH 43221 614.538.0762

An Honest Honest Interpretation Interpretation of of An Italian Cuisine Cuisine Italian

Join Giuseppe’s bartenders for Happy Hour, Monday through Friday 4:30 to 6:30

GIUSEPPE’S INVITES YOU TO COME HAVE A SEAT AT OUR BAR! The bartenders of Giuseppe’s Ritrovo in Bexley have been diligently working to provide the most diverse craft cocktail experience in Columbus. It is our goal to bring the city’s cocktail experience inline with the cocktail renaissance that is currently taking place throughout the country. We are very proud to feature our unique summer cocktail list.

Remember... cocktails should be a journey, a memory.

Please enjoy the spirit of spirits. • Saluté! Bartenders of the Ritrovo.

2268 East Main Street Bexley, OH 43209 (614) 235-4300 • www.giuseppesritrovo.com facebook@giusppesritrovobar • twitter@giuseppesbexley

BUILD. EAT. REPEAT.

www.shafferconstruction.com | 614-488-4681

Thailand • Japan • China • Vietnam • Malaysia & Indonesia

Sushi & Sashimi Combo

Appetizers • Soups & Salads • Mee & Noodles • Asian Specialties Work n’ Grill • Sushi & Sashimi • Rolls & Hand Rolls • Specialty Rolls

Happy Hour Monday-Tuesday 5pm-9:30pm Drink Specials Half Price Regular Sushi Rolls

Asian Fusion Bistros

Royal Ginger Blue Ginger 1625 West Lane Ave. Upper Arlington, OH 43221 614.488.7888

6234 Sawmill Rd. Dublin, OH 43017 614.792.3888

Sunday-Saturday • 11am - 10:30pm

Sunday-Saturday • 11am - 10:30pm

contents The Columbus dining magazine

Fall 2011

cover story The Crave 10

The best restaurants in Columbus Plus!

10 more restaurants we love

66

Starters

8 Editor’s Note 16 Craveworthy

18 Scoop

Shopping for wine-related goodies Late Night Slice’s Slut Sauce and a regular at Monte Carlo

22 Events

27 Crave Calendar

Crave’s on the scene at foodie events around town Plan out your season

Food

32 Strip Search

34 Neighborhood

Vietnamese comfort food off 161 Grandview eats

Above, Ayu at Kihachi.

On the cover, Polenta Lasagna at Dragonfly.

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l

ColumbusCrave.com

38 Street Eats

Takoyaki from Fresh Street

Drink

106 Ohio Wine 40 On the Go

Explore the state’s Mediterranean takeout from wineries & vineyards Lavash 114 Perfect Pairings 42 Required Eating

What to order with Four takes on roasted DeepWood’s strip steak chicken 116 Advice 44 What’s Hot

Avoid watered-down drinks Lavender 118 Closing Time 46 Flavors

Club 185’s Coty Hildebrand Chill out with the city’s shares her favorite places to growing frozen yogurt scene eat and drink in Columbus

48 At Home

Peek inside the kitchen of Luce chef Phil Gulis

52 At Work

A day in the life of a Martini line cook

Sweet

120 Apple Napoleon

An indulgent ending at Black Creek Bistro Cover Photo by

jodi miller Contents photo: Will Shilling

34 S. Third St. Columbus, OH 43215 614-461-8700 ColumbusCrave.com Publisher Katie Wolfe Lloyd kwolfe@columbuscrave.com Director of Niche Publications Brian Lindamood blindamood@columbuscrave.com Editor Shelley Mann smann@columbuscrave.com Creative Director Will Shilling Design Editor Yogesh Chaudhary Photographers Jodi Miller and Eric Wagner Contributing Writers G.A. Benton, Robin Davis, Chris DeVille, Faith Durand, Jackie Mantey, Jill Moorhead and Bethia Woolf Office Manager Silvana Hildebrandt 614-461-8700 shildebrandt@columbuscrave.com ADVERTISING Niche Publications Advertising Manager Amy Bishop abishop@columbuscrave.com Restaurant Account Executive Erica Phillips ephillips@columbuscrave.com Subscriptions Don’t miss an issue: Have Crave delivered to your home.

Subscriptions are available for $10 for one year (5 issues). To order, call toll-free 855-686-2363 or visit ColumbusCrave.com.

Crave magazine is published and distributed by the Dispatch Printing Company four times a year. Crave is not responsible for unsolicited photographs, manuscripts or other materials. Reproduction of contents without express written permission is prohibited.

Copyright © 2011 The Dispatch Printing Company.

TRADITIONAL INGREDIENTS, L O C A L LY G R O W N S E RV I N G THE FINEST

ARCHITECTURE IN CENTRAL OHIO F O R N E A R LY 1 5 Y E A R S .

Meleca Architecture, specialists in restaurant architecture and design.

See our work at:

Lindey’s German Village • Brio Tuscan Grille Bravo Lennox Town Center • Bon Vie Café Istanbul • Bel Lago (formerly Hoover Grille) Athletic Club of Columbus - Grille Room Cup O’ Joe Lennox Town Center Johnny Buccelli’s

144 East State St., Columbus, OH 43215 614-224-0343 • www.meleca.com

starters

editor’s note Photo: Will Shilling

a thousand words

H

ungry Planet, the new exhibit at Franklin Park Conservatory, revolves around Peter Menzel’s large-scale photographs of families from around the world surrounded by a week’s worth of food. The intent is to emphasize the disparity between the amount of food consumed

by Americans and, say, people in Mongolia.

It got me thinking about what a week’s worth of my meals would look like. Now, I understand that my meals wouldn’t be making the same kind of statement as Menzel’s.

No, mine would be less political, more work of art.

I feel so lucky to be able to eat in the city’s best restaurants, many of them highlighted in this issue, and to be served the city’s prettiest plates of food. Plates that make my heart skip a beat when they’re set down in front of me.

I try to share as many of these meals as I can on my blog at ColumbusCrave.com, but sadly a camera phone can’t really capture the magic of a gorgeous plate of food.

Professional photographers like Will Shilling and Jodi Miller, however, can capture that magic. For evidence, just flip through this issue. Their photos are a stunning tribute to the quality of food being put out in Columbus.

So when I put together my own photo exhibit of food in Columbus, I’m going to have Will and Jodi tag along

with me and take pictures of everything I eat.

In the meantime, in the spirit of this issue’s top 10 theme, I’m going to tell you about the 10 loveliest plates I had the pleasure of eating as we put together this fall issue. Check out my iPhone photos of them online at ColumbusCrave.com.

1. Lobster Risotto at Basi Italia: A striking lobster tail towers above sweet corn risotto and tomato jam.

2. Pear Tart at the Refectory: Turn to page 80 to ogle the city’s best looking dessert, starring masterfully layered pear slices.

3. Takoyaki at Fresh Street: These Japanese street food dumplings are served in an adorable little wooden canoe.

4. Jicama Salad at Barrio: Simple and sweet—jicama matchsticks and oranges topped with a charming little tangle of herbs.

5. Farmer’s Market Parfait at Jeni’s: Lemon yogurt layered with port wine compote, fresh berries, shortbread cookies and hand-whipped cream, served in a mason jar.

6. Crispy Sesame Roll from Dragonfly’s ComFest booth: I was as surprised as anyone to find such a sophisticated bite at a festival. Considering it was from the culinary genius who created the veggie

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Shelley enjoying the Basi patio “lasagna” gracing our cover, though, I shouldn’t have been.

7. Ceviche Salad at El Arepazo: Summer in a dish.

A confetti of citrus-cured fish and diced vegetables served on crispy corn tortillas.

8. Love Connection at Lexi’s: An impossibly tall stack of delicious corned beef and pastrami makes this sandwich something special.

9. Calamari appetizer at Milestone 229: It’s served

spilling out of a Chinese takeout container, with chopsticks. Very fun.

10. Ultimate Caramel Apple Napoleon at Black Creek Bistro: You’ll get a look at pastry chef Michelle MilhousGarland’s abstract work of art, created especially for Crave, on the very last page.

Shelley Mann, Editor

THE FACES OF FRESH FOOD. Curds &Whey • The Greener Grocer • Bluescreek Farm Meats The Fish Guys • Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams North Market Poultry and Game • Market Blooms Omega Artisan Bakery • and 27 more

Supporting local businesses.

Nourishing our community.

Passionately preserving good taste.

SINCE 1876

www.facebook.com/NorthMarket @NorthMarket

www.northmarket.com 59 Spruce Street • Downtown Columbus • (614) 463-9664 • Open daily

starters

contributors

G.A. Benton In preparation for a long-term gig as restaurant reviewer for Columbus Alive, G.A. majored in physics. Lately he’s been doing research for Crave in the laboratories of Columbus eateries. In this issue, G.A. reports on Grandview, great roasted chicken entrees and the best restaurants in town.

Robin Davis Robin is the food editor at the Columbus Dispatch and hosts cooking segments at noon Wednesdays on 10TV News HD. When she’s not cooking for work or for fun, she’s eating out around town.

This summer, she made it her personal mission to visit every frozen yogurt shop in Central Ohio.

Chris DeVille Chris writes about local music and the Crew each week for Columbus Alive.

When not writing he can be found jogging, mentoring teens at his church and freestyle rapping over indierock songs in his beat-up Honda Civic. He hopes his next Crave story involves peanut butter.

Bethia Woolf Bethia’s a British transplant who now happily calls Columbus home. She runs Columbus Food Adventures, the city’s first food tour company, and spends her free time scouting out new taco trucks and street food vendors. For this issue, Bethia caught up with the quirky couple behind the Fresh Street takoyaki stand.

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JOIN US

MON & WEDS

5pm - 9 pm

GRAND OPENING SPECIAL!

1/2 OFF

ALL SUSHI ROLLS

* FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY. SPECIAL MAY END AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. NOT VALID WITH ANY OTHER OFFERS, SPECIALS OR PROMOTIONS

717 N. HIGH ST. COLS, OH 43215

T.614.221.8600

A few of our favorite wine-related goodies Story by S h e l l e y M ann l P h otos by J O D I M ILLER

Brittle Along with artisan chocolates, truffles and dessert sauces, Napa Valley’s Anette’s Chocolates puts out peanut brittles made with wines, beers and liquors.

This one’s got Spanish peanuts, vanilla, a touch of salt and a hint of buttery chardonnay.

Chardonnay Wine Brittle, $10 at Market District in Upper Arlington

Bottle wrap

Glass brush

You can do better than a boring old wine bag. Pretty up your gift of wine with these reusable fabric wine bottle wraps, handmade in Columbus from vintage fabrics.

Check out more designs online at theuniquebird.com.

This nifty brush is tailor-made for a tricky task—cleaning stemware. The foam brush leaves glasses streak-free, and helpfully splits in half to easily reach the bottom. It also claims to be a “lipstick eraser,” which you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever had to scrub your grandma’s wine glass.

The Unique Bird bottle wrap, $6.50 at Meza wine shop in Westerville

Sparkle Clean Glass Pro, $4 at Market District in Upper Arlington

Wine stoppers The well-curated home decor shop T. David moved from German Village to the Short North earlier this year, bringing with it a large selection of vintage barware. You’ll also find lots of vintage-looking bottle stoppers, including these spigot-topped ones.

Assorted wine stoppers, $18 each at T. David Collection in the Short North 1 6 l C o l u m b u s C r av e . C O M l FA L L 2 0 1 1

Now Open!

Brought to you by Mozart’s Bakery and Piano Café

Bruschetta Athens, Ohio-based Vino de Milo makes delicious wine-based pasta sauces, salad dressings, salsas and bruschetta toppings.

Their sweet and salty Black Olive & Currant Bruschetta combines malbec with Ohio-grown tomatoes, chopped black olives and whole currants.

Spoon some onto toasted baguette slices and you’re good to go.

Vino de Milo Black Olive & Currant Bruschetta, $5 at The Hills Market in Worthington

Chilling bag Perfect for picnicking or partying, this durable PVC bag can be filled with ice water to chill down bottles of white wine on the go.

Bottle Bubble Ice, $9 at Wine on High in the Short North

Pastry chef inspired

ice cream gelato • sorbet View our complete menu offerings at

www.viennaicecafe.com 2899 N. High St. Columbus, OH. 43202

614-261-7228 www.mozartscafe.com LIKE US ON FACEBOOK

pizza

late night sauce

Photo: Jodi Miller

Late Night Slice’s signature Slut Sauce has become something of a phenomenon.

It’s popping up on menus at other food carts (you can dip your Cheesy Truck grilled cheese in Slut Sauce), and stealing bottles of it is the new way to earn your drunken-hipster cred. Four to six bottles disappear each week, said Late Night Slice owner Mike Sorboro.

Sorboro, whose next project is taking over the concession stand at Newport Music Hall, filled us in on the story behind the sauce.

—Shelley Mann How was Slut Sauce born?

When we started, we wanted some dipping sauces to spread on our pies. We were messing around in the pizza shop one night and added a bunch of stuff together, and came up with a really awesome sauce. We nailed it on the first try.

How did Paris Hilton wind up on the label?

Mikey’s Late Night Slice 1030 N. High St., Short North 614-737-3488

I had this idea that I wanted to do an ad with Paris eating a slice of pizza, and my head would be popping up from the corner saying, “That’s hot.” It evolved into Paris being on the Slut Sauce label.

As we grow, though, we’re anticipating a cease-anddesist. We’re going to keep Paris until it comes, then we’re going to post the letter on Facebook. We already have a drag queen lined up to pose for the new label.

Why do you think people like to steal this stuff?

Because the name and the label are funny. And because of the actual flavor—it’s that good. Our demographic is just a bunch of drunks, and drunk people like to pocket things.

It was kind of annoying at first, but we’ve embraced it.

We’re working on a T-shirt that says “I stole the Slut Sauce.”

The sauce is actually for sale for $10 a bottle if you don’t feel like thieving.

So can you tell us what’s in Slut Sauce?

It’s a mix of all of our sauces: ranch, hot ranch, garlic butter, sriracha, barbecue sauce. The exact proportions are a secret.

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www.columbusoktoberfest.com

scoop

Get ready for the

September 23-25, 2011 Come Join the Fun!

The Columbus Oktoberfest has been serving up smiles for more than 45 years. Something for everyone – even kids! Come join us for bountiful beers, tasty food, lively music, and arts and crafts vendors. It’s a great time that celebrates “the spirit of enjoying life” like none other.

Free Admission!

Ohio Expo Center / Ohio State Fairgrounds

Have you heard?

Sage American Bistro is now

Open.

For. Lunch.

Come see what everyone’s talking about.

SAGE B.L.T. grilled brioche, avocado, fried egg, apple cider-cured bacon, tomato, romaine, black pepper mayonnaise

Join us for Lunch Tuesday thru Friday 11am - 2pm

scoop

regular

lifelong fan Jim Heise eats at Monte Carlo Italian Kitchen so often, they gave him his own table—in the kitchen. He’s been going there so long, he refers to owner Lora Ciotola as “Mama.” Heise shared a little about his very favorite place to eat.

—Karina Nova

Photo: will shilling

Name: Jim Heise Age: 36 Neighborhood:

North Side Occupation:

Sales

How did you find out about this place?

When I was a kid my parents used to take me once or twice a week to the old location. I brought my prom dates there and my sister had her wedding there. When they moved to this spot, I continued to stop in several times a week.

What’s your favorite dish?

I can’t live without the Cheese Ravioli. It’s stuffed with delicious cheese and spinach, and the sauce is second to none.

How’s the service?

The feeling is like you’re

Monte Carlo Italian Kitchen 610 W. Schrock Rd., Westerville; 614-890-2061 montecarloitaliankitchen.com Hours: 11 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 3-9 p.m. Saturday

at home, with your brothers, sisters and parents.

Lora and Joe are like a second set of parents. If I ever need something, they’re there. They’re awesome! They go out and talk to customers and remember everyone’s names. It’s a down-home kind of thing.

How did you end up getting your own table?

One day they were so packed, there were no tables in the main dining room so they offered me the table in the kitchen. I thought it was a joke, but they weren’t joking.

Now I sit back here with these guys all the time. I watch to make sure they make the food right…not that they’d listen to me.

What should people try on the menu?

You can’t go wrong with the Spaghetti and Meatballs. They make the sauce fresh here.

Catch Karina Nova’s weekly Crave segments Saturday mornings on 10TV News HD.

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LouiE’s Grill Fusion Restaurant Mexican_Cuban_Italian

Serving breakfast, lunch, & dinner The Fusion Grill is a place where the different styles blend together to create a unique flavor.

Everything is made from scratch!

Louiesgrillfusionrestaurant.net 4453 Cemetry Rd Hillard 777-5606

3051 Northwest Blvd Upper Arlington 670-8582

Knead to know where your food comes from?

Veggie Enchilada Knead a burger

Pork Tacos

Mother Clucker

505 N High Street, Across from the Convention Center between The Short North and The Arena District

www.kneadonhigh.com 614-228-6323

scoop

events

Bon Vie

Crave launch party Tuesday, May 24 Photo s by E r ic Wag ne r More than 100 foodies and VIPs gathered at Bon Vie to toast the first issue of Crave magazine. Guests sampled the Easton restaurant’s signature flatbreads, quesadillas and Roquefort Frites. And as they mingled on the beautiful outdoor patio, attendees sipped specialty cocktails—the bubbly Crave Cocktail, with Ciroc vodka and champagne, or the Crave-Tini, made with vodka, muddled basil and lemon.

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Aab India Restaurant

By Cincinnati’s Ambar India Restaurant

T E F F U B H C N U L EVERYDAY

HAPPY HOUR SPECIALS

SERVINUGRE MANY PRIAN VEGETA ES DISH

HAPPY R U O H BEER SPECIALS

• $3 Drafts • $2 Domestics ttles • $3 Import Bo ort • $5 Large Imp Bottles

Mon. - Thurs. 5:00 - 7:00pm • 1/2 Off Appetizers • House Wines $4 per glass • $3 Well Drinks • $4 Martinis

NEW HAPPY HOUR DRINK MENU 1470 Grandview Ave. (across from Giant Eagle)

614-486-2800

www.aabindiarestaurant.com

OPEN DAILY

$5 OFF

CRAVE

Second Dinner Entrée

(eat-in only, 1 coupon per party, per table) Exp: 1/8/12 Only valid from Sunday to Thursday

$3 OFF

CRAVE

Second Lunch Entrée

(eat-in only, 1 coupon per party, per table) Exp: 1/8/12 Only valid from Sunday to Thursday

scoop

events

North Market

Grillmaster’s Festival

Saturday-Sunday, May 28-29 Photo s by E r ic Wag ne r To mark the official launch of the grilling season, barbecue enthusiasts showed off their skills at the North Market over Memorial Day weekend.

Along with cooking demonstrations, vendors and live music, culinary contests anointed the city’s best local BBQ sauces and salsas. And Latitude 41 chef David MacLennon’s brisket helped him beat three other local chefs for the title Baron of Barbecue.

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 

$

BISTRO & BAR

B B B Monday – Friday 3 –7 & 9 –Close

(Available in Bon Vie bar area only.

Not available for carry-out or with offers or discounts.)

W S, Y E

 M

$

W Every Wednesday 3 p.m. - Close

“G. Mike’s

justly famous Shrimp & Grits” — Columbus Alive

G MICHAEL’S P R I X F I X E M O N D AY S

Easton Town Center (614) 416-0463

3 Courses for $30 614.464.0575 595 S. Third Street gmichaelsbistro.com

German Village

scoop

events

the blackwell

Cooking with the Stars Thursday, June 23

Photo s by E r ic Wag ne r Local chefs joined together with local celebrities to create special small plate dishes to raise money for the National Kidney Foundation. This year’s lineup of more than a dozen celebs included athletes—like OSU football stars Dewayne Carter and Dimitrious Stanley—and restaurateurs such as White Castle owner Dave Rife, all paired with chefs from local favorites like Marcella’s and the Refectory.

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Crave Calendar

Ohio Proud O 25 VER YEARS OF QUALITY AND SERVICE

Fall 2011

Lobster Days

From Field to Table

A feast of traditional Maine Lobster Rolls, potato chips, blueberry pie and lemonade for $15. Reservations required.

A meal featuring local, seasonal ingredients to benefit the conservatory’s education programs.

Festival Latino

Microbrew Festival

Foodie fest! Grab some Puerto Rican fare from El Pilon.

Sample beers from our homestate breweries: Barley’s, Columbus Brewing, Elevator, Gordon Biersch, Hoster, Neil House and Weasel Boy.

Aug. 13, 20, 27, Sept. 3 The Hills Market

thehillsmarket.com Aug. 13-14 Genoa Park

festivallatino.net

Hungry Planet

Aug. 20-Nov. 16 Franklin Park Conservatory Peter Menzel’s large-scale photos of families surrounded by a week’s worth of food are at the center of this new exhibit, which also includes cooking demos and tastings.

fpconservatory.org

BaconCamp

Sept. 16 Franklin Park Conservatory

fpconservatory.org Sept. 16-17 North Market

northmarket.com

Food & Wine Affair Grand Tasting

Sept. 23 Franklin Park Conservatory Hundreds of wines and tastes from dozens of Central Ohio restaurants will be served on the conservatory grounds.

Aug. 27 North Market

foodandwineaffair.com

Wild Goose Creative’s annual celebration of pork includes a bacon cooking contest and plenty of samples.

Oct. 1-8

baconcampcolumbus.com

Greek Festival

Sept. 2-5 Greek Orthodox Cathedral Foodie fest! Snack on gyros and souvlaki, and save room for a baklava sundae.

greekcathedral.com

Ohio Hog Roast Sept. 5 The Hills Market

A Labor Day tradition, with live bluegrass music, pulled pork sandwiches, baked beans and coleslaw.

thehillsmarket.com

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

Home Grown Produce, Dairy, and Meats Catering & Home Delivery Custom Wine Labels State Liquor Store Extensive Beer & Wine Selection Prepared Foods

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

Local Foods Week Local Matters’ celebration includes restaurant specials, a Grilled Cheese Throwdown and a food cart rally, plus Saturday’s Harvest Ball and Market to Market ride.

local-matters.org

•••••••••••••••••••••••••

Italian Festival Oct. 7-9 Italian Village

Foodie fest! Don’t miss Carfagna’s spaghetti dinner.

columbusitalianfestival.com

Dine Originals Week Nov. 7-13

Special dining menus at nearly 50 independent, locally owned restaurants.

dineoriginalscolumbus.com

••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2140 Tremont Center, Upper Arlington, OH 43221

– 614-486-5336 –

www.huffmansmarket.com

Celebrate Summer with Cimi’s Sangria

Sangria pitcher $22 Sangria by the glass $6

Don’t let summer slip away without sipping a Sangria on the patio at Cimi’s Bistro. With weekly chef specials featuring fresh, local ingredients and the ultimate garden setting, Cimi’s Bistro is your “must visit” patio this summer. Weekend reservations recommended.

Fabulous View and Garden Setting

Delicious American Bistro Cuisine

Outdoor Wood-Fired Oven

Patio Bar

Terrace & Patio Seating

Live Music Thursdays & Saturdays

Located Just 10 Minutes from Downtown Columbus.

1500 Pinnacle Club Drive | Grove City | 614.539.0397 | cimisbistro.com

food

Story by Shelley M ann Photo by Will s hilling

down to earth Commonwealth Sandwich Bar has made a name for itself with sandwiches piled high with thick-cut, house-cured meats. So if anyone could make a vegetarian sandwich feel, well, meaty, it’s these guys.

Their new seasonal creation Into the Woods ($8.50) combines a tangle of seared wild mushrooms with caramelized onions and a potent black pepper tomato jam. Some gooey goat’s cheese fondue melds everything together on a crusty, warm French baguette from Eleni-Christina.

When they’re available, shaved black truffles are an extra few (dozen) dollars. Oh, yes, they’re worth it.

Into the Woods Commonwealth sandwich bar 1437 N. high St., campus 614-429-3195 commonwealthsandwichbar.com

guide strip search comfort food Columbus Square’s Mi Li Cafe specializes in Vietnamese pho and banh mi Story by JIll M o o r h ea d l P h oto s by J o d i M ill er

W

hen I was four, my dad and I lived off of Dublin-Granville Road in the apartments behind Otani and close to what used to be the Elephant Bar (and is now, like most interesting Columbus landmarks, a Walgreens).

In 30 years, the North Side has seen more changes than I can count. It started early.

One of the first losses was a buffet in the Columbus Square shopping center, forever locked in my mind as “Smorgasboard” because that’s how my dad once described it to me.

Not long after, the Big Bear shut its doors, as did our Zantigo, a Mexican chain beloved for their addictive chilitos.

No matter what my dad said, even five-year-old (wailing) me knew the truth: Taco Bell was not as good as Zantigo.

As an adult, I can see that even though many chains cleared out, the area is better for it—restaurants and markets run by owners from all over the world fill the void.

One of them is Mi Li Cafe,

Pho gets its distinctive, deep flavor from stock slow-simmered with toasted spices, charred onion, ginger and marrow

nestled in Columbus Square.

I’m not alone in my love for this brightly colored Vietnamese restaurant. It gets constant foot traffic from regulars who generally order the restaurant’s specialties: pho tai (a noodle soup) and banh mi thit nuong (a sandwich that marries Vietnamese flavors with the French standbys of mayonnaise and baguette).

I first encountered Mi Li through a friend who dragged me on a summer-long exploration of the city’s best phos.

The Vietnamese wonder soup is a comfort food (perfect for both colds and the effects of over-indulgence) that isn’t completely terrible for you.

Pho gets its distinctive, deep flavor from stock slowsimmered with toasted spices, charred onion and ginger and—sorry, vegetarians—marrow from beef bones. Bowls are filled with rice noodles, and pho becomes an interactive experience when diners customize their soup with the accompanying limes, green onions, thinly sliced white onions, jalapenos, bean sprouts and bitter greens or basil. Sriracha and hoisin, for heat and sweetness, sit on every table.

When assembled, this choose-your-own-adventure dish celebrates opposites in texture and temperature: as the cool crunch of bean sprouts hit the hot and steamy broth, magic happens.

I love the pho, but Mi Li’s banh mi is my favorite find, especially on hot days. Grilled

3 2 l C o l u m b u s C r av e . C O M l Fa l l 2 0 1 1

pork, paté, pickled carrots, cilantro, jalapenos and cucumber mingle together on a freshly baked baguette coated with mayonnaise. (I’m a sucker for mayo on hot bread.)

Crispy on the outside and warm on the inside, the bread is what makes this sandwich.

Their secret: a standing order from the bakery at the Andersons General Store.

On a recent visit, my fortune cookie yielded the words, “Sometimes even love shows a rerun.” I have no idea what

this means. But if we’re talking about 161—a love for the 2011 incarnation along with fond memories of what it used to be—I’m in.

Jill Moorhead blogs about food at itinerantfoodies.com

Mi Li Cafe 5858 Emporium Sq., North Side 614-899-9202 Hours: 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday

Clockwise from top: Pho with rare beef, Vietnamese iced coffee, Pho up close, Banh Mi with grilled pork and Mi Li serves Pho

The lineup More 161 & Morse Road Eats Intercontinental Restaurant

Nazareth Restaurant and Deli

Salaam Market & Bakery

Cuisine: Nigerian Vibe: No worries if you’re new to West African cuisine. These folks will walk you through the options and make you feel at home.

Must-try dishes: Jollof Rice, Coconut Rice, Plantains and Spinach

Cuisine: Middle Eastern Vibe: An upbeat sandwich shop in a refurbished Chili’s. The owner will (jokingly) threaten you with a bat if you suggest you don’t like the food.

Must-try dishes: Hummus, handcut french fries, gyros

Cuisine: Middle Eastern Vibe: All are welcome in this grocery with a full-service bakery tucked in the back.

Must-try dishes: Pies (the chicken is incredibly good). Also check out the unique offerings in the produce department, like tart green cherries and green almonds.

Yuen’s Restaurant Cuisine: Vietnamese, Chinese & Thai Vibe: A clean, comfortable and spacious dining room makes this a perfect ethnic spot to take the family.

Must-try dishes: Rice vermicelli noodles with grilled pork, spring rolls, French coffee with condensed milk

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guide

Neighborhoods

mix it up

Whether you’re hungry for fun casual food or something more sumptuous, Grandview’s got you covered Story by G . A . Be nto n P hoto s by J o d i Mi l l e r

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pleasurably walkable neighborhood home to all walks of people, Grandview cheerfully blends old-time, small-town charm with contemporary big-city sophistication. And Grandview’s destination-worthy restaurant scene reflects that all-American mix.

Because whether it’s a homey joint with the best donuts ever (DK Diner) or a wholly refurbished golden oldie (Grandview Cafe—since 1925!) or a handsome, upscale and modern food palace that prides itself on sourcing (Third and Hollywood), Grandview’s eateries can easily please a wide range of appetites and pocketbooks. Here are a few more popular and alluring Grandview restaurants.

Spagio 1295 Grandview Ave. 614-486-1114 spagio.com As restaurant trends come and go, the decades-old Spagio continues zooming along, absorbing new food fashions with gusto and verve.

I’d expect nothing less from pioneering Columbus chef Hubert Seifert.

See, long ago, the German-born Seifert actually helped bring Euro-style haute cuisine to Central Ohio with his little Gourmet Market eatery. Now Chef Hubert oversees a bright and bubbly Spagio complex with a great

Seafood Stew at Spagio; opposite, Spagio dining room

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Grandview cheerfully blends old-time, smalltown charm with contemporary bigcity sophistication

Grandview W. 5th Ave.

Westwood Ave.

Red Door Tavern

N. Star Ave.

W. 3rd Ave.

Northwest Blvd.

Paul’s Fifth Avenue

Mazah

Trattoria Roma

Vino Vino Spagio Grandview Ave.

wine shop and patio.

Try the Asian-inflected wood-fired duck pizza, upscale Mama Seifert’s Meatloaf, a bouillabaisse-y Seafood Stew and a locally sourced rolled Italian Porchetta roast partnered with homemade gnocchi and spring peas.

Vino Vino 1371 Grandview Ave. 614-481-8200 vinovinocolumbus.com Suave and sexy Brazilian tunes usually set the zesty mood in the urbane and casual Vino Vino. As its twiceas-nice name suggests, the wine flows abundantly here and several flights enable the slurping of more than one grape at a time.

That same play-the-field

gameplan holds for the smallish plates of food. Some favorites are the Parmesan Peppercorn salad, Fish Taco and Asparagus Risotto Tower.

As a bonus, Vino Vino’s literally joined at the hip to Figlio, so you can get a twofer by also tucking into Figlio’s nifty Cal-Ital pizzas and pastas.

Mazah 1439 Grandview Ave. 614-488-3633 mazah-eatery.com Painted in alternating shades of merry yellow, green and orange, friendly little Mazah has been embraced as the must-visit newest player in the Grandview Avenue casualrestaurant scene.

But Mazah—which makes the best Middle Eastern food

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guide

Neighborhoods

in this area—has roots reaching back to Sindbad’s, Columbus’ Ur-house of hummus.

Luckily for customers, Mazah’s family recipes taste better than ever, and from phenomenal falafel to killer kebabs, you cannot go wrong.

Hint: Mazah specializes in tapas-y mezze-style dining, so ordering from the combopacked “Mazah samplers” menu section facilitates copious and glorious grazing.

Italian Porchetta Roast; below, Duck Pizza, both at Spagio

Trattoria Roma 1447 Grandview Ave. 614-488-2104 trattoria-roma.com Tasteful ambient appointments and pleasurecenter-grabbing dishes define Trattoria Roma. Vibe-wise, a wooden plank floor capped by neatly white-trimmed burgundy walls form a handsome backdrop to framed black-and-white sketches of famous Italian landmarks. Jazz giants are piped into the small dining room and the cozy little bar is decorated in Sinatra.

When it’s time to mangia mangia, saucy delights take center stage. Try the shroomy, rich and intense Polenta e Gorgonzola ai Funghi; a spicy tomato sauce, pasta and seafood bonanza (Linguine alla Pescatore); and a lush and skillful stuffed chicken dish (Pollo Trattoria Roma).

The lively Red Door Tavern has managed to retain its classic, downto-earth character while also attracting out-onthe-towners

Red Door Tavern 1736 W. Fifth Ave. 614-488-5433 reddoortavern.com

Paul’s Fifth Avenue 1565 W. Fifth Ave. 614-481-8848 paulsonline.com Paul’s Fifth Avenue has a dual personality that straddles both older and newer Grandview. By daytime, its coffeeshoppy interior is filled with breakfasting regulars slamming back eggy dishes sided with Paul’s famous morning

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potatoes (either crispy “Joes” or jazzed-up “Callahans”) plus lunching locals loving diner classics like meatloaf.

Evening hours bring about a more sophisticated Italian menu. Best enjoyed on Paul’s patio with a bottle of vino, the nightly meal can begin with a grilled polenta and portobello appetizer before moving on to, say, whole wheat linguine with a light and lively funghi pomodoro sauce.

Open since 1964, yes, here the door is really red and the school is really old. But don’t think this vintage working man’s tavern/family-friendly restaurant is a relic.

Currently in Jimmy V’s clan of eateries, the lively Door has managed to retain its classic, down-to-earth character while also attracting out-on-the-towners seeking pubby dining and a partying patio.

Whether eating outside, at the sporty bar or in one of several rooms hung with farm implements, this is the place for massive grill-seared burgers and the beloved Twisted Pelican (grilled deli turkey and fixins on a pretzel roll).

Food critic G.A. Benton blogs at columbusalive.com

Food • Wine • Friends Wine Down Wednesdays

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$3 Select wines by the Spaghetti with 2 glass, Sangria and stuffed meatballs Stella draft beer.

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www.luce-enoteca.com 3499 Market St. Powell, OH 43065

740-881-4600

guide

street eats

get fresh The fun folks behind Foodie Cart crepes are back with new Japanese street treats—and their signature sense of humor Story by BE T H I A WOO l f P hotos by j o di mi l l e r

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ast summer’s street food sensation was a Japanese crepe cart called Foodie Cart.

Husband and wife Kenny Kim and Misako Ohba delighted regulars with an everchanging menu of crepes with intriguing pan-Asian filling combinations—think miso pork belly and bulgogi cheesesteak.

Once word got out, people happily stood in line, sometimes up to an hour, to get one of these quirky crepes.

The creative culinary duo is back with a fixed location and different take on Japanese street food, primarily serving takoyaki—savory little pancake balls made in a special dimpled griddle.

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Fresh Street takoyaki

From left, Takoyaki, Fresh Street’s shack next to 83 Gallery, Bacon Avocado Okonomiyaki

1038 N. High St., Short North 614-531-0023 Hours:

11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Monday and Wednesday-Friday Noon-6 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday (Closed Tuesday) facebook.com/foodie.cart @freshstreet resist popping them straight from the grill into your mouth. But try—they’re steaming hot inside.

Don’t forget to try:

Where to find it:

What to get:

If you’ve been to the original Mikey’s Late Night Slice, you’ve been to Fresh Street.

The little hut sits in the Short North parking lot two doors south of Bodega. Fresh Street serves during the day before Mikey’s takes over for the night shift.

There’s outdoor seating plus a few tables inside the adjacent 83 Gallery space.

Try the signature takoyaki, ping-pong-ballsized dumplings (eight per order) you eat with a pair of toothpicks.

The dumplings are traditionally filled with chunks of boiled octopus (tako). If that’s not your thing, alternate fillings include Japanese sausage and a vegetarian option, usually sweet corn or cabbage.

The takoyaki balls are topped with drizzles of takoyaki sauce and Kewpie mayonnaise. They’re finished off with bonito flakes so delicate they dance in the steam.

These things smell so fantastic as they’re cooking, it’s hard to

When to go: Anytime you’re in the mood for a savory snack. Takoyaki is traditionally a snack food, but the changing daily specials usually make for a more substantial lunch.

Whatever’s on special.

Kenny and Misako change the specials daily based on whim, but you can count on something creative and delicious.

A few recent specials: okonomiyaki pancakes topped with pork belly, mozzarella and kimchi; cold soba noodles with fresh wasabi; pork katsu pressed sandwiches.

For dessert, there’s housemade gelatin in flavors like grapefruit, lemon and fresh berry.

Follow Fresh Street on Twitter or Facebook to see what they’re cooking up—it’s worth it just for videos of their ingenious Dance 4 a Discount Mondays.

Bethia Woolf, owner of the tour company Columbus Food Adventures, blogs at streeteatscolumbus.com

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on the go

mediterranean

Lamb Shish Kabob and falafel at Lavash

kabob king Lavash Cafe goes beyond the gyro to offer standout homestyle Mediterranean dishes Story by sh e ll e y M a nn P hoto by W ill S h ill i n g

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yros are great, but you can get them from every no-name streetmeat slinger in the city.

At Lavash, it’s worth moving past the meaton-a-spit standards and into more adventurous territory. In other words, skip the shawarma sandwiches in favor of the kabobs, the chops and the specials.

This bright and colorful Clintonville spot details the daily specials on a chalkboard menu, and they’re always tempting—whole red snapper fried to golden brown, chicken tagine, lemon cauliflower stew, lamb moussaka—and reliably great.

On the regular

menu, the Shish Kabob with lamb ($12) is a standout favorite.

Cubes of tender, juicy lamb are grilled on a skewer with chunks of red and green bell pepper and onions until everything’s nice and charred.

As an entree, it’s served with saffron rice, a small lettuce salad and some of Lavash’s fantastically dense pita bread. It’s also available in sandwich form, wrapped in either a pita or lavash (Middle Eastern-style flatbread), for five bucks cheaper.

On the side, go for the falafel ($3). An appetizer order comes with six little patties of ground chickpeas, onions and spices fried to crunchy brown, plus a tasty tahini-yogurt

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dipping sauce. Lavash’s take on this Greek standard is light on the parsley, so the falafel are golden inside rather than green—a good thing in my book.

Ordering is done at the counter, and because there isn’t

a whole lot of space to stand and wait, it’s helpful to call ahead with your carryout orders. Just don’t expect to walk in and find your order bagged up—Lavash puts the finishing touches on dishes once the customer arrives.

Lavash Cafe 2985 N. High St., Clintonville 614-263-7777 lavashcafe.com

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flavors required eating Bird of praise

Photo: jodi miller

These high-flying roasted chicken preparations elevate a simple dish into a special dinner Story by G . A . B e nto n

3

Roasted Chicken

Radhuni Campus i

Here’s a bird that’ll butter you up and light your fire. Expertly roasted and coated in a thick, rich and explosive curry sauce, it’s sweet from tons of long-cooked onions and aromatic from ginger and cardamom.

Beautiful basmati is provided for ecstatic sauce wrangling.

Photo: jodi miller

1

Photo: DAVID SMITH

Cuban Roasted Chicken

Louie’s Grill

Hilliard & Upper Arlington h

This’ll have the bold flavors of the sunsplashed Caribbean cha-cha-cha-ing across your tongue. Expect seductively bronzed and crispy skin draped in wildly tangy, falling-apart, vinegar-drenched onions and fried sweet plantains, plus homey black beans and rice.

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Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast

Cibo

Upper Arlington g

Cibo’s partially deboned, Ohio-raised free-range chicken is classically elegant.

Its golden brown crust is a crackly entryway to lusciously spork-tender meat.

Pretty platemates are a lush risotto with cheese, carrots and peas plus a silky and profoundly chickeny herb jus.

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4

Half Pollo

Fito’s

Campus h

Fito’s Peruvian-style chicken shop is like an indoor cookout. Cumin-, garlic- and black pepper-seasoned poultry gets a rotisserie-blistering over smoke-scenting charcoal that produces succulent meat.

Bonus: It’s even better dipped into Fito’s yellow pepper aioli.

Photo: Eric Wagner

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flavors

what’s hot

Purple craze As a garnish or an ingredient, lavender adds an alluring floral note to dishes and drinks Story by shelley Mann l Photo by will shilling

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avender’s pretty purple color and floral fragrance make it a natural ingredient for soaps and sachets.

But this flower can be used in cooking, too—local chefs have incorporated its slightly sweet, herbal flavors into desserts for years. And we’ve been spotting fresh and dried lavender more and more these days in savory sauces and as a garnish on entree dishes.

At the Refectory, Chef Richard Blondin has worked the ingredient into his dishes in various ways. For example, he drizzles his buzzworthy Alpaca Terrine, a chilled pate studded with pistachios and black olives that’s a must-try for adventurous foodies, in a lavender vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, Chef Alana Shock at Alana’s occasionally cooks up a daily special of lavender-buttermilk roasted Ohio chicken, served with mushroom creme fraiche.

You’ll find the herb in cocktails, too, like the Violette at Mouton. This purple Kool-Aid-hued concoction is made with sparkling Cremant, Creme de Violette and housemade lavender bitters.

And, of course, adding lavender is still an easy way to give sweets some panache. Like Pattycake Bakery’s pretty lemon cupcakes topped with lavender icing, or the Lavender & Brandy Pound Cake, a seasonal treat served at the Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls that’s made decadent with a dark chocolate ganache topping.

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flavors

chill out Yagoot; Cuzzins, left and center

sweet or tart?

An explosion of Columbus-area frozen yogurt shops means more choices than ever Story by Ro b i n dav i s l P h oto s by j o d i m i l l er

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hen it comes to soft-serve frozen yogurt, you have two choices: sweet or tart.

Sure, there’s an ever growing number of frozen yogurt shops in the Columbus area— and some of them offer a dozen flavors or

Cuzzins 1629 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington 614-488-8248 uasupersite.com/cuzzins

Yagoot 3998 Gramercy St., Easton 614-532-6565 yagootyogurt.com

more, not to mention scores of toppings and sauces. But you can’t embark on those choices until you pick sweet or tart.

Me? I’m a tart girl.

Original tart with fresh red raspberries, to be exact. I decided this after eating at every yogurt place around town I could find (though I’m sure more have opened since then).

For tart, I go to Yagoot at Easton. There’s not much seating in this mod little lime-and-silver-hued shop, but the patio out front offers plenty of places to sit during warm weather.

Yagoot is sleek, but

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it’s not a franchise. It’s owned by the Busken family of Cincinnati’s Busken Bakery—making it Ohio-local, if not Columbus-local.

Yagoot offers just four flavors a day.

Original and strawberry are always on the menu, while the other flavors rotate. But all are tart. And by tart, I mean the pleasant sourness of goodquality yogurt with just enough sweetness to make it dreamy.

The staff swirls the yogurt for customers (three sizes are available starting at $2.50) then adds toppings, from raspberries to

Fruity Pebbles.

The secret to Yagoot’s yogurt?

“Most frozen yogurt is nonfat,” said Brian Busken, co-founder of Yagoot. “Ours is 99 percent fat free. We feel like that 1 percent gives us that nice creaminess.”

In the sweet realm, there’s Cuzzins in the Shops on Lane Avenue in Upper Arlington.

Customers sit on bubblegum-pink chairs at white tables inside, or out on the open-air patio.

Cuzzins is a locally owned shop founded

by Jeanie Patrick and John Falor, who are

cousins (hence the name). The Upper Arlington store has been open a year and has been so successful the cousins are embarking on two new locations: Hilliard and Polaris.

What you’ll get at Cuzzins is an array of self-serve yogurt in a variety of mostly sweet flavors, from peanut butter to cookies-andcream.

And like other shops, Cuzzins lets customers dress up their yogurt with any number of toppings (fresh fruit, gummy candies, M&Ms) in a weigh-andpay system, at $7.04 a pound.

Icy treats

Yagoot and Cuzzins are just the start when it comes to frozen yogurt in town. Here’s a look at the rest of our fro-yo scene.

Groovy Spoon 3665 N. High St., Clintonville groovyspoon.com Price: 44 cents an ounce What you get: In addition to delicious sweet flavors such as chocolate-mint and traditional tart flavors like peach-mango, customers can opt for made-to-order crepes and waffles topped with fruit, sauce and whipped cream (though I put spoonfuls of the tart yogurt on instead).

Josie’s Frozen Yogurt 121 Westerville Plaza, Westerville 8657 Sancus Blvd., Polaris josiesyogurt.com Price: 36 cents an ounce What you get: In addition to traditional sweet flavors (chocolate, vanilla), Josie’s also offers a handful of no-sugar-added Steviasweetened varieties including espresso. For tart, the honeydew is particularly refreshing. Bonus: Josie’s offers three sizes of cups, making portion control more manageable.

Orange Leaf 1374 Grandview Ave., Grandview 3130 Kingsdale Ave., Upper Arlington 10503 Blacklick-Eastern Rd., Pickerington 750 N. State St., Westerville orangeleafyogurt.com Price: 44 cents an ounce What you get: These stores are very attractive, with lime green and orange-tiled

walls. Choose from traditional flavors (tart or strawberry) to more decadent offerings, including a confetti cake that tastes just like Funfetti cake mix.

Menchie’s 7545 Sawmill Rd., Dublin menchies.com Price: 44 cents an ounce What you get: Self-service yogurt in mostly sweet flavors, including milk chocolate, root beer and lavender. The fluorescent green shop has lots of indoor seating and a handful of outdoor seats.

Orange Leaf Orange Leaf

Red Mango 1866 N. High St., Campus redmangousa.com Price: $2.95 to $4.95 (75 cents for 1 topping or $1.25 for 2 toppings or more)

What you get: Red Mango’s our only fullservice tart yogurt place besides Yagoot. It offers four flavors including original and pomegranate in three sizes, plus parfaits ($4.50) and smoothies ($4.95 to $5.45).

Cuzzins

Spoon Me 4691 Morse Rd., Gahanna spoonme.com Price: $7.20 a pound What you get: This place has a cute slogan: If you love me, Spoon Me. It’s also the only place I visited selling underwear imprinted with its store name. As for yogurt, they specialize in both tart (grapefruit, blueberry, lime) and sweet (Butterfinger, Root Beer Float), with lots of toppings.

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chefs

at home

Plain & Simple Luce’s new chef shares his go-to ingredients Story by Robin Davi s Photos by Jo d i Miller

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hen it comes to home cooking, Phil Gulis keeps it simple.

“I don’t cook much at home,” said the executive chef at Powell’s Luce Enoteca.

Luce specializes in Italian fare—luxurious pastas, flatbreads and pizzas, and boasts an interesting wine list.

Gulis took over the kitchen in March, after working under longtime chef Alex Rodriguez for about six months.

He lives with his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter, so the one meal they eat consistently at home is breakfast: eggs of all kinds, oatmeal and cream of wheat.

The rest of Gulis’ pantry is stocked with shelf-stable items, things that won’t go bad and can be thrown together simply when he does have time to make dinner.

Robin Davis is the Columbus Dispatch’s Food Editor.

To subscribe to her weekly newsletter, visit dispatchkitchen.com

Luce Enoteca 3499 Market St., Powell 740-881-4600; luce-enoteca.com Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Tuesday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, 5-10 p.m. Saturday, 5-9 p.m. Sunday 4 8 l C o l u m b u s C r av e . C O M l Fa l l 2 0 1 1

What’s always in your Kitchen?

1

4

“Half of my family is Greek. I put it in almost everything,” Gulis said. “And it doesn’t go bad as quickly as fresh.”

Gulis cooks plain scrambled eggs for his girlfriend’s daughter, then will throw in whatever else might be in his refrigerator: vegetables or even leftovers from dinner the night before.

Dried oregano

2

Extra-virgin olive oil “When I need a fat, I go for this,” said Gulis. The chef isn’t married to a particular brand, but buys whichever one is priced best.

3

Pasta and noodles “I usually just make it plain, maybe with olive oil, Parmesan and frozen peas.”

Eggs

5

Dry vermouth “I use that instead of white wine for cooking, to avoid opening a bottle of wine just for cooking.”

Pasta with tuna & eggs Gulis says, “When I was single, 90 percent of the time this was my dinner.”

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Ingredients: l Salt l4 ounces dry pasta l 1 T extra-virgin olive oil l6 oz can tuna, drained l Ground pepper l 1 t dried oregano l 1 or 2 eggs, beaten l Grated Parmesan Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in the pasta.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Add tuna.

Cook until warmed and crispy. Season with salt, pepper and oregano.

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One delicious evening.

Many flavorful futures.

You are cordially invited to “Taste the Future” An evening of magnificent food from more than 50 of the area’s brightest chefs—benefitting future ones through scholarships and special projects at Columbus State Community College.

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at work

Line cook

into the fire A day in the life of a Martini line cook Story by C h r is De V I L L E Photo s by J o d i M ill e r

A

line cook, as Peter Chapman tells it, is like a hygienist in a dentist’s office. The chef gets all the credit, but the line cook does all the work.

Chapman, the executive chef at Martini Modern Italian, would know. He worked his way up through the ranks of Columbus kitchen culture to become Martini’s top dog. Now he has a full staff of cooks to do his bidding, and he’s not shy about singing their praises.

One of those cooks is Rob Jones, 25, a Gahanna native who just wrapped up culinary school at Columbus State.

At one time Jones was pursuing a

marketing degree while working various restaurant jobs on the side. He changed course when he realized cooking was becoming more than a hobby.

“It’s been a passion of mine all my life, so it’s like, why not?” Jones said. “I don’t care about money. I want to do something where I like going to work every day and love every aspect of it instead of going into work and hating it.”

Crave followed Jones through his work day, scrambling to keep up as he and the rest of the kitchen staff juggled dozens of orders at once to keep hungry customers happy. And trust us—the man loves his job.

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Martini Modern Italian 445 N. High St., Short North 614-224-8259 martinimodernitalian.com

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at work

Line cook

Fuel up Before his shift, Jones fills up on piccata-style chicken with broccoli substituted for capers. He’ll need his strength—the restaurant has 100 reservations (“100 on resos,” he says, in food service slang), and that’s not even accounting for walk-ins.

Smoke break When Jones worked at Marcella’s at Polaris, he could slip out the back door for a few puffs of smoke whenever he wanted. At Martini, he has to maneuver through narrow hallways and descend a flight of stairs to get outside, so this preshift cigarette will be his last for many hours.

Getting ready Jones ties on his apron, grabs his knives (he uses his own utensils at work) and stocks up on towels (a lightweight obsession of his). He also sets aside his cell phone. One thing he’s learned from his years in the kitchen is it’s only a distraction to have that thing bouncing and buzzing in his pocket.

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North of Bethel Rd. from Micro Center in Olentangy Square

Closed Mondays Open Tuesday – Saturday 11:30am – 9:00pm (Sundays open until 8:30pm) Daily Lunch and Dinner time buffets www.bananaleafofcolumbus.com info@bananaleafofcolumbus.com

at work

Line cook

Nightly special After some slicing, tugging and scraping, Jones presents a frenched rack of lamb—that is, with the meat, fat and sinew cleaned off the bones.

Lamb will be tonight’s featured entree. Frenching lamb racks is a tedious process, but Jones takes 90 minutes to do what used to take two hours.

Gossip time Jones pals around with fellow line cook Oscar Monjaras, his partner at the saute station. A topic of discussion among the line cooks tonight: the finer points of Katy Perry’s “E.T.” video.

Getting briefed Jones provides the servers with details on the lamb feature, which will sell for $42 tonight, so they can pass the info along to customers.

The staff depends on business from the nearby Greater Columbus Convention Center, and tonight they debate whether the quilting or the needle arts convention is in town. And then whether quilting and needle arts are the same thing.

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WE’RE ON THE MAP

THE NEW STATE-BY-STATE GUIDE TO 100 GREAT BURGER JOINTS IN USA FEATURES US! Floor-to-ceiling photographs show the brave souls who have ingested the burger that has made the Gahanna famous-the Double Beanie Burger.

The regular Beanie Burger itself is a monster, with its patty of fresh ground beef weighing in at about half a pound.

The Double gives you two half-pound patties, a photo on the wall, and a free T-shirt for your efforts.

The burger is also piled high with lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, bacon, cheese, and a hearty scoop of homemade coleslaw. The burger is a sloppy, tasty mess that is barely contained by its toasted, soft kaiser roll.

82 Granville Street, Gahanna, OH 43230 614-476-9017 • Mon-Sat 11am-10:30pm • Sun Noon-8:30pm

at work

Line cook

Ready to serve These orders are “in the window”—on the counter, ready to be carried to their tables. If a dish sits longer than three or four minutes, it’s considered “dead” and the cooks have to make it over again, much to customers’ chagrin.

Small plate This scallop appetizer, intricately arranged by Jones, will soon be returned when the customer decides to double the order and make it an entree instead.

Customer care After melting down dark chocolate and dripping it into a squeeze bottle, Jones spells out a friendly message for customers celebrating their 25th anniversary. “This is really nice, Robbie,” Chapman chimes in.

On the line Jones joins Monjaras at the proteins-focused saute station, one of four posts on Martini’s line.

The other three stations are pasta, middle (which handles hot appetizers and helps with proteins) and pantry (which prepares salads and cold appetizers). The cooks float between stations to help out when one gets particularly busy.

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Monte Carlo Italian Kitchen

Homemade Italian Food Dine in or take out

Monday Nights

Kids eat for $1.99 *Dine in only *Only one meal per customer

Hubbardism #21

Friday & Saturday Nights

Happy Hour just got happier

10 oz. Cut $14.99 • 14 oz. Cut $17.99

TUES-Sat/4-7pm ALL NIGHT SUNDAY

Prime Rib

Includes Rolls & Side Dish

(614) 890-2061 www.montecarloitaliankitchen.com

Parkview Center 610 W. Schrock Road

Westerville (By Fed Ex) at the Corner of Cleveland Ave. & Schrock Hours: Monday - Thursday 11:00 am - 8:30 pm Friday 11:00 am - 9:00 pm Saturday 3:00 pm - 9:00 pm Sunday closed

1/2 Off

All Appetizers, beers & specialty cocktails Select Spirits & wines

$4

793 N. High Street / Columbus, OH 43215 / 614.291.5000 / hubbardgrille.com

at work

Line cook

Friends & family When a former employee of Martini shows up to dine, it’s time to supreme (pronounced “su-prem”) some fruit for a complimentary amuse (pronounced “ah-mew-zay”).

The secret ingredient? Pea chutes.

Perfect plating Orders make their way from the servers to the kitchen by way of receipt-like paper strips. Chapman rattles off a long list of dishes, and his kitchen comrades instantly lock them into memory.

A big part of a line cook’s job is to send the food out looking exquisite. Tonight Jones is in charge of putting the finishing touches on the entrees. He does well enough that Chapman doesn’t have to make any adjustments besides wiping down the perimeter of each platter.

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New Catering Menu • Wood Burning Fireplace on the Patio • Live Music Every Tuesday & Sunday • Gluten Free Pizza As the owner of Local Roots, I believe everything is better when it comes from the farm. Our goal is to serve our customers with an abundance of locally sourced goods. We are excited to be an Ohio Proud Affiliate serving All Natural Ohio Amish Chicken, Ohio Pork, and Certified Angus Beef.

Our family farm, not far from downtown Powell, provides us with fresh produce for the restaurant. When not from the farm the produce is always purchased from local vendors.

We have a small herb garden on the patio that provides us with most of the herbs we use.

In order to utilize the freshest seasonal products we change the menu often, and are always striving to increase the amount of local goods we use at Local Roots. Of the 24 beers on tap, 6 are from Ohio; we also pour 3 wines from local wineries.

I would like to take a moment to thank you for allowing us to be a part of your day and serve you.

–– Jessi

Iams

LOCAL ROOTS 15 E. Olentangy St, Powell, Ohio 43065 • 614-602-8060 • localrootspowell.com

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Come and see what all the Buzz is about!

Tuscan Sun Omelette

HoneyBaked, the makers of the World’s Best Ham are now offering a unique and truly memorable breakfast and lunch dining experience. Here’s what our guests are telling us:

“Loved the fresh whipped cream and real maple syrup!”

Signature Benedict

“The Honey Spice Bacon is AMAZING” “The Colorado omelet was the best I’ve ever had in a restaurant” “The attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile was wonderful!”

“My new favorite breakfast spot.”

See for yourself!

Stop in or visit sweetclove.com or call (614) 764-1717.

Open Mon.-Sat., 7am-3pm, Sun., 8am-3pm 6630 Sawmill Road in the Northwest Square Shopping Plaza

French Toast

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selected by the Crave editorial board: G.A. Benton, Alive food critic l Robin Davis, Dispatch Food Editor Brian Lindamood, Director of Niche Publications l Katie Wolfe Lloyd, Publisher l Shelley Mann, Editor l Will Shilling, Creative Director Fa l l 2 0 1 1 l C o l u m b u s c r av e . C O M l 6 5

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Yes, this is only Crave’s second issue, but our writers have an awful lot of experience reviewing restaurants in Columbus—not to mention eating at them. So yeah, we’re going there. We’re declaring the 10 best restaurants in Columbus.

As we narrowed down our choices, our editorial board considered atmosphere, general vibe, wine lists, cocktail menus, attentive and knowledgeable service.

But first and foremost was the food. We wanted menus that are not only filled with delicious dishes, but that are creative and always changing, that incorporate local and seasonal ingredients, and that are infused with the chef’s personality.

When we sat down to hash out this list, I was expecting a knock-down, drag-out fight. But we came to a consensus pretty quickly. These are our very favorite places to eat in the city, the places that make us most proud to call Columbus home.

So let us tell you about our top 10 restaurants, and why we’re so crazy about them.

—Shelley Mann

1

Rigsby’s Kitchen 698 N. High St., Short North 614-461-7888 rigsbyskitchen.com Hours: 1 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5:30-10 p.m.

Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5:30-11 p.m. Friday, 12-3 p.m. and 5:30-11 p.m. Saturday

Story by SHELLEY MANN l P h oto s by W ILL SHILLIN G

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mazing, isn’t it, how Rigsby’s has been making it look easy for 25 years. In the decades since the Short North trailblazer opened, dozens of other, more exciting restaurants have come and gone. But Rigsby’s hasn’t flinched. This place has managed to define fine dining in Columbus: a refined

but relaxed ambiance, fantastic food without much fuss.

The neighborhood that’s now home to the city’s swankiest restaurants wasn’t so desirable when Rigsby’s Cuisine Volatile opened its doors in 1986. But Kent and Tasi Rigsby’s restaurant, centered on food inspired by summers spent in Greece and Italy, drew people to the arts district.

It’s never stopped

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quietly evolving and improving, and that’s why it gets our top honors.

I first ate at Rigsby’s on a date as a college student. We ended up there because somebody told me it was the nicest restaurant in Columbus. We were flat broke, and so I skipped appetizers and dessert and ordered the cheapest thing on the menu. And yet, I still think back fondly

Wild Halibut at Rigsby’s; left, owner Kent Rigsby

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crave 10 I’ve been back many times since, and every time I find something new to fall in love with.

Chef Forbes Rigsby, son of Kent and Tasi, at work 6 8 l C o l u m b u s c r av e . C O M l Fa l l 2 0 1 1

on that first Rigsby’s meal—butternut squash ravioli, a simple dish made special with high quality, locally sourced ingredients.

I’ve been back many times since, and every time I find something new to fall in love with. The bread, baked right down the street at Rigsby’s own Eleni-Christina bakery.

The cocktails, shaken with care behind that stunner of a backlit bar.

The artwork, oversized pieces that feel right at home on towering exposed-brick walls.

And so many dishes.

Deviled eggs with truffle oil, an unbelievably indulgent twist on a suburban staple.

Roasted beets with skorthalia, an addictive Greek garlicky potato dip. The most amazing gnocchi you’ll ever taste, tender potato pillows tossed in a rich Bolognese. Apple tart tartin, a sweet little dessert incorporating caramelized Lynd’s Fruit Farm apples set off by a cinnamoncaramel sauce.

Here’s to 25 years of doing it right. Let’s hope for 25 more.

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2

G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar 595 S. Third St., German Village 614-464-0575 gmichaelsbistro.com Hours: 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Story by B r i a n Li nda m o o d Photo s by j o d i m i l l e r

T

he Chilled CucumberButtermilk Soup is transcendent. Call it the Official Flavor of Summer in Columbus—the crisp and cool taste of local produce tingles on the tongue, and the creamy finish is as soothing as a lazy summer afternoon on the patio.

Oh, and it’s topped with a dollop of Watershed Gin

whipped cream.

Yeah, you read that right: Watershed Gin whipped cream.

The soup may be one little thing on a menu full of bold flavors, but that’s the point: G. Michael’s does all the little things right.

Executive chef David Tetzloff keeps the menu moving through the seasons, using local ingredients whenever possible in the frequently

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Scallops at G. Michael’s; right, executive chef David Tetzloff

changing lineup.

The constant is the creativity Tetzloff brings to his unique combination of Midwestern and Lowcountry influences.

(We should all be grateful that the chef returned from culinary school in South Carolina with a taste for pork in all its indulgent forms.)

His whimsy was on full display in a dish I enjoyed recently, part of the Duo of Fowl:

Buffalo-style quail with Maytag-celery root slaw. With a knowing wink to the sportsbar favorite, and fine preparation of the delicate bird, it was as fun to eat as it was to order.

Tetzloff’s innovative touches have been a G. Michael’s hallmark for more than a decade. That longevity says a lot about the restaurant’s excellence and its beloved place in German Village.

Regulars gather around the long wooden bar in the cozy front room, while diners in the bistro-like dining room celebrate special occasions—or any occasion at all.

It’s not easy to become an institution in a 200-year-old neighborhood, but this restaurant is as much a part of the landscape as the brick sidewalks leading down Third Street to Schiller Park.

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3

Kihachi 2667 Federated Blvd., Dublin 614-764-9040 Hours: 6-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday Story by G . A . B e nto n l P h oto s by W ILL SHILLIN G

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s a veteran professional eater, I’m rarely overwhelmed by every single bite of any dinner from start to finish. But that happens nearly every time I dine at Kihachi. When lining up adjectives to capture that food, the candidates pushing forward are: elegant, spare, thrilling and poetic.

Yes, Kihachi’s very special. In fact, I bet if you questioned the other chefs on this list about their favorite culinary magicians, most would reverently mention master Mike Kimura.

Thus his dazzling dishes transcend lesser features like a shruginducing wine list (beer and sake work great anyway). As for ambiance, though Kihachi

features nifty tatamimatted chambers, this strip-mall temple of no-training-wheels Japanese cuisine might best be described as a blank canvas for Kimura’s artistry.

Said artistry is catalogued on two menus, one containing udon, teriyaki, tempura and such and another with more rarefied, tapastype preparations. I recommend latching onto the latter, where huge pleasures arise from small plates.

Recent knockouts include: a basket of crunchy, deep-fried lotus root wedges crammed with a delightful shrimp filling— water-derived gifts with celestial textures and flavors. Stunning, limescented sea bream sushi patterned, wallpaper-style, with sancho leaves, served with an

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explosive grapefruity sauce (Kihachi’s not a sushi restaurant, but you’ll find none finer in Ohio). Insanely intense Berkshire pork cheeks presented with bare vegetal accoutrements—a porcine haiku.

Kihachi’s my preferred special occasion restaurant, and I highly recommend splurging on its mindblowing omakase (multi-course magnificence). Insider tip: from October into November, Kihachi’s matsutaki mushroompacked omakases are especially majestic.

Kihachi’s not a sushi restaurant, but you’ll find none finer in Ohio

This page, clockwise from top left, lotus root, shrimp & shiso leaves; sea bream head; ayu; sashimi Kihachi. Opposite, Kihachi executive chef and owner Ryuji Mike Kimura

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4

Dragonfly Neo-V 247 King Ave., Victorian Village 614-298-9986 neo-vevents.com Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Saturday

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Story by ROBIN DAVIS l Photos by JODI MILLER

I

don’t go to Dragonfly just because it serves vegan food; I go because it’s good food that happens to be vegan.

The unassuming restaurant sits on a bare-bones strip of King Avenue near Victorian Village. Inside, pressed-tin ceilings and fresh flowers are nice touches in an otherwise simple space.

In comparison with

Polenta Lasagna with local arugula; left, chef/owner Magdiale Wolmark

Customers don’t mind waiting 25 minutes for the madefrom-scratch mushroom risotto

the sleek and simple surroundings, the plates coming out of the kitchen are intricate works of art. When it comes to the food, it’s truly Chef Magdiale Wolmark’s vision. His frequently changing menu is filled with quirky veggie-based inventions, including some dishes that replicate ones made with meat.

He uses hon-shemeji mushrooms to make faux calamari, coating them in a light batter and frying them till crisp. The tender nuggets sit on a bed of well-seasoned tomato sauce, and somehow even have a taste of the sea.

Customers don’t mind waiting the 25 minutes it takes for the mushroom risotto—it’s made from scratch to order—because

it’s something of a masterpiece. Studded with vegetables and infused with a deep, earthy flavor, it’s purely satisfying.

The same is true of the mac ’n’ cheese, a dish the restaurant can’t take off the menu.

Unsurprisingly, the best part of this comfortfood classic isn’t the orzo tossed with a full-flavored vegan cheese sauce. It’s the vegetables—sauteed collard greens and crisp breaded mushroom—that are really the stars.

Dragonfly specializes in fun mixed drinks, too. The Jezebel is a flirty, colorful concoction of orange vodka, cranberry and Goldschlager. And for those not imbibing, a glass of Raenfall—a fruity lavender punch—is light and refreshing.

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Basi Italia 811 Highland St., Victorian Village 614-294-7383 basi-italia.com Hours: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.

Monday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

The staff is having fun even as they hustle and bustle and do what it takes to keep a restaurant running efficiently

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Story by SHELL e Y MANN l Photos by W ILL SHILLIN G

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at a meal at this tiny gem hidden deep in Victorian Village and you come away feeling like part of the family.

For one thing, the Basi space is actually an old house, so it really does feel like you’re eating dinner at the home of some old friends. Namely, husband-and-wife owners Johnny Dornback and Trish Gentile. And if you sit inside, you’ll be close enough to your fellow diners that you’ll quickly become old friends.

But it’s more than that. It’s plates of food that feel like they came from a home kitchen rather than a gourmet restaurant—albeit a home kitchen with an

outstanding cook. It’s a waitstaff filled with people who have obviously become part of the extended Basi family—they’re having fun even as they hustle and bustle and do what it takes to keep a restaurant running efficiently.

Johnny is the chef behind Basi’s Italianinspired menu. It changes seasonally but is typically heavy on unfussy pastas and flavorful seafood. Trish is in charge of the wine—and she has a big hand in planning the menu, too.

The Basi menu is short and sweet. On the Primo side, seasonal salads join favorite appetizers like the Zucchini Pronto—a present of sorts featuring a pile of roasted zucchini and toasted almonds

wrapped in thin sheets of pecorino—and the magical Parmesan Creme Brulee, a cheese custard with a crispy, caramelized crust.

The main courses change up more frequently, plus there are always tantalizing specials detailed on chalkboard menus.

This summer’s offerings included a delightful Veal Ravioli entree, with velvety ground veal tucked inside thick pockets of pasta that resembled mini pope hats. They sat upright with some charred cherry tomatoes and wilted arugula in a pool of thick, fragrant parmesan broth.

What a welcome and unexpected treat in a world of red-sauced, rubbery-noodled Italian food.

Veal Ravioli; opposite, Basi owners Trish Gentile and Johnny Dornback fa l l 2 0 1 1 l C o l u m b u s c r av e . C O M l 0 0 0

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Story by BRIAN LINDAMOOD l Photos by JODI MILLER

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Sage American Bistro 2653 N. High St., Old North Columbus 614-267-7243 sageamericanbistro.com Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.

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age may be the single best illustration of all that’s right with the local restaurant scene. Everything I love about dining in this city is served up inside the bistro’s exposed brick walls with a personality that is uniquely, deliciously Columbus.

It starts with indieminded chef/owner Bill Glover, a rising star who can claim his place beside the other young artists and entrepreneurs in the city’s creative community.

Glover’s small, carefully curated menu of local and seasonal flavors elevates American

entrees—Bistro Steak, Braised Pork Cheeks, Grilled Salmon—with spot-on execution and tastebud-twisting additions like fried chive dumplings, trufflecauliflower puree or shitake-leek bread pudding.

Glover even makes his own ketchups, including a rich, smoky chipotle and a sweet, tangy blackberry.

Those sauces take center stage during lunch, which is a fun (and affordable) way to taste the chef’s creativity in sandwich form.

Sunday brunch is just as rewarding, transforming morning favorites into indulgent and unexpected delights (Sage Benedict swaps

out traditional ham for duck confit).

Sage’s intimate atmosphere is perfect for Columbus. It’s a neighborhoody place in a city that loves its neighborhoods, casually embracing its eclectic North Campus surroundings with a welcoming smile.

My favorite perch is at the small bar, which offers friendly conversation with the bartender, a peek into the buzzing open kitchen and a full view of the narrow dining room flanked by local artwork.

The stylish setting would seem at home in any big city, but it wouldn’t be the same anywhere but here.

Chef Bill Glover at work; opposite, Chicken and Oxtail

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Pear Tart Frangipane; opposite, chef Richard Blondin 0 0 0 l C o l u m b u s c r av e . C O M l Fa l l 2 0 1 1

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The Refectory Restaurant & Bistro 1092 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side 614-451-9774 therefectoryrestaurant.com Hours: 5:30-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday Story by s h e l l e y Ma nn l P h oto s by JODI MILLER

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lpaca and antelope.

Sweetbreads lasagna and seafood strudel.

Stuffy French stereotypes be damned, I had one of the most exciting meals of my life at the Refectory.

Sitting on the more relaxed bistro side of the restaurant helped. My pal and I might have been the youngest people dining that night, but we were far from the most boisterous.

The Refectory has all the upscale touches you expect from what Columbus’ finest dining experience—white tablecloths, fine china, tuxedoed waiters brushing away bread crumbs, water glasses never less than 80 percent full and, of course, flawlessly executed dishes.

Richard Blondin is

the Lyon-born, Paul Bocuse-trained chef behind the delectable food, while Kamal Boulos, the owner, is responsible for establishing Refectory as the city’s special occasion destination.

The setting certainly can’t be beat. Housed in a converted church, Refectory has exposed brick walls, neat stained-glass windows and steep beamed ceilings.

Sitting on the bistro side doesn’t mean you have to order from the prix-fixe bistro menu.

That three-course dinner is a great deal, but if you want to splurge, look to the regular menu served in all the dining rooms.

We started with several small plates— the much-talked-about Alpaca Terrine, a bacon-wrapped pate incorporating pistachios, black olives and

cranberries; a delightful Seafood Strudel made with big chunks of fresh shellfish; and the Sweetbread Lasagna, intensely flavored organ-meat nuggets nestled between thin layers of pasta.

My main was Texas Antelope medallions, brined in bourbon, encrusted with sage and bacon, then roasted until forktender. They were accompanied by some roasted asparagus spears, a dollop of mashed potatoes and honey-kissed jus.

And dessert was the jaw-droppingly stunning Pear Tart Frangipane, a sunburst of thinly sliced pears ringed in rays of vanillaalmond frangipane and raspberry sauce and topped with a small scoop of pistachio ice cream.

Every single bite that night was divine. fa l l 2 0 1 1 l C o l u m b u s c r av e . C O M l 8 1

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crave 10 Chef Jay Cotrell finishes the pork chop entree

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M at Miranova 2 Miranova Pl., Downtown 614-629-0000 matmiranova.com Hours: 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday

Story by robin davis l Photos by w ill shillin g

M

can be whatever you want it to be.

Looking for a special occasion spot? With striking two-story ceilings hung with diaphanous white curtains and simply stunning views of the Downtown

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skyline, M is it.

Want a sophisticated cocktail lounge? That’s M too, with a dramatically blue-lit bar that has to be the prettiest in the city, manned by mixologist extraordinaire Cris Dehlavi.

The cocktails alone are reason to visit. Take the Black Orchid. The

black raspberry vodka and St. Germain drink is garnished with an actual orchid frozen into a ball of ice. The Marquee is just as pretty, a mix of citrus vodka and blood orange puree with a spritz of bitters forming the letter M on top.

Chef Jay Cotrell

Recently featured in The New York Times.

ptions en-Free O t aily lu G d n na trées D n E l a i Vegetaria Spec pper

a Red Sn • Fresh ower li Cau fl n o m e •L pper Bell Pe d e f f u • St ka Mousa • Lamb s Shank • Lamb rry u ken C hroom • Chic h Mus it w h c a • Spin Stew r Bean t t u •B e e Day s s of th d Juice • Soup ffee an o C h s • Fre ble

TOP NOTCH, HOUSE MADE, COMFORTABLE SETTING Breakfast and lunch served all day.

• Warm up with our new spring menu • • Catering available •

Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-5pm, Sun 8am-5pm 680 N. Pearl St., Columbus, OH www.tasicafe.com

aila ng Av

Cateri

ops mb ch our la p kabobs t u o check shrim Come mbo tiger u j and

BEST RANTS E H T E OF N RESTAU N O A D LIVE! A Y VOTE TERRANE 2985 N. High St. 11 B I MED AND 20 Clintonville, OH 43202 2010 www.lavashcafe.com

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Diners looking for more celebratory fare can feast on seafood dishes with an Asian influence whips up food to please a variety of palates. Kobe beef slider appetizers are a homey snack served with fries and spicy ketchup and aioli for dipping.

Diners looking for more celebratory fare can feast on seafood dishes with an Asian influence. Poke—cubed raw tuna with bits of pineapple, peas and tiny taro root chips—is an appetizer that’s meant to be shared. A shrimp tempura dish comes with three fat shrimp, sweet potato slices and shitake mushroom caps, all coated in an ultra-crisp batter and served with a sweet-spicy chili sauce.

For entrees, listen to the specials. On a recent visit, I loved the seared Scottish salmon served over baby bok choy with a soy-butter sauce.

Don’t pass up dessert, especially the Root Beer Float. This beaut combines root beer granita with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, all doused in root beer and served with warm chocolate chip cookies.

Heirloom Tomato Salad at M

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Arlington 614-538-8890

Westerville 614-823-8890

Gahanna Â? Â? ˆ † „ ‰ Â? „ Â? Â? Â? Â?  Â? † † Â? Â? Â? Â? Â

captivating and unique tradition with contemporary style �� � bringing a new experience to columbus  ­ € � ‚ �� � ƒƒ � „ „ �„ � …  „ �   „ † … ‡ … �� ˆ �

614-416-8890

Powell 614-224-8224

Polaris 614-573-8686

Newark 740-281-1605

TWO Hands Needed

Reynoldsburg 614-755-8890

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Visit Us Online @ citybbq.com

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crave 10

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Alana’s Food & Wine 2333 N. High St., North Campus 614-294-6783 alanas.com Hours: 5-9 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-close Friday-Saturday Story by G. A . Benton Photos by Jodi Miller

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lana’s name is literally bent into a little fence that’s the entrance to her restaurant and party-time patio. This is certainly fitting,

Owner and chef Alana Shock; right, Ohio Valley Tomato Stack with Crab 8 6 l C o l u m b u s c r av e . C O M l Fa l l 2 0 1 1

considering Alana Shock’s personality is stamped all over her terrific place.

Alana’s taste shows up on her walls, which are awash in brash and humor-splashed local art. It’s in the music, which weaves a path

Rustic • Urban • Food “Seasonal Driven, Farm to Fork Comfort Classics with an Urban Edge”

Coming next month to Bexley

Keep Spooning Spoon Me is delicious. Fat-free. And low in calories.

It’s also packed with live active cultures, vitamins, minerals, calcium, and all that other good stuff. (Both Mom and your digestive system would be proud.)

And for you guilt-ridden types, there’s no artificial anything — flavors, colors or sweeteners. Plus zero table sugar. Zero fat. Zero guilt.

Photo by Ely Brothers

410 E. Whittier St. • Columbus, OH 43206 • 614-443-2266 Follow the location of our Mobile Kitchen on Facebook and Twitter www.skilletruf.com

4691 Morse Rd., Gahanna 475-3200 • www.spoonme.com Open Sun-Thur 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-11pm

Find your MoJoe

N W O T N W O D W O N

FOOD • DRINKS • COFFEE 149 S. HIGH STREET in DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS • GERMAN VILLAGE • EASTON • SHORT NORTH • AIRPORT

entree Alana’s been flying the eat-seasonal and go-local flags as long as any restaurant in Columbus

crave 10 from voodoo-soaked New Orleans (where Alana trained under Emeril Lagasse), to Piaf’s Paris, to a nutty place in America where someone dreamed up a zippy big band version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

And of course Alana’s touch is all over her menu, which she composes daily after shopping for

the freshest and best ingredients available.

See, Alana’s been flying the eat-seasonal and go-local flags as long and as vehemently as any restaurant in Columbus.

Still, it’s her worldbeat creativity that most distinguishes her eatery. Here, handmade Thai curry pastes share menu space with Moroccan flavors, Colombian

arepas, zingy African piri-piri sauces and Indian spice-kissed Ohio-raised pork and steaks.

Vegetables are special too. They’re liable to refreshingly brighten an all-cold item menu served on a hot summer night, starring Alana’s famous locally grown tomato and peekytoe crab stack and a virtually fatless grilled tomatillo

Chilled Cappellini with mussels, lump crab, shrimp, lobster and saffron aioli 8 8 l C o l u m b u s c r av e . C O M l Fa l l 2 0 1 1

gazpacho.

And holy bacchus if the giant globespanning wine list isn’t one of the best and best-priced ever printed in Ohio. Toss in creative cocktails concocted with local fruits and local hooches plus pretty housemade pastries and you’ll understand why every night could be Mardi Gras at Alana’s.

Our Incredible 15-Layer Lasagne

Enjoy Great Tasting Italian Food!

1138 Bethel Rd. Columbus, OH 43220 www.sansubbq.com

614.273.0188 Join us on

Bring the whole gang or just a few friends and enjoy traditional Italian food for lunch or dinner.

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crave 10 Story by G. A . Benton l Photos by w ill shillin g

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Worthington Inn 649 High St., Worthington 614-885-2600 worthingtoninn.com Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.

Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.

Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday

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ime curves in on itself at the Worthington Inn. Here amid quaint old paintings and elaborately carved woodwork, you step into the past to dine in the present.

Inside the delightfully preserved 19th-century country mansion, pink and tender spring lamb chops are lavished with a multi-culti artichoke and harissa ragu straddled by the yin and yang of a srirachabased sauce and housemade tzatziki.

Or a Sunday-style chicken dinner is elevated with succulently roasted, locally raised poultry graced by a

demi-like morel gravy (when in season).

If the Inn’s ingredient-driven homemade cuisine seems to defy expectations of its museum-like 1800s setting, actually scratch cooking with local ingredients hearkens back to its Victorian-era roots.

Overseeing the everything-old-is-newagain deliciousness is the freshness-obsessed and versatile chef Thomas Smith, who uses (when available) herbs and vegetables grown in his own garden. Smith has also added several casual touches to loosen up this fine dining institution—like grilling up a great, grass-fed, Ohio-

raised hamburger and starting a breakfast-allday policy on summery Saturdays during the Worthington Farmer’s Market.

Weather permitting, the burger and breakfast are best enjoyed on the Inn’s scenic patio with an icy cocktail or glass of wine from a fine vino list. Plan B is definitely lounging in the vintage barroom, where “cheffed-up” pubby munchies are offered and great (free!) jazz bands play on weekend evenings.

Ending with intensely fruity Inn-made sorbets or ice creams is a revivifying warmweather finale and a fittingly contemporary old-fashioned treat.

Poke Tuna; opposite, from left, Wild Alaskan Halibut and executive chef Thomas Smith

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10 we love

When you eat out a lot like we do, trying new restaurants and new dishes is part of the routine. But we have our reliable old favorites, too, places that pass our never-get-sick-of-it test no matter how many times we return. So, as we crafted The Crave 10, our list of the city’s very best dining destinations, the discussion kept returning to other places we love just because—because they’re comfortable, because they’re fun, because they make us feel full and happy.

Just because we would eat at these restaurants for every meal if we could.

Bono Pizza

1717 Northwest Blvd., Grandview 614-906-8646 bonotogo.com

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f you’re new to wonderful world of Bono, go with someone who’s been before. It’s the epitome of an insider-y place. My first time, I mistakenly entered through the kitchen— and ducked out before realizing that’s the way most regulars come in anyway. Then I had to

duck out again to find an ATM after realizing it’s cash-only.

But one bite of their amazing, woodfired-in-front-of-you pizza, and it didn’t matter. From the crispy charred crust to the fresh veggie toppings, it’s some of the best you’ll ever have.

—Shelley Mann

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Photo: Will Shilling

Join us on

www.cucostaqueria.com 2162 W. Henderson Rd. • 614.538.8701

SUNDAY BRUNCH SPECTACULAR

Station to Station

Serving from 10:00am - 2:30pm

Salad Selections • Bread Station Chef’s Selections • Seafood Table Breakfast Station • Pasta & Fajita Station Carving Station • Dessert Station Cappuccino & Juice Station

Enjoy a romantic dinner and a birds-eye view of the Port Columbus runways on our beautiful patios.

94th AERO

SQUADRON

5030 Sawyer Road • 614-237-8887 www.94thaero.com

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10 we love

Gallo’s Kitchen & Bar

Photo: jodi miller

2820 Nottingham Rd., Upper Arlington 614-754-8176 l gallosfoodgroup.com

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he goodtiming music at Gallo’s (it’s like the soundtracks of “Big Night” and “Treme” on shuffle) clue you to the bold flavors emanating from its overachieving kitchen.

In this fun, dressed-up sporty establishment with nice wine deals, authentic Italian dishes

harmoniously coexist with zesty Cajun and Creole preparations.

Some favorites: killer Sea-Salt-Brined Chicken Wings (in mustardy Creole sauce), homemade sausages and meatballs, an authentic Bolognese (Pasta Russo), and a spicy and bountiful bouillabaisse (Seafood Creole). —G.A. Benton Photo: Will Shilling

Indochine Cafe

561 S. Hamilton Rd., Whitehall 614-231-7357

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he smiles and potent Southeast Asian flavors are all genuine at Indochine. Here, an infectiously upbeat husband-and-wife team make giggly small talk and serve up huge portions of Laotian, Vietnamese and Thai cuisines—

along with a nice selection of beers from those countries. That’s why this humble but comfy mom-n-popper is constantly filled with regulars digging some of the best pho and banh mi in town, plus tricked-out noodle dishes and spicy salads.

—G.A. Benton

Knead

505 N. High St., Short North 614-228-6323 l kneadonhigh.com

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he Motherclucker: A sandwich like that could get a restaurant onto a list like this singlehandedly. Supremely addictive, it’s a crispy buttermilk fried chicken breast topped with strips of house-cured bacon, smoky roasted poblanos, Amish jack

cheese and a drizzle of honey. I’m so smitten I rarely waver from that order, but whenever I do, I’m equally as impressed.

Chef/owner Rick Lopez is a committed locavore, and it shows in each one of his Ohio-ingredient-driven dishes.

—Shelley Mann

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Photo: jodi miller

Hours Lunch Mon-Sat 11am-3pm Dinner Mon-Thurs 5:30-10pm Fri-Sat 5:30pm -11pm

Gay St.

N. High St.

Live music Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

Cachapas

E Broad St.

!

Latin Flavor

Come & Enjoy The Best Venezuelan Food at Casa Sazón Pabellón Venezolano, Arepas* and the Authentic Cachapas*! *Gluten free

Join us on Monday - Friday, 7am - 4pm • Saturday and Sunday closed 49 North High St. • Columbus, OH 43215 • (614) 221-8311

Join Peter and Laurie for dinner tonight in Arlington or Grandview!

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10 we love Photo: will shilling

The Rossi

895 N. High St., Short North 614-299-2810 l rossibarandkitchen.com

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he Rossi has long been a favorite Short North hangout—a stylish spot to grab a burger and a drink. But with new chef Andrew Smith in the kitchen and a new slate of bartenders working magic behind the bar, the Rossi is poised to become something great.

Smith’s witty approach to food is

Latitude 41

50 N. Third St., Downtown 614-233-7541 l latitude41restaurant.com

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ocated in the opulent Renaissance Downtown, Latitude 41 is a rarity: the hotel restaurant loved by serious local chowhounds. At Latitude, the mood is

casual (jeans are fine), the look is dramatic (theatrical red curtains, a stunning light-anddark patterned floor) and Chef David MacLennan’s organic and local-ingredient-leaning food is replete with

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world flavors and witty takes on old favorites.

Try the Gyro flatbread, Lobster “Mac and Cheese,” Pear Salad (with pumpkin seed brittle) and scratchmade S’mores.

—G.A. Benton

Photo: jodi miller

evident in his Pork & Beans entree—huge white corona beans topped with a brined, bone-in pork chop and some green apple slaw.

A constantly evolving drinks menu highlights locally sourced liquors and beers, including Watershed Gin, Oyo Vodka, Brothers Drake Mead and bottles from Rockmill Brewery.

Yep, we’re keeping an eye on this one.

—Shelley Mann

Try our fantastic and tasty VEGETARIAN SANDWICHES that even carnivores love.

‘Roasted portabella with red onions and Chimichurri sandwich with provolone cheese and mayo

We also have delicious salads and REAL FRUIT SMOOTHIES for you to try... come and visit us today!

20 E Long St. Columbus, OH. 43215 614.227.0070/www.sisenorlatinfusion.com Find us on FACEBOOK

entree Skillet

10 we love Photo: jodi miller

410 E. Whittier St., German Village 614-443-2266 skilletruf.com

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he Crave staff engaged in some serious debate about whether to include Skillet on our top 10 list. My vote: yes. I’ve never had a meal here that didn’t blow me away—high praise from a girl who eats out all the freaking time. So no, there’s no tablecloths, no alcohol, and the silverware sits in cups on the table.

You won’t care once you’re feasting on Chef Kevin Caskey’s truffled grilled cheese, mac and pulled pork and stinky cheese omelets.

—Shelley Mann

Tasi

680 N. Pearl St., Short North 614-222-0788 tasicafe.com

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Photo: will shilling

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’d go to Tasi just for the coffee, but I’d never make it out without a plate of the bananatopped French toast, one of many breakfasts served all day. Later, I’d opt for one of the stellar sandwiches.

Or I’d dig into a bowl of creamy mac and cheese with Black Forest ham. Or maybe some of the city’s best roast chicken, served with a lemon-thyme reduction. You get the idea. —Robin Davis

MON-FRI 10AM-6PM • SAT 10AM-5PM • SUN 12PM-4PM

4223

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10 we love Photos: will shilling

The Top Steak House 2891 E. Main St., Bexley 614-231-8238 l thetopsteakhouse.com

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ou don’t visit The Top for dinner. You visit for the night. I start at the bar for a well-shaken classic, and after a leisurely dinner I grab a Top Photo: jodi miller

Third and Hollywood

1433 W. Third Ave., Grandview 614-488-0303 l thirdandhollywood.com

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hird and Hollywood is the best combination of comfort and elegance I’ve ever enjoyed, and I’ve suffered through a lot of failed attempts at the mythical “upscale casual” hybrid. The menu of American favorites—roasted chicken, grilled fish,

steaks and chops— may not seem ambitious, but the food is excellently executed, and made with seasonal and local ingredients. And the service is always impeccable. No matter how often I visit—and I visit often—I always wanna go back for more.

—Brian Lindamood

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Cappuccino and sit at the piano to sing along to some Sinatra favorites. The Top hasn’t changed much since it opened in 1955 (the prices, alas, have been adjusted to contem-

porary standards). The menu definitely hasn’t changed—the buttery, char-broiled steaks are just as indulgent as your cool grandpa remembers.

—Brian Lindamood

Any fresher, you’d have to catch it yourself.

G R A N DV I E W 614.291.3474 C RO S S W O O D S 614.410.3474 W W W .C O L U M B U S F I S H M A R K E T . C O M

© Peter Menzel Photography

Presented by:

Supported by:

Hungry Planet: Local Food | Global View, opens August 20

Enjoy seasonal fare at the Conservatory’s Garden Café

Host an event on the Scotts Miracle-Gro Community Garden Campus

Food education classes for all ages

1777 East Broad Street Columbus, Ohio 43203 614.645.8733 www.fpconservatory.org

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drink Harvest Martini J. Gilbert’s 1 e. campus view blvd., Worthington 614-840-9090 jgilberts.com

Big Apple Consider this hot apple cider’s chic cocktail counterpart. Tart pressed apple juice gets a fire-in-your-belly kick from Prairie Organic Vodka, plus some sweet-and-sour notes from agave nectar and lemon juice. Stir frequently with the cinnamon stick garnish to thoroughly infuse with spiciness. Sip on this stunner at J. Gilbert’s cozy bar—exposed brick walls and wrought-iron chandeliers complement a massive vintage Hoster Brewing Co. mirror.

Story by S h e l l e y Mann l P h oto by W i l l s h i lling

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Wine

hidden gem Camelot Cellars has reinvented itself as an urban winery in the heart of the city Story by fa i t h d u r a nd l P h otos by J o d i M i ller

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amelot Cellars has occupied its prime Short North spot for years. And yet the winery has felt hidden in plain sight, its worn sign and clustered grape logo lost between the upbeat elegance of its chic neighbors. But a transformation has occurred, virtually overnight.

The sign now bears an impressionistic scarlet C, like a swirl of cabernet, and through the windows you can see framed racks with over 700 bottles of neatly labeled wine.

A sleek, weathered-wood bar invites you in. Warm lights hang from knotted rope chandeliers over a communal table. Candles flicker in the

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windows. The scent of fresh wood fills the space—I could smell the newness even as I sipped my New Zealand pinot noir, with its notes of soft fruits and strawberry.

Camelot’s new owner, Janine Aquino, hopes this dramatic renovation will expose the spot’s true identity. “This is a real winery,” she said.

“People don’t realize that.”

Indeed, there’s a winemaking lab in the center of Camelot, framed by a huge window that looks onto steel tanks and glass carboys.

Camelot has long been in the business of helping people create custom wines for weddings, anniversaries

and other events. The lab also turns out bottles of locally crafted wine, sold by the bottle and by the glass.

This locally made wine isn’t Ohio wine, Aquino is quick to point out.

“While there are some good Ohio wines, we don’t produce Ohio wine,” she said.

“We source juices and skins from all the over the world and then produce it locally.”

Aquino is a wine professional with a brisk and nononsense manner that gives way to an all-encompassing smile as she talks about being raised in New York’s wine business. “All I’ve done is be around wineries my whole

Camelot Cellars 958 N. High St., Short North 614-441-8860 camelotcellars.com Hours: 3-10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 2-11 p.m. Friday, 12-11 p.m. Saturday

“The new Camelot is inviting, easygoing, relaxed.

Stay as long as you want” –Janine Aquino life,” she said.

She was working in Columbus as a wine consultant before she bought Camelot Cellars last winter from its previous owner, a Canadian company.

“I really liked that it’s in the Short North,” Aquino said. “It has the ability to be a great wine bar.”

In this Aquino hopes to emulate wineries from all over the world that invite guests in to see how they make their wine, and to taste it right where it’s made.

But Aquino knew the existing space didn’t have the right character for the Short North.

She engaged Scott Hanratty, then of Collier West, and Kathleen Day of Katalina’s Cafe Corner to help her realize a new vision, taking cues from French and Tuscan wineries but with clean urban lines.

After a flurry of paper sketches, custom furniture and vintage items carefully placed, Camelot Cellars feels new and old at the same time, a chic bar with a patina of precisely calculated vintage touches.

Despite this transformation,

Camelot does have its challenges. Aquino is still working towards a food license, so wine must be sipped alone, for now. Also, the bar only sells and serves its own wines, which can feel strange to a wine-lover accustomed to a more diverse array of labels.

And yet wine produced onsite means a stunningly large array of wines by the glass—a rarity for such a small wine bar.

Camelot produces over 70 types of wine—from Napa cabernet to German gewurztraminer—and every one is available by the glass, with prices ranging from $5 to $7.

Aquino plans to introduce classes and tastings so people can learn what they enjoy. She will emphasize varietals—how do different chardonnays taste? A zinfandel?—and hopes her guests leave knowing something new.

“I don’t like anything pompous or pretentious,” she said.

“I want this to be a welcoming place for people with no wine knowledge whatsoever.“ Faith Durand is the managing editor of thekitchn.com

www.tasteohiowines.com www.tasteohiowines.mobi Follow us on

drink

Wine Photo: Will Shilling

ohio on the vine Increasingly, the state’s wine makers are growing their own grapes

Kinkead Ridge

Story by S h e l l e y M a nn & B r i t ta ny Kr ess

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he locavore movement has been quick and fierce in the food world, and has even spread to the beer and liquor scenes.

But when it comes to wine, bottles from closer to home aren’t always considered better—especially in states like Ohio, not exactly renowned for its wines.

About two-thirds of Ohio wineries, including local players Camelot Cellars and Wyandotte Winery, use grapes sourced from around the globe, said Christy Eckstein, ex-

ecutive director of the Ohio Grape Industries Committee.

An increasing number of Ohio wine makers, though, are growing their own. A vineyard expansion assistance program started by the Department of Agriculture two years ago has spurred about 50 new acres of grapes across the state, Eckstein explained.

Wine-loving locavores should start seeing the fruits of that labor over the next few years, in the form of more and more Ohiogrown wines.

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And better Ohio wines. Kinkead Ridge, a wine you’ll often spot in Central Ohio restaurants, has grownin-Ohio syrahs and cabernet sauvignons that can hold their own against European counterparts.

“What I love about Kinkead Ridge in particular is they don’t attempt to dumb down their wines,” said Constance Begue, wine director at The Hills Market. “Their goal is to make premium wines in an area along the Ohio River that has a long wine grape growing history.”

904 Hamburg St., Ripley 937-392-6077; kinkeadridge.com

The Winery: Nancy Bentley and Ron Barrett

are the husband-and-wife team running this tiny winery in the southern part of the state. The Kinkead vineyard was planted in 1999, making it one of the newer in Ohio. The grapes are exclusively European varietals, planted in clay and limestone-heavy soil similar to what’s found in France.

The Wine: Kinkead Ridge’s dry red wines are beloved among local vinophiles—uncommon in a state famed for super-sweet ice wine. The spicy, full-bodied syrah, made with Ohio-grown grapes, is a standout, and the fruitier cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc are also popular.

Visit: The 132-acre winery is open occasionally

throughout the year, tied to wine release dates in the fall and spring. A vineyard tour is offered annually over Labor Day Weekend, and a barrel tasting is held in October, giving fans a chance to weigh in on Kinkead’s newest offerings.

A wine store that learns your palate?

Service doesn’t get much more personal.

At Vino 100, we not only track down great-tasting, artisan wines from all over the world, but we help you choose the exact right ones for your taste. Whether that’s a light, fruity white, a dry, heavy red, or something in between. Everyone’s palate is different. That’s why our approach is too.

Daily tasting • Wines by the glass • Special events

522 Polaris Parkway • At Cleveland Avenue 614.895.VINO (8466) • www.vino100polaris.com

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Wine Photo: eric wagner

Wine & Dine

Want to taste what the Buckeye State’s wineries have to offer? Here’s a sampling of Columbus restaurants that serve Ohio wines.

Black Creek Bistro

51 Parsons Ave., Olde Towne East 614-246-9662 blackcreekbistro.com Wines available: Ferrante, Firelands Wine selection at Tutto Vino

Firelands Winery 917 Bardshar Rd., Sandusky 419-625-5474; firelandswinery.com The name refers to the winery’s original home, a region of north central Ohio gifted to Connecticut citizens uprooted after their homes were burned down during the Revolutionary War. Firelands grapes are grown on Isle St. George, a mile-and-a-half-wide island sitting in the middle of Lake Erie.

The Wine: Firelands is best known for its whites, including the multi-award-

winning sweet gewurztraminer and the buttery Barrel Select Chardonnay. The winery does reds, too, like a dry, blackberry-heavy cabernet sauvignon.

Visit: Winery tours are offered 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The Osteria, an Italian bistro, serves a light food menu and boasts a self-serve dispensing system for wines by the glass. A tasting room and gift shop are open year-round.

Playing Favorites Ohio wine fans talk about the bottles they love

Fave Red

Fave White

“The Kinkead Ridge Syrah 2008 is intense, with deep flavors of black fruit, hints of pepper and floral aromas. Kinkead is fiercely proud of the quality of their wines, which have won many awards.”

“Firelands’ Gewurztraminer is slightly sweet but not cloyingly so. It’s the perfect accompaniment to sitting on my porch with my husband and a tray of cheese and watching the neighborhood antics.”

Constance Begue, wine director at The Hills Market

Mary Martineau, director of marketing at North Market

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511 N. High St., Short North 614-221-5602 deepwoodrestaurant.com Wines available: Firelands, Kinkead Ridge, Valley Vineyards

La Chatelaine

The Winery: Firelands has been producing estate-bottled wines since 1880.

Photo: will shilling

DeepWood

65 W. Bridge St., Dublin 1550 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington 627 High St., Worthington lachatelainebakery.com Wines available: Ferrante

Mezzo

130 Creekside Plaza, Gahanna 614-476-9900 mezzoitalian.com Wines available: Kinkead Ridge

The Refectory

1092 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side 614-451-9774 therefectoryrestaurant.com Wines available: Debonne, Ferrante, Firelands

Tutto Vino

7178 Muirfield Dr., Dublin 614-799-9222 tutto-vino.com Wines available: Debonne, Ferrante

The Wine Bistro

1750 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington 8231 N. High St., Worthington winebistrocolumbus.com Wines available: Debonne, Harpersfield, Kinkead Ridge

Z Cucina

1368 Grandview Ave., Grandview 614-486-9200 zcucina.com Wines available: Kinkead Ridge

FOOD, DRINK AND FUN IN A FRIENDLY TAVERN ATMOSPHERE! COME TRY THE BEST BURGER IN THE SHORT NORTH

m

day-Friday 4-8p

Happy Hour Mon

630 N. High Street 614-223-9601 • www.bernardstavern.com

Brews Cafe

The Gallery of Hops 116 E. Broadway, Granville, OH

740-587-0249 • brewscafe.com Located in Downtown Granville, Just 15 MInutes from the Outerbelt

Bernard’s Tavern

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Wine Photo: eric wagner

Ferrante Winery 5585 St. Rte. 307, Geneva 440-466-8466 ferrantewinery.com

The Winery: The Ferrante name has appeared on bottles since the 1930s, when the current owner’s great grandparents started the winery in Cleveland. The 100-acre vineyard sits in Ohio’s Grand River Valley near Ashtabula, where the generally cool, lakeside climate favors white grapes like riesling and vidal blanc.

The Wine: Among the 22 bottles currently available are

three award-winners: Grand River Valley Pinot Grigio, Grand River Valley Cabernet Franc and Golden Bunches Riesling, which are also the winery’s most popular.

Visit: The winery boasts an Italian restaurant and is open year-

round. Visitors during different seasons will see its many sides.

“During the fall, the landscape becomes even more breathtaking,” said Alyssa Sekerak, Ferrante’s marketing manager. “The smell of the harvest season is heavy in the air, and guests truly can smell the scent of rich grapes.”

In the winter, vidal blanc and cabernet franc grapes purposefully left out after harvest freeze on the vine and are pressed, producing the sugar-heavy juice used to make ice wine.

Wyandotte Winery 4640 Wyandotte Dr., North Side 614-476-3624 wyandottewinery.com

The Winery: Husband-and-wife team Robin and Valerie

Coolidge have been running Wyandotte Winery near Gahanna since 2007. With the help of their children and small staff, they make wine from grapes and juice trucked in from Ohio and around the country.

The winery itself, housed in the 4,000-square-foot basement of the family’s home, is mostly a collection of plastic drums, steel tanks and bottling equipment. The winery also houses a tasting room and retail shop.

The Wine: Most are proprietary blends with unique names—the crowd favorite is the Sweet William, a blend of red and white grapes that’s semi-sweet and served chilled. Raspberry, apple, pomegranate and other fruit wines make up a lot of the list of about 10 available bottles, and they’re made from 100 percent pure fruit.

Wyandotte wines are sold in Columbus at select Kroger stores and at Graystone Cellars.

Photos: will shilling

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Visit: In addition to happy hours five days a week, Wyandotte offers tours every Saturday afternoon and regular tasting events. Valerie calls the winery a “well-hidden secret.”

“We have a huge [number of regulars],” she said, “and the winery business is a huge travel industry, so people find us on the internet, or their Garmins bring them here.”

Funky

Fresh

Cal-Mex!

Vegetarian and Carnivorous Delights!

30 Brews on Tap!

Dozens of 100% Blue Agave Tequilas!

Half Off at Happy Hour!

1542 N. HIGH ST. | SOUTH CAMPUS GATEWAY | 614.586.4007 | MADMEX.COM

SATURDAY & SUNDAY BRUNCHES 10-3

HAPPY HOUR

MONDAY-FRIDAY 3-7 $4 WELL • $1.75 DOMESTICS $2 DRAFTS • HALF OFF APPS LATE NIGHT SPECIALS 9PM - CLOSE $4 BURGERS • $4 APPS $4 22OZ DRAFTS

FEATURING DAILY LUNCH & DINNER SPECIALS German Village 197 Thurman Ave. 614.444.EASY

Powell 5 South Liberty St. 614.888.EASY

menu

PERFECT PAIRINGS White Wine

Von Schleinitz Riesling ($6.50 glass, $24 bottle) “It really brings out the sweetness of the marmalade,” Herron said of the German riesling, “and the acidity helps cut some of the inherent rich, fattiness of the steak.”

Red Wine Domaine du Dragon Hautes Vignes ($6.50 glass, $24 bottle) This red from Côtes de Provence has notes of dry green herbs, a little lavender, some smoke and leather, Herron said. “That definitely speaks to the meat and the pepperiness of the arugula.”

Cocktail Creek Codder ($9)

DeepWood 511 N. High St., Short North 614-221-5602 deepwoodrestaurant.com

Home, sweet home Story by B R I A N L I NDA MOOD l P h oto s by W ill shilling

W

hen owner Amber Herron named her restaurant for the road where she grew up in Connecticut, she hoped to evoke the comfort of childhood. Now, she said, visiting DeepWood is “an invitation

to join us as a restaurant family at home.”

And it’s written all over Executive Chef Brian Pawlak’s ambitious menu, which is both locally sourced and comforting.

Just try to resist his invitation to enjoy a 12-ounce Ohio Strip Steak ($27): The roast-

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ed beef is served with house-made gnocchi, sauteed arugula and a delightful short-rib marmalade that’s made with a tomato compote and slow-cooked onions.

What to pair with this rich array of flavors? Herron offered four drink recommendations.

DeepWood’s twist on the Cape Codder— made with Corner Creek bourbon, Chambord, cranberry and lime—is earthy and sweet. Says Herron, “The combination of that cocktail and the strip steak is just all comfort—you know, rainy-day happiness.”

Beer Brasserie des Rocs Triple Imperiale ($8) Sous chef Colin Vent, DeepWood’s resident beer guru, recommended this Belgian tripel. It’s a dark ale, with candied, dried fruit flavors that bring out the depth of the beef and short rib marmalade.

New Location coming Soon! 5060 N. High St. Columbus, OH 43212

Columbus’s Best Restaurant to

Stave Off The Crave

Enter to win $50 in Thurman Cash by casting your vote in our

“Taste-bud Flashback” Contest where you pick an item for our specials menu

@ www.StaveOffTheCrave.com

(614) 443-1570 183 Thurman Ave.

advice

whiskey

rocks star Barrel 44 prevents whiskey meltdowns with long-lasting, oversized ice cubes Story by BRIA N L INDA M OOD l P h oto by w i ll shi ll i ng

N

o one wants a watereddown whiskey.

You drink single-malt because you like the way it tastes, not because you want it to taste like Columbus tap water, right?

I mean, you’re looking for subtle hints of heather, peat and smoke in your cocktail glass—not the tang of chlorine and fluoride from the faucet. But that’s just what happens when slushy cubes from standard ice makers melt into your whiskey.

That’s why, during a recent visit to Barrel 44, I was delighted when I looked into my whiskey glass and found three giant ice cubes twinkling back at me.

These rocks are the real deal: About an inch cubed, cold and clear.

They’re big enough to outlast your drink without diluting it, yet they melt just enough to open up the flavors of the whiskey and add an easygoing chill.

Basically the big rocks make your whiskey taste better for longer.

“It’s part of the experience,” Barrel

Barrel 44 Whiskey Bar 1120 N. High St., Short North 614-294-2277 facebook.com/thebarrel44 1 1 6 l C o l u m b u s C r av e . C O M l fa l l 2 0 1 1

44 owner Shawn Korn said of his commitment to proper ice. “You know, we put ‘Whiskey Bar’ in our name.”

On a busy night, the Short North bar goes through 300 of the oversized rocks.

They’re made 15 cubes at a time in silicone trays using filtered water and stored in a dedicated freezer.

And as for the killjoy connoisseurs who claim you shouldn’t pour a single-malt over ice no matter how large the cubes are, Korn says there’s simply not a wrong way to enjoy whiskey.

“Drink it any way you like,” he said.

“It’s booze. If you get snobby about whiskey, really I think it robs it of what it is.”

Taking Odds There’s an old superstition among some bartenders: Everything should come in odd numbers. So unless you request a drink with two ice cubes, you can count on a lucky number of rocks at Barrel 44.

“It’s either one cube or three,” owner Shawn Korn said. (He prefers one in his whiskey.)

“Same thing with fruit: We always give one olive or three.”

Any Night Out Is A Good Night

—Matt The Miller

• Hotcakes • French Toast • Omelettes • Breakfast Sandwiches • Burgers • Sandwiches • Salads

Hh

Happy Hour

MONDAY - FRIDAY IN THE BAR 4-7PM $5 MARTINIS | $3 WINE SELECTIONS | FLATBREAD + APPETIZER SPECIALS

w

Wine Down

th

Ladies’ Nite

s

EVERY WEDNESDAY 11AM - 10PM STATE MINIMUM PRICING ON ALL BOTTLES OF WINE

EVERY THURSDAY 5-9PM DRINK SPECIALS | 1/2 APPETIZERS | FOOD SPECIALS

Sunday Brunch Buffet

“A MATT’S TRADITION” 10AM to 2:30PM — $14.95 Adults — $6.95 Kids 10 and Under

DUBLIN 6725 Avery-Muirfield Drive Dublin, OH | 614.799.9100

GRANDVIEW

1400 Grandview Avenue | Columbus, OH | 614.754.1026

scene

Closing time

coty hildebrand Age: 31 Daytime manager

l Where do you go for a quick dinner?

I really enjoy Vino Vino in Grandview. I typically grab a quick dinner at the bar. I’m obsessed with the crab and corn chowder.

Club 185

185 E. Livingston Ave., German Village

Hometown: Dresden, Ohio

on the go Club 185’s always busy manager shares her favorite places to eat and drink in Columbus Story by Jacki e M a nt e y l P h oto by W i l l s h i lling

B

eing the leading lady of a chic and charming neighborhood bar isn’t as glamorous as it sounds.

On any given day, visitors to Club 185 might find manager Coty Hildebrand running to the breaker to figure out how to turn the air conditioning back on, cleaning the gears of the bar’s popular vintage photo booth, or making sure the beer cheese soup is the right temperature.

“I often feel like my head is spinning,” said Hildebrand of the hectic managing pace. “But I thrive on that.”

Indeed, this is only one of her jobs. Hildebrand also works at Coco Couture in Grandview, the clothing boutique she co-owns with her mother.

Hildebrand often cooks at home as respite. She loves shopping at North Market (“it’s like Disneyland”) and makes a good burger, with lots of Mexicanstyle fixings.

When she does go out to eat, here’s where you’ll find her.

short orders

Where Coty Hildebrand heads when she’s in the mood for something specific.

l What do you like to eat at Club 185?

My personal favorite is the Beef on Weck.

It’s a slow-cooked roast beef sandwich on a fresh kummelweck bun made for us by Resch’s Bakery. It’s only served on Thursdays.

l What about when you’re looking for something fancy?

Mitchell’s Ocean Club. They have two things I can’t go without getting: the truffle mac and cheese and the tuna tartar. There’s a pink grapefruit martini that has a fresh grapefruit wedge on the side and dry ice.

A little over the top, but fun.

“I finally got to stop by Mouton–one of the best cocktails I’ve had in a long time.”

l What restaurant do you consider the city’s hidden gem?

Basi Italia. There’s an appetizer I crave from them: sauteed zucchini with lemon

Pizza:

Brunch:

Mexican:

Salad:

“Margherita with prosciutto from The Rossi.”

“Tasi. To eat: black bean cake with poached eggs and jalapeno butter sauce.

To drink: coffee and a mimosa.”

“Spicy barbacoa from El Vaquero. And, of course, queso dip.”

“Baby bibb from Vino Vino Restaurant and Winebar.”

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New India Restaurant Offering the FINEST Indian Cuisine

LUNCH BUFFET EVERYDAY Dinner Á La Carte

HAPPY HOUR

Monday - Thursday | 5 - 8pm

BUY ONE DINNER ENTREE

Get 2nd ENTREE

400 OFF

$

Carry-Out Only

Carry-Out Only EXP 9/1/11 EXP 4/27/11

BUY ONE DINNER ENTREE

Get 2nd ENTREE

600 OFF

$

Dine-In Only • With Coupon Only Not Valid With Any Other Offer Coupon Excludes Buffet EXP 9/1/11 • One Check Per Party Carry-Out Only

EXP 4/27/11

5226 Bethel Center Mall Columbus, OH 43220

614.442.7705 OPEN 7 DAYS www.NewIndiaRestaurant.com

juice, almonds and shavings of pecorino on top. I usually will order a glass of prosecco. It’s such a romantic place. I love the ambiance. l Where do you like to go out for drinks?

I finally got to stop by Mouton—one of the best cocktails I’ve had in a long time. I took my mom. She had the Moscow Mule and I had the French 75. Both were really light and refreshing and simple. This place will be my new favorite. I highly recommend it.

l What’s your dream Columbus meal?

I’d start with the tomato and jalapeno mussels from Vino Vino, and I couldn’t forget the crab and corn chowder.

Then I would want to share the crostini with truffle honey and melted pecorino from Marcella’s.

And the last stop would be Pistacia Vera for their tasty coffee and a fresh citrus tart. I might as well get a chocolate croissant to go for breakfast the next morning. Yes, I love Pistacia Vera.

EVERY SATURDAY MORNING ON Join Crave Editor Shelley Mann and some of her closest foodie friends for their picks every Saturday morning at 6 a.m. on 10TV

This month, Shelley and 10TV’s Karina Nova will be talking about the best restaurants in Columbus, plus Crave’s very favorite places to eat.

Missed some info? Find all of this and more at ColumbusCrave.com.

sweet!

The Ultimate Caramel Apple Napoleon Black Creek Bistro 51 Parsons Ave., Olde Towne East 614-246-9662 blackcreekbistro.com

Story by S helley Mann Photo by Jodi miller

Crunch time Black Creek’s pastry chef, Michelle Milhous Garland, created this abstract work of art especially for Crave. Caramelized apple slices are layered haphazardly with crunchy phyllo shards over a raspberry sugar custard. Dark chocolate shavings, toasted almonds and raspberry syrup drizzles add even more visual interest, and the end result is so pretty it’s hard to take that first bite.

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