MAKERS SPACE: EMILY CLINE

TAKING S H APE

Local ceramics and screen printing artist Emily Cline has embarked on a business fueled entirely by her own art.

By Zeb Larson Photos by Ally Schnaidt

For ceramics artist Emily Cline, the pandemic brought with it a new way of living that gave way to a flurry of productivity.

“The pandemic’s been hard in a lot of ways, but for me, not being able to go anywhere or do anything else, all I did was make art,” she said.

In May of 2020, Cline opened an Etsy shop for her ceramics pieces. And just this past June, she took the big step and decided to start making art full-time through her studio, Daphnia Ceramics. For now, she focuses on plates, bowls, and mugs.→

Though her decision to center her career on art came fairly recently, Cline’s love of art began in childhood. “As a kid, I loved art,” Cline said. “I was always more of a musician, but I always had a little clay sculpting desk in the attic of our house.”

A good teacher and a few art classes her senior year of high school inspired Cline to want to become an art teacher, and she went to Ohio University to learn to teach. It was also there that she began screen-printing.

For the next 10 years, Cline taught art to elementary and middle school students in Newark. Teaching was a formative creative experience for her, and over time it became a way for her to combine screenprinting and ceramics.

Cline still teaches community classes at Bareclay (a pottery studio at 734 E. Lincoln Ave.) and at other community events. Still, She’s now focusing on her own artistic endeavors from a studio in her Columbus home. She wants to make mixed-media pieces for a future gallery show, and she’s still working hard at creating pieces for her ceramics business.

SOME OF THEM ARE FANTASTICAL THINGS, but a lot of them are things I find in the woods.

↓ Her ceramic creations

↑ Patterned bowls be fore fi na liza t ion

Cline is primarily inspired by the natural environment.

“Not all of my patterns are naturebased, but a lot of them are,” she said. “Some of them are fantastical things, but a lot of them are things I find in the woods.”

Her use of wilderness and nature goes beyond just aesthetics, however.

“As a queer artist, there’s something about the reclaiming of our relationship with nature and the way that our society disconnects us from that,” Cline said “The ways that I’ve reclaimed my own queer identity and the authenticity in those connections, I find a lot of overlap there.”♦

To learn more about Cline’s work, visit daphniaceramics.com

Pushing The Envelope

Forbidden Root Columbus seeks to wow guests with a versatile tap selection and small batches of experimental beers. →

By Jim Fischer / Photos by Ally Schnaidt

← Stratusphere, Hazy IPA

↑ Nick Gabriel, Head Brewer

While Forbidden Root Columbus follows in the footsteps of the original Chicago brewery of the same name, it definitely doesn’t stand in its shadow.

Specializing in botanical beers, Forbidden Root’s Chicago brewery creates libations with herbs, flowers, fruits, and more. The Columbus location (which opened in December 2019 at Easton Town Center) still has the same passion for creativity.

Diners and drinkers at Forbidden Root Columbus are for sure getting a taste of the brand’s, um, roots in Chicago, what with the brewery’s flagship Strawberry Basil Hefeweizen always on tap. But Director of Operations Brian Krajack told (614) the Columbus brewpub was always intended to be its own, distinct brewing operation, led by a local brewer with (almost) complete autonomy.

Enter Nick Gabriel, head brewer for Forbidden Root Columbus, whose experience as head brewer at Four String Brewing, combined with his keen and creative brewing sense, appealed to the Forbidden Root team.

"There are still a lot of people who think IPAs are always bitter, ours are not bitter. I like to use the hops for fruit, for character, for aroma." To learn more about Forbidden Root, visit forbiddenroot.com/columbus.

↑ Full Retail, porter

“They didn’t want to micromanage. They wanted someone who would understand the brand but who would apply their own knowledge and experience,” Gabriel said. “I have a list of ingredients to build recipes with, and I just tell them to let me know if I go off the rails. So far, they haven’t.”

Gabriel acknowledges the need to have “approachable” brews available, but he said the tap selection is always going to run the gamut of style and flavor profile in an effort to “push” customers.

For example, he takes pride in efforts to broaden people’s perspectives on the India Pale Ale (IPA), a still-popular style among craft beer aficionados.

“There are still a lot of people who think IPAs are always bitter,” Gabriel said, acknowledging there was a time when it seemed brewers were in a contest to see who could make the most insanely face-scrunching IPA. “Ours are not bitter. I like to use the hops for fruit, for character, for aroma.”

For those who prefer something darker, the Full Retail porter features almonds (roasted in-house by Gabriel), coconut (toasted by Gabriel) and a specific type of cacao nibs.

“It’s really balanced and comes out tasting a little like a candy bar,” Gabriel said. “It’s not always about some off-the-wall ingredient, but more the proportions and the process.”

And while Forbidden Root is a restaurant, Gabriel still treats it as a taproom, brewing small batches of experimental beers to sate his creativity and, hopefully, his customers’ palates.

“A couple months ago, we made a fruited sour that was fruitier than we would normally do, and it was very popular,” he said.

Even a popular item might not stick around forever—Gabriel has more things he wants to try.

“Forbidden Root is intentionally different, but we still see ourselves as an independent, Columbusbased brewery,” Gabriel said. “I come to work each day to make beer for our city.”

To learn more about Forbidden Root, visit forbiddenroot.com/columbus.

Industry veteran John McGinnis embarks upon his very first restaurant concept — and it’s on wheels

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos by Spencer Lookabaugh

↑ Their Cuban Sandwich

Dishwasher. Prep cook. Fry cook. Line cook. Manager. Bartender. Server.

John McGinnis has served all of these roles and more within the Columbus food scene. But after nearly two decades cooking up others’ food, he’s decided to take on the one title in the restaurant industry he hasn’t touched yet: owner.

This month, the longtime Columbus chef plans to open his first-ever restaurant concept in the form of McGinnis' Grill, a food truck serving hearty sandwiches.

“I’m not getting any younger. I’m 32; it was finally time to do something for myself,” McGinnis said. “So I decided to pull the trigger.”

Unpretentious and approachable, John McGinnis’ food is an extension of himself. One of the reasons he opted to feature sandwiches in the first place is due to the fact that they’re common food ground for so many.

It also doesn’t hurt that they’re perfectly suited for a mobile kitchen.

“They’re so portable, which makes things easy for everyone. Sandwiches were made for a food truck,” he said.

Don’t get it twisted though: The food McGinnis offers isn’t basic. Drawing from 18 years of chef and restaurant experience, the Columbus cook finds a delicate balance between sandwiches that are tasty and interesting, without scaring off pickier diners.

McGinnis, who finds culinary inspiration from different ethnic cooking styles, inflects his food with just enough pizazz to find a middle ground.

In addition to his signature braised brisket melt, he’ll be selling a Nashville hot chicken sandwich with pepper jack cheese, pickles, ranch, and hot honey; a fresh, vegetarian caprese sandwich on grilled Italian bread; and a whole lot more.

If you’re after a smaller portion, you can opt for some of the truck’s starters and side dishes, like a soft pretzel, beer-battered fries, or smoked and fried sticky wings that are tossed in a sweet garlic sauce, topped with green onions, and caramelized with a torch.

McGinnins knows he can cook, and soon Columbus will too. What he says will be one of the more difficult parts of the process is transitioning from the role of chef to owner.

But in the same way he put in the hard work and hustle to level up within the restaurant industry, he’s confident he can handle this, too.

“It sounds corny, but I literally keep a notebook by my bed. Sometimes I’ll wake up with a new idea, or a solution to some problem I thought up,” he said. “There’s going to be a learning curve, of course. But I know I’m ready.”

To learn more, visit mcginnisgrill.com

↓ John McGinnis, owner of McGinnis' Grill

Jennings Java

www.jenningsjava.com (614) 935-8348 1193 S. Front Street, Columbus, OH 43206

On the hilly campus of Muskingum University, Jennings Java was born from a college dorm room in the Spring of 2016. Jennings Java highlights coffee’s unique flavors by sourcing quality beans from various regions around the world. Jennings Java promises the freshest flavor and an authentic experience with each sip. This is how we remain “True to the Origin” in every cup.

Telhio Credit Union

www.telhio.org

At Telhio Credit Union, small business is our business. From business checking and savings accounts to credit cards, employee banking solutions, and lending and treasury management options, we have everything you need to make sure your business is set for financial success. This is why over 3,000 businesses bank with Telhio Credit Union and benefit from important features like low credit card rates, incredible lending, leasing, and real estate options, and solutions to help manage cash flow. You could say that we take your business banking personally.

Pie of the Tiger

(380) 210-0197 674 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43215

A Little Detroit. A Little Sicilian. Allll Yellow Brick Pizza. It’s Pizza unlike any other.

Since unveiling the new style, Yellow Brick has introduced a handful of varieties, including Margherita (garlic, provolone, tomatoes, ricotta, Italian seasoning, and pesto), Meatball Sundae (provolone, slices of house-made meatballs, shaved parmesan, red sauce, ricotta, and Italian seasoning) and Dill Thrill (garlic, provolone, dill pickles, Old Bay Hot Suace, and ranch dressing).

Available only at the Short North Tavern · Every day 4-11pm Carry Out or Dine In.

Not Your Mama’s Craft Market

www.notyourmamascraftmarket.com

Continuously voted one of Columbus’ top 10 shopping events! Join Not Your Mama’s Craft Market for their beautifully curated markets featuring uniquely special, handmade goods.

Oct. 3

Outdoor Market at BrewDog in Canal Winchester 11am-3pm

Nov. 14

Holiday Market at BrewDog in Canal Winchester 11am-4pm

Nov. 20

Holiday Market at Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Short North 11am-4pm

Scan the code for a preview of Makers, giveaways and market updates.

Nida’s Thai on High

www.thaionhigh.com (614) 299-9199 976 N. High Street, Columbus, OH 43201

Welcome to Nida’s Thai On High - Columbus, OH. We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to your home to great combination of Thai dishes. We serve only the freshest and finest ingredients.

At Nida’s Thai On High, you will experience the liveliness and excitement of our exhibition kitchen. Our extraordinary fast and friendly wait staff wishes to make your visit to us an unforgettable event. You could view our menu and online order ahead - no hassle.

Uptown Cheapskate

www.uptowncheapskate.com/location/reynoldsburg (614) 321-9018 2783 Taylor Rd SW, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068

Do a world of good, shop resale. Uptown Cheapskate is not your average thrift store. We buy what you loved yesterday, and sell what you want today. We pay cash on the spot for the stylish gently used apparel, handbags, and accessories and sell them today at up to 70% off mall prices! With thousands of unique items and hundreds of new items every day, you’ll find all your favorite brands and designers under one roof.

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