Fall 2019

22 Eat. Drink. (614).

Fall 2019

THE ROYAL TREATMENT 14

The Royal Fern brings new spins on classic cocktail favorites.

SEASON'S DRINKING 18

Catching up with local brewers and the seasonal beers they are releasing.

ORANGE YOU GLAD IT'S WINE 22

Snag a bottle of orange wine to impress even the biggest of wine connoisseurs.

SELTZER SEASON 28

A look at the local and national offerings of alcoholic seltzers.

WHERE'S THE BEEF? 54

An omnivores guide to eating plant-based and beef-based burgers in the city.

IN THE MARKET FOR CHANGE 58 An in-depth look at the history, future, and present day of The North Market.

IN A VEGGIE VAN BY THE RIVER! 74

Local Matters Veggie Van brings fresh offerings to the Columbus community.

SPROUTING ABOUT TOWN 30

Five ways to make Brussel sprouts at home, and five places to grab them around the city.

LET'S GET THIS BREAD 38

Exploring the city's offerings for sourdough loaves.

THE FALL CRAWL 42

Take a stroll through the Short North with these three brunch spots.

OFF THE CHARCUTERIE 50

Eating with your eyes has never tasted so good with these charcuterie tips.

LOCAL HAUNTS 82

Three Columbus spots are home to spirits and other ghostly entities.

AND A BOTTLE OF RUM 92

Three cocktail recipes from High Bank Distillery following the release of their newest rum, Professor Rum.

COVER PHOTO BY BRIAN KAISER ON THE COVER: Kara Kapow! Ramen by Satori Ramen Bar at the North Market

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CONTENTS

614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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FROM the EDITOR PUBLISHER Wayne T. Lewis

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s a chef, I have virtually nothing to offer the city’s food scene. I’ve not been graced with a culinary imagination. My mental repository of homemade dishes contains a lot of elbow macaroni and mayonnaise, jello and fruit, and green beans and cream of mushroom soup. Not exactly the stuff that earns a Michelin star. I wish I could pull out a family recipe at least, but I’m not sure I can say that my family recipes were anything unique either. They were mostly cut from the newspaper and “tried” in the most practical of senses.

Perhaps this is why the now-demolished Kahiki Supper Club had such a profound effect on me. I came from a background where “variety” meant choosing a different flavor of Rice-A-Roni for dinner.

Eating at the Kahiki meant sitting down to dine on teriyaki chicken with pineapple slices and sweetened coconut-flavored beverages, while roasting some skewered Ka Po-Po meatballs in tiny flaming table centerpieces. For the first time in my short life, food became transformative.

The Kahiki introduced Columbus (and me) to ethnic cuisine, breaking it out of its Ponderosa Steak House mentality. Bathed in the light of the 22-foot high Kahiki fireplace, I became an experienced and multicultural diner. And when its god-like Moai flames died as the restaurant closed, a part of me died as well. (Truly, one of the saddest YouTube videos I have watched is of a road trip to rural Vermont where the once-majestic fireplace is found neglected under a leaf-covered tarp.)

Many of us have likewise grown up at the North Market, a place that now boasts food from Nashville to Nepal and represents an almost overwhelming diversity of foods and flavors. (Teriyaki chicken now seems rather mundane.) Whether you’re in the mood for sambusa or sushi, you’ll find it at the North Market, along with something else you didn’t even know you wanted. As a cultural institution, the North Market has expanded our palates and provided us with a communal dining experience with people across the globe.

Now, as the public market/food hall heads towards the next phase in its development and expansion, we are again at a moment of cultural shift in our food scene in Columbus. The end of the Kahiki signaled the end of the “destination” or resort dining experience marked by themed restaurants in Columbus. What followed was an emphasis on the food and its possibilities, rather than the restaurant and its decor. The North Market will be adding residential units, office space, a bar and restaurant, a boutique hotel, and a parking garage as part of its new “Tower” project, forever changing its profile and its role in Columbus. But before the bulk of the construction begins, we have an opportunity to reflect on what the North Market has become, and how we got here.

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MANAGING EDITOR Laura Dachenbach ASSISTANT EDITOR Mitch Hooper PHOTO EDITOR Brian Kaiser 614NOW EDITOR Regina Fox STAFF WRITER Mike Thomas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Rebecca Tien, Stef Streb Kyle Tracey, Zane Osler Kyle Asperger CONTRIBUTING WRITERS J.R. McMillan, Jaelani Turner-Williams Linda Lee Baird, Olivia Miltner Melinda Green, John McLaughlin Nathan Cotton, Kerry Francis

COPY EDITOR Dan Sponseller CREATIVE DESIGNERS Jess Wallace, Sarah Moore PHOTO BY B R IA N KA ISER

We don’t truly know what this new phase of the North Market will bring, but optimism in the future is strong. This month you can also read about how Columbus State has opened Mitchell Hall, revamping the college’s hospitality programs to meet high and exciting standards. All signs point towards the Columbus food scene continuing to grow and to be infused with new talent.

Alas, I am not among this talent. This month I give to you the only recipe I feel any sense of confidence in: my homemade buckeyes. I didn’t create this recipe, but over time I have perfected it through precise ingredient choice and technique.

It’s not much next to Belgian waffles and pho and deluxe ice cream. But it’s my one sliver of common ground with the food community who gives us their best every day. And if there’s anything we’ve learned from our experiences at the North Market, it’s that when common ground creates community, we can make something pretty special.

Best,

FALL 2019 614NOW.COM

Laura Dachenbach Managing Editor

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Hugo Albornoz ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Meggin Weimerskirch SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Derek Landers ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Becky Frazee, Nikki Harris OPERATIONS MANAGER Megan Sheedy VP OF SALES AND MARKETING Lindsay Press

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

C ALENDAR 1

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BY STO CK & B ARREL STAFF

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THUR 9.26

SAT 9.28

SAT 10.5

MON 10.7-12

Cocktails At The Conservatory: On The Rocks

Backyard Brewfest

Bikes And Beers 2019

(614) Burger & Beer Week

LOCATION: Endeavor Brewing

LOCATION: BrewDog Canal Winchester ADMISSION: $25-$55 WEB: brewdog.com/usa

ADMISSION: Free WEB: endeavorbrewing.com

LOCATION: Franklin Park Conservatory TIME: Varies ADMISSION: $20-$25 WEB: fpconservatory.com Each month the Franklin Park Conservatory becomes the backdrop for drinkers in the city looking for an elevated take on a night out. Near the end of September, Watershed Distillery and ROOT 23 Simple Syrups will be setting up shop at the park, providing all kinds of drinks on the rocks. With October just on the horizon, this will be a great primer for all things spooky and mythological as tarot card readings will be available for anyone daring to see their future, as well as education courses about crystals, rocks, and Ohio’s geology. Sip your way through free samples of Watershed bourbon and High Bank Distillery’s pre-batched cocktails, and there’s always a cash bar on site. Take note, the final event for the 2019 Cocktails At The Conservatory series is on Oct. 23 if you can’t make it to this one.

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If there is ever a chance to combine drinking with charity, sign us up twice. Endeavor Brewing will be partnering with Tri-Valley Rotary for a backyard bash with proceeds of the event going towards LifePump, a project dedicated to solving the global water crisis in Haiti. At the event, you can purchase beer tickets for one pour and add an extra $5 to your purchase to upgrade the size of your glass. There are also additional chances to get more booze for your buck. If you decide to go the beer and cup frenzie route, you’ll receive one souvenir cup (16 oz. compared to the regular 12 oz.) and three pours for $18. And if you’re really planning on making a day out of it, tables are available for reservation at $150 each. Bring your little ones, bring your furry ones, and help Haiti get access to drinking wells.

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What’s the best way to drink guilt free? Burn the calories as you go! At BrewDog’s Bikes And Beers, you’ll have the choice between trekking through 15 miles or 30 miles as you make your way on the trail. And of course, there will be much-needed refreshments at each pit stop. Your ticket grants you access on the ride, as well as an official pint glass, a koozie, raffle tickets, and two free pints of your choosing. Following your hard work, BrewDog will be hosting a celebration at the DogHouse with live music, food trucks, and more beer. A portion of ticket sales will go towards improving cycling trails across the city, so truly this is a win-win for cyclists in the city.

LOCATION: Varies TIME: Varies PRICE: Varies WEB: 614now.com Save the date for Burger & Beer Week, Columbus! Presented by (614) and the Ohio Beef Council, Burger & Beer Week brings $6 burgers plus local beer specials from more than 75 different Columbus restaurants all week. Whether you’re looking for a Big Mic from Bodega, or a classic burger from Hadley’s, you have plenty of options. And what’s Burger & Beer Week without beer? Wash back your delicious burgers with brews from participating breweries including Columbus Brewing Company, Seventh Son Brewing, Platform Beer Co., and Land-Grant Brewing Company.

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SAT 10.19 Columbus Hard Cider & Doughnut Fest LOCATION: Varies PRICE: $25 It’s officially fall, and is there any beverage more quintessential this season than ciders? The Columbus Hard Cider And Doughnut Fest is your chance to indulge your sweet tooth as you make your way through seven different venues offering cider and doughnuts. Your ticket grants you access to discounted prices on the beverages with hard ciders costing $4 and beer at $3.

Additionally, doughnuts will only be $2. Best of all? These aren’t just samples—it’s the real deal! Just remember to bring cash because the doughnut stops will be cash only to make sure the process is as speedy as possible. Keep your interactive map by your side for the day to make sure you don’t miss out, and you can start your diet another day.

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Old-Fashioned Tastes Old-Fashioned Tastes Old-Fashioned Tastes Old-Fashioned Tastes

BY JA EL A N I T U R N E R -W I L L I A MS | P H OTOS BY STE F STR E B

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Pop-up cocktail event puts a modern twist on classic cocktails The city’s first franchised pop-up event, The Royal Fern, was created for those seeking a twist of their favorite OG cocktails.

For co-owner Josh Gandee, there was also a certain indie-rock muse in mind: Alanis Morrissette. In fact, Gandee is so privy to her music that he slyly uses Morrisette’s lyrics in response to The Royal Fern’s name being a nod to the Osmunda regalis plant (“A little too ironic… don’t you think?”).

For Gandee, Morrissette’s signature 90s hit isn’t just a go-to karaoke singalong, but an anthem for The Royal Fern’s nostalgic purpose.

“Looking around at a room of your peers while everyone belts out the lyrics to ‘Ironic’ allows you to harken back to a different time, and to really let you let loose with friends,” Gandee says, mentioning that coloring sheets are also available for guests who just want to take in the atmosphere.

“We wanted the current cocktail enthusiasts to bend backward a little bit and experience moments they shared when they were younger through a different lens. It is different from the classic nostalgia, or decade party, it’s as if we are participating in revisionist history.”

Teaming with fellow bartender, Chris Manis, Gandee provides a fresh take on cocktails from the late 80s, pouring into the early 90s. The first Royal Fern party was hosted by Wunderbar, the previous home of Max & Erma's in German Village, sporting an ambience that didn’t require much further decoration. The venue itself was furnished with Tiffany lamps and ornate wooden sculptures that vintage bars had in their heyday. This time around, both mixologists strove to modify the standards for the current palate, with some guests remarking that the drinks were better than they remembered. • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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“We used the talents of some of Columbus’ top bartenders to bring a style of the drink back to life, and give it the attention [it] deserved,” Gandee says. “We don’t stray too far from the originals. We just soften the flavor profiles, and adjust them to the current cocktail drinker.”

From a league of some of the best bartenders in Columbus, including Barbara Reynolds (The Bottle Shop), Rebecca Monday (VASO) and Greg Burnett (Wunderbar and Sidebar), signature drinks were adjusted to give them more lasting power. Instead of reaching for the sour mix, the staff utilizes fresh juices and trusted ingredients in a flavorsome partnership with sponsor DeKuyper.

But it isn’t just cocktails that are a favored specialty at The Royal Fern.

Old-school bites include spinach and artichoke dip, loaded potato skins, and the Fern Burger, meeting at the corner of “Hey, remember when?” and “Those were the days.” You might even want to stick around for the nachos.

“We recommend getting comfortable, perusing the menu with friends, and just trusting the menu,” Gandee says. “We work with real bartenders and real chefs to put together an appetizing menu that both brings attention to the chain restaurant golden years, and to the current ‘foodie-slash-cocktail’ enthusiast culture.”

Giving conventional bars a new life, The Royal Fern makes intentional use of freshly-made simple syrups and prime-quality spirits. With the already-bright and recognizable flavors from DeKuyper, their Blue Curaçao and Root Beer Schnapps liqueur are staple ingredients ready for instant mixing. By replacing cocktails drowning in syrup for light seltzer and bitters, The Royal Fern’s sweet, highball approach is fitting for any cocktail aficionado.

“We were figuring out what to do as an activation to get people [to be] creative with their liqueurs, and the more we thought about it, we discovered that the Fern bar era of drinking is sometimes looked at like it never happened,” Gandee says. “Instead of painting DeKuyper to be something that people had never seen before, we wanted to reintroduce it with the same idea of the drinks of the past, but reinvigorated with flavors and techniques of now.”

Continuing to merge with local bars to bring the “royal” treatment to various establishments, The Royal Fern doesn’t yet foresee developing its own brick-and-mortar, but rather bringing enough people together to experience the taste of the neighborhood.

“Columbus is ready for anything. If someone has an idea, there is someone else there ready to support that idea. We’re close enough to some of the larger markets where trends are capitalizing that we get to ride the wave of fun and creativity without it having to first wash over us,” Gandee says. “There are more and more creative people getting an outlet to express their ideas and voice, and Columbus is a town that will fully embrace the arts wherever they fall.” •

Follow the Royal Fern’s events at @theroyalfernbar.

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“

We were figuring out what to do as an activation to get people [to be] creative with their liqueurs, and the more we thought about it, we discovered that the Fern bar era of drinking is sometimes looked at like it never happened.

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ON E FOR FALL

BY MITCH H O OP ER PH OTOS BY B RIA N KA ISER

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FALL 2019 614NOW.COM

Local breweries break out their newest seasonal beers for autumn It’s the return of the holy trifecta of F’s: football, fall, and Festbiers.

As the seasons change in the Capital City, brewers are also changing up what’s on tap and on shelves for our consumption.

Here is a look at what they’ve been working on for autumn.

SEVENTH SON BREWING COMPANY 1101 N FOURTH ST. Seventh Son has made a name for itself by consistently producing high-quality craft brews and this fall is the return of one of its more popular annual styles, the Chester Copperpot.

“This fall we’ll be releasing Chester Copperpot in cans for the first time,” explained Colin Vent, brewmaster at Seventh Son. “We’ve brewed this beer off and on over the last five years, sometimes as a draft only and sometimes released in large format bottles. This will be the first time we’ve canned it. Its official style would be a Doppelsticke Rauch Altbier. Which is German for a strong, dark, smoky ale.”

There’s also a few more beers on draft at the taproom which Vent says will be great for the autumn season.

“We’re also releasing our first Oktoberfest, draft only,” Vent said. “Our brown ale, Stone Fort, has all the flavors one would look for in the fall, even though it’s a year-round offering from us.”

PLATFORM BEER CO. | 408 N 6TH ST. While many people will be raving over all the new pumpkin style beers coming out in the fall, Platform is taking a different approach with sweet potatoes. It might sound a bit daunting, but this Platform Yammy Yammy is a sweet potato ale featuring a slightly spiced taste thanks to flavorings like nutmeg plus a subtle caramel flavor with a smooth finish. It also helps that this mediumbodied ale packs a punch with an ABV of 7.7%—something we can all use more of in the fall.

COLUMBUS BREWING CO. COLUMBUSBREWING.COM If you haven’t noticed by now, it’s Oktoberfest season and CBC is here to get in on the action as well. This 5.3% ABV brew is slightly more potent than a typical lager, and it pays homage to the German beers that came before it. The brewers at CBC import specialty malts to help create a medium-bodied brew, and the amber appearance of the Oktoberfest signals the malty flavors to be expected while sipping. Be warned, though—this beer is only available until October, so don’t miss out! • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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PARSONS NORTH BREWING COMPANY 685 PARSONS AVE. Standing as one of the newer breweries on the block is Parsons North Brewing Company. Just like Seventh Son, it will be releasing its very own Oktoberfest-style beer which will be available midSeptember in the taproom.

“We have our Festbier lagering away, currently, and it will be ready by mid-September, just in time for Germany’s Oktoberfest,” said Seth Draeger, owner and brewmaster at Parsons North Brewing Company.

And if you prefer the insanely-high ABV that comes with bourbon barrel brews, Parsons North and Watershed have collaborated to satisfy your cravings. But that’s not all that’s brewing up at Parsons.

“In the wings, we also have our Watershed Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout (Release Party TBA), a fresh batch of Belgian Dubbel, getting ready to come back on, as well as a Doppelbock planned to be brewed, soon! And of course our smooth American Stout is still on tap!”

NOCTERRA BREWING | 41 DEPOT ST. Teaming up with a local coffee roaster, Terra Java, Nocterra currently has their Baltic Porter boasting an ABV of around 8% on draft in the taproom, but that’s not that’s all in store for the brew. In the fall, they will be adding some variation to the beer with coconut and vanilla, said James Knott, partner and director of marketing for Nocterra. The beer will be available on draft as well as in bottles inside the taproom for anyone looking to take the porter home.

“The coffee blends so well with the porter, and it has a rich baltic flavor that blends with it,” Knott said. “This is the very first beer we brewed at Nocterra—on our very first brew day, we brewed this.”

It helps to have two former home brewers—Bruce Vivian and Brian Duncan—in the back bringing experience and expertise to the table.

Additionally, Nocterra will be adding a Festbier to its taps in celebration of the event, Noctoberfest on the weekend of October 26. It’s a 4.5% ABV brew, but instead of being a lager Oktoberfest, it will be an ale.

“Because this is a festival-type atmosphere that we are going for, we wanted it to be a little lower in alcohol so everybody can consume it and be able to hang out for a while,” Knott explained.

WOLF’S RIDGE BREWING | 215 N FOURTH ST. Keeping things in the Oktoberfest theme, Wolf’s Ridge will also have their very own Oktoberfest Marzen Lager in bottles on shelves. This brew features an amber color with hints of caramel and malt. While refreshing, it still has a toasty finish, making it the perfect beer to sip while by a campfire or on the nearest patio. The timing of this beer pairs nicely with Wolf’s Ridge’s Oktoberfest taking place at the taproom on Sept. 14. Here you’ll find the aforementioned Oktoberfest Marzen Lager, German food, and live music to keep you entertained throughout the night.

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LAND-GRANT BREWING CO. | 424 W TOWN ST. Let’s take a break from the Oktoberfest beers for a second— trust us, there are more to come. Land-Grant is known and loved for its beers which are great for kicking back as you watch Buckeye football kick off, and this Blackberry Jamble is no different. While many of the beers on this list are featuring a more “beer-forward” flavors, this is definitely a fruit-forward flavor. The blackberries used in this sweet and slightly tart brew call back to the season we are now slowly shifting out of. So long, summer!

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Orange is the New White

An old wine presents something new for the seasoned wine drinker

BY KERRY FRA N C I S | P HOTOS BY BR I A N KA I S E R

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ant to impress those friends who are self-declared “wine snobs?” Bring something they’ve never heard of to your next party. A little-known, centuries-old wine is gaining in popularity, giving wine aficionados something new to add to their repertoire.

While orange wine has been around for centuries, most people aren’t aware of this wine that blends the best of the reds and whites. Case in point, when I reached out to my friends who pride themselves on their discerning wine palates and asked where I could find a bottle, they had no idea what I was talking about. After a few phone calls, I was able to track down several places that offer orange wine. (Finally, I can be the one that brings a new find to the party!)

Orange wine’s name is a bit of a misnomer, as it doesn’t contain any of the citrus fruit. It gets its name from its signature orange hue. It’s a “skin contact” wine, or a white wine that’s made like a red. While white wines typically have their skins removed prior to fermentation, a skin contact wine leaves the skins on for part or all of the fermentation process. With orange wine, leaving the skin in contact for longer leads to a deeper orange hue and stronger red wine characteristics such as more tannin, bolder flavor and bigger body. Regardless of the contact, the wine maintains the high acidity you expect of a white wine.

A better-known skin contact wine is rosé—the converse of orange wine as it’s made from red grapes and the skins are removed early in the fermentation process. This technique gives rosé its pink hue.

Orange wine can be a bit of a shock. While you might be expecting a light, crisp white, you’ll get a bold, slightly sour wine that drinks more like a red. I read the tartness is somewhat similar to a sour beer, which I found to be a fitting comparison. It’s fullbodied with dry tannins and high acidity, and notes of jackfruit, hazelnut, brazil nut, apple, juniper, sourdough and dried orange rind. Some describe it as dry like a Malbec, but fruity with crisp acidity on the end.

“For many, the texture is real shock,” said Robin Christopherson, assistant manager at The Twisted Vine in Grandview.

Because it’s often fermented in clay pots, orange wine can be cloudier than other whites. While it may make you think there’s something wrong with the wine, this is normal, so drink up! • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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I typically avoid white wine, but I found this refreshing.

Sometimes the thickness of red, which I enjoy, is a bit much. Orange wine combines the best of both worlds without tasting like a red someone stored in the fridge.

While orange wine is new to even the most seasoned wine drinkers, it dates back to the 11th century and the Republic of Georgia, said Chrisophersen. Orange wine produced at the time was fermented in a qvevri (kev-ree), an egg-shaped earthen vessel lined with beeswax. The qvevri was sealed with rocks and beeswax for the fermentation process.

As demand increased and winemakers began producing more wine, they used building technology to increase the size of the qvevri.

Because the larger qvevri would become unstable, especially as the wine fermented, winemakers began burying them. This also chilled the wine as it fermented, resulting in a better end product.

While not all modern-day orange wine is fermented in a qvevri, some winemakers still use the ancient vessel. Wine fermented in

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a qvevri can have a cloudiness and distinct flavor that comes from the vessel’s material. Another tradition that most modern-day winemakers continued is using few to no additives, which can appeal to those who are drawn to natural products.

Orange wine is served chilled like any white, though some recommend a slightly warmer temperature of 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit. Because of its bold flavor and rich body, orange wine pairs well with bold foods such as curry dishes and fermented foods.

It also pairs well with a variety of meats and seafood including beef, cured meats, oysters and salmon. While the process uses fewer additives, orange wine will hold up a little longer than other whites, said Christophersen.

If you’re looking for something bold and different, pick up a bottle of orange wine. You won’t find it on every shelf, but it’s worth the hunt.

This might be that one white for those who strictly drink red. •

Because they are unusual, orange wines can have a somewhat higher price point, but there are still several in the $15-20 range. Here are some local recommendations, and where you can find them.

DILA-O RKATSITELI-MTSVANE 2018 An affordable option at $14.99. Notes of melon.

The Market Italian Village, 1022 Summit St. BAIA’S WINE A bit more of an amber wine. A good introduction to orange wines.

The Twisted Vine, 1816 W 5th Ave. ORANGE PÉT-NAT PIQUETTE Pétillant naturels are sparkling versions of orange and natural wines.

The Bottle Shop, 237 King Ave.

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DRAFT PICKS,

ROUND ONE Local craft beers to please the mainstream beer drinker

BY MELI N DA G R EEN | P HOTO BY BR I A N KA I S E R

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t’s football season again, and what better gametime beverage is there than cold, refreshing beer?

Maybe you want to support local businesses instead of handing more money to Corporate America, but you know some of your squad will flat out refuse to drink your favorite IPAs and ales, and will ask you for a Bud Light. Or maybe you even want a break from those big flavors and want something drinkable, with a lower ABV, to go with your chips and burgers. What to do? We have some answers.

I’m a big fan of intense flavors across the board, and I rarely drink mainstream brews, so I enlisted my friends Erin, Janie, Zach, and Curtis to help assess some Central Ohio picks.

THE FOUR-LETTER WORD Much of the mainstream beer drinker's hesitation with, and even aversion to, craft beers lies in one ingredient: hops. Americans have a love affair with hops. Many, if not most, craft breweries center their offerings around the almighty IPA. Hops are citrusy, pungent, flavorful...and bitter.

For those mainstream beer drinkers, “hops” truly is a four-letter word. Sure, hops balance sugars and add crispness and flavor, but flavor is a funny thing.

There’s a lot to be said for individual tastes. One person’s “I can’t drink mass-market beer; I need a beer with flavor” is another person’s “OMG, how can people drink IPAs? I need a beer with flavor.”

I get it. Cut down on hops, and you can taste the malt, the roast, the sweetness, the yeast. A good brewer can make a low-IBU (International Bitterness Units) beer with tons of flavor, but you have to give up the expectation of that extra punch to the palate.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS Look for low IBUs—and by low, I mean in the teens or even single digits. While an “average” IPA has bitterness in the 40-60 range, and IPAs in the 20s and 30s are fairly mild, anything with an IBU over about 18 had Erin grimacing and sticking her tongue out with a vehement “No. No way.”

Another appeal of mass-market brews is their low ABV and the associated low carbs. Corporate beer is seen to be healthier, by those standards. But most of the craft beers we tested have similar ABV to the mass market beers.

The biggest drawback to these local beers is that you can’t grab and go at the corner gas station or even in most mainstream grocery coolers. Giant Eagle and Kroger carry a few; smaller groceries like Hill’s and Weiland’s carry some; specialty beer and wine shops carry some, but many are only available on draft, by the growler, either in the brewer’s tap room or at a specialty store.

The upside to this is that breweries are happy to tell you where to find their products, and buying by the growler ensures that you’re getting some of the freshest beer available. And, anyhow, you have two or three half-used packages of Solo cups already, right?

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THE RUNDOWN Lagers, pilsners, Oktoberfest, and Kolsch-style beers are going to be your best bets for low-ABV, low-IBU, mainstreamfriendly options.

Dayton’s Warped Wing Brewing Company sells its Trotwood lager in cans as well as draft. Called “a beer’s beer” by the company, it’s malty and smooth, unassuming and balanced, a lot like Budweiwer and a little more flavorful.

Nocterra’s outstanding Trail Break helles lager, made with all German malt and hops, is easy drinking at its easiest.

Another excellent choice is Old Dog Alehouse & Brewing’s Monk’s Tale—a smooth helles that started as a summer brew, but will be extended into the fall.

If crisp pilsners are more your thing, check out North High Brewing’s Life sparkling ale, full of complex flavor, or Commonhouse Ales’ Czech Please, a clean, no-frills brew with a nice finish.

Elevator’s Heiferweizen and Grove City Brewing Company’s Jolly Orange are similar to Blue Moon, delicious with a slice of orange, each having its own slightly distinct character—Heiferweizen a little lemony, Jolly Orange a little spicy.

Mexican-style lagers, similar to Corona, are generally easy-drinking and popular, with or without limes. Grove City’s A Poco was Erin’s closest estimation to a cold Corona.

Land Grant’s Urban Sombrero has faint spicy and floral notes that add character.

Combustion’s Sir Veza was a universal hit with my friends.

Curtis described it “light, like a light beer, but with the flavor of a lager.” At 4.5% ABV, that’s not far off.

“I'll tell you what, it smells good,” Zack said. Janie chimed in, “This would be a great beer pong beer!” Now, maybe you’re not having “that” kind of tailgate (or maybe you are), but any beer that stands up to beer pong is a testament to drinkability.

Oktoberfest-style beers generally also fit the bill.

Elevator’s Oktoberfest is heavy on the malt, similar to Rolling Rock, but other brands are sweeter and heavier, reminiscent of Sam Adams beers.

Looking further into fall, Grove City’s Alumni lager is scheduled to return in November. Around the same time, Chicago’s Forbidden Root Brewing Company is scheduled to open its Easton brewery and taproom, including their superdrinkable Hoodie Weather Vienna lager.

For something slightly different (and a little further out of Central Ohio) but still excellent with salty snacks and grilled burgers, seek out Catawba Island Brewing Company’s Hot Blonde Mango Habanero Ale. It’s not like anything you’ll buy in the beer cooler of your corner store, but it’s slightly fruity, a bit spicy, and will add a little kick to your game-time cookout.

Not so much of a beer drinker, or having an upscale morning tailgate? How about mead-mosas? Yes, you read that right. Mead-mosas. Skip the wine-aisle bubbly, head to one of many specialty groceries or the taproom on the East side, and grab one of Uprising Meadworks’ bottles, like the ginger-lime Copper Knob, to mix with your orange juice.

So pass up the drive-through this football season, and try something local. You’ll find easy-going selections with flavor, reasonable ABV, and great drinkability, that your mainstreambeer-fan friends, and even you, will love. •

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BY MIKE THOMAS

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PHOTO BY B RI AN KAI SER

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Hard seltzer is no hard sell You go to sleep one night, and seltzer is just the fizzy stuff in big glass bottles that clowns used to hose fools down with in old cartoons. You wake up, and it’s the hottest beverage trend since India Paled its famous Ale (or whatever).

While the drink predates this calendar year, there can be no doubt that the summer of 2019 belonged to hard seltzer. Whether you were getting “Truly” hammered, or disregarding all laws with White Claws, surely these fizzy intoxicants were a fixture at many a summer function you attended.

A hit with the fit crowd for their low calorie count and negligible carbs, the alcoholic selter sensation has washed over the nation like a carbonated, mango-flavored tsunami. Popular though they may be, these beverages are not without detractors. One article in the San Francisco Chronicle called spiked seltzers “the summer’s biggest scam,” pointing to the fact that in spite of marketing to the contrary, the drinks are not in fact seltzers, but carbonated malt beverages (like Smirnoff Ice and Zima).

With enormous international companies such as Anheuser Busch getting in the hard seltzer game, it was only a matter of time until the forward-thinking minds in our city’s booming beverage scene put their own stamp on this latest and greatest toastable trend.

While not native to Columbus per se, Cleveland’s Platform Beer Co. has won a spot in the hearts of local craft brew fans thanks to its hoppin’ downtown taproom and the consistent quality of their products. Platform is also one of the prominent regional brands to embrace the spiked seltzer phenomenon wholeheartedly.

Available in six-packs, Platform’s rotating series of hard seltzers features some flavors that will be familiar to regular drinkers of the national brands, such as black cherry. Where the brand finds a leg up on the competition is a slate of unique offerings like Passionfruit, Ginger-Lime, and Blood Orange Yuzu.

Platform’s seltzers clock in at the industry standard 5% ABV, and retain the same near-clear, bubbly appearance as most competitors. While a respected craft brewery dipping a toe in this segment might get the mustaches of snobbish craft beer purists twirling, Platform has never been known for playing it safe—and they’re not the only ones.

Seventh Son Brewing sports ample draft handles in their multi-tiered taproom, giving pilot batches of “out there” brews a place to shine among the pleasing regular lineup. With so much room for experimentation, it’s no wonder that Seventh Son has cracked the hard seltzer puzzle.

A departure from the norm in several ways, Seventh Son’s “Kitty Paw” is a raspberry-flavored seltzer crafted with 100% real fruit juice and zero artificial colors or flavors added. The striking pinkish hue of this felineinspired booze water also helps Seventh Son’s creation stand out from the pack. Opaque and bursting with tart berry flavors, Kitty Paw should be a hit with fans of fruit-flavored lambic beers. Available on-tap only, this initial offering is just the first of a planned series of hard seltzers being cooked up by the Seventh Son team.

No hard look at hard seltzer would be complete without mention of Four Loko, the “blackout in a can” hooch concocted by a group of OSU grads that mixed copious amounts of caffeine (since removed from the recipe) with alcohol, fueling all of your worst college-era mistakes.

If the notion of alcoholic water at first seemed too absurd to believe, leave it to Four Loko to take that absurdity to the most extreme possible end.

In a Twitter post dated to August 11, 2019, the company teased their own accursed foray into the hard water game with a beverage that would pair “a hint of blue razz” with a daunting 14% ABV. At the time of this writing, no such drink has appeared on store shelves, for better or worse (...better).

Only time will tell if spiked sparkling water will make the move from passing fad to permanent grocery cooler staple. Refreshing and all-toocrushable by nature, typically gluten-free, and with a fraction of the calories of even the lightest beer, it’s easy to see why summer drinkers were drawn to the spiked watering hole in droves. With companies big and small experimenting in this increasingly-crowded segment, water may just be the hottest new beverage in town. • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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Sprouting Off Five ways to make Brussels sprouts at home, and five ways to grab them around town

BY MITCH HO OP ER

• We here at Stock & Barrel are praising our holy green goddesses this month as fall is the perfect time to incorporate them into your daily lives. Whether that’s snagging them as an appetizer on your night out, or fooling your dinner guests into thinking you’re a star chef, here are some ways to go green this autumn.

Oven-roasted sprouts Don’t overthink this: halve your sprouts, toss them in Balsamic vinegar and olive oil with salt and pepper, and pop them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes.

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Pan-seared sprouts This is another easy approach: heat up your favorite cast iron skillet with some olive oil, toss in your halved Brussels face down for about three to five minutes, add some minced garlic, flip and cook for an additional two minutes, and salt and pepper to taste. Don’t worry about the charred ends— those are the best parts.

Steamed sprouts Grab the largest pot you have in the kitchen, bring water to a boil, and add your handy steamer tray to the top. Cook your sprouts for about six to eight minutes. Finish with salt, pepper, butter, and fresh lemon juice—don’t use that bottled stuff! •

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Braised Brussels Remember that cast iron skillet you had for pan seared? Grab that for this recipe as well. Heat up your olive oil and minced garlic just like before, toss in your halved sprouts for two to three minutes, add your broth of choice (chicken stock is preferred, vegetable stock works too), and cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Air fryer sprouts An air fryer should be a staple in every kitchen nowadays, and you can get creative with its usage. Toss your halved brussels in some olive oil with salt, pepper, and oregano and pop them in your air fryer at 375 for about 15 minutes. If they come out a little raw, make an aluminum foil pack for them to rest in to finish out the cooking process.

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On the other hand, there is the chance that you

belong on Food Network’s Worst Chef In America reality show. That’s okay! No shame in your game, and there are plenty of options in the city to get Brussels sprouts on your plate. Here are a few of our favorites to set you off in the right path.

Hubbard Grille Crispy Brussels Sprouts Stop by Hubbard Grille on weekdays from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. for its happy hour special where crispy Brussels sprouts in a red wine reduction can be found for just $5.

VASO Brotes De Bruselas A La Caesar Many of the ideas and dishes on this list feature Brussels sprouts in a simplistic form, but VASO in Dublin takes Brussels to the next level with a Caesar salad that features the sprouts in two ways in a creamy Caesar sauce: one side with shaved sprouts, the other with halved.

Watershed Kitchen + Bar Fried Brussels Sprouts These addictive devils come fried with black pepper honey, lemon, and mint. Admit it, your mouth is watering just at the thought.

Rockmill Tavern Brussels Sprouts Everything Rockmill does is elevated and thoughtful, and the Brussels sprouts are no different as they come served with miso, honey, and dijon.

Ambrose and Eve Crispy Brussels Looking for a subtle twist on sprouts? Check out Ambrose and Eve where the Brussels come served in garum—a fermented fish sauce—as well as honey and topped with pecorino cheese.

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W

? pe

ha

your rec s ’ t i

L A U RA D ACH ENB ACH Managing Editor

PHOTOS BY BRI A N KA I SER IL LUSTRATION BY SA R A H M OOR E

B

efore I was old enough to study Ohio history in the fourth grade, I learned to make buckeyes. I have used one, consistent, simple recipe that has produced what I believe (for my general cooking and baking skills) is a quality product.

I have found that despite their simplicity, buckeyes tend to pose a lot of issues for those making them. The buckeyes turn out too sweet, too hard, or just plain weird. I suppose there is a small bit of science to making these things. So if you don’t mind lowering your culinary standards and raising your glycemic index a bit, roll up your sleeves and get ready to experiment.

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The Best Damn Buckeye Recipe in the Land Your Stock & Barrel definitive guide to making buckeye candy You will need: Peanut butter

Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Some butter-like spread

A couple of other things I’ll mention later.

Confectioner’s sugar

STEP 1: The first step in which you are likely to make a mistake is choosing peanut butter—because you care about quality. Do not make this mistake. Get yourself some nice, processed, run-of-the-mill peanut butter. I recommend Jif. For butter-like spread, I recommend Country Crock. Avoid anything that says “whipped” or “sea salt” or “olive oil” on the container, or comes wrapped as a stick. They just will not yield the correct texture.

Mix these two ingredients in a 1 unit of spread to 2 units of peanut butter ratio until they are indistinguishable from each other. (I have used this method to make all of three buckeyes at one time.)

It is convenient that you can often find these two ingredients already packaged in a close 1:2 ratio. It’s all a matter of how many you want to make.

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STEP 2: Have yourself an ample supply of confectioner’s sugar on hand and gradually blend it into the peanut butter/spread mixture. If you care deeply about what your buckeyes will look like, sift in the sugar. If you don’t, just dump it in. Try about a half a cup at a time.

After quite a few cups, you will notice that your arm hurts. You can stop for a while, but you need to mix in enough sugar so that the consistency of the mixture is like cookie dough (at room temperature). You will find that this process always seems to require a somewhat different amount of sugar each time you mix it. Do a taste test now. You want to avoid overly sweet, crumbly, or sticky. Moderately greasy to the touch is what you’re going for.

If for some reason you have overdone it on the sugar, add in another batch of peanut butter/spread mix until you get the correct consistency.

STEP 3: Take a regular spoon and clean hands and roll a little less than a spoonful into a little ball, about the size of a buckeye, which is smaller than a ping pong ball and larger than a gumdrop. If you have a melon baller, it will help. Place your rolled buckeyes on a cookie sheet or in a baking pan and stick them in the freezer for at least thirty minutes.

STEP 4: Make yourself a double boiler from a pot and a metal bowl that will fit snugly inside it. Fill the bottom of the pot with water, put the bowl on top, and put both on the stovetop with the heat on low. Start gradually melting your chocolate chips. Do not be tempted to use milk chocolate chips, even if you love milk chocolate. Do not be tempted to use dark chocolate, even if you think it’s healthier. (What about this recipe has been healthy so far?)

As you slowly stir your chips to make sure they don’t burn, you will need to add a few small chunks of paraffin, about an ounce for every 12 ounces of chips. I’m sure I will lose a few of you at this point, but I assure you this is a good and right thing which is used frequently in candymaking. The high fat content of the buckeye will eventually leach into the chocolate coating, turning your beautiful confections (and your clothes) into mini disasters of smeared chocolate. Fortunately, paraffin is hard at room temperature, and assures your chocolate will be too.

STEP 5: When your chocolate is smooth (paraffin helps with that too), remove your ready-to-dip buckeyes from the freezer a few at a time to prevent them from thawing. Find something to spear your buckeyes with: a skewer, toothpicks, an unbent jumbo paper clip, and start dipping.

Obviously, you leave the top exposed to create the appearance of the tree nut. Have a sheet of aluminum foil (or parchment paper) ready to put your dipped buckeyes on. (They’ll drip a lot, so keep it close.) Your buckeyes are ready when they easily peel away from the foil.

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And that’s it. After you’ve cleaned up and made yourself an aluminum foil hat, you can freeze your buckeyes for damn near eternity, take them to a tailgate, or feed them to your friends from California who will pretend to not like them. And enjoy. They’re a state treasure, now in your kitchen and you should be proud. • This recipe has been approved by the Stock & Barrel office staff for general tailgating, party, and stress relief use.

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Breaking Bread

BY JOHN M C L AU G H L I N | P H OTOS BY R E B E CC A TI E N

Attention to craft is behind popular sourdough breads around town 38

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Like dough itself, one of the most compelling aspects of food is the way its meaning can be stretched and changed completely depending on the person you talk to. Or the country in which they live. Or whether or not they’ve eaten recently.

For some it’s about sustenance, and flavor, and fun. For some, even though it’s about sourdough bread, it’s about faith.

• Dan

the Baker | 1028 Ridge St.

While skittering around his production kitchen crafting several of nearly 1,000 country sourdough loaves he will make this week alone, Dan Riesenberger’s energy visibly changes when I ask him to talk about his sourdough bread. His face catches the light.

“It’s my meditation,” says Riesenberger, more commonly referred to as Dan the Baker. “It’s something that I believe in so viscerally, and that’s why it feels like it’s a part of me. I’m not a religious person at all, but making sourdough bread becomes a spiritual experience. It nurtures people. It nourishes people. It’s a beautiful thing.”

What sets these loaves apart, according to Riesenberger, are his ingredients. Utilizing cultured French butter to laminate his dough, along with fresh and local ingredients makes a world of difference.

His country sourdough loaves, the baker’s biggest seller, feature a surprisingly dark—almost black in some places—crust with a prominent score running across the top. This crust creates a wonderful contrast with the light bread inside that features a very open crumb structure and classic sourdough tang.

• Flowers & Bread | 3870 N High St. While Clintonville’s young bakery Flowers & Bread may lack some of the name recognition of Dan the Baker or Omega, this isn’t due to lack of quality from the North Side establishment. In fact, the eatery was recently recognized by USA Today as one of the top ten artisanal bakeries in North America, hoisting them up along the ranks of San Francisco’s explosively popular Tartine.

And for good reason. According to baker Felix O’Connor, the sourdough at Flowers & Bread is imbued with one particular ingredient that’s indispensable to any good bread: care.

Not only is the dough left to proof in their fridge for upwards of 20 hours (when the bread is started at 3:00 a.m. daily), a step critical to the development of that particular sourdough flavor, the bakery’s starter is looked after with the attention one might give to an infant.

“We’re always taking care of our starter, we’re feeding daily, sometimes even every few hours. To do so, we mix the original starter with equal parts flour and water,” says O’Connor. “It’s almost like a little pet.”

O’Connor’s bread is immediately visually distinct from others’ due to the presence of one small but pleasant addition, that of culinary art.

Using razors, the baking team at Flowers & Bread scored winding rows of ferns vertically into the bread, which featured a perfectly middle of the road, not too dark and not too light crust. Keeping with the sourdough standard, the loaf does see some larger holes, but keeps a tighter crumb structure than many loaves. • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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• Omega Artisan Baking, North Market | 59 Spruce St. While Riesenberger displays the youthful ambition and exuberance of a super-talented young artisan, Amy Lozier, the owner of Omega, comes off just as passionate, except her energy has settled into an equally impressive calm and confidence that only experience can afford.

Omega opened in the Columbus North Market in 2003, and since then, owner and head baker Lozier has been striking a delicate balance between staying true to her baking style (such as a wonderful rustic French loaf with a nearly blackened crust) while still making the loaves her customers love.

“When we first starting making it our sourdough looked a lot like Dan the Baker’s, with the harder crust and an open crumb structure,” says Lozier.

“But our customers really wanted to use our sourdough for sandwiches, so we listened to them. It’s too hard to eat one with tuna falling through all those holes.”

After constant customer feedback, Omega listened, and began making a variant perfect for sandwiches from an English sourdough recipe, one that opts for a softer crust and a less intense sour tang (which comes from the presence of lactic and acetic acid in sourdough starters). Most important to Omega patrons though, the style creates a much finer, almost pillowy, texture in the bread, and a tighter crumb structure that doesn’t allow for noticeable holes.

Laughlin’s Bakery | 15 E 2nd Ave. Jonas Laughlin could have been a professional singer, but now his symphonies come fresh out of the oven.

The owner of Laughlin's bakery was training to become an opera singer, when unforeseen damage to his vocal cords caused him to end this career pursuit.

Instead, he followed another passion, one we’re all thankful for: baking.

“At first, baking was therapeutic for me, and then it just became something more and more serious,” he says.

Laughlin’s is actually best known for its French baguette, a customer favorite combining a crispy exterior with an open, soft white bread that flies off the shelves. “This was actually a really big deal for us,” says Laughlin, noting that it took years to perfect the recipe.

In addition to his baguette, though, the bakery also offers what is likely the most unique sourdough on our fall list. The Italian Village 40

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establishment crafts a sourdough loaf with a beautifully dark exterior, riven with lighter scoring and one single, dramatic vertical slash.

But what makes this bread stand out the most is what’s inside. Featuring a small-to-medium-sized crumb structure with modest but clearly visible holes, the bread has a distinct tan. This is because it’s a whole wheat sourdough, something most bakeries don’t take on, but Laughlin felt the grains added a fullness and complexity to the sourdough’s flavor that pushed it in a new direction.

And it really does work. The firm crust imparts a satisfying crunch, but the grains are the star of the show. They’re present, but subtle, leaving a trace of rich, earthy, nuttiness with every bite.

Lucky Cat Bakery | 3825 Columbus Rd., Granville I’m a dog person, but last Saturday morning at the Clintonville Farmer’s Market, I would have professed my love for cats, and it wouldn’t have been a lie.

For one cat in particular. The Lucky Cat. The feline-christened bakery has been serving Granville for nearly a decade, and its sourdough batard is one of the standouts on its menu.

From the jump, Lucky Cat’s owner and baker Andrew Semler seems to be tapped into the science of bread making. “Our batard is fully mixed by hand, where some others use mixers,” said owner Andrew Semler. “When you use a mixer, air is incorporated. Not only will oxygen bleach the bread to an extent, it also removes some flavor from the flour used as well.”

He goes on to note that Lucky Cat opts for a “stiffer” starter with their sourdough, meaning the dough will have less water content. In terms of flavor, a stiff starter will yield more acetic acid in the final product (versus a more liquid starter that creates more lactic acid). Every loaf of sourdough contains both types of bacteria and acid, but the acetic offers a bit more of that punchy, vinegar-like tang, whereas lactic acid produces a sourness akin to yogurt.

In addition to the acetic twang of the Lucky Cat’s batard, Semler deliberately shoots for a middle-of-the-road crumb structure and a lighter than average crust. This offers less crunch, but according to the baker, this makes the bread easier to reheat for toast and other culinary purposes, and fans of soft and supple bread will no doubt be pleased. • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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Fall Brunch Crawl

A variety of close-at-hand brunch options await you this fall

BY JA EL A N I T U R N E R -W I L L I A M S | P H OTOS BY R E B E CC A TI E N

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A

h, the brisk of fall. The season that was once an excuse to stay inside—given the weather’s transition from warm to crisp—gives reason for brunch hoppers to venture into neighborhood finds. A growing brunch seedbed resides in the Short North and Italian Village, and if you’re in the area, you may stumble across a weekend pop-up at the vegan digs of & Juice Co, or even the modern Americana of Hubbard Grille. In Columbus, plenty of restaurants have an invigoration of reliable mid-morning classics, so rather than nuking day-old cold pizza in the microwave, Stock & Barrel provides a glance at four spots with fall brunch selections that are just a stone’s throw away.

Above: Stuffed French Toast

TASI | 680 N PEARL ST. Coated with strawberries, granola, nuts and bananas and drizzled with pure Ohio maple syrup, Tasi’s stuffed French toast is considered a sweet, but decadent staple among Short North brunch-goers. If you’re craving a dish on the savory side, the poached eggs and black bean cake boasts a fluffy, light consistency, while the black bean cake provides a seasoned density. The vegetable mix of the Greek scrambled eggs can be dolloped atop of pita bread, but don’t forget to request a side to round out your brunch. Glazed with rosemary and garlic, roasted potatoes pair well with the stickiness of the sweet and spicy bacon.

For morning booze without a migraine, prepare your taste buds for the tantalizing spice of the ginger pear bourbon, apple Tom Collins or apple cider mimosa. If you’re craving a tomato twist, Tasi’s Bloody Mary is crowned with pepperoni, olives, pickled carrots celery and hot peppers. How’s that for spicing up your life?

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Left: The Benedict Above: Toad in the Hole

WOLF’S RIDGE BREWING | 215 N 4TH ST. Reservations for Wolf’s Ridge can be made online, but also try giving the restaurant a call to inquire about brunch availability. If you’re lucky, you may experience their weekend brunch where you can start your course with the lightly sugar-coated lemon poppy seed doughnuts. In a crunch to wash down your starter? Try the fruit-tinged beermosa, which features the aromatic Cocchi Americano wine, orange juice and Hefeweizen beer. The silky egg white and yolk steals the show of Toad in the Hole, accentuated with a generous topping of arugula. For those in need of a brunch buddy, fried soft shell crab accompanies the Benedict, with egg seasoned by Old Bay, flowing over sautéed spinach and an English muffin.

Right: Masa Waffle con Pollo Frito

COSECHA COCHINA | 987 N 4TH ST. September to mid-October may give Cosecha Cochina guests one last chance to dine on the outdoor patio before winter hits, so why not make your brunch experience festive?

A traditional Mexican take of chicken and waffles, the masa waffle con pollo frito is doused with salsa matcha and guajillo syrup. Huevos rancheros might be considered a conventional brunch meal, but Cosecha’s sizzling take includes house-made salsa ranchera and queso fresco. Be sure to pair the chorizo-spiced bacon with the spongy, chocolate and almond crunch of the churro’d bread pudding for a tender and candied coupledom. As a feast your eyes and stomach can both manage, the open-faced molletes is smothered with black bean puree, pico de gallo and chipotle aioli. For a floral infusion of orange, lime and hibiscus, take a swig of the Next Episode margarita to say you at least had a fruit for brunch.

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ZEN CHA TEA SALON | 982 N HIGH ST. AND 2396 E MAIN ST. The calming, oriental atmosphere of Zen Cha makes for ideal seclusion, as brunchers can look outside at Short North passersby who may stop in for a warming tea. The tingling cinnamon mint chai and the wild orchid and honeyed jade oolong tea partner well with guests who need an herbal boost just before deciding on an entree. If you aren’t in the mood for liquid tea, the fruity tang of Okonomiyaki pancakes could be your best option. Even if you don’t want tea, don’t dismiss options that are reminiscent of its soothing glory. Why not try the caramelized banana and fresh mango-layered masala chai waffle, or the crunch of blueberry scones? For a touch of herb, there’s a side of potato hash, spiced with red pepper, onion and garlic. As a traditional brunch ending, the hand-wrapped Chinese dumplings will allow your fall to be in good fortune. •

Below: Okonomiyaki Pancakes

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Choice Cuisine Health, novelty and environmental benefits driving many current food trends

BY LAURA DACHEN BAC H ILLUSTRATION S BY SA R A H M OOR E

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Food trends aren’t difficult to spot these days. Simply observing recipes pinned on Pinterest and tallying a few search terms often yields a good idea of what’s making it to our tables, or at least what we think we should be eating. If this data holds, then “You are what you eat,” is a phrase more people are taking seriously. From novel flavors to health benefits to sustainability, the reasons behind our eating patterns seem to be increasingly driven by a more mindful approach to eating.

Few of today’s trending foods are new. What is new is an awareness of their benefits. Recently I sat down for lunch with Portia Yiamouyiannis, owner of Portia’s Café, a vegan restaurant with the mission of creating positive change through food, to discuss about how some of these trends are hitting the Columbus food scene.

Fermented Foods Between seeking unique flavors and food that is more naturally processed, foodies are finding the answer in fermented foods. Fermentation preserves food naturally through lactic acid, which is produced by natural bacteria added to food, which then feeds on its sugars.

Asian and African foods have long incorporated fermentation techniques from miso soup to kombucha tea to a lassi yogurt drink.

The signature flavor that fermented foods have can lie between sour and savory, with a bit of a tangy bite.

Fermentation can extend the freshness or shelf life of a food or beverage, but it also add certain health properties as well, including omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics, which promote gut health.

“Usually why people get into fermented foods is because of the good bacteria it gives them,” said Yiamouyiannis, who points to her stock of kombucha teas, an especially popular item. “If you look from ten years ago to now, [the popularity] just grew exponentially. And people start[ed] making their own kombucha.

So that’s another cool thing.”

So the fact that fermented foods have become popular is a no-brainer for Yiamouyiannis. Foods that are both healthy and appetizing are filling a gap between bland and beneficial, or flavorful but unhealthy.

“They hear [kombucha] is healthy for you and it tastes good, and they have a choice between water and kombucha, or pop and kombucha, they’re going to go for the kombucha.”

Mushrooms Technically classified as fungi, mighty mushrooms are becoming increasingly popular in a more plant-forward food world.

Hybrid burgers made of both ground beef and ground mushroom hit mass distribution with the SONIC signature Slinger, giving a nod to consumers who want to reduce the amount of saturated fat and calories of a traditional burger, without sacrificing much taste.

And taste seems to be driving the mushroom trend.

While the pungent flavor and aroma of fermented food might take some getting used to, mushrooms have a springy texture and an earthy, umami flavor that are appealing to an array of eaters.

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For those who desire, mushrooms can be an easy and satisfying substitute for meat.

“This [trend] is taste, and then it’s health. But the health is freaking off the charts for mushrooms. … They can be anticarcinogenic, anti-tumor, pro-immune system, and good for the liver,” explained Yiamouyiannis.

Those properties are due to the antioxidants, selenium, and vitamin D found in mushrooms. Now that mushrooms are becoming better known for nutrition, other types of mushroom offerings are becoming more common. Portia’s offers a 14-mushroom blend, used to add a unique flavor and an extra dash of health.

“I have it in different coffee drinks,” said Yiamouyiannis. “You can put it in miso soup. It does make it taste richer, but it you know you’re also getting all those healthy properties.”

Oat Milk While oat milk has been around for a while, it was the Swedish brand Oatly that put oat milk in the spotlight, ahead of other plantbased milks. Suddenly, grocery stores were hard-pressed to keep the product in stock.

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Oat milk has a more desirable texture than most plant-based milks, making it a more palatable swap for dairy products in coffees and teas.

“This is a very cool, neutral flavor with a creaminess. It’s perfect for coffee shops. It’s perfect for people that can’t do dairy, that aren’t even vegan.”

Oat milk has an additional benefit of being relatively allergyfriendly. And since oats require less water than a product such as almonds, and can be grown domestically (unlike coconuts) oat milk is also a more sustainable product.

Despite its sustainability, oat milk is still a pricey drink choice.

But Yiamouyiannis believes that will change. “Until [a certain number of] people jump on the bandwagon of getting oat milk it’s going to be expensive for a while, but it’ll get cheaper as we go.”

Try kombucha, mushroom coffee and a full assortment of vegan dishes at Portia’s Café, located at 4428 Indianola Ave. Visit portiascafe.com.

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Getting on Board Making charcuterie a treat for the eye and the palate

BY KERRY FRA N C I S | P HOTOS BY KYL E T R AC E Y

Charcuterie has become an Instagram trend this summer and it’s easy to see why—beautiful photos of artfully arranging cured meats with cheeses, fruits, vegetables and crackers have elevated this appetizer into an artform. And it’s accessible to anyone, regardless of your culinary skills or budget.

Peter B. Nunez, chef at The Sycamore, has loved this trend for years. He said that charcuterie is more than a meat and cheese plate—it’s an experience. You want to combine complementary and contrasting flavors, textures and visuals to evoke strong emotions.

“Every bite is a different emotion,” he said. “It gives me the feeling of when I lived overseas, or just eating at home with the kids.” He and his wife often have small plates for dinner with their children, ages 6, 4 and 1.

Nunez’s charcuterie creates an Ohio experience and features Ohio cheeses, meats and produce. In addition to celebrating the local farmland and its products, he said it’s a nod to the Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Eastern European immigrants who built Ohio.

While the art of charcuterie is relatively new, the fundamental methods of the curing and preserving of foods likely date back to the earliest civilizations. Some speculate that the need to preserve food may have been what led Homo sapiens to cook it in the first place. One theory is that early humans hung raw food over a fire to keep away bugs and animals. In the morning, they discovered a smoked and tender treat. This finding may have played a part in the advancement of society by allowing people to maintain food supplies to get through times of scarcity and leading nomads to settle in clusters as the need to hunt and gather was reduced.

Charcuterie’s Insta-worthy elevation began in 15th century France. At the time, charcutiers were not allowed to sell uncooked pork. The term charcuterie—derived from the French words for “flesh” (chair) and “cooked” (cuit)—was used to designate shops that sold cooked pork products. French charcutiers introduced ingenuity into the centuries-old method of preparation and created new forms of meat such as pâté (a ground or pureed mixture of fat, meat and seasonings), rillettes (finely shredded or chopped cooked meat blended with fat), sausage, bacon and head cheese. Charcutiers were esteemed for the delicacies they made and their role in maintaining the food supply for the town.

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Building your own Charcuterie Board Designing a charcuterie board is an art form that anyone can do regardless of artistic and culinary abilities, and budget.

Here are a few steps to build a board that will wow anyone.

Select a board. Boards can be any material (wood, slate or ceramic) and style (rustic to contemporary) that reflects your personal taste. Add containers and serving tools (cheese knife, toothpicks) based on what you’re serving.

Select your foods. There are no rules, so select a variety of items based on your tastes and budget. Some things to include:

Olives, Spreads & Condiments: Use fresh olives to add filling fat. Use jams, giardiniera, coarse salt and honey to accent the foods.

Cheese: Serve two ounces per person, more if you aren’t also serving a meal.

Fruits & Nuts: Use dried or fresh fruits, and raw, dry roasted or spiced nuts.

Crackers & Breads: You can keep it simple with one type of cracker, or use a mix of crackers, breadsticks and bread.

Garnishes: Use sprigs of fresh rosemary in winter and gourds at Thanksgiving.

Meat: This is the basis of your board. Serve 2-4 ounces per person, more if you aren’t also serving a meal. Include cured meats, mousses, pâtés and rillettes.

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A few simple steps can help turn your board into a work of art. In addition to using complementary flavors and textures, add a pop with contrasting pairings such as a chewy salami and a smooth pâté, spicy chorizo and sweet fruits, and cold cheese and warmed sausage. Nunez said that contrast is also important.

Some of the combinations he recommends include baked prosciutto crumbled over burrata cheese and black truffles with smoked honey. If you’re new to charcuterie, Nunez recommends pairing hard salami with gouda.

Another tip is to add visual interest by varying the way you slice your meats and cheeses. Try slicing salami on the bias, cubing your pepperoni and thinly slicing your prosciutto. Use seasonal flavors to tie your board into your event. For fall, add pumpkin spread, spiced nuts and pears and for winter, include pomegranates and cranberries. Finally, limit your board to one smoked meat—the strong flavor can overwhelm delicate flavors.

Arrange Your Board. Again, there aren’t any rules. Check out Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration. A few tips for arranging with flair include placing contrasting colors and textures side by side, creating depth by using containers and arranging items symmetrically or in a pattern. You can also add visual interest with decorative items.

Select your Drinks. Pairing food and drinks elevates the experience, but offering a variety of foods can make it difficult to select one drink—and you may not want to limit your guests.

If you’re serving fattier, saltier foods, serve rye whiskey and champagne. For spicier foods, pour bourbon and Riesling, or a spicy red wine. Scotch pairs well with botanical foods like fennel sausage, and gin pairs well with oily foods like duck.

And there you have it. Your guide to creating not only a delicious, but also a beautiful addition to your table that will take you through a season of gatherings.

Get Inspired The best way to get ideas for your own board is to sample a few others. Here are a few places to enjoy: The Pearl, 641 N High St. Terrine, chicken liver, chef’s selection of sliced meats, pickles.

The Sycamore, 262 E Sycamore St. Cured meats and artisanal cheeses, chef’s selected accoutrement.

The Table, 21 E 5th Ave. In-house cured meat and local cheeses, whole grain mustard, pickled vegetables, breads.

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BATTLES

Burger

How do plant-based burgers compare to beef? Game’s on.

BY REGINA FOX | P HOTOS BY BR I A N KA I S E R

I

raised Holstein dairy feeders growing up and fell in love with the cows and the process year after year. I worked hard to nourish, groom, and train them to be fit for show, but I worked harder to push the thought of them becoming steaks out of my mind. In hindsight, though, I realize I had an important job: to ethically and responsibly raise beef to be processed and consumed.

I believe animal agriculture is important to many peoples’ lives, not to mention livelihoods. However, I also realize the importance of introducing plant-based proteins into our diets to safeguard the future of our planet. In short, I am very much an omnivore— eating more veggies than meat but never willing to turn down some

beef jerky. It’s served me well in life for many reasons: my protein variability, dietary flexibility, etc. But recently, it’s presented the opportunity to explore the remarkable and noteworthy changes in the burger scene in Columbus.

Eating green is trending right alongside the city’s awareness about sustainability. If you spot a classic cheeseburger on a restaurant menu, odds are it has a plant-based counterpart. But, how do they stack up? Can a meat burger really be compared to a plantbased patty? If so, which is better? Well, folks, I do believe that after consuming eight different burgers in one day, I have answers to all your questions and more.

vs NORTHSTAR BURGER The Northstar Burger is arguably the tallest pillar in the local veggie patty community. It’s been perfected over the restaurant’s 15 years of existence to ensure only the best finished product is handed over to the customer with that signature Northstar hospitality. I’ve let Earth Day after Earth Day pass me by without getting my hands on a free Northstar Burger, so I went into this experience as a first-timer—I finally tasted what all the hype was about. The black beans + brown rice + beets patty is moist and billowing at the bun with smoky flavor that complements the white cheddar cheese.

The earthy beet taste pairs well with the burger’s kale, tomato, pickle, and onion toppings. I think it’s safe to say Northstar has created the standard to which all veggie burgers should be held.

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CLASSIC CHEESEBURGER AT NORTHSTAR This beef buddy made its way onto the menu when Northstar Easton hit the scene and has been superbly received ever since. Niman Ranch provides the brisket and chuck for this ground-in-house-daily sandwich. Coming as no surprise, the Classic Cheeseburger is just that—a classically juicy, savory, and perfectly greasy cheeseburger. The chewiness of the beef and the crunch of the veggie toppings create the perfect bite every time. Bonus points for that gorgeous cheese melt!

THE ORIGINAL SLIDER AT WHITE CASTLE Well, well, well, White Castle, we meet again, except this time, I’m sober. Northstar is a damn-near impossible act to follow, but I tried my best to keep it in perspective as I held the fun-sizedsandwiched between my fingers. “I could find enough change on the sidewalk to buy this sandwich,” I reminded myself as a single onion shaving fell onto my lap. I took a bite. “Hm,” I thought. “I wonder if there’s any room on the crave train.” While moist beyond my personal preference, the quality of the burger is right on par with the price and for that reason, I’m in (Shark Tank tone).

THE IMPOSSIBLE SLIDER WITH SMOKED CHEDDAR CHEESE It looks, sizzles, and tastes like beef, but it’s made from plants! This smaller-than-a-floppy-disk-sized patty is quite a convincing substitute for beef, especially with all its colorful veggie fixings! But while the plant-based burger is flavorful, it lacks the moisture you’d typically find in beef. However, in the Impossible Slider’s defense, I wouldn’t check the moisture box with the Original Slider either. Alas, the White Castle buns seem to soak up more than their fair share of the juiciness. • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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BURGER KING WHOPPER BK can hang its crown on the coat rack in the corner of the market they’ve carved out with their flame-grilled burgers. The Whopper is simply a good fast-food sandwich. The beef is tender and melts in your mouth alongside the fresh toppings and generous dollops of mayo and ketchup. I can’t believe I’m saying this as a born-andraised-Midwesterner, but this was my first time trying a Whopper.

It won’t be the last.

BURGER KING IMPOSSIBLE WHOPPER Burger King just recently stepped up to the plant-based plate and I think they knocked it out of the park. Hardly distinguishable from the original, the Impossible Whopper has the signature broiled taste we’ve come to know and love from BK. (At least most of us.) The composition of the burger isn’t quite as tight as the beef and there is a subtle grainy flavor that comes through, but for a comparable price to its beef counterpart, I’d recommend this for a #MeatlessMonday lunch.

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THIRD & HOLLYWOOD BURGER As a member of the same restaurant group as Northstar, Third & Hollywood refuses to settle for mediocre, which is why they serve the same Niman Ranch brisket and chuck blend. This upscale Grandview gem ups the ante with a more generous patty of succulent meat that lends some of its juices to the bun below, creating a perfectly gluttonous, greasy handheld. It’s a sexy-looking sandwich. I just wish I could say the same about myself when I was devouring it.

THIRD & HOLLYWOOD CORN AND BLACK BEAN BURGER Guac is extra and so is this burger. After a long day of burger bites, this one was the tops. What I like most about this veggie burger is that it doesn’t try to trick you into thinking it’s beef—it’s an entree all its own.

The texture of the patty is creamy with help from the rugged mound of guacamole and smooth smoked gouda. I was pleasantly caught off guard when I kick struck my palate from the southwestern-flavored sauce on the underside of the sesame seed bun. If you want your veggie burger to convince you you’re eating beef, this may not be your pick.

But, if you’re looking for an outstanding, protein-forward, fresh, and fun sandwich, I’ll point you to Third & Hollywood every time. • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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IN THE MARKET FOR CHANGE Looking at the North Market then, now, and what’s to come P H OTOS BY B R I A N KA I S E R

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North Market: Past

BY O L I V I A MI LTNER

Contrary to what some might expect, the North Market has outlasted a history that’s pitted culture and economics against it. It has, through dedicated merchants and customers, endured.

Columbus’ three other public markets can’t say the same.

The Central Market, the East End Market House and the West End Market House have all risen and, ultimately, fallen over the decades. That leaves the North Market as the only space through which the city can preserve and celebrate this aspect of the area’s history.

“This place has been evolving since the day it opened in 1876,” said Rick Harrison Wolfe, executive director of the North Market Development Authority. “Everything changes. The merchants changed, the way people shop changes, the buildings change. ...

We are an evolving thing, and that’s the only way we’ve been able to survive over these 143 years.”

Columbus was incorporated as a city in 1834, and the first public market was born a little over 10 years later: the Central Market, built around 1850, stood on Fourth Street between Rich and Town Streets. If that location rings a bell, it’s because today, that is the location of the Greyhound Bus Station.

At the time—before the era of supermarkets—public markets were a place for Columbus residents, farmers and merchants to buy and sell fresh food and other products. This was a national trend according to the Ohio History Connection, many cities were

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ORTH MARKET, 1985 N Courtesy of the Columbus Metropolitan Library

building public markets “to facilitate agricultural and industrial as well as retail trade around the middle of the 1800s.”

The Central Market House became “one of the best-known institutions of Columbus,” with blocks of stalls lined with horses and wagons where three mornings during the week and Saturday nights it was “a very busy scene,” write Lyan Liu and K. Austin Kerr in their book The Story of Columbus: Past, Present and Future of the Metropolis of Central Ohio.

The two other now-closed markets, the West and East End Market Houses, were built following the Central Market House, and in 1876, the North Market opened on Spruce Street.

The land upon which the North Market sits has a story that precedes the historic space. It was Columbus’ first cemetery, the Old North Graveyard, dating back to 1813. The cemetery remained in use until 1873, growing to more than 12 acres and becoming the final resting place for some of the city’s founders, including Columbus’ second mayor, who was buried there in 1823, according to Jannette Quakenbush’s book Columbus Ohio Ghost Hunter Guide.

But times, and Columbus, changed, and the city needed to make room for the future. Columbus’ first railroad station was built next to the cemetery, and as it grew throughout the 1850s and 1860s, the railroad companies filed lawsuits to acquire more and more of the cemetery’s land, Quakenbush writes. In the end, many—though not all—of the Old North Graveyard remains were transferred to Greenlawn Cemetery. •

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NORTH END MARKET HOUSE Courtesy of the Columbus Metropolitan Library

The original North Market was a two-story brick building.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the market had a slate roof and was 325 feet long and 80 feet wide—distinctly different from its space now. The neighborhood in which the North Market was built was undergoing a massive transformation in the late 19th century, becoming a hub of commercial and warehouse buildings and reflecting “the growth of Columbus as an important retail and distribution center after the Civil War,” according to the Ohio Historic Places Dictionary. It’s perhaps fitting, then, that the market would eventually come to occupy one of those old warehouses after an incredibly turbulent and uncertain period in the market’s history.

By the mid-20th century, public markets were losing their popularity, and a fire at the East End Market in 1947 put an end to one of Columbus’ four markets. Just a year later, the North Market itself burned down. To revive the market, its merchants pooled their resources and purchased a military-surplus Quonset hut. In contrast to the market’s previous building, the Quonset was a metal, arch-shaped building meant to be a temporary space.

However, as the remaining markets went out of business— the original Central Market was demolished in 1966—the North Market limped along.

“That was maybe the 50s or 60s, as public markets were starting to struggle, and we were city owned and city operated up until the late 80s,” Wolfe said. “Generally speaking, that’s not in this day and age the best way to do it.”

The market was losing money, but as the last one standing at a time when people were once again becoming interested in markets and their vendors, the city, merchants and shoppers decided to create the North Market Development Authority in an effort to reinvigorate the space.

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iteration. In 1992, the city purchased a former Advanced Thresher warehouse adjacent to the Quonset hut. It was a space with “an interesting interior structure of wood and steel, abundant windows to provide natural light so lacking in the old market, good vertical and horizontal clearances to enable movement of crowds, and a second level of office, restaurant and dining space,” as the AIA Guide to Columbus describes. In other words, the foundation in which the current North Market resides could be built. The North Market moved in 1995.

“There was no arena, there was no convention center. All the buildings on Park Street were boarded up,” Wolfe said. “It took the support of the city, and individuals and some of our corporate friends around to keep this thing alive.”

When Wolfe became the NMDA executive director in 2013, he says he wanted to get the market out of more than 100 years of operating in the red. Continued investment from the city has been vital to make that vision a reality.

“We have to be subsidized, and we also have to be creative on how we make money,” Wolfe said.

The North Market may be the only remaining public market in Columbus, but two others still exist in Ohio: one in Cleveland and one in Findlay, Wolfe says. It’s not even the only place in Columbus people can go for a reminder of this piece of Columbus’ history; a new restaurant called the Central Market House is named in tribute to “the thriving Central Market which served as the central economic center of Columbus from 1850 until 1966,” according to its Facebook page. However, the market is a must-see for Columbus residents and visitors, presenting a one-of-a-kind microcosm of the city’s food and cultural scene, and it’s a storied space that Wolfe himself is partial to.

“The Short North ... COSI, the art museum, those are all amazing resources and amenities to our city. But you know, we’re free to hang out. I think we’re the best out of all those. I think we’re the best.” • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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North Market: Present

BY M I TC H HOOP ER

Ever-changing, always evolving, the North Market today serves as a cultural touchstone to what Columbus has become. Before there was an Arena District, the Greater Columbus Convention Center, and trendy shops all along the Short North, there was a place where community members could pick up fresh produce and goods. It was, and still is, an integral part of Columbus life, but now it plays a different role. •

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The North Market used to be a spot where beef, poultry, vegetables, and all of the options in between were available before the days of the supermarkets. There wasn’t a Kroger down the road where you could grab a pound of ground beef for dinner that night. Rather, it was perhaps your neighbor or friend who ran a butchery during the day. But that was in the late 1800s, and now with the amount of foot traffic and diverse options, the North Market has become a staple for the lunch rush as well as those going about their weekends in the downtown area. It’s one part food hall, one part farmers market, and every bit at the forefront of what has happened over the span of a century and a half.

What the North Market leverages is community and diversity. It could be easy to fill up vendor spots with burger joints and other Midwestern classics, but Rick Wolfe said he wanted to take a different approach to give our city fresher options. Here, you’ll find Somali food, the national cuisine of one of the city’s largest immigrant communities, and the opportunity to experience a dish that’s otherwise rare in Columbus food encounters. There’s also Middle Eastern food, Indian options, and of course, there are still relics of graband-go-style ordering which grew the North Market to fame, filling a niche larger grocers could not. While you won’t find everything you need at the North Market—kitty litter, light bulbs, trash bags—there’s still a connection between farmers, crafters, and brewers with the community at large.

“You have to look at what’s happened around us now,” Wolfe explained. “Back in ‘95 when we moved into this building, there was no Arena. The Convention Center was just coming, there were a lot of boarded-up buildings. We have a million and a half to two million people coming here. I’d estimate that about 40% of that is tourism from the Convention Center.”

With the changing customer base comes different ways to serve, something the North Market has striven to do throughout its history.

“If we were still a fresh-only market, people would walk in and say, ‘Wow! This is really cool, but I’m not really taking a head of lettuce back to my hotel.’ We have evolved with our merchants on who comes through the doors.”

Now, the North Market can be broken up into three parts: fresh options, baked goods, and prepared food. Since Wolfe came aboard in 2013, things have changed, and he says that’s a good thing. Change is inevitable, and the North Market is all too familiar with it. His strategy for growth has been somewhat of a revolving door. The North Market serves as an incubator for local offerings to grow and learn as a business, but also it can serve as a place for vendors such as Market Blooms, which has called the North Market home since 1990, to become a known presence.

“It took me a while to wrap my arms around here and assess each individual’s needs,” Wolfe said. “And it’s not a coincidence. My mindset was—we have a lot of great prepared foods and international folks that are living in different parts of the city, but you’re not seeing it down here.”

As an example, Wolfe mentioned Lan Viet, a Vietnemse restaurant offering options such as bahn mi and the everpopular pho. When Lan Viet first moved into the North Market in 2010, it was probably described as “exotic,” but now alongside merchants such as Firdous Express, a Mediterranean restaurant, and Satori Ramen Bar, the overall feel is one of authenticity. • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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RICK WOLFE Executive Director of the North Market

“And now there’s people eating pho at breakfast. It’s very accepted and a part of our food group, so to speak. I think that’s what this place can do for those communities,” Wolfe added. “I think we’re doing a really good job of introducing people to the things they wouldn’t normally have. It’s much more than a food store; it’s a cultural thing that I love to see.”

And introducing cultural cuisine and offerings is something Wolfe prides himself and the North Market on. Since the opening of Hoyo’s, Wolfe has almost daily seen the faces of New Americans who are popping in for the food that reminds them of home. It’s a place of comfort as well as a reason to continue coming back.

Another added benefit the North Market can offer is the entry fee to get started. It’s no secret that the cost of opening a business in a popular location has skyrocketed over the last 20 years, and Wolfe said he can 68

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offer relatively low rent for merchants. While prepared food spots do pay a higher amount of rent, pick-up spots, like the aforementioned Market Blooms, are given a lowered rent price. Though the prepared food has become one of the larger pulls of coming to the North Market, the age of picking up goods still lives on. The Market still runs the oldest farmers market in Central Ohio on Saturdays, continuing an integral part of its identity.

“It’s the most important thing, and the hardest thing to do is that fresh market,” Wolfe explained. “It’s very, very difficult. It’s a worldwide phenomenon because we can’t compete with supermarkets—we just can’t. … As I mentioned, if you’re at a convention, you’re not buying a head of lettuce and a pound of ground beef, so that’s why we rely on the community of Central Ohio to come out.”

“I think we’re doing a really good job of introducing people to the things they wouldn’t normally have.

It’s much more than a food store; it’s a cultural thing that I love to see.”

The North Market now stands on the brink of a makeover, and many have questions about what changes will be coming down the road, quite literally. How will construction impact the merchants?

Will parking still be accessible? What steps can be taken to make sure businesses are protected throughout this process?

“Will there be disruption? Of course there will be disruption, but will we close? We will not,” Wolfe said. “We have to get super creative on how to minimize the disruption for you—the community, the tourist, the convention folks—to get in and out of here without being too much of a pain in the ass. It’s not 100% avoidable, but we are working very hard to minimize that disruption.”

As of now, things are still full speed at the North Market as construction hasn’t quite picked up just yet. Brittany Baum, founder and owner of Brezel, a Bavarian pretzel merchant, notes that there are fears looming with the unexpected, but remains hopeful. She, like many other vendors and merchants, has been able to cultivate a team that has up to five years of experience under their belts.

“To be honest, in the sense of business owners, we just don’t know what to anticipate, at least during that construction process,” Baum said. “But I’m really hopeful, and once that construction process is done, it will really pay off. We’re just going to be faced with challenges over the next couple of years.”

Brezel has incorporated the use of food delivery services like UberEats, DoorDash, and PostMates to counter the number of customers lost to parking or traffic issues.

Another strength of the North Market is the tight-knit community that has grown throughout the years—the type of support that doesn’t give up easily. During off times, it’s no surprise to see an employee of Brezel dropping off a few pretzel sticks to the nearby Jeni’s in exchange for a scoop of ice cream.

“It’s all the businesses together that have this kind of neighborhood feel,” Baum explained. “When we are in there working with our nearby neighbors, we can quickly ask, ‘Hey, we are out of this, Can we borrow this?’ and they can ask us for things, too. So it’s a really nice vibe for not just customers, but also business owners as well.”

For Wolfe, one merchant going out of business during this project is unacceptable. His perspective on the construction remains hopeful and the future still looks bright. He mentioned that sales are at an all-time high, the merchant slots are all full, and he refuses to lose any momentum.

“These are the times in life where you make moves like this at your strongest—you don’t wait until it’s too late. And I’ve said this to everybody from past, present, and future, there’s been an evolution since 1876. This is our third building on this piece of property and we are the last one standing in this part of town. The only way we’re still here is we’ve accepted change, we’ve adapted to change, and we’ve stayed ahead of change.” • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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North Market: FUTURE

BY J.R . M C M I L L A N

A RENDERING OF THE PROPOSED NORTH MARKET TOWER Courtesy of NBBJ

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On a long enough timeline, everything this side of the Atlantic seems shiny and new by relative comparison. Public markets elsewhere in the world mostly measure their history in centuries instead of decades. And even their more recent descendants, like London’s Camden Market, feature more than 1,000 vendors and top 100,000 visitors on an average weekend.

But is authenticity lost in all that bustle? Can you really claim to be local if you practically require your own zip code?

That’s the inherent challenge in preserving and expanding any public market, keeping things literally and figuratively fresh without losing the culture and community that customers have come to expect. And that’s why planning for the new North Market Tower has generated both anticipation and apprehension in a neighborhood that’s seen a lot of change lately, not all of it welcome.

“I grew up in Columbus until I was 18, so I remember the Quonset hut. When I moved back, we were in this building. I started coming here a lot just like when I was a kid,” recalled Rick Harrison Wolfe. Despite zero nonprofit experience, it was his vision of the future that earned him the position from among more than 400 applicants for the role. “Expansion wasn’t part of my presentation, but it was already on my mind. The more I considered the space and the experience, I knew there were opportunities that could only come with growth, and there was nowhere to go but up.”

Wolfe’s résumé is revealing and rolling, following a career in fashion that took him from Chicago to San Francisco and Los Angeles before heading back to Columbus. Upon returning to his hometown, and a brief reinvention in the local food truck scene, his retail insights and close-to-the-bricks work ethic comfortably converged in the food-centric destination constantly adapting to new trends and tastes.

“Expansion wasn’t part of my presentation, but it was already on my mind. The more I considered the space and the experience, I knew there were opportunities that could only come with growth, and there was nowhere to go but up.”

“When you look back to the original market of the late 1800s, it’s where people came for provisions, for everything. The North Market at the turn of the century had a quiltmaker and a blacksmith. It reflected the role of public markets of the era,” he explained. “I think we need to think about the other types of retail we can bring in. I love that we focus on food, and complements for food. It says on our door that we’re, ‘local, fresh, authentic.’

There are a lot of businesses in Columbus that are local, fresh, and authentic that aren’t just food.” •

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A RENDERING OF THE PROPOSED NORTH MARKET TOWER Courtesy of NBBJ

Beyond the expansion of vendor space, the mix of offices, residences, and a hotel—with parking to support all of them—is enough public space to present and restore enumerable opportunities. A vital public market requires ongoing change, but that constant churn can be unnerving for patrons and prospective tenants. When square footage is always scarce, something has to go to make room for something new. Space that became home to a highly-popular purveyor of poultry used to serve as a quirky catering and event location. I actually have friends who were married there, and now when folks see their wedding photos, everyone asks why they decided to exchange vows at Hot Chicken Takeover. Wolfe knew capacity and critical mass would always be at odds without a radical solution that created both.

“Density and flexibility, having people who live and work in North Market Tower, is crucial for our merchants and our future. You have to evolve to remain relevant,” he noted, explaining that earlier designs have changed, but still reflect the original priorities. “Projects like these always evolve, and should, just like the market itself. A rendering is just a rendering until it’s a reality.”

Wolfe’s earlier career has also had a more subtle hand in the growth of the North Market, particularly the travel it afforded and his experiences with public markets in the US and abroad. California-inspired elements from Oxbow Public Market in Napa and Grand Central Market in Los Angeles, which has seen a similar resurgence in recent years, have been given a Midwest makeover that suits Central Ohio.

“I used to travel to Barcelona twice a year, which has one of the strongest public market systems in the world. With 35 markets, anywhere in Barcelona is only a 15-minute walk from the nearest public market,” he explained. “I’ve been to Borough Market in London, which is more than 1,000 years old, and it’s still where you get the best taste of the city.”

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as well, conveniently located across the street from the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Recent attendees from the American Society of Association Executives selected Columbus for their annual conference for several reasons. But the Short North, and the North Market in particular, make quite a first impression on guests from across the country. It’s why Joe DeLoss, founder of Hot Chicken Takeover, calls the North Market, “the front door to Columbus.” Those fond memories may mean millions.

Experience Columbus predicts if even a fraction of those organizations represented by ASAE bring their own conferences to Central Ohio, it could create half a billion dollars in local economic impact over the next decade.

“Deals like this between the city and developers are always a negotiation. But Columbus included us in those conversations. We were always in the room, and that doesn’t happen everywhere,” he explained.

“You’re going to laugh when I say I got more than I wanted in this project, but it’s true.”

Though talk of the North Market Tower seemed to go silent for nearly a year after it was formally announced, much of that was to accommodate the mandate that the market remain open for the duration of construction.

Ongoing development throughout the Short North—from streetscape, sidewalks, and parking improvements—have had their share of fierce critics and retail casualties. The current plan includes 28 stories and a budget approaching $200 million. Even amid a project this complex, Wolfe remains committed to an orderly transition instead of avoidable disruption.

“The cost and construction of the building we’re in right now wasn’t a safe bet at the time either. It was a long shot. There isn’t a public market project like this anywhere in the world, and there hasn’t been an expansion of a public market in the U.S. this big in the past 50 years,” Wolfe noted. “But when you look at projects like the riverfront now, people ask why we didn’t do this years ago. I hope when this project is complete and people see and experience the evolution, they say the same about the North Market.” • 614NOW.COM FALL 2019

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BY L INDA LEE BAIR D | P HOTOS BY R EBECC A TI E N

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ushels of greens, squash, tomatoes, beans, and peppers are laid out on tables under a tent on Cleveland Avenue—the organic produce clearly labeled as such. I’m munching on fresh peach salsa, and holding a recipe card listing the ingredients I’ll need to make the recipe at home. It feels like an upscale farmers market, but it’s a different take on the concept. This is the Local Matters Veggie Van, a mobile, affordable market that brings fresh food into neighborhoods under-served by traditional grocers. Every week, the Veggie Van makes regular stops in the city’s Linden, Hilltop, and King-Lincoln neighborhoods.

“Our goal is for you to be able to make a complete meal for under $10,” said Monique Williams-McCoy, Local Matters’ Community Food Access Coordinator. To achieve this, the Veggie Van sells staples such as lemons and limes, and shelf-stable items like beans, rice, and olive oil, in addition to seasonal produce. While the “local” part of the organization’s mission is brought in through food farmed from Local Matters Community gardens and relationships with Ohio growers, what matters most to Williams-McCoy is making sure people have healthy food on their shelves. “It’s important for us to be able to get it local, but it’s more important for people to have access,” she said.

Accessibility goes beyond presence; it’s also about knowledge of how to prepare what’s available. To assist, Williams-McCoy leads cooking demos and hands out samples of prepared foods using the ingredients which are for sale that day. “I’ll have recipe cards. I’ll take them right up here to the market ... [and] show them what they need to get,” she said.

“We may not have anything fancy like ugly fruit or jackfruit, but we will have those things that ... you know how to go about preparing them— where you’re not going to be intimidated.”

First launched in 2009, the Veggie Van didn’t resonate with customers as hoped the first time around. “It was way before its time,” WilliamsMcCoy explained. But when Kroger’s Northern Lights location closed in early 2018—leaving the Linden area without a major supermarket— staff at Local Matters began thinking about pursuing the idea again.

With issues such as food justice, accessibility, and smaller-scale food production garnering attention over the past decade, the timing felt right.

Local Matters was selected by the University at Buffalo to participate in a study about the role of mobile food markets on increasing food security and improving fresh food access in communities under-served by grocery stores. The Veggie Van relaunched in July.

Community support and partnerships became the key to the project’s success this time around. Ijeoma Nnani, Owner and Pharmacist at Trio Pharmacy, said she was committed to the project. “When Kroger closed down, the whole area became ... a fresh produce desert. So I thought of what I [could] do to get people to eat fresh,” she said. Nnani heard about the Veggie Van through conversations with people in the community, and she reached out to Local Matters. “They came, we had a meeting, and that was it.” The Veggie Van now sets up shop in front of her business every Tuesday.

Williams-McCoy said the Veggie Van is well-received by patrons.

“They love the display of the market because they feel like they’re shopping with dignity, and they love that everything’s fresh, and they love that the prices are very reasonable,” she said.

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“It’s important for us to be able to get it local, but it’s more important for people to have access.”

In addition to accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, Local Matters offers Produce Perks, doubling the value of SNAP benefits spent on fruits and vegetables. The community pitches in as well—sometimes people will leave extra money when they make their purchase for others who need it.

“People are paying it forward here,” Williams-McCoy said. “I don’t want anyone to walk away from my stand hungry.”

The potential benefits from this project extend far beyond the conclusion of a satisfying, home-cooked meal. Reliable access to healthy foods, as well as the knowledge and skills required to shop for, prepare, and cook healthy meals on a budget, are key aspects of increasing food security and preventing diet-related disease, a point Nnani emphasized. “Even though my profession, my business, is to give people medicine, I tell them that if you eat well, you don’t need my medicine. You may put me out of business—who knows—but I’d rather that you’re well!”

If you ever spot the Veggie Van around town, Williams-McCoy invites you to come by. “You need to stop and get your shopping done, and know that you’re supporting something that’s really needed in the neighborhood.” •

Visit local-matters.org/veggie-van for the Veggie Van’s weekly schedule.

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Rising to the Top

BY J OHN M C L AU G H L I N | P H OTOS BY Z A N E OS L E R

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Newly-opened Mitchell Hall to house expanded culinary and hospitality management programs at Columbus State

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t goes without question that Ohio State overtakes any conversation regarding Columbus-area colleges and universities. And for good reason: it’s a large, historic school offering fantastic academic, social, and athletic opportunities.

With this being said, it’s time for us to take a look around a bit more, and notice the exceptional programs offered by smaller Columbus colleges.

For the last 40 years, Columbus State Community College has offered its students the ability to major in culinary programs, and now it boasts hospitality management, hotel and event planning, and dietetics degrees to its students as well.

Its recently completed Mitchell Hall, named for Columbus restaurateur Cameron Mitchell, will house labs, classrooms, and even a full-service restaurant and café and bakery for these programs. The program size will double to accommodate 1,500 students, pushing the creativity and quality of potential new Columbus chefs and restaurateurs to the next level.

“You can’t just talk theory. You need to feel the heat of the kitchen, the pressure of the customers. That’s what gives us our edge and will allow us to provide that level of education.”

“We plan to be regionally competitive. Before this, we never marketed for specific programs,” said Joshua Wickham, Director of Operations for the College of Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts at Columbus State. “We’ve always had our recruiters who recruited for the college—not specific programs. We’re changing that now. We’ve actually hired a full-time recruiter, and all she does is recruit for our hospitality programs.”

But all of this didn’t happen overnight. Mitchell Hall, which was opened to the public for tours for the first time on August 13 of this year, has been five years in the making. The project broke ground in April of 2018. “It’s taken almost 18 months to complete— from a parking lot to this,” Wickham said.

And it also didn’t happen for free. According to Wickham, the building cost a total of roughly $34 million. Public funding came from Columbus State itself, with additional funds from the state of Ohio. Private philanthropy will provide $10 million of support, much of it from corporate sponsorship, including Bundy Baking Solutions, the namesake of the school’s Bundy Baking Lab. According to Wickham, nearly 75% of the private funding has already been secured, which Mitchell spearheaded with a $2.5 million gift from Cameron Mitchell Restaurants.

Housed within Mitchell Hall’s 80,000 square feet and its three stories are large, sleek classrooms; a culinary, mixology, and baking lab; plus a fully-functional café and bakery and a restaurant that will be open to the public, yet run by Columbus State students. •

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Each program is eight weeks long, and alternates between classroom sessions, lab work, and most interestingly, a four-hour work shift in either the college’s restaurant or café and bakery. This, Wickham insists, is not just the best way to learn about culinary work; it’s the only way. “You have to touch it, definitely. You just have to touch it,” he said. “You can’t just talk theory. You need to feel the heat of the kitchen, the pressure of the customers. That’s what gives us our edge and will allow us to provide that level of education.”

While the bakery will craft its own bread and sell fresh soups and other small items, the Columbus State restaurant, Degrees, will operate on an entirely different scale. The 50-seat eatery will be entirely studentrun (as the bakery will be), and gives students a wholly unique chance to experience their craft live, and with the safety off.

And Wickham’s previous use of the word pressure rings even more true, as Degrees features an open kitchen separated from diners by a single sheet of transparent glass, making sure those studying the culinary arts are well equipped for the high-stress environments they will likely encounter in the real world.

“It’s a different experience when you’re back there cooking and you have a bunch of people sitting right there,” said Wickham.

And while students will take important vocational lessons away from the establishment, Columbus residents shouldn’t write it off as an educational gimmick. With a kitchen featuring a litany of brand-new, state-of-the-art machines and cooking implements, Degrees plans to offer approachable food that is still loaded with flavor and personality.

Although the menu hadn’t been released publicly at the time of press, Wickham says it will feature hearty contemporary American cuisine, with signature sandwiches and flatbreads to boot. In addition to food, the location boasts a full-service bar selling liquor, wine, and beer to customers after 5:00 p.m.

The restaurant will open to the public at the end of October (while the bakery, called Blend, opens in late September), and will serve Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. for lunch, and from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. for dinner. • Mitchell Hall sits along the east side of Cleveland Avenue on the Columbus State Community College campus.

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Uninvited guests

Columbus restaurants have become used to hosting the paranormal

BY L I N DA L E E B A I R D | P H OTOS BY KY L E AS P E R G E R

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P H OTO BY TO M M Y FEI SEL

Some of the city’s restaurants are known for more than their meals—they have haunted histories that spook staff to this day. If you’re willing to make room at your table for some of Columbus’ oldest residents, here are three places to try.

The Spaghetti Warehouse 397 W BR OA D ST.

Opened as an icehouse in 1891, the Spaghetti Warehouse is known today as one of Columbus’ most iconic restaurants.

But long before it served up family-sized portions of its namesake spaghetti and meatballs, the lower dining room housed some longer-term guests.

Built on the city’s flood plain, early residents of Franklinton suffered high casualties when the river rose.

“During these times, there’d be a lot of destruction, a lot of lives lost,” said Bernard Koher, the Spaghetti Warehouse’s Host Staff Coordinator. “They would store the bodies here in cold storage while they were in the process of burying the dead.” On top of that, “You also had injuries and deaths going on because of how dangerous of a place it was to work.”

The workers, however, seem to have mostly gone home.

Fitting the restaurant’s family-friendly atmosphere, it’s the ghosts of children that are seen most often. “Some guests, especially on a slower night, they compliment us on the kids in period costumes,” Koher said. “We don’t have kids in period costumes.”

A 28-year veteran of the restaurant, Koher’s described one of the first unexplained phenomenons he witnessed. A new waiter was carrying food to a table when the tray in his hand inexplicably stopped moving, fell to the floor, and spouted lasagna sauce as high as the ceiling. “The dining room gave him a standing ovation,” Koher said.

While Koher has never felt threatened, he said that hasn’t been everyone’s experience. “We had some construction guys that came overnight. They left in the middle of the night, refused to come back, and had to have someone from their company come get their tools. They refused to talk about why they wouldn’t come back in the building.”

Kitchen staff have reported flying silverware and flying bus tubs. In Koher’s words, “We got a spook central pretty much going on here.” •

• The Spaghetti Warehouse

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"Once, a customer spotted a redheaded woman on the staircase in old clothing. Feeling something was off, he followed her upstairs, but couldn’t find her. That is, until he looked at the portraits hanging on the wall which had been drawn freehand by Schmidt’s grandfather.

He immediately identified one as the woman he’d seen."

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Schmidt’s Restaurant and Banquet Haus 24 0 E KOSSU T H ST.

Best known for its Bahama Mama sausages and cream puffs, Schmidt’s has a ghoulish history that you wouldn’t guess from its folksy German decor and polka tunes. The business began as a packing house in 1886, around the corner from a livery stable where the Schmidt family kept the animals that delivered their meats. In 1967, the family converted the stable into Schmidt’s restaurant.

Matt Schmidt, a fifth-generation member of the Schmidt family and the business’ Brand Ambassador, said that he had grown up hearing ghost stories about the restaurant.

All of the stories originate on the second floor, which now holds a banquet hall for private events. It’s also the site where a fire sparked in 1983 that nearly destroyed the building. While the official cause was faulty wiring, some of the sightings on the second floor could make one question whether there’s more to the story.

Schmidt said that most stories involve a woman, well-known to staff, cleaning crews, and Schmidt family members. “They would be in the office, hear footsteps walking around up here. They would get up to see who it was, they would open the door, there would be no one here. A few times, they would even get a scent of old [...] cheap dimestore perfume,” Schmidt said. Sometimes, she’s seen reflected in one of the long mirrors that decorate the space. Once, a customer spotted a red-headed woman on the staircase in old clothing.

Feeling something was off, he followed her upstairs, but couldn’t find her. That is, until he looked at the portraits hanging on the wall which had been drawn freehand by Schmidt’s grandfather. He immediately identified one as the woman he’d seen.

It’s common for tables and chairs to mysteriously be out of place, and for things to fall for no reason. Schmidt has experienced unsettling moments while working in the upstairs office, from unexplained noises to the sound of doors shutting. Even the water stain on the ceiling above his desk looks uncannily like an evil clown. “I’ve never felt like I’m in trouble, but I’ve been freaked the hell out up here.” •

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Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus 1 61 N H I G H ST.

Built in 1897, the building that’s now the Elevator Brewery has been home to many different enterprises. First owned by the entrepreneuring Bott Brothers, over the years the building has held the Midwest’s largest pool hall, a barber shop, a boxing ring, and a brothel. The first floor was home to The Clock restaurant for much of that time. Today, many elaborate features remain, including a mahogany bar manufactured for the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

According to Will Triplett, Elevator’s Managing Partner and Co-owner and Operator, it’s not only physical objects that remain from the building’s past; at least a couple of The Clock’s regulars are still likely around.

“The most famous ghost story is associated with a man named Colonel Pritchard,” Triplett said. Pritchard was a well-known gentleman and womanizer. “He was stabbed in the front of the restaurant ... by a scorned woman. He came inside and died on the floor by the bar. And the woman was never found.”

Despite it being a snowy February night, the woman was barefoot.

Legend has it that when it snows on the anniversary of the murder, her footprints are visible in the snow. And, as if to mark the occasion, the clock in front of the restaurant stopped at the time of Pritchard’s death. It remained frozen at 10:05 for a century before it was finally removed about 10 years ago.

Triplett has had his own unsettling experiences in the restaurant. While locking up one night, he went to shut a steel door in the basement when “all of a sudden this gust of wind came through that door ... where literally I had to put my body up against it to close it,” he said. “There’s no HVAC, there’s no heating and cooling down there that forces air to move at all.”

Other staff have reported doors that swing open and closed on their own, and hanging pots and pans banging together with nothing to move them.

One time, a sous-chef witnessed the hands on the kitchen clock moving backwards.

While Triplett has been unnerved from time to time, he accepts the ghosts that come with the restaurant he owns. “I don’t doubt that this place is haunted. But I think that they’re friendly spirits.” • 86

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Metro Makeover

Duecento cocktail bar set to become the next not-so-hidden gem of Columbus

BY J OHN M C L AU G H L I N | P H OTOS BY B R I A N KA I S E R

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S

eventh Son Brewing has become something of a Columbus staple. Nearly any night of the week you can find its Fourth Avenue taproom bustling with patrons, enjoying food truck fare in the summer months and huddled around an outdoor firepit in the fall and winter.

And while the brewery deserves all the acclaim it receives, don’t let that overshadow what might just be your next favorite cocktail bar: Duecento.

I say this because it’s pretty easy for that to happen. At least from a physical perspective. An abandoned building turned chic new watering hole, Duecento still maintains its humble roots from outside the building. The single-story edifice doesn’t look all that exciting or appealing from its Italian Village location, but looks can be deceiving.

“I am a renovator and designer, and I’m a landlord also. I was working on a house that’s in this area for a while and would always pass the building [that became Duecento] on my drive home from work,” says co-owner Andrew Losinske. “So I’m looking at this abandoned building every day when I’m going home, and I thought to myself, ‘That could be a great little workshop.’ ” After six months of slipping his contact information under the door of the derelict site to get in touch with the property owner, he took over the location. And for a while the nowcocktail lounge was more or less a space for him to store his tools and churn out some off-site work.

By chance, Losinske’s friend and current business partner Ted Lawson happened to stop by to meet up before heading across the street to Seventh Son to grab a beer. Lawson, who now lives in Florida, is an accomplished bar and drink lounge owner, and immediately recognized that the spot’s interior was dripping with potential.

And the rest is history.

After several years of renovation (much of which Losinske handled himself), decoration, and permit applications, the cocktail lounge opened on February 2, 2019, with Losinske and Lawson at the helm as co-owners, and a small but tight and enthusiastic staff behind the pair.

From the moment newcomers enter through the building’s small, modest front door, its interior has them absolutely hooked.

Don’t lie. We’ve all seen the moment in the movie Spice World when the band steps into their seemingly regular tour bus, and the shot jumps from outside the vehicle to inside, when the group is magically transported into a mansion several stories tall.

Walking into Duecento feels distinctly like this. From the outside, the humble single-story building still feels under decorated and even slightly lonely. Its exterior retains a bit of the defunct quality that plagued it for so many years.

However, once you step inside, everything changes. You enter a sleek, almost cavernous spot, sporting 3,000 square feet, with 14-foot ceilings and a pleasing mixture of vintage and contemporary decoration, favoring handsomely polished wood and low, soft, moody lighting. It’s the best “Ta-da!” entrance in Columbus I’ve ever come across.

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“It can be calm at times too, but on the weekends people here like to get loose, They like to turn the music up and dance, and we like to let them.”

Don’t get things twisted though, even with a less-than-bright interior and high ceilings, the centerpiece of the chic yet still-comfortable cocktail bar is its row of massive, ornate chandeliers, providing the space with an aura of classical charm without throwing its style out of balance.

And while the venue alone might be worth a visit for anyone who wants to feel like they’ve just discovered a hidden gem (which they have) or a secret, trendy speakeasy, the drinks are worth staying for. Duecento won’t overwhelm you with variety, but that’s so their focus remains on making their compact menu of streamlined cocktails (all laced nicely with a quiet Italian theme) quickly and well.

Duecento’s cocktail menu was largely created by drink consultant and Columbus cocktail veteran Christina Basham. It will soon be releasing a seasonal warm weather menu, but is still retaining most of its best-sellers.

For the new Columbus hotspot, its most popular drink is also its most unique. The 200 (a nod to Duecento’s name, which means 200 in Italian, and its location at 200 E Fourth Ave.), is made up of OYO Vodka, Nux Alpina, pomegranate, ginger, and lime. A delicious drink in itself, what sets the 200 apart is the fact that it’s poured to patrons from a draft line.

And although some cocktail veterans might initially balk at this idea, both Basham and Losinske stand solidly behind them.

“Putting cocktails through draft lines can be a huge win-win,” says

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Basham, who noted that the trend of serving draft cocktails is catching on as a trend in Columbus and beyond. “The quality of the drink is there [at Duecento], and this ultimately cuts down on the amount of prep time for servers, plus customers aren’t waiting long at all.”

Losinske agrees. “We love serving cocktails from our draft lines,” he says. “And service here is extremely important to us; it matters that customers aren’t waiting 20 minutes for one drink.”

Also on draft is Basham’s flavorful take on the Negroni, and the bar serves several made to order options as well. These include (with some subject to change, likely this month) a black Manhattan, a gin and tonic with Pasubio, an old fashioned, and a Margarita with Aperol, providing the drink with an earthy, dynamic new twist.

What you won’t see at Duecento though, is a list of cocktails that goes out the door. And that’s on purpose. Basham, an experienced mixologist who runs her own consulting service (Bubbles + Agave) is an outspoken advocate of keeping things simple. This includes a streamlined menu and drinks that don’t contain a litany of ingredients. It leads to a reduction in prep time, she says, lends to clarity of flavors, and makes it easier on servers and patrons alike, reducing the time it takes to make any one drink.

Duecento also offers a variety of other beverages, such as craft beer, spirits, wine, and more.

As its likeness with an underground getaway or 20th-century speakeasy suggests, the atmosphere inside is effervescent and funloving. It features live music in its DJ booth, plus a spacious dance floor and a set of beautiful red-felted pool tables.

“It can be calm at times too, but on the weekends people here like to get loose,” says Losinske. “They like to turn the music up and dance, and we like to let them.” •

Duecento is located 200 E 4th Ave. Follow Duecento on Facebook.

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Glass is in Session

High Bank Distillery dishes out three cocktail recipes with their newest bottle Professor Rum

BY M I TCH HO O PER PHOTOS BY B RI AN KAI SER

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aking cocktails at home is hard—that’s a statement we won’t get much debate from with the drinkers at home. Maybe it’s the magic the bartenders in this city wield that make our drinks so damn delicious, or maybe it’s just our lack thereof. But sometimes all you need is a few tricks of the trade to become a master of your own home bar, and that’s where High Bank Distillery comes in.

Fresh in bottles around the city and at the Distillery is High Bank’s newest bottle release Professor Rum. Stock & Barrel stopped out by the facility, kitchen, and taproom to see how we could concoct our very own cocktails at home with the rum. Here are three options for you to try. Or of course, just simply stroll down to HBD and have one of their cocktail wizards whip you up a delicious elixir.

• Rum Julius: 1.5 oz. Vanilla Infused Professor Rum .75 oz. Demerara Simple Syrup 1 oz. Half and Half 2 oz. Fresh Orange Juice

Instructions: Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake well. Garnish with orange zest and mint sprig. •

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• Peat's Me: 1.5 oz. Professor Rum .5 oz. Laphroaig .25 oz. Simple Syrup 2 Dashes Angostura Bitters 2 Dashes Cardamom Bitters

Instructions: Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Stir. Pour over a big ice cube and garnish with lemon peel.

• 5 Stormy Nights: 2 oz. Chinese spiced rum .25 oz. lime juice .25 oz simple syrup Goslings Ginger Beer to Float

Instructions: Combine rum, lime, and simple syrup in a shaker and shake. Pour over ice in a copper mug and top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lime wheel. •

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FOOD WIRE NOW OPEN

How about another one? That’s the motto for Shake Shack in Columbus

recently. With the Easton location not showing any signs of slowing down, the newest location in the Short North has finally opened its doors at 740 N High St. This location will feature all of the Shake Shack staples like the classic ShackBurgers, crinkle-cut fries, as well as some local flair from Fox In The Snow. You can satisfy your sweet tooth with two options from the Columbus cafe and bakery. The Brownie Points is a vanilla custard with salted caramel sauce, FITS salted caramel chocolate brownie, and chocolate toffee as well as the Pie Oh My, a vanilla custard blended with pieces of FITS seasonal pies.

If you’re looking for a cheat day meal on your diet, look no further.

Also opening its doors for the first time in the city is Nosh on High on 149 S High St. Nosh means to share and snack, and this tapas restaurant on South High is here to do just that with highlyelevated dishes. Options here include salmon served with cauliflower couscous (the food so nice they named it twice) and a pea purée, or the shareable What Came First, which features an deviled egg topped with chicken crisps and a dab of hot sauce. The food here looks incredible, and in 2019 you know what they say: the phone eats first.

Beyond getting your sweet tooth cravings filled at Shake Shack, a new ice cream shop has landed in the Short North on 1190 N High St. CRMD is not your typical ice cream stop with edgy and somewhat provocative expressions such as “Get CRMD” or “Lick It Real Good.” And their takes on ice cream aren’t your standard cones; they have options such as puffles.

What’s a puffle? No, it’s not a house at Hogwarts in the Harry Potter saga.

According to their website, it’s known as an egg waffle—a spherical eggbased waffle popular in Hong Kong and Macau, and is an eggy leavened batter cooked between two plates of semi-spherical cells. They are usually served hot, and often eaten plain, although they may be served with fruit and flavors such as strawberry, coconut or chocolate. Options here include the iconic peanut butter and chocolate buckeye ice cream or the highly-popular matcha, which features a subtle green tea flavor.

Stauf’s Coffee Roasters also opened a new location, and as they currently reign as the perennial winner of our Columbest awards year-in and year-out, we’re positive you’ll be excited about this. With a popular location in Grandview as well as German Village, they are taking their talents to the Victorian Village on 1334 Neil Ave. The new set up features a modern, industrial aesthetic with white walls and pops of green from the sofas.

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BY STOC K & BAR R E L STA F F

THE FESTS FOR FALL

When fall returns to the city, so do the Oktoberfests. This year, there will be plenty of breweries throwing their own German shindigs, and you can find more on pages 18-19 where we take a look at the fall beer offerings from local brewers. Here, we wanted to highlight Germania Oktoberfest taking place from Sept. 20 to Sept. 21 from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m and Sept. 22 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The oldest Oktoberfest in Columbus, Germania Oktoberfest is held in German Village’s Brewery District and is sponsored by the Germania Singing and Sport Society. Get your lederhosen and polka dancing shoes out!

In addition to Oktoberfest, The Columbus Italian Festival will be celebrating its 40th anniversary three days in October from Oct. 11 to Oct. 13. Whether you’re looking to indulge into slices of pizza from St. John the Baptist Church, or learn to make your own Italian dishes at a cooking demonstration, you’ll have some kickin’ garlic breath.

There will be plenty of live music going on throughout the weekend, and Austin Giorgio from The Voice will be one of the headliners taking the Carfagna’s Stage alongside The Rick Brunetto Big Band.

And one celebration we can all get behind is the Mac and Cheese Festival at Easton on Sept. 27. The hardest part about this festival will be choosing where to start: should you snag some mac from Sweet Carrot, or dive head first into what Mitchell’s Ocean Club will be serving? Truly, there’s no wrong answer here besides just not going. While you will need to purchase tickets to attend, proceeds from the event will go towards benefitting the adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer program at the OSU Comprehensive Cancer Center—James Cancer Hospital.

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