(614) December 2020

(614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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BIG PICTUR

RE BIG PICTURE The "find and cut" your own tree tradition is alive and well this holiday season at several Central Ohio tree farms. Pictured here is Cackler Farms in Delaware.

Families have been selecting live trees from here since 1989. Available this year are the Blue Spruce, Canaan Fir, Fraser Fir, Norway Spruce, and White Pine.

PHOTO BY DAVID HEASLEY

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Contents

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(614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

C O V E R PA C K A G E ARE YOU NAUGHTY OR NICE?!

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MAKER'S SPACE: JESSICA DRISCOLL

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(614) HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

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SEITAN'S REALM

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BLAST FROM THE PAST

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GLOBAL GIFTS

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MOBILE MED

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ON THE COVER:

Design by Paul Barton • Photo by Alex Lefebvre

Opening Volley

STEPHANIE WEST Editor-In-Chief

I

The great holiday gift caper

t’s never been entirely clear to me whose idea it actually was. Was it my brother’s? Four years older than me and always willing to go mischief hunting, he would be the natural choice.

Or was it me? The seemingly innocent, 8-year-old little sister who secretly had a desire to KNOW WHAT EVERY SINGLE GIFT UNDER THE TREE WAS. Clever and wickedly manipulative with my childish charm, I was the less obvious (but clearly viable) choice to make the plan to end all plans.

Who actually started the chain of events which led to my Cabbage Patch doll being shelved forever and my brother’s model car kit promptly returned, was never important. In the heat of the moment, what was important was that we knew what was under that tree. Did we get what we put on Santa’s list? Did we get gypped? Did we get another toothbrush and set of pajamas that we’d have to pretend was cool?

Unclear. So an investigation had to be done and there was only one way to do it—someone was going to have to unwrap those gifts. And then someone else was going to have to re-wrap them and put them back as though nothing had happened.

The joy, of course, was in unwrapping the presents— so, one cold, snowy evening when our parents went out for dinner, my brother took the best job and left me with the rewrapping chore. As soon as we heard the final bravado of crunching gravel as the car left the driveway, we drug all the presents under the tree to my parent’s bedroom, where the tape and scissors were, and we started the task at hand.

We’d open a present, ooo and ahhh, play with it for a second, and then my brother would gingerly hand it over to me where I would carefully re-wrap the present and tape it as though nothing had happened.

This went on for several minutes and we were thrilled at how successful our shenanigans were coming along until we heard it—the sound of a slamming car door. Our parents had returned early and there we were, knee deep in presents, both wrapped and rewrapped—and one not wrapped at all—with about 30 seconds until the key hit the lock and we were dead meat.

And it wouldn’t be our father who killed us—no, he’d laugh at our ingenuity and say things like, “Oh come on, now that was funny!” No, it would be our mother. We knew as certain as we were standing there with scotch tape on our fingers and scissor knicks in our skin that she was going to murder us right then and there.

My brother leapt into action, grabbing the presents 14

(614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

and running down the stairs with them to drop them under the tree. I took the remaining unwrapped present and quickly threw the paper on before lobbing it to him down the stairs just as the key hit the lock. I rushed to my bed and hid under the covers while my brother rushed up the stairs as our parents walked in. That night, we slept peacefully, secure in the belief that we had gotten away with a true felony. Partners-in-crime, my brother and I. The next morning was quite different.

To this day, we’re not entirely certain how our mother actually discovered what we had done.

Perhaps that poorly done re-wrap of mine in a rushed moment; maybe the hurried stack of presents under the tree that were jumbled beyond recognition; maybe the sweat on our brows when she kissed us goodnight— irrelevant. She knew. And we were dead.

The Naughty List, readers. I earned a spot on the Naughty List that year and I regret none of it. I guarantee if I played the “Are You Naughty or Nice, Columbus?” game in the center of our December issue, I’d come out with a whopping lean towards the naughty and I’d be OK with it. Where would you end up, reader? You’ll have to play our holiday drinking game inside to find out, but we’re betting a few of you will land there, too. So, tell your stories and take a drink to forget 2020—then find out if you’re naughty or nice to begin the New Year.

But it doesn’t stop there, Columbus. No, this issue is jam-packed with fun stuff—like the colorful new invention called Sprocks—a piece of living art that can go on your fridge or on your wall. See inside what Matt Hatcher has worked up for your fridge and beyond.

Or maybe you need a holiday gift this year? Check out Maker’s Space and Jessica Driscoll’s leather bags; or fair trade gifts at Global Gifts in the Short North; perhaps a candle from Stephanie Booth’s shop in Olde Towne East. They’re all inside.

There’s so much to read and see and do in this month’s issue, Columbus! What are you waiting for?

Go get naughty (or nice) and have a great holiday season. Cheers to 2021!

PUBLISHER Wayne T. Lewis CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Lindsay Press EDITOR IN CHIEF Stephanie West ASSISTANT EDITOR Allison Grimes 614NOW DIGITAL EDITOR Lindsey Escaja 614 CAMPUS EDITOR Caroline Cunningham CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Alex Lefebvre, Leonardo Carrizo, Sarah Pfeifer

CONTRIBUTORS Jaelani Turner-Williams Jack Mclaughlin Melinda Green Zak Kolesar

Lindsey Escaja DESIGN TEAM LEAD Paul Barton SENIOR CREATIVE DESIGNER Justin Remotap GRAPHIC DESIGNER Jaime North DIRECTOR OF VIDEO John Thorne VIDEO EDITOR Maddy Van Buren DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Jayci Haase ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Meggin Weimerskirch SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Nikki Harris ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Mindy Wilhite

(614) Magazine 458 E Main St., Columbus, OH 43215 Office: (614) 488-4400 | Fax: (614) 488-4402 Email submissions to: editor@614now.com www.614now.com

← Jason Greegor and Stephanie West

� S TA F F P I C K S

Checking it twice.

In (614)’s December issue, we're all about fun & games with your friends and family this holiday season—which is why you should play our Naughty or Nice board game inside!

That, naturally, made us curious if our staff was naughty or nice. So we asked them, when you were a child, were you on the Naughty or the Nice list?

I plead the fifth. Which is precisely what I said to my Mama after she discovered my brother and I had unwrapped all the gifts under the tree, rewrapped them, and put them all back. #NaughtyList — Stephanie West, Editor-In-Chief

Always the NICE list; Santa was always watching :) — Meggin Weimerskirch, Advertising Director

Nice list! My dad stuffed coal in my brother's stocking once...so I was traumatized.

— Nikki Harris, Account Executive

Santa might always be watching, but he wasn't watching close enough or I was just too good at not getting caught, finding myself on the nice list ALWAYS. — Lindsay Escaja, Digital Editor

Nice. Always. I was not a troublemaker as a kid. Most people would look at me today and say, "checks out."

— Jayci Haase, Marketing Director

I am sure I manipulated my way onto the Nice list... Santa can’t be watching everyone all the time ;) — Mindy Wilhite, Account Executive

Definitely the nice list!! My younger sister took up all the room on the naughty list growing up.

— Jaime North, Graphic Designer

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( LET TER to the EDITOR ) We want to hear from you, Columbus. And Letter to the Editor is just the place to do it. Like something? Hate something? It’s fair game.

Send us your thoughts (no profanity or name calling—let’s keep it clean) to editor@614now.com and sound off on the good and bad about us, Columbus, or what you’re seeing in your area of Central Ohio.

¶ Correction to Autumn of Altruism I am the communications director for POINT, a company mentioned in Jaelani Turner-Williams' recent story called "The Need is Great but we Must Rise to the Challenge." First, thank you so much for including us! However, we are not a ride service as quoted in the article, and our company name is spelled in all caps (POINT). We are an app for volunteers to see opportunities in their city based on causes they care about, and easily sign up. Unfortunately, we DO NOT provide transportation to those events. Kindly, please publish a correction, as we would hate to disappoint volunteers who may log on to the app expecting to see a service we don't offer.

Thank you!

Lindsey & the POINT team

¶ MERV filters called into question For the indoor air quality article at Cameron Mitchell restaurants; Please do your due diligence while reporting on this very sensitive issue. Do you know that there are 20 types of MERV filters? Just stating MERV means absolutely nothing, but the general public doesn't understand this. Do you also know that Infection Control experts believe the HVAC does not spread nor can it control the spread of COVID-19?

I urge you, please find HVAC Professional Engineers and Epidemiologist before spreading misinformation. It's already difficult enough for the general public to process this information. The last thing we need to do is make people feel falsely safe as the numbers continue to rise.

Thank you, Holly Brubach, PE

ON the WEB Do you check your news and entertainment updates on 614now. com? You should. Every day we’re posting Columbus’s top news, entertainment, and sports stories from throughout Central Ohio. Check out all the Columbus news online, including the new ones below at 614now.com.

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SO CIAL CO M M EN TARY fa ceb oo k

Check out the newest videos on our channel: now playing...

In response to: On the bright side, it’s now a guarantee that the Buckeyes will head into next weekend’s matchup against Michigan State undefeated: ALEX: We play Indiana next weekend

inst a g ram In response to Schiller Park photo: @KATALINADAY: What an amazing picture of a park that Columbus residents like me are lucky to live literally a block away from. Columbus is one of the most #underratedcities in the world!

t wit t e r In response to: Green Bean Casserole, Ohio? Really?

 Sprocks You’ll just have to watch it and see this super cool, colorful, movable, art, and the man behind it.

CALENDAR Have an event you want to shout-out? Send an email to editor@614now.com.

Events thru Jan. 3

Holiday Lights at Easton Town Center

Check eastontowncenter.com for more details.

thru

@HEATHAPOTTA: Girl stop playin, thanksgiving is GBC's time to shine. We're from Ohio, we eat potatoes and corn and mac & cheese most days of the year lol

#AsSeenInColumbus It’s difficult for us here at (614) to catch it all. That’s where you come in: while you’re out there capturing the city, you might as well slide some of your best shots our way. We’ll throw a few of ours in the mix, too. There’s plenty to see in Columbus, so there’s no reason not to share.

Jan. 5

Wildlights presented by AEP at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Learn more at columbuszoo.org

North Pole at Baker’s Village’s Annual Christmas Shoppe Learn more at bakersvillagegardencenter.com

VASO Igloos Experience

Learn more at vasodublin.com/igloos

@taylor.tarr

@yuliyablain

MAKER'S SPACE ↓ Jessica Driscoll

Crafting Leather

CCAD grad brings Columbus fashion lovers edgy options created by hand

By Melissa Braithwaite / Photos By Alex Lefebvre

J

essica Driscoll was a fashion student at the Columbus College of Art & Design when the hankering to take an independent study on the complicated and beautiful fabric of leather took hold.

“I got the chance to explore and do stuff with leather, and it stuck,” Drsicoll said of the lust for the material that grew from that independent study.

“When I graduated, I wondered what I should do. I had done several fashion shows, but the leather was still there; I still wanted to do that. A couple of years

ago, I decided to do something more serious.” That’s when they launched Void Atelier, a boutique leather shop that primarily focuses on bags. And just who carries them?

“Someone who is into kind of edgier stuff like leather and heavy hardwear; someone who is into slower fashion; and someone who appreciates something that someone spent time making and figuring out how to make it work,” said Driscoll.

That attention to detail is part of Driscoll’s work ethic when creating a bag. Driscoll focuses on → (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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Leather behaves similar to textiles, but it’s also so different.

There is a level of engineering and problem-solving that comes with making a bag.

↓ Box Bag Bundle M+L size, Cadnium, Studless

“If you are going to carry them everyday, I want them to work really well.”

← Altair Tote — Ink

the details: How does one carry essential possessions? Is it a well-organized bag used daily?

Or is the customer more of a free-hands, crammedpockets type of person? How does a bag function for the customer, and how can it work better?

At Void Atelier, Driscoll makes most pieces to order and crafts everything by hand. This slow approach to fashion translates into a high-quality product, rather than a piece that only lasts a season.

And leathercrafting lends itself to a particular type of problem-solving that Driscoll enjoys.

“Leather behaves similar to textiles, but it’s also so different. There is a level of engineering and problem-solving that comes with making a bag.”

Drscoll’s self-described Type A personality likely also helps in this regard. “I won't start something until I have a plan and know what exactly I want to do,” Drsicoll said. “I design it first now digitally. I work out the initial problems that way.”

Other problems are uncovered when Driscoll gives a bag to family members or friends to try out, carry around, and live with for a while. Driscoll says that feedback is an invaluable part of the creative process.

“Sometimes people use bags in a way that I wouldn’t. For example, my mom and aunt keep all of their stuff in their purse at all times.”

Although Driscoll’s mom and aunt may not be Void’s target audience, a variety of feedback lends itself to more problem-solving and better bags in the end. “If you are going to carry them everyday, I want them to work really well,” said Driscoll. •

Driscoll’s work will be featured in the CCAD Winter Art Fair and Marketplace from Dec. 4-6 online (https:// www.ccad.edu/experience-art/art-fair) and can also be found at voidatelier.com.

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↓ David Denniston

Gallery Space

Lifelike 24

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Local painter creates wall-covering pieces that command attention

By Melissa Braithwaite / Photos By Alex Lefebvre

W

hen contemporary figurative painter David Denniston began his latest series with the theme of anxiety a year and a half ago, little did he know that, thanks to a global pandemic, the theme was about to resonate with much of the world. But he was dealing with his own anxiety, and using it as a driving force behind his work. → (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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“I don’t know if people would look at it and think, ‘this guy is stressed out,’ but anxiety can manifest in many different ways.”

“I think all people face some levels of anxiety,” Denniston said.

“I faced little moments of it, and big moments. A year ago, I was facing it really hard and I didn’t want to get out of bed. But it was kind of like a driving force.” Denniston embraced his emotions and let his anxiety lead him to that place where he could create again.

As anxiety can cover the bearer of it like an invisible blanket, impacting every decision, so does anxiety linger in Denniston’s paintings—lifelike portraits that, at times, appear as actual photographs. The paintings are thought-provoking, but not at all literal. “I don’t know if people would look at it and think, ‘this guy is stressed out,’ but anxiety can manifest in many different ways,” he said.

With this new series, Denniston said he has been incredibly open to trying new things, something he said has been freeing. “It’s been really 26

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enjoyable, and I am really pushing color with this—a lot of warm and hot colors,” he said. “I’ve been strictly an oil painter, but now I am using a translucent spray on top.”

When you look at Denniston’s latest works (still in progress), you wouldn’t necessarily feel that it was coming from a place of angst. His massive canvases feature people sleeping from a perspective of looking down upon them. Using his mastery of light and shadow, the threedimensional-looking figures appear to be sleeping standing up due to the orientation of the pieces. It is figurative realism at its best—from the wrinkles in the subjects’ clothing to the shadows of their sleeping bodies.

The larger-than-life 4x8-foot paintings were not made for a quick sale, however. “Nobody buys paintings like this because they are too big for their place, but I do it because it’s fun,” the painter said. “I’m just going with it.”

And although he said he makes changes to his work as he goes, he is a planner at heart. “I know what is going to be on the canvas before I paint. I use family or friends, and my boys as models. I will take a series of reference materials on my iPhone or whatever and will use the computer to try different compositions and I know what I am getting into when I paint. I

← Apprehension

"I want it to go beyond, ‘oooh that’s good technique.’"

can mentally see where it’s going. But it still changes all the time when I’m working on it.”

The CCAD grad whose studio is at 400 West Rich in Franklinton says he hopes viewers catch the narratives that run through his paintings. “I want it to go beyond, ‘oooh that’s good technique,’ he said. “I’m becoming a little more abstract in a way by moving scenes and compositions and leaving more to the imagination of whoever is looking at it. I’m not telling the story so literally.” •

↑

Sunday Worship

See more of his work at daviddennistonart.com (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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Gearhead Local inventor turns love of magnets into mechanical art

By Melinda Green • Photos by Alex Lefebvre

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G

ears. Yes, this is a story about gears. Because gears are cool—especially if they can be stuck to the refrigerator door in endless combinations of artistic expression that Sprocks inventor Matt Hatcher calls, “oddly satisfying.”

“I’ve always considered myself an inventor,” said Hatcher, who has been a member of the inventive maker space Idea Foundry on W. State St. “Even though I’ve never invented anything besides Sprocks, I’ve always been a maker, a tinkerer, a very hands-on, mechanically inclined person.”

He also has an entrepreneurial mind that’s always on the lookout for “some cool product” that he can create and turn into a business. In the case of Sprocks, Hatcher had a lifelong fascination with magnets and gears, along with a long held idea of a complicated mechanism that would do something—”I didn’t know what that something was but it was a much higher level of detail than this ‘children’s toy’ that I have now,” he laughed.

Around eight years ago, he was going through one of these brainstorming sessions and remembers becoming increasingly frustrated by how hard the inventive process was. “Why can’t I think of something?” he asked himself. “Like paper clips—it’s the simplest thing in the world, and everybody uses them.”

Just then he looked at his refrigerator, saw an expensive bobblehead souvenir magnet, and thought to himself, “That dumb thing, why can’t I think of something like a refrigerator magnet?”

Suddenly, he realized: Why not combine his childhood fascinations and create gear magnets?

“I immediately stopped. I remember the moment, like ‘Oh. Yeah.

Gears that are magnetic.’”

Hatcher went to the Idea Foundry the next day. Within a few hours, he had his first set of magnetic gears, laser-cut from plywood “I was so proud. I can’t imagine Einstein felt any better when he thought up the theory of relativity,” he laughs.

Hatcher began showing his prototype to others. “They were like, ‘Holy crap, this is so much fun! I can’t believe this hasn’t been done before!’”

For six months, Hatcher made his Sprocks by hand, a laborintensive process with expensive materials that brought in no money.

He sold them at farmer’s markets and local retailers but eventually abandoned production.

Then he discovered the magic of 3D printing. → (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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“...it's just cool. That's literally it.

They're just cool.”

Matt Hatcher →

“3D printing allowed me to not only make Sprocks cheaper, but make them better. I improved the design dramatically, plus they were easier to make.” In early 2020, he decided to revisit Sprocks with his first Kickstarter.

“I’ve always wanted to do a Kickstarter. I like the campaigns; I love the little guys who hit it big. You hear it all the time, the single guy who makes an app, or a device, and getting millions of dollars. I thought it was time to throw my hat in the ring.”

Hatcher started the process six weeks before the launch date. “That wasn’t nearly enough,” he recalls. “The pre-launch period is usually three months, allowing you to assemble enough funders to show up on day one.”

And day one is the most important in crowdfunding. “You want to bring everyone you know, everyone you’ve ever known, beg, steal, and borrow, and get people to show up. You want to price your campaign low enough to get early backers on the first day. You want to reach your campaign goal in the first 48 hours. I wanted to do it in the first six hours.”

Everyone who starts a Kickstarter campaign has high hopes that it will be an overnight success. Hatcher did better than that, reaching his goal in three and a half hours with the help of Idea Foundry members and friends.

His funding now stands at nearly four times the original goal, and he has stepped away from his career as a woodworker and cabinet maker to focus solely on Sprocks.

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↑ Matt Hatcher

Sprocks are available in wood and various color families of acrylic (including mirrored, glow-in-the-dark and clear), all with 3D-printed magnetic hubs. Sets can be combined and stacked into myriad mix-andmatch patterns.

Parents, educators, adults, and even pediatric health care workers are purchasing them. But when asked, “Why are so many people paying for this?” Hatcher admits to struggling with the question. “Why do people like gears? For me, it’s my mechanical-minded nature.”

For others, it represents their first interactions with mechanical objects, or an educational opportunity. “Gears are the lowly building blocks of industry,” he noted. “But it’s like fidget spinners—why in God’s name would anyone ever buy one of those? There’s just something soothing about it.”

“One of the key tenets of marketing is, you have to know what your audience wants. I’ve gone down this rabbit hole for a long time, asking people ‘why do you like this?’ And, it’s like—it’s just cool. That’s literally it.

They’re just cool.” •

Check out Sprocks at facebook.com/SprocksGears/

Crafty Classics Addella’s surviving COVID with clever dishes and vegan options

ADD + STEL Y LA = Addell a's

By Jaelani Turner-Williams / Photos By Leonardo Carrizo

← Joe Dip with tortilla chips

Layered avocado and sloppy Joe filling topped with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and scallions.

“The name was the first thing we decided on, it’s a combination of our daughters' names, Addy & Stella.”

T

he heart of Olde Town East has become a conventional mix of eateries, bars, holistic shops and every communal necessity in-between. As the neighborhood grows feverishly in its diverse appeal, there’s a new hub for foodies to enjoy a crafty take on traditional Americana dishes— Addella’s on Oak. Founded by husband-and-wife team Karrio and Victoria Ballard, the two began eyeing the restaurant’s space on the corner of Oak Street and Miller Avenue three years ago. Though overrun with vacant school buildings, the area was just enough for Karrio and Victoria to conceptualize their vision for Addella’s while raising two daughters.

“We both knew that there was a need for something closer to Franklin Park, somewhere for people to walk to. We really wanted to create a concept together combining both of our experiences and knowledge,” Karrio said. “The name was the first thing we decided on, it’s a combination of our daughters' names, Addy and Stella.”

As the March opening for Addella’s on Oak approached, the couple was met with hesitation as COVID-19 struck, threatening their business and stifling other nearby restaurants. With their mission intact, Karrio and Victoria were able to restrategize their original plan. →

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"

Everything on the menu is something people have seen before,

we just put our spin on it and make as much as we can from scratch to make it more memorable. "

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↑ The Big Cheese Sandwich & Return of the Mac

“Because we weren’t open yet, we didn’t qualify for any of the loans or grants available to other restaurants, and we still had to pay all of our full monthly expenses without any assistance,” Karrio said. “We may not have every decoration or fancy piece of equipment we originally planned for, but we are open and proud of what we created.”

The digs of Addella’s on Oak are a cozy mixture of quaint and nostalgic. With retro sports dolls, vinyl records and a guidebook to hip-hop atop of the bar area, there’s also wall prints by local artists, creating a celebratory atmosphere.

While Karrio and Victoria plan on introducing weekend brunch items to their menu before the end of the year, the Addella’s on Oak menu has a substantial amount of options traditional eaters, vegans and anyone in between. To dissipate confusion for first-time visitors, there’s a separate plant-based menu that’s 100% dairy free—which means that there’s alternate versions of dishes for everyone to try. If your date orders a meatball sub with beef parmesan meat smothered in marinara and melted mozzarella, don’t fret—you can grab a vegan alternative with plant based meatballs and vegan mozzarella.

Vegan and traditional menu alternatives are also customary between the ‘Jive Turkey,’ signature salads like ‘Make It Grain’ and ‘Chik’N Corn Caesar’ or even Addella’s Double—two seasoned patties sandwiched between cheese, tomato, pickles, lettuce, and onions topped with special sauce.

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While the menu originally had more plated entrees, Karrio explains that this decision changed drastically due to COVID-19, as more people were encouraged to purchase carryout orders.

“We decided to go with more sandwiches and handheld items to make it possible for the kitchen to run as smoothly as possible without having too many people working closely together,” Karrio said, noting that Joe Dip and Double Crunch Tacos are also guest favorites.

“Everything on the menu is something people have seen before, we just put our spin on it and make as much as we can from scratch to make it more memorable.”

Main entrees aren’t the only menu items that are savored by visitors—repeat customers rave over sides like ‘Crispy Roasted Brussel Sprouts,’ ‘Return of the Mac’ and ‘Shhh Puppies’ to name a few. As the Old Towne East food scene continues to thrive, Karrio says that menu items could possibly become rotational as the neighborhood’s population increases.

“The neighborhood has been growing over the years in a way that has allowed multiple places to do well and attract people for various reasons,” Karrio said. “The one thing [that Victoria and I] agree on is that we enjoy being in a neighborhood, and we know from experience that the people who live in Old Towne East and Franklin Park love their neighborhoods and support the businesses that open up there.”

↓ Karrio Ballard, Co-Founder

↑ 1485 Oak St.

“Everyone is just trying to do the best they can with whatever tools they have been given.”

Though their plans may have shifted Karrio and Victoria are proponents in navigating situations as they arise, opening Addella’s on Oak with faith that the restaurant would stay afloat during the pandemic. Their determination has been effective, and they’re just getting started.

“It has been awesome to see more Blackowned businesses open and be highlighted in the wake of everything that is going on,” Karrio said. “Everyone is just trying to do the best they can with whatever tools they have been given." • Learn more at addellasonoak.com (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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2020

H OLI DAY G i f tGU ID E

COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART

2020

TINY TEAM BOOKS

480 E. Broad Street, Columbus, OH 614-629-0314 www.columbusmuseum.org

Facebook: @TinyTeamBooks Instagram: @Tiny_Team_Books www.tinyteambooks.com

Holiday shopping during COVID made easy!

In these special times, we want to provide you with an inspiring Museum Store experience, with services that will make your shopping as easy, fast, and safe as possible. Reserve pieces beforehand and pop by for an in-store pick-up, enjoy a virtual store visit, or explore our latest collection privately— the choice is yours.

Call Pam Edwards at 614.323.0133 or email pam.edwards@ cmaohio.org to arrange your best shopping experience!

Meet Baby Buckeye!

Let Baby Brutus take you and your child on a tour of The Ohio State University in this unique touch & feel book. Visit the Shoe, explore Mirror Lake, take a walk through Buckeye Grove, listen to Victory Bell, and cheer for the Buckeyes!

Raggin’ On The Art of Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s House and Journals Exhibition Catalogue that illustrates the new exhibition Hardcover – 12 ¼” by 9½” 234 pages full color

The Perfect Holiday Gift!

$39.95

Remember – we are happy to ship for you and gift wrapping is always FREE!

est. 1876

NORTH MARKET North Market Downtown 59 Spruce St, Columbus, OH www.northmarket.com

North Market Bridge Park 6750 Longshore Street, Dublin, OH 43017

Visit your North Market this holiday season. Shop for unique gifts and pick up the freshest selection of best-in-class ingredients for your holiday meals. Visit northmarket.org for seasonal specials and discounts!

This season, support local, fresh, and authentic independent businesses at your North Market!

WINANS CHOCOLATES & COFFEES 897 S. 3rd Street, Columbus, OH 614-629-0314 winanscolumbus.com Winans is an Ohio based, family-owned company that has been making chocolate for 59 years and roasting cofee since 2003. Using time tested methods, we offer products made with fresh ingredients like real cream and butter, without any waxes or paraffins. Let us take care of the holidays for you, no matter how big or small your needs are.

Hidden Gem(s) Hilliard’s new Center Street Market shines with versatility, wild pairings & collaboration

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos By Alex Lefebvre

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W

hat foods pair best with beer?

Pretzels with a Pilsner; spicy tacos for an IPA; smoked ribs with a nice brown ale; oh, and cheesecake.

Yeah, you read it right—cheesecake and beer. And a lot more where that comes from at Hilliard’s new Center Street Market, 5354 Center St., where this and other fun, delicious, and sometimes borderline wild pairings, are up for grabs. →

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And it doesn’t just feel like a collaborative space, it is one.

There’s a definitive camaraderie between the sellers, and it shows in what they do.

↑ P eople shopping at Center Street Market vendors, including The Cheesecake Girl

“It's working great, I love the flow of business and community around. A lot of people come in to work from the market during the week—it's a nice change of scenery from the home office I'm sure,” said Samantha Strange of The Cheesecake Girl, the first vendor outside of the Market’s owner, Crooked Can Brewery, which opened its stand in mid-April.

The Cheesecake Girl, which offers a wide array of full-sized, miniature, and even booze-infused desserts, regularly collaborates with their brewer neighbors.

“Now that we have Crooked Can right next to us it's easy to collaborate on tasty pairings and flavors together. We have a four-pack of mini cheesecakes that pair with a flight of their beer. It will change flavors seasonally and always be on the menu,” Strange said.

Center Street Market is anchored by Crooked Can Brewing Company, who own the space. This tastefully refurbished Napa Auto Parts store sits on a large lot of land abutting the southern end of Hilliard’s Heritage Trail. Just northwest of downtown Hilliard, it also feels pleasantly tucked away in its very own corner of the city: there aren’t many other businesses around, just open fields and fresh air.

But there’s always plenty of business going on inside Center Street Market, which

↑ Bakes By Lo, vendor at Center Street Market

opened in February of this year. With 10—soon to be 11— diverse vendors nestled into 16,000 square feet of space, there really is something for everyone.

What's more, the spacious, high-ceilinged, openair configuration of the storefronts (there aren’t walls or partitions separating vendor booths), truly gives the space a collaborative atmosphere. You can be nursing a crooked can IPA while ordering a smoked-meat taco and artisan popcorn at the same time—so why wouldn’t you?

And it doesn’t just feel like a collaborative space, it is one. There’s a definitive camaraderie between the sellers, and it shows in what they do—a togetherness Crooked Can hopes to continue to inspire.

“Everyone is kind of working together, which is really awesome,” said Megan Fry, who owns the brewery and the market alongside her husband Robert. “But we want to keep going, we want to do popcorn and beer, and everything else.”

According to Strange, Cheesecake Girl and another market storefront, Pitabilities, are working together to create a cinnamon pitas with a cheesecake deep on the side. The market’s vendors have discussed a collective fiery foods weekend event as well.

And if you’re hungry for a full meal, Center Street Market has bountiful options for you in that department as well. In addition to Two Step Tacos, Pitabilities, and Dumpling of Fury, Meatball Mafia is one option to fill up on.

Opening at the market this June, owner Robert DelliQuadri offers a wide array of Italian-inspired food, all while crafting his own meatballs from his grandmother’s recipe.

“We do what I like to call an Akron-style meatball, the sauce is more tart, the meatballs are just a little bit different than others,” DelliQuadri said. → (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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↑ Megan Fry, Owner of Crooked Can Brewing Company & Center Street Market

“Everyone is kind of working together, which is really awesome.”

A dish that features these not just prominently, but unapologetically, is their lineup of meatball bowls, which embrace them as the actual entree. The Satriale Bowl combines three meatballs with DiRusso mild Italian sausage, pepperoni, banana peppers, and a host of different cheeses served with red sauce.

And while DelliQuadri is highlighting his Italian roots, he’s also not afraid to stray from them if the results are delicious. “I think a lot of people know that Italian-American food isn’t really Italian. And I embrace that; I try to bastardize my food a second time,” he said.

This is clear in their Bada Boom sub, which features DiRusso mild Italian sausage, crushed meatballs, provolone and mozzarella cheeses, covered in red sauce and served on Italian Torpedo roll.

And if you’re getting thirsty thinking about all this great food, look no further than Crooked Can Brewing, whose 4,000 square foot taproom, (in addition to their on-site brewery, occupies the lion’s share of the market space And it does so for good reason; their beer is fantastic. The first sip of High Stepper, their flagship IPA, is crisp, balanced, and bursting with green, tropical hop goodness—it’s a pint you absolutely shouldn’t pass up.

You could get lost in their eclectic array of other beers such as their malt-forward amber ale McSwaggers Own and silkysmooth imperial stout, Nightmare on High St., but don’t forget about their wine, cider, hard seltzer, and cocktails as well.

In addition to an abutting 7,000 square ft. dog friendly patio, there are also three different bars staged through the market.

But the thing that makes the beer so good is the abundance of food offerings throughout the market, said Fry. “We wanted something more than just a brewery, something to attract people so we could focus on just the art of beer,” she said. “So having the market lets us focus on our thing; it’s perfect.”

And the space really does hold onto a little piece of perfection. Not just because the food and the beer is great or the atmosphere is exciting and original, but ultimately because of what the Market means to so many new businesses.

After speaking with the many hungry, excited owners, the space feels a bit like an incubator—a haven for budding companies.

It offers small businesses, which may not have been able to afford their own storefront, a chance to exist in a promising space that’s brimming with positive energy, as well as a chance to feed off of and support one another through the challenges of a wild year.

“We’re all learning from each about how things are going, being small business owners, about what works and what doesn’t. We’re also working together and talking about different events,” said DelliQuadri. “And that’s what 2020 has to be. We want to work together to get people to enjoy this, and we see people every day who are so excited.” •

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The Lion’s Share These “thicc,” indulgent cookies are delivered hot to your door

By Jaelani Turner-Williams / Photos By Alex Lefebvre

↑ Cookies N' Cream

Pumpkin cookies. It all started with his mother’s pumpkin cookies.

“I always liked to cook, but I never did baked goods.

Ever.”

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A few months after indulging in her delicious recipe, Bradley Kaplan got a hankering for those same cookies and inadvertently started what is now one of the hottest baked goods vendors in the city of Columbus.

“I like pumpkin a lot, so around Thanksgiving [in 2018] I was thinking: pumpkin pie is good, but what would be really cool is a pumpkin cookie, there’s got to be a way to do that,” said Kaplan, founder and CEO of the wildly popular Lion Cub’s Cookies. “But cookies were never a thing for me. Outside of stuff a typical guy would make, I kind of lived on the grill: steak and potatoes. I always liked to cook, but I never did baked goods. Ever.”

Kaplan looked up a recipe, made the cookies, and ate them. Simple enough.

Here’s the thing though: after this, he never stopped. He kept baking, and kept improving his cookies. →

“I got bored of normal-sized cookies; I wanted something huge, like the size of a baseball.”

↑ Rocky Road

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↑ Kaplan frosting Fluffernutter cookies

I would always eat the cookies right out of the oven: if you have that option, you take it. They’re amazing that way. "

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Slowly, he realized he had something delicious to offer the world, and that was when the vision for Lion Cub’s Cookies started to take shape.

“This is when two things happened,” he said. “One, I would always eat the cookies right out of the oven: if you have that option, you take it. They’re amazing that way. But I also got bored of normal-sized cookies; I wanted something huge, like the size of a baseball.”

This took some trial and error, as well as some reading between the lines of online recipes to understand exactly how to make a thick cookie that kept its body without flattening as it baked.

Eventually, though, Kaplan unwittingly stumbled upon the two real tenants of his business: huge, “thicc” cookies AND served fresh from the oven.

By May of 2019, the then full-time civil engineer and Ohio State MBA student decided to take the next step and legally create a business—because it wasn’t just dumb luck and good cookies that launched the now-viral baker’s meteoric rise up the ranks of the Columbus food scene. Kaplan is smart, resourceful, and tenacious to boot.

Juggling school and career, he would find whatever time he could to perfect recipes and hammer out the logistics of his budding operation. “Usually, I’d have one hour between work and night classes, and I’d spend that time baking,” he said.

And later, after securing a spot at the Food Fort Columbus incubator kitchen (a non-profit, communal space for local food entrepreneurs), he would often return after his classes, sometimes staying until 1 a.m.

After ironing out baking logistics and building a solid business model—in addition to advertising heavily beforehand—Lion Cub’s was set to test the waters with a popup of its own in the fall of 2019.

“Pop-ups were a way to test the concept in a low-risk fashion. I won’t pour a ton of resources into it, and if it works, I’ll worry about scaling then,” he said.

And it worked. Well. Very well. →

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“They’re coming straight from the oven, that’s the only way we’ll ever do it.”

According to Kaplan, at his final North Market pop-up this spring (before COVID-19 halted them), Lion Cub's sold 1,200 cookies in just three hours. Eventually, more and more fell into place, including a system for actually delivering his cookies hot and fresh to consumers.

While Kaplan at first floated the idea of bringing a fully-functioning oven into the North Market for one of their first pop-ups (“They obviously said no,” he recalled with a laugh), Lion Cub’s now takes the cookies fresh from the oven, puts them into hotboxes, and takes them out for delivery.

“Because of the size of the cookie, because they’re so thick, they retain heat very well, and the fact that you put a bunch of them together in an insulated bag, it helps,” he said. “They’re coming straight from the oven, that’s the only way we’ll ever do it.”

This is the system they use today, where Kaplan—who quit his job as a civil engineer to focus on the company this summer—and his now 11 employees are delivering cookies five days a week—although not to every Columbus neighborhood.

There are full delivery instructions listed on their website, but they go a little something like this: different delivery zones will be served depending on the day, and pre-sale times for each zone are listed. You’ll place an order for the cookies you want (which will happen several days before delivery), and on the day of your delivery, your cookies are plucked fresh from the oven and brought to your home within a specific time frame.

You’ll even receive an automated text when your house is up next.

And let’s talk about the cookies themselves. If their massive size and oven-freshness (something Kaplan refuses to compromise on) isn't a selling point enough, the sheer variety and level of indulgence you find in Lion Cub’s cookies is absolutely second to none.

While they always offer their massively popular chocolate chip and cookies n’ cream (cream filling mixed with chocolate wafer pieces and white chocolate chips) cookies, a rotating slate of new and previously featured varieties is featured each week. Some of these include chocolate peanut butter, puppy chow, and fluffernutter, which contains a peanut butter dough packed with roasted peanuts, peanut butter chips, and miniature marshmallows, all topped with marshmallow puff icing.

And if your home address doesn’t fall within their delivery range, don’t worry: Lion Cub’s will be relocating from the incubator kitchen to their very own physical storefront at 1261 Grandview

↑ Cookies N' Cream

↓ Bradley Kaplan, Owner

Ave. this spring. The move will give monster-cookie lovers a chance to pick their treats up in person, when they want.

“I mean, we’ve had people who live in Reynoldsburg, Grove City, drive to a friend’s house in our delivery area. We even had someone from Cleveland do this last week—she drove all the way down here,” Kaplan said. “You can’t just pick up cookies now, but this will be an option, and we’re excited about that.” • Learn more about these “thicc” cookies at lioncubscookies.com (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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Satan’s Seitan’s Realm Heavy on the puns and the vegan options with storefront location and deli

By Zak Kolesar / Photos By Leonardo Carrizo

↑ Kevin Ridenbaugh, Co-Owner

“We do it for the animals and we're doing it for the earth to cut down on pollution.”

↑ Seitan's Realm's vegan versions of deli classics

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O

ne of the first images that will catch your eye upon setting foot into Seitan’s Realm brickand-mortar restaurant at 3496 N. High St. is a poster behind the register: a depiction of Bill Murray as the Virgin Mary. Even in the storefront’s windows, you’ll find quips of classic ‘80s albums London Falling (Seitan Calling), Appetite for Destruction (Appetite for Seitan), and Master of Puppets (Master of Seitan).

The punny posters are appropriately fitting for the plant-based restaurant that its owners Kevin and Amber Ridenbaugh crack some jokes about at the expense of those that might not understand that seitan—a wheat gluten meat substitute—is just some wacky wordplay and not code for a satanic cult.

“We really just wanted to be edgy and have fun with stuff,” said Kevin, who is beyond excited that its former food truck is now a brick-and-mortar location. “We don't take ourselves seriously about anything, and we almost did it as a joke just because we thought it was funny. I think a lot of people really grabbed on to that.”

Columbus foodies also grabbed on to Seitan’s Realm’s fulfilling vegan dishes. To add to the list of delicatessen puns, the restaurant will still be offering classic favorites. Those searching for a vegan meal

← Italian Stallion

will find the Shia LaBuffalo (a mouth-melting fried seitan chikun patty sandwich) and Rick Reuben (a marvelous marbled rye, corned beef creation), as well as new meal-related innuendos such as The Notorious B.B.Q. (hand-shredded smoked porq goodness).

Sides such as the loaded baked potato salad, jalapeno poppers, and desserts baked by Amber are all included on the new amped-up menu, which wasn’t possible before within the confines of a food truck.

“It's really hard to have 15 items on a food truck,” said Kevin. “You have to usually narrow it down to about eight.”

No longer serving food out of a truck has also tripled productivity. Before, Seitan’s Realm could only fit about eight loaves of seitan in its food truck, which had just one oven. Now it can fit about 24.

A new and exciting development from serving its food in a brick-and-mortar is the addition of a deli, where they are selling items like bacun and vegan roast beef by the slice.

“We had somebody come in for the soft open and was like, ‘Oh my gosh. I haven't ordered deli meat in forever. I don't know how much an ounce is,’” Amber said.

Amber has been a vegetarian for most of her life, but the two decided to both go vegan over a decade ago. Still, Kevin missed eating his favorite meals such as gyros, cheesesteaks, and even Arby’s Beef ‘n Cheddar. With a lack of local vegan options to satisfy his needs, Kevin went to the kitchen to whip up those items himself, vegan style. The product, which was workshopped for about three years, →

“We really just wanted to be edgy and have fun with stuff.”

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We started trying to make things that we really wanted to eat that were hard to find out at restaurants and thought how cool it would be if we could offer those things to other people. "

↑ Poppers & BBQ Wingz

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↓ The Notorious B.B.Q

was a success amongst his wife, family, and friends, so the two decided to take that passion for his vegan experiment to the streets.

“We started trying to make things that we really wanted to eat that were hard to find out at restaurants and thought how cool it would be if we could offer those things to other people,” said Amber.

Recently, someone took a page out of the Ridenbaughs’ culinary book, buying some pepperoni and mentioning how they’re going to use it to make their own rolls. Kevin hopes to see more of that creativity with the inclusion of a by-the-slice deli.

With the food truck days now in the rearview of Seitan’s Realm, no longer will the Ridenbaughs have to deal with a middle finger or two waved in their faces while on the way to a gig from those who don’t “get” the Seitan part. However, with the Internet still existing (last time we checked), they still might see a crappy Facebook or Instagram comment here and there from someone not keen on what Seitan’s Realm is actually doing for the community.

And even the world.

“We do it for the animals and we're doing it for the earth to cut down on pollution,” said Kevin. “There are all kinds of really good and positive things that happen about being vegan, so it's kind of stupid that [some people] think that we're trying to bring some witchcraft stuff up and burn the world down. We're actually trying to save it.”

For now, Seitan’s Realm plans to be open Thursday through Saturday from 5 to 9 p.m. with hopes to expand to five days a week. The restaurant offers socially-distant dining with four indoor tables, delivery through DoorDash, carryout, and curbside pickup. • Learn more at seitansrealm.com

↓ Owners Kevin & Amber Ridenbaugh & family

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Th

l C u o f t f f h e g e u o

German Village eatery takes coffee—and food—to new, sustainable level →

By Jack McLaughlin / Photos By Leonardo Carrizo

↑ Aussie Latte (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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→ Josiah Littrell, Managing Partner

Some places just have it.

And while exactly what that it is can be slippery to define, one of the newest eateries in Columbus—Emmett’s Cafe at 744 S. High St.—mostly definitely has it.

And not just a little of it, either.

Maybe it’s Emmett’s location— nestled in a century-old building on the busy thoroughfare of South High St. in German Village, which formerly served as the office for an architecture firm; or maybe it’s the sleek, mostly white, minimalist interior that features a profusion of nature light and chic, hypersimple decor.

And while an eatery’s atmosphere can sometimes feel too mercurial to costume, we can start getting into more tangible details now. Because one of the things we know for sure about Emmett’s— which officially opened on Oct. 24–is that the cafe offers a delicious menu of both sustainably-sourced coffee and food menus.

“One of the really unique niches Emmett’s occupies in the Columbus market is we’re one of the few places I think that’s trying to do the full thoughtfully roasted, thoughtfully sourced coffee program, and a full food menu,” said General Manager Josiah Littrell, who came to Emmett’s during its planning stages this summer after spending the last seven years at Northstar Café.

“There’s lots of places where you can go to have a delicious food experience and a drip coffee, or a delicious coffee experience and some really great baked goods,” said Littrell. “But the sort of wellrounded breakfast/lunch/dinner food menu coupled with a really great coffee program is rare.”

According to Littrell, Emmett’s owner, Ben Kelley, was uncompromising in this regard, and brought in expert consultants to help craft both of the cafe’s menus.

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For its food offerings, the eatery turned to local culinary consultant Lara Pipia, who specializes in crafting menus and culinary development. The end result was a slate of delicious items relying on bright, clean flavors, natural ingredients, and a deliberate effort to not overcomplicate items that work well as they are.

One of their best sellers, the breakfast burrito, features three scrambled eggs, jack cheese, tater tots, avocado, crispy prosciutto, housemade aioli, and fresh salsa ($10).

Another breakfast item, the One

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Handed, contains a toasted English muffin, egg over hard, melted white American cheese, crispy prosciutto, and house-made rosemary aioli ($5.50). “[The One Handed] is sort of our homage to the classic McDonald's Egg McMuffin, but dressed up a little bit,” Littrell said. “I’m obviously biased, but at $5.50 I think it’s the best deal on a deluxe egg sandwich in the city.”

But it isn’t just breakfast food Emmett’s focuses on. In addition to a handful of fresh bowls and indulgent baked goods, the cafe also features an array of sandwiches, such as the →

“Part of what’s fun to me about opening a new restaurant, especially one that’s never existed before, is it can be this incredibly collaborative process with everyone that’s a part of it.”

S. High Chai ↓

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“To be part of those milestone moments of peoples’ lives; it feels incredibly humbling and exciting all at once.”

→ S. High Chai

fancy falafel pita, made up of pita, house-made falafel, herbed tahini, avocado, roasted beets, cucumber, and house greens ($12 with choice of side).

For the High St. spot’s coffee offerings, Columbus coffee pro Robin Myers—who most recently ran the coffee program at Pistacia Vera—was hired to craft a menu, and he remains on Emmett’s team and acts as a managing partner.

According to Littrell, the cafe’s coffee is sustainably sourced from Proud Mary in Portland (with their international headquarters in Melbourne, Australia). They provide Emmett’s with beans that work just as well in a black drip coffee as they do in one of their many espresso-based menu items, such as the Aussie Capp, which features a single shot of espresso, milk foam, and chocolate dust ($3.75).

← Breakfast Burrito

And it isn’t just coffee drinks offered either. In addition to hot chocolate and a wide variety of speciality teas, they also highlight an interesting beverage that was created by staff member Sela Williams.

As you might have divined from its name, the Matcha-Butcha combines a shot of matcha with lavender kombucha, sourced from Skinny Piggy Kombucha in Cincinnati ($6).

“Part of what’s fun to me about opening a new restaurant, especially one that’s never existed before, is it can be this incredibly collaborative process with everyone that’s a part of it,” Littrell said. “Sela said, ‘We have matcha and we have kombucha, what if we made a matcha-bucha combination?’ It’s been one of our most popular items; people have been getting really excited about it.”

And it seems the excitement around Emmett’s Cafe extends outside of their creative drink offerings as well. It seems the neighborhood as a whole is taking note of the cafe, and Littrell couldn’t be happier about it.

“You know, we had a woman last night come in picking up a large carryout order.

She said, ‘We love that you’re here in the neighborhood; we’ve been in four or five times. It’s my parents wedding anniversary and we were telling them about the food and they thought that they’d love it, so we’re just taking them a bunch of food to try.’

“And I thought wow, to be exactly three weeks in and to be part of those milestone moments of peoples’ lives; it feels incredibly humbling and exciting all at once.” •

Learn more about Emmett’s Cafe at emmettscafe.com (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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O

LE

IV E R GY R N A NT

TA DR KE IN A K!

are you

OR

The drinking game that drowns out 2020 & tells you definitively (but not really) if you are on

The Naughty or Nice LisT, columbus. * HOT COCOA MAY BE SUSTITUTED FOR PLAYERS / PERSONS UNDER THE AGE OF 21

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W

ell, Columbus, 2020 is on its way out and we hope it takes its calamities with it. To honor what has been a year like no other and to move forward with hope for a better 2021, we present to you the ultimate holiday drinking game whilst in lockdown with loved ones: Are You Naughty or Nice Columbus?

Ultimately, the game will tell you (but not really) if you’re naughty or nice, but we say the fun is in the journey. Take a stroll through the Arena District, the Columbus Zoo, or Easton—but don’t get too close to COSI or you’ll get sucked into a black hole and lose your turn. If you find the missing Panda, you’ll have to take her back to the Zoo—but win tickets and you advance to Nationwide Arena! Along the way, challenge someone to a Feat of Strength, Air your Grievances—Festivus style, or choose Truth or Drink.

No matter which way you slice this game, readers, you’ll be drinking and having fun in no time with your quarantine pod— and we happen to think that’s what the holidays are all about. Drinks, food, and fun times.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a drink, roll the dice, and enjoy some much needed fun time with family and friends, Columbus.

• Players start on High Street and every player takes a drink and draws five cards before the die is rolled • Take a peek at your cards, then keep them to yourself!

• Every player rolls the die once and the player with the lowest number goes first (just because, that’s why) • Play moves to the right • Go forward on the board according to the number on the die

• The winner of the game is the person who lands on “You win!” first • Once the winner crosses the finish line, every player takes their remaining cards and tallies the score—same as Rummy (Aces are high, face cards are worth 10) • Turn to the Tally page and see where your numbers land—are you Naughty or Nice? The card count will tell you!

• Drink every time someone mentions 2020

HAVE FUN!

If you land on “Air Your Grievances” - In true Seinfeld, George Costanza-style, this is the Festivus

tradition—to air your grievances. In Festivus, you’d air your grievances about the people surrounding you; but, we disagree with that notion. Given all that’s happened in 2020, we already know you’ve got grievances well beyond your inner circle. So, draw a card and air your disdain for 2020—go ahead, get it all out before the New Year!

If you land on “Feats of Strength” - Yeah, we love Festivus. In this classic tradition, you challenge someone in the room to a Feat of Strength. If you’re the Costanzas, this might be leg wrestling or a wrestling match— but this is (614) and you’ve been drinking. So when you land on this square, challenge someone at the table to either a thumb wrestling war, an arm wrestling match, or a staring contest (a mental feat of strength!).

Winner gets an extra turn (on their regular turn) and the loser has to go back five spaces and draw two cards.

If you land on “Truth or Drink” - In classic Truth or Dare style, you must choose whether to tell a truth (asked by any one person who’s dying to know something about you!) or take a drink and draw a card. It’s your choice, player—choose wisely.

If you land on a blank square - Take a sigh of relief! You’re safe and don’t have to do anything!!

If you land on an instruction square - Do what it says, player! And have fun with it.

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HOW TO

21-40

OF FI C IA

S

0+ 4

TS IN O P

L

GHTY OR N AU IC N E ER ET M

0-2 PO IN 0 T

POINTS

You’re a Saccharine Siren Whoa, player, you’re so sweet even Keanu Reeves took note! Buddy the Elf likes your syrupy approach to life and we swear every piece of glitter on the planet must have originated from your sparkling smile. You’re the reason most of us get up in the morning—we can’t wait to hear your fairy tale approach to life and we know we’re better for your sunny side eyewear that sees only rose-colored shades. We predict unicorns will fly and it’s probably got something to do with you. in your stocking: Glitter bombs, champagne and “oh my gawd” puppies.

You’re a Columbus Cutie You’re a well-balanced machine who knows how to get naughty when you want to and how to be nice when you need to. You’re a solid mix of salty and sweet like a good bowl of holiday Chex mix and we dig it. Not every player knows how to juggle their inner Devil and Angel, but you do—and you’re at the top of the Nice list this year. We suggest you take your class act out on the town and show Central Ohio who’s got the real goods, Cutie. We predict a wild ride for the lucky someone who gets to be on your arm when you paint the town red. in your stocking: Sugar cookies, Irish cream, and a slice of “hellzzz to the yes.”

You’re a Naughty Little Elf Oooooooo, player, you’re so naughty! Were you expecting coal in your stocking this year? We know, we know—everything you did was with the best of intentions...and we’re good with that!

We don’t mind a naughty streak, so long as we get to part of the fun. So take that naughty by nature attitude, put on a pair of leather pants, and get down with your bad self. We predict it’ll be the best holiday yet. in your stocking: Coal, whiskey, and a “hot daammmmn.”

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for PLaying WE WANT TO SEE HOW YOU DID! MAKE SURE TO TAG @614magazine AND USE THE HASHTAG

#NAUGHTYORNICE614

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Shop + Support Local Parsons North

Alqueria Farmhouse

685 Parsons Ave, Columbus, Ohio 43206 (614) 824-4208 www.parsonsnorth.com

247 King Ave, Columbus, Ohio 43201 (614) 824-5579 www.alqueriacolumbus.com

Looking for Craft Beer that everyone can enjoy? Look no further!

Parsons North Brewing Co. is committed to providing approachable beers in numerous styles that are sure to please everyone in your household. We provide Carryout, Curbside Pick-up, as well as Delivery for all our offerings. Visit parsonsnorth.com to place your order for Beer, Wine, Cocktails, Merchandise, Gift Cards, and other items from local vendors. During this holiday season, we are offering 10% OFF online orders with promo code “STOCKING” as well as a FREE $20 Gift Card with purchase of a $100 Gift Card. Great for stocking stuffers! Cheers and Thanks for your support.

Alqueria Farmhouse Kitchen, the first restaurant from Chef owners Jacob Hough and Patrick Marker, is Located in the University district Alqueria offers refined rustic dining and craft beer, cocktails, and curated wine list in a quaint comfortable socially distanced setting.

Alqueria’s constantly changing seasonal menu showcases and celebrates the best Ohio has to offer.

We are currently accepting reservations for dine in and offering curbside carry-out. Through the month of December we are offering a 20% discount on the food portion of all carry-out orders placed online at www.toasttab.com/alqueria using the code “fall”.

Brewing Co.

Don’t forget to follow us!

Instagram: @parsons_north Facebook: @ParsonsNorthBeer

Kitchen

We are doing a gift card sale until the end of the year. Receive a free $20 gift card for every $100 gift card purchased in person only at 247 King Ave Columbus, Oh 43201 Visit our website at www.alqueriacolumbus.com to find out about upcoming events.

Los Guachos

All Purpose K9

Dublin | Gahana | Columbus Facebook: Los Guachos Taqueria www.losguachostaqueria.com

510 East Main Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215 (614) 623-4593 www.apk-9.com

Born to a humble family of taqueros, the Nonatos have had a long history of preparing some of the finest tacos in Mexico. With an unparalleled work ethic and a love for food, they immigrated to the United States with the hope of one day owning their very own successful business. After years of hard work, they were able to save up enough money to purchase their very own taco truck. Full of pride and eager to start a new chapter in their life, the taco truck quietly became a huge success. Humbled and grateful by the sight of their success, they decided that the customers needed better dining accommodations. Once again, they took a risk by opening their first brick and mortar restaurant on Godown Road in Columbus, Ohio. The lines didn’t slowdown and steadily grew.

Today, Los Guachos employees over 50 people and has three restaurants around Columbus and Gahana along with the original humble taco truck that helped put their American dream in motion.

ALL PURPOSE K-9 LLC is Columbus’ premier one stop shop providing professional dog training, grooming, daycare, and boarding for your canine companion. Offering group play that is uniquely monitored by a professional trainer on a daily basis. Your dog will engage in vigorous play, as well as engaging daily sessions where we ensure that your dog’s good manners and hard work are not just left at the front door. Our holistic training approach allows us to properly tutor all of our pack members on the in’s and out’s of a well behaved dog, both at home and away. Enroll into our exclusive Puppy Imprinting Program and SAVE $100.00 instantly on any of our residential board and train programs.

Taqueria

GLAMhouse Beauty Bar

6308 E. Dublin-Granville Road, Westerville, Ohio 43081 (614) 918-8900 www.glamhousebeauty.com Located minutes from New Albany, GLAMhouse Beauty Bar is the destination for all of your hair styling, makeup and beauty needs.

We offer professional hair styling, makeup application, lash extensions, facial waxing, brow and lash tinting and lifting services in a fun, relaxing and, best of all, GLAMorous atmosphere. Our GLAMartists provide a wide range of services and looks that are perfect for a night out, bridal parties, showers, bachelorette parties, photo sessions or even a natural look for your everyday life — just because you deserve it! Now more than ever, your safety and health are our highest concern. From start to finish during your service, you’ll see our commitment to COVID safety.

(614now.com

614now.com/shop Back by popular demand. Be prepared to tell people where you snagged this comfy tee. Even better? Shipping is free!

Our shirts are printed on Next Level Apparel shirts, known for their high quality. This shirt is a slim fit and is made from a blend of 60% cotton and 40% polyester. Available in Charcoal, Royal, Red, and White.

Printed right here in Columbus, Ohio!

*Through December 31, 2020, purchase a $100 gift card, get a $25 service credit on your account.

Come see us this holiday season!

Hangry City

Miner 49er

1252 Hill Road N, Pickerington, Ohio 43147 (614) 626-0036 www.hangrycity.net

1158 W 3rd Ave B, Cols Ohio 43212 614-725-4219 www.miner49erminigolf.com

Hangry City Grille & Spirits is a locally owned and operated restaurant in Pickerington. The unique menu is built around specialty sliders!

With the ability to mix and match the sliders, you can have multiple flavor profiles on one amazing plate! Home made dressings, hand cut, thick fried pickles, and home made four cheese Mac and cheese add to this unique home town favorite! Craft cocktails, all local draft beers, and an amazing staff make Hangry City the place for all of your dinning or carry out needs! Also think of us for catering with the addition of our new food truck in December 2020!

Whether you want to work on your swing with detailed shot analysis or have a laid back get together with a bunch of friends, one of our 3 bays will cater to exactly what you need. Bring your own clubs, washed and ready to go, and we'll provide everything else! If you'd like, you can rent a set of clubs for $20 per session. Call 614-725-4209 or reserve below to set up a tee time!

Caddy's Delight

Miner 49er Mini Golf offers a unique year-round opportunity for mini golfers to enjoy putt-putt in a glowing atmosphere that resembles an old west mining town.

Email: jason@hangrycity.net Sign up NOW for Caddy's Winter Golf League!

League runs Jan. 10 - Mar. 20, 2021 2 person teams.

You pick your standing tee time!

Blast from the Past Cap City Diner celebrates 25 years by upgrading Gahanna location

By Jack McLaughlin • Photos by Alex Lefebvre

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hen the first-ever Cap City Fine Diner and Bar opened in Grandview, I was 7 years old.

Now, 25 years, two locations, and a handful of facelifts later, the restaurant has become something of a Columbus institution, as well as one of the flagship eateries that helped launch the Cameron Mitchell Restaurant empire.

“At a leadership retreat, all the Cameron Mitchell managers who have worked at a Cap City took a photo together, and I think there were about 60 of us total,” said CMR regional manager Wendy Middleton, who currently oversees six Cameron Mitchell restaurants in Columbus, including all three Cap City locations in Grandview, Gahanna, and Dublin. “Most people in high leadership roles in the company have gone through a Cap City sometime in their career.”

The photo was taken to commemorate the restaurant’s 25th anniversary, but that’s far from the only thing that’s happening to mark the milestone.

As Middleton and I stroll through the Gahanna Cap City (which opened several years after its Grandview counterpart did in 1995), she offers me a behind-the-scenes look at the biggest project the restaurant group has launched for the concept’s quarter-century anniversary: remodeling the Gahanna space.

The Gahanna location was updated once before in 2004 (the original Grandview spot and Middleton notes that one the goals of the

“...we wanted to celebrate the invention of the concept.”

project is to make sure all three Cap Cities can offer a similar experience.

Currently, there are upgrades to the restaurant’s countertops, carpet, much of the wall art, and even brand-new lighting fixtures.

One fun new touch is the addition of indoor marquee signage that lists the restaurant's daily blueplate specials. According to Middleton, the original Grandview location opened with a similar outdoor sign in front of the eatery. And even though that’s been removed, each Cap City Diner now boasts some form of marquee signage as a decoration that harkens back to the original spot.

“After opening a third location [In Dublin in 2017] —we had two for the longest time—our main focus as a company is to get all three Cap Cities on the exact same page,” said Middleton. “And we wanted to celebrate the invention of the concept.”→

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And the concept, in case you don’t already know, recalls the oldfashioned small town diners of the 1950s and 1960s complete with blueplate specials, retro seating and tabletops, and even hand-picked antiques from the era.

“I’ve spent a lot of time at antique stores finding displays for the restaurant or little ornaments to go here and there,” said Middleton as she adjusts the position of a wonderfully-vintage 1950s television (that looks like it was plucked from a Jetsons episode) on one of the restaurant’s counters.

Likewise, the eatery’s menu is made up of classic diner fare (meatloaf, fried chicken, classic cheeseburgers, and even throwback milkshakes in that iconic tapered glassware), oftentimes just slightly elevated, but always approachable, and always delicious.

And while Middleton noted that each location attempts to offer the same experience, that’s not to say that CMR isn’t embracing the unique aspects of each Cap City location either—and nowhere in Gahanna is that more noticeable than the newly-commissioned mural that bedecked a large portion of the restaurant’s north-facing wall.

“We thought this is such a community restaurant here, and we wanted to incorporate some of the community, some of that history, into the mural,” Middleton said.

Done in classic pop-art styling, the mural showcases a handful of important historical community icons that many longtime Gahanna residents will remember, including the old bridge that spanned Walnut Creek; the old drive-in diner; and an engaging, expansive depiction of downtown Gahanna from decades past.

And while the Gahanna location is currently abuzz with construction workers and draped in protective plastics tarps, it won’t be this way for long. Not only has the restaurant remained open for carryout and (fee-free) delivery orders during the construction, but they re-opened for Monday-Friday lunch services (many CMR locations temporarily discontinued weekday lunch due to COVID-19) on Nov. 16. The eatery is expected to be fully refurbished and operational by the end of November/start of December.

“We’re excited to show our guests what we’ve done to update the restaurant, members of the Gahanna community and everyone else,” she said. •

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Burning Bright The Candle Booth brings

warm, good feels to Columbus

↑ Make Your Own candle stations

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By Lindsey Escaja Photos By Sarah Pfeifer

“It is more than just a scent, it is about creating a memory. Not just a memory of what you smell once the match hits the candle, but what you were doing at that moment.”

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any local business owners are feeling immense pressure to make important decisions as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Whether they decide to close their doors or to change their format in order to reach their target audiences, it’s hard to know what the right choices are during a period of ever-present change. Some even view the pandemic as a growth opportunity. Stephanie Booth, the owner of The Candle Booth, is one of these local business owners who decided to find a new path amidst a crisis.

Taking a chance on the unknown, Booth left her job at the State of Ohio after 13 years to open her cleverly-named store, The Candle Booth.

“It is more than just a scent, it is about creating a memory,” said Booth, an avid candle lover who wants to provide her customers with an experience, not just a candle to take home. “Not just a memory of what you smell once the match hits the candle, but what you were doing at that moment.”

Taking it a step further than just the memory-inducing smell, Booth used her out-of-the-box creative mindset to create → (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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↑ Make Your Own candle supplies

↑ Stephanie Booth, Owner

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“I think The Candle Booth was a reason for people to get out of their house, in a safe environment, to do something different, something fun, something where they could safely create in their own, personal space.” for her customers something that looked just as good as it smelled. All of her candles are made to look or smell like your favorite food, cocktail, or morning drink of choice.

“At one of my early pop-ups at a dance studio, one woman walked past my booth and said she was ‘on a diet’ thinking my candles were food, not only because of their look but their smell. Funny enough she is one of my best customers now,” Booth said.

In the early days of the pandemic, Booth hosted a soft opening in hopes that a little optimism and hard work would show people that the pandemic couldn’t keep us down. It was at this soft opening where The Candle Booth’s original goal took a positive turn.

“Customers asked if they could come into The Candle Booth to make their own candles—an option I had never even considered in my planning process,” Booth said.

It was at that moment where Booth felt she was starting to build her mini-community in Olde Towne East. Not only with her customers, but other local small business owners in the area.

“I think The Candle Booth was a reason for people to get out of their house, in a safe environment, to do something different, something fun, something where they could safely create in their own, personal space.” •

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Global Gifts Short North boutique offers unique items with fair trade promise

By Zak Kolesar / Photos By Sarah Pfeifer

“Our mission is based around fairness and making sure people are treated with dignity and respect.”

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hopping for unique holiday gifts and aiding in the fight for fair wages, safe working conditions, and environmental conservation globally has become a more accessible philanthropic practice in Columbus over the past halfdecade. More than 45 retailers in the city are currently functioning to promote fair trade, a trading partnership that promotes a higher level of equity amongst international trading.

Global Gifts—a nonprofit organization and store nestled in the Short North—serves just that purpose. Originally birthed in Indianapolis, the small regional chain opened its capital city doors in 2014 after another local, separate fairtrade nonprofit, Global Gallery, decided to reorganize and reconsolidate at its current Clintonville hub.

Afraid of losing a fair trade imprint in the Short North, Global Gallery’s previous executive director and owner of local fair trade wholesale business World Peaces, Connie DeJong, reached out to Global Gifts in 2013.

“I really believe that fair trade is a relationship-building process where I think all of us in the fair trade movement are focused on a holistic approach to the way we do trade, and that means connecting with consumers of real people as to what their needs [are] and finding out what products they use on a regular basis,” said DeJong.

Relationship-building and conversations with artisans in Eldoret, Kenya, this past February

Amy Phillips-Gary, ↑ Store Manager

is what also led current Global Gifts Executive Director Alissa Head to shelf a new item in Global Gifts. Head was hired in 2014 to open the Columbus shop due to her background in retail, nonprofit, and the handmade community and became executive director in May 2018.

After speaking with the artisan group Creation Hive about her personal knitting passion, Head discovered yet another talent of the Kenyan artisans.

Now, the shop features knitwear products made of merino wool, which also goes hand-in-hand in supporting Elodret’s local textile economy.

“They're already very talented artisans, but I don't think any of us knew that they also knew how to knit,” said Head. → (614) MAGAZINE / DECEMBER 2020 / 614NOW.COM

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Head started the local chapter of the Fair Trade Federation, Fair Trade Columbus, in 2015. In 2018, Columbus became a Fair Trade Town and currently has one small step left to take to be considered official. Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther was going to be asked to create a proclamation to declare the city a Fair Trade Town on World Fair Trade Day, but the pandemic put that on hold until 2021.

A member of both the Fair Trade Federation and Fair Trade Columbus, Global Gifts has ties to around 40 different countries in the global south. In its store, you’ll find whimsical wooden eyeglass holders, adorable wool alpaca figurines, and recycled Kantha jewelry, bags, and wallets from places such as Kenya, Ecuador, Bolivia, India, and Bangladesh.

Another major cornerstone of fair trade is resourcing recyclable products that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

“Being in retail is not necessarily my dream job, but being in a retail place like this is very rewarding knowing that the items that we make are helping to support economic opportunities for people around the world,” said store manager Amy Phillips-Gary.

While there are three shops in Indiana, the Columbus location is the youngest of the four storefronts. In terms of stocking the store, Global Gifts brings in products from artisan groups and vendors verified by the Fair Trade Federation. The artisans are paid upfront at a price far greater than the corresponding local economy’s minimum wage.

The negotiations are open, honest, respectful, and dignified.

This, of course, means no sweatshops or child labor.

“I think it's something, especially here in the United States, [that] maybe we take for granted, and we don't necessarily think about who's making the things that we buy and where they come from and the conditions where they work,” said Phillips-Gary.

The phrase “walk our talk” comes up multiple times when Phillips-Gary explains the mission of Global Gifts. A way in which Global Gifts achieves this is by giving customers the opportunity to round up a dollar for organizations such as local soup → 78

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“Being in a retail place like this is very rewarding knowing that the items that we make are helping to support economic opportunities for people around the world.�

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“I really believe that fair trade is a relationship-building process.”

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kitchen South Side Roots (which they did in November) and young adult homeless shelter Star House Columbus (which they are doing this month).

“Our mission is based around fairness and making sure people are treated with dignity and respect, so if there's an opportunity for us to on a local level or a larger level support that, we definitely will do that,” said Phillips-Gary.

In a report released in early 2020, it showed the revenue of international fair trade products to be just over $7 million in the year Global Gifts opened its doors. In 2018 in which the latest data was made available, that number has increased to almost $12 million, 12 times the 2004 amount.

Even Columbus has seen its own fair trade surge. As of five years ago, Global Galley and Global Gifts were two of the very few fair trade retailers.

“I think that we've done a good job with our outreach and education about what fair trade is,” said Head. “I find that there's more acceptance of it.”

So if you’re searching for a dazzling ornament or one-of-a-kind nativity set this holiday season, you might as well do that shopping while also contributing to the equitable and sustainable movement of fair trade. • Global Gifts is located at 682 N. High St. You can also shop online and get items shipped directly to you at globalgiftsft.com.

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Equestrian, M.D. Dublin vet takes her medical practice on the road

By Jim Fischer / Photos By Alex Lefebvre

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← Mobile Apothecary, Traveling on-site pharmacy

"When something’s your passion or love, you keep at it."

T

he night before I spoke with Dr. Holly Helbig, the Dublin-based horse veterinarian with the unique part-vet, parttrainer, part-show rider practice, she was up until the wee hours of the night with a colicky patient.

It’s not unusual, Helbig said, either to be out late on a call or to find a horse suffering from gastrointestinal distress, especially given many of her patients are elite athletes—show jumpers with physical gifts and the delicate systems that often accompany them. Colic in a horse can quickly lead to dehydration and/ or impaction, and is both painful and urgent.

This night, she loaded her charge in a trailer and drove it around to, as Helbig described in technical terms, “try to get things to happen.”

Making things happen is a big part of how Helbig has built her professional reputation. Known on the professional show riding circuit as the horse show vet, Helbig spends the lion’s share of her year as the resident veterinarian at one of three horse competition sites: the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio; Kentucky Horse Shows in Lexington, Kentucky; and Brave Horse in Johnstown.

“I was already at all the horse shows.

They just started hiring me to be the attending veterinarian,” Helbig said. →

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"I took something I loved and wanted so desperately and now I have these three businesses that are all connected to that. I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m extremely lucky."

↑ Dr. Helbig performing at a jumping show Photo by Shawn McMillen, 2020

Helbig, who grew up in Akron, Ohio, started riding horses as a kid. While her family wasn’t poor, she spent many hours working in the horse barns in order to afford the pricey hobby.

“I just wanted the opportunity to ride,” she said. “I was so driven.”

Driven enough to continue riding while earning her undergraduate degree in business and marketing, which led to stints as a wedding planner with the RitzCarlton in Boston and as a pharmaceutical representative for Merck. But she couldn’t shake her passion for horses, so she spent two years doing pre-registration work and four years in veterinary school at Ohio State University.

She continued to ride, working both as a show jumping professional or as a training rider. It was this training business that kept her active on the show circuit, leading to shows bringing her on as a vet once she began her medical practice.

Opportunity led to more opportunity.

Seeing the need for an on-site pharmacy, Helbig started a mobile apothecary— “Everyone calls it a she-shed,” Helbig joked— which she takes to horse shows throughout the area even if she’s not the assigned vet.

“It’s been an evolution. When there’s been a void in the market, I’ve just tried to fill it,” said Helbig, who is currently pursuing licensing in chiropractic care for horses.

“When something’s your passion or love, you keep at it. I’ve been creative and been able to carve out niches for myself where I’ve always been able to work with horses.”

Helbig’s Hawthorne Hill in Dublin boasts an indoor arena, where she both rides and trains young riders, additionally housing 25 or so horses at any given time. And with most shows shuttered due to COVID-19, she’s expanding her more traditional veterinary practice, serving both high-end, Olympic-

Dr. Holly Helbig, Part Vet, Part Trainer, Part Show Rider

level jumpers and field horses throughout the state. Earlier this year, she added a second veterinarian to her staff that also includes a teacher/trainer and a pharmacy professional.

“It’s really unique. I’ve worked with other vets, including horse vets, but to be able to work and still ride in shows is something I’ve dreamed of,” Dr. Kaylin Van Horn said. “I had no idea what I was getting into being a horse show vet, although Holly tried to tell me.

It’s definitely different from general practice.”

Having two vets on staff who also compete gives Hawthorne Hill the added benefit of being “on the playing field,” Helbig said. →

Training keeps her in regular contact with young people, mostly young women, and she delights in serving as a mentor for following your dreams, horse-related or otherwise.

“I’m the poster child for that. I took something I loved and wanted so desperately and now I have these three businesses that are all connected to that,” she said. “I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m extremely lucky.” • Learn more at ridewithhawthornehill.com

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↓

Dr. Helbig with Satins Angel at Brave Horse Equestrian Center

It’s been an evolution.

When there’s been a void in the market, I’ve just tried to fill it."

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Doorstep Doctors Mobile Med brings medical expertise to your front door

By Melinda Green Photos By Alex Lefebvre

“I think since people don’t have to go to an urgent care center, and we can come to them, they’re a little more comfortable.”

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little over two years ago, Ryan Cantzler M.D. and Jill Parak M.S., APRN, NP-C, and their neighbor Greg LaFontaine PA-C—all of them experienced emergency medicine practitioners and parents of young children—asked themselves a big question: “How can we make emergency medicine easier for our patients”?

“One of the answers was to go to their house, allow them to be parents, while the health care provider does what he needs to do, and then they all go about their day,” LaFontaine recalled.

“There are companies in California, New York, and Texas that have started at-home urgent-care types of businesses, but nothing in Ohio. I thought this would be a good idea for Columbus and the community,” he said. And the concept for Mobile Med was born.

Mobile Med’s practitioners see adults and children for sore throats, flu, ear infections, back pain, rashes, lacerations, abscesses, dehydration, vomiting, and testing for common diseases including COVID-19. It sounds a lot like a grocerystore clinic or standard urgent care— except, in this case, the practitioner comes to the patient.

Cantzler is the owner, supervisor, and director of the practice, which has seven nurse practitioners and physician assistants around the I-270 perimeter. The practitioners take turns on shifts during the published weekday and weekend hours, working around their employment schedules and family commitments.

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“I think since people don’t have to go to an urgent care center, and we can come to them, they’re a little more comfortable. We can even see them on their front porch or in their garage,” Parak explained. They can also consult sick patients through a glass door, to limit contact.

The team took on the startup challenges of insurance, billing, telehealth, and electronic medical records. “We had no business background,” Cantzler recalled. “We also didn’t know how to advertise. We had the product; we had the supplies; we knew how to write prescriptions and do exams, but we didn’t know how to get the word out.”

Billing, telehealth, and electronic records were solved with software →

“What we wanted to do was provide service on par with what we give in other facets of our lives, but do it at a lower cost. Those savings are not going to us; they’re going back to the patient.” → Mobile Med's traveling supplies

← (left to right) Gregory LaFontaine, PA-C Jill Parak, NP-C & Ryan Cantzler, MD

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The great thing is that a mom or dad can take a photo of a laceration, send it to us, and say

‘is this Band-Aid or something more?’

And in 15 minutes, we can give them an answer.”

↑ Jill Parak, NP-C with patient

packages, and a third party marketing service is helping to spread the word around the city, but the group still does not take insurance.

Often, an insurance co-pay and deductible are more costly than Mobile Med’s services. “Health care traditionally costs so much because of things like malpractice insurance and the facility,” Cantzler explained. “There has to be a doctor on staff; there has to be a brickand-mortar place. And then there’s all the extra costs. A laceration kit that costs $35 becomes $135 on your bill.

“What we wanted to do was provide service on par with what we give in other facets of our lives, but do it at a lower cost.

Greg can be at the gym, and take a call, and say ‘I’ll be there in 45 minutes.’ Those savings are not going to us; they’re going back to the patient.”

The team uses their expertise not only to treat patients, but also to triage and refer calls to the correct care system. “If we start talking to [someone] on the phone, and they have a problem that seems complex, or a true emergency, we’re absolutely comfortable passing them on to their primary care physician or to an emergency department,” Cantzler explained.

The one thing Mobile Med doesn’t have is an X-ray machine, so many orthopedic calls will get referred to urgent care. “And if you’re 92 with dizziness and high blood pressure, we will recommend you go to the emergency room, because that’s where you’ll get the most appropriate care,” LaFontaine continued.

Most of Mobile Med’s patients are the children of busy parents. Cantzler noted, “The great thing is that a mom or dad can take a photo of a laceration, send it to us, and say ‘is this Band-Aid or something more?’ And in 15 minutes, we can give them an answer.”

Lyndsey Dudley, of Worthington, has utilized Mobile Med twice for her children’s infectious disease concerns.

“I had two little kids; my husband was at work, I really didn’t want to take them both into a sick appointment and potentially get the healthy one exposed— especially during COVID,” she said.

Both times, a practitioner was at her house within 30 minutes. “That’s the thing that I think is just so amazing,” Dudley continued. “If you have to go in for a sick appointment, you know, that can take hours. This is much more convenient. And they’re super, super thorough.”

LaFontaine, along with the rest of the team, plans to continue growing Mobile Med throughout Columbus and beyond: “We’re trying to change how it’s done, because health care doesn’t need to be that expensive.” • Find Mobile Med online at mobilemed614.com

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