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Akron
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Just as Lieberman, Haines and the team use their shared histories as the building blocks for the restaurant, the eatery itself brings to life a bit of Columbus history. It’s located in the original Max & Erma’s restaurant in German Village. The space has been given a loving makeover, with muted pastels, vintage wallpaper and an eclectic mix of photos and knick-knacks on the shelves. Haines had a hand in the decor, including bits of family history.
“All the plants are mine,” she jokes.
The restaurant’s menu, which is executed day to day by head chef Wes Grubbs, is just as kitschy and inviting as the decor. Beverage director Seth Laufman designs the cocktails with the same sense of fun and thoughtfulness. Diners are also well advised not to miss the house-made ice creams from sous chef Justin Singer. The creamy and decadent concoctions rotate seasonally and are available as a trio for dessert or packaged in pints to go.
“We do international eclectic comfort food in an elevated way,” Lieberman says. “What inspires us is our staff, their travel, their background, their culture, what excites them. I thought it’d be cool if we turned the menu over to them, something personal to them, something their grandmother made.”
The menu changes regularly, but it consistently marries a Midwestern sense of comfort with international inspiration. It draws on the culinary team’s travels, from former sous chef Matt Larkin’s time in Vietnam to Lieberman’s and Haines’ honeymoon in Chiang Mai, Thailand. A quick look at past offerings reveals everything from classic wings to General Tso’s cauliflower and Vietnamese cơm tấm to lamb Bolognese.
One of the staples on the restaurant’s menu is khao soi, an Asian dish built around chicken and shrimp in a yellow curry with crispy noodles, fava leaves, herbs, banana, chiles and peanuts.
“It’s a love letter to Chiang Mai,” Lieberman says. “That dish is just such a visceral experience to have in Thailand. We do our best to translate that.” — Nicholas Dekker
739 S. Third St., Columbus 43206, 614/444-0917, eatchapmans.com
Taste of Akron
Judy Orr James’ food book includes recipes that offer a flavor of the city, including the popular sauerkraut ball.
Judy Orr James remembers the first place she ate a sauerkraut ball.
“I was a little kid and my family would go to the Brown Derby,” says the Akron native. “After my parents would order their cocktails and we would order our Shirley Temples, we were allowed to go into the bar and get a plate full of sauerkraut balls.”
Food memories inspired James’ book Akron Family Recipes. The result is a brief history of each of Akron’s most prominent ethnic and cultural groups, such as African Americans, Italians and Hungarians, and each chapter includes recipes from the community it highlights. But there’s one food that seems to unite Akron: the sauerkraut ball.
Today, Akron restaurants still tout the cocktail-party staple on their menus, and you can find ready-to-eat varieties like Bunny B at local grocery stores.
“Everybody thought they were invented in Akron, but I’m almost certain they were started in Cleveland at a restaurant called Gruber’s in the 1940s,” says James. “My research indicates that at least two chefs who worked at Gruber’s made their way down to Akron once Gruber’s closed.”
James felt it was important to honor that part of Akron’s identity in the book and included six different sauerkraut ball recipes.
“It doesn’t really fit with the rest of the book,” she says. “But I knew people would be interested.” — Kim Schneider
To learn more, visit arcadiapublishing.com.
