Feast of Fire Let searing heat distract you from cold weather

By Jackie Dee

Are you a hothead hankering for heat?

Even so, you might take heed before heading to these hotspots.

These locals claim their spiciest servings just might make your bawl-baby eyeballs pop right out of their sockets. You be the judge.

BonoPIZZA

614-906-8646 www.bonotogo.com

“It will light you up.”

That’s the response you can expect when you inquire about the Cherry Bomb pizza at this Upper Arlington area pizza closet. This baked pie comes wood-fired up with sriracha-laced red sauce and a tossing of habanero peppers. So hot is this pizza that the menu imparts extreme caution.

The habaneros are locally grown, says employee Jake Wilch, and great consideration goes into picking the best ones. BonoPIZZA looks for the “stressed out” ones, he says – these don’t get as much water while growing, making them even hotter than an ordinary habanero.

The joint usually sells two or three of these pies each night. Wilch claims they can make a grown man cry, and he has seen it happen – one daring patron burst into tears after just one bite. Sugar is offered to diners in moments like these. Milk will help lessen the heat, too. But never drink water, Wilch warns; that will only spread the fire.

Krema Nut company

614-299-4131 www.krema.com caJohn’s 888-703-3473 www.cajohns.com

Pucker up to one peppery PB&J.

Krema Nut Company in Grandview Heights uses thickly sliced Great Harvest white bread as a foundation and smears it with coarsely textured hot and spicy peanut butter and spicy raspberry preserves, both packing a cayenne pepper punch, for its Kicker Sandwich.

The nut company has been blending its own peanut butter for 15 years, and it took lots of test dabbling with various jellies to get the combination just right. Hot being the ultimate goal, the company knew it had a winner when it married its blend with Hot Pepper raspberry Preserves from rothschilds. Before leaving, wash this sandwich down with the cool burn of a nutty hot and spicy milkshake.

CaJohn’s has made a name for itself in the Columbus market. The company’s smokin’ lineup of condiments has found a spot on the shelves of grocers such as Whole Foods and the Hills Market, and it stands on its own in a permanent-fixture shop at the North Market.

The Black Mamba hot sauce reigns as the superstar here, weighing in at an impressive 3.5 Scovilles (a scale that measures the piquancy of a pepper). Doc Cordray, CaJohn’s social media manager, says customers buy a lot of the stuff.

“They either enjoy it or want to buy it for a practical joke,” Cordray says.

There’s more to showcase here than hot sauce, though. A skim through the CaJohn’s menu also reveals salsa, barbecue sauce, mustard, jelly, rubs, spices and even the company’s own spicy blend of peanut butter.

This heat-infused lineup of flavors stands as the most award-winning in the U.S., earning numerous Golden Chili Awards through the years. It’s a distinction that Cordray rightfully touts.

“It’s the Oscars of hot sauces,” he says. Mac’s cafe

614-221-6227 www.macscafe.com

All joints try to lay claim to the hottest wings around, but how does one discern?

The wings at Mac’s Café in the Short North get their attention from an intriguing menu description, one that hotheads might perceive as a dare: Norefund hot wings. How hot? These little guys get doused with red-roasted habanero sauce, a pound per plate. And though it’s a rare sight, bartender Molly Doyle has seen a few intrepid diners polish off a portion, she says. For fun, she’ll sometimes offer to pay for them herself if a diner is successful. She’s quick to point out, though, that these are very hot wings – with habanero – and that’s the whole point.

“They’re so hot, if you can’t eat them, then too bad,” Doyle says.

Jeni’s splendid Ice creams

614-488-3224 www.jenisicecreams.com

Sometimes, the hottest things can come from the coldest places. Jeni’s – with locations at the North Market and in the Short North, Grandview Heights, Dublin, Powell, German Village and Bexley –scoops up a toasty-tingly Queen City Cayenne, a medium-dark chocolate blend that slowly reveals a hint of spice. This spice cream is a decided departure from the company’s cooler offerings. Owner Jeni Britton Bauer wrote about the inspiration behind this treat in her New York Times bestselling cookbook, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home.

“I originally called it Mexican Hot Chocolate, until one day it occurred to me that Cincinnati chili – famously made with a hint of chocolate, cinnamon and cayenne – was a closer-to-home reference,” Bauer writes. “So I renamed it, a nod to our neighbor to the south … aka ‘The Queen City.’ ”

Taj Mahal

614-299-7990 www.tajmahalcolumbus.com

Head far east – or to the University District – to find this Indian landmark and the sultry spices of the Lamb Vindaloo, a must for a “spiciest foods” list.

Tender chunks of lamb and potatoes get tossed in onion sauce with a plentiful mix of red chili powder and other aromatic herbs and spices, and finished with a dash of vinegar for zest. The spicy Indian staple is cooked here especially for those who crave fire, and it’s a menu winner that people love for its authen- ticity and intensity of flavors paired with the tenderness of the lamb and potatoes.

The Flip spot

614-846-3547 www.theflipspot.com

Think a burger is a burger is a burger? Not here.

The Flip Spot, located inside Polaris Fashion Place mall, adds sizzle to its slammin’ menu with the Hot Spot Burger. These juicy beef beauties get gussied up with zesty chipotle sauce, fiery fresh jalapeno slices and pepper jack cheese. A toasted kaiser bun keeps them all in line.

La Fogata Grill

614-294-7656 www.lafogatgrill.net skillet

Brace yourself for the stinging sensation of this searing drink at the Short North-based La Fogata. The Spicy Gringo beckons patrons to the chili-infused Cazadores tequilia shot, crafted inhouse with three different peppers and a hint of fruity juice. Though sometimes made into a martini, most simply swing it straight back.

614-443-2266 www.skilletruf.com cabo cocina

The menu at Skillet – which is described by its owners as “rustic urban food” – is as ever-changing as the phases of the moon. But there are a few flavorings that never leave the table at this Merion Village eatery.

Look for mainstay habanero-based hot sauce, spicy plum ketchup, peach and red pepper jelly, and blueberry and chile salsa. Makes you want to see just what’s on the menu that you can combine with these delectables.

614-792-9190 www.hdrestaurants.com/cabo

For a Latin take on lasagna, try the Chilaquiles plate, a standard Mexican dish, at this Dublin establishment.

This house casserole sizzles with zesty chorizo sausage, red chile sauce, black beans and spinach punctuated with a fried egg and cheese. Delicioso!

Bonefish Grill

614-436-0286, 614-789-3473 www.bonefishgrill.com

Bang Bang Shrimp is one of the sizzling signature dishes at this restaurant chain with locations in Dublin and Polaris.

Sweet Thai chili sauce and a few drops of hot chili sauce give the Bang Bang Shrimp its fire, whether served as an appetizer or an entrée stuffed into tacos. cs

Jackie Dee is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

Bundle Up

1Whether for an avid skier or just someone who likes to keep warm, the Patagonia Better Sweater sold at Aspen Ski & Board – with locations at Polaris and Upper Arlington – is sure to be popular on a chilly day. www.aspenskiand board.com

Need a Light?

2Help your loved ones light up the room with an eight-ounce scented candle from Grandview Heights-based Lumiere Candle Co. Order them online or find them at Whole Foods stores, Beauty First stores and Mix: HOME in Clintonville. $17.99. www.lumierecandleco.com

Cycle Chapeau

3Columbus is trying to establish itself as a cycling town, and if someone in your family has caught the bicycle bug, they’re sure to appreciate a custom cycling hat from Octopus Cycling Caps. The hats can be bought online or at Trek (Westerville, Dublin and Lane Avenue), Paradise Garage (Short North) and roll: (Lane Avenue, Easton and Polaris). $29. www. octopuscaps.com

Art and Mind

4Among the many enlightening gifts at the Columbus Museum of Art’s gift shop is the Modern Art Memory Game, which can help the whole family learn about art history. $16.95. www. columbusmuseum.org

Buckeye Billfold

5Wear your heart on your sleeve and your state spirit in your pocket with a hand-printed Ohio Mixtape Bifold Wallet from Alison Rose. Find Alison rose online or at Wholly Craft in Clintonville or the Wexner Center for the Arts gift store. $25. www.alisonrose.com

Three of a Kind

6In bar lingo, a “Three Wise Men” is a shot consisting of one-third Jack Daniel’s, one-third Jim Beam and one-third Johnnie Walker. For a gift, CityScene suggests a local alternative: vodka from Buckeye Vodka ($19.95), gin from Watershed Distillery ($27.90) and OYO Whiskey from Middle West Spirits ($45.25). All can be found in a variety of local liquor stores. www.buckeyevodka. com; www.watersheddistillery.com; www. middlewestspirits.com

Bowling for Beauty

1You can’t drink soup out of it, but you can add style to anything else you put in a Creux Poche – a reversible fabric bowl – from Laura Irene Designs. The bowls are available at several local stores, including Wholly Craft in Clintonville and Celebrate Local at Easton. $14.05-$20.60. www.etsy.com/shop/laura irenedesigns.

Col-ompass

2

88 Counties

Carry a little piece of Columbus with you wherever you go with a map necklace from TheSwankyAbode. com, located at Easton Town Center. The custom necklaces are made by a local artist. www.theswankyabode.com

Global Garnish

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Keep the world – or your country or neighborhood – on your wall with a Modern Map from These Are Things. Maps are available online or at Wholly Craft in Clintonville. $24-$99. www. thesearethings.com

Jump Around

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How better to cast off cold-weather cabin fever than at an indoor trampoline park? Sky Zone in Lewis Center offers gift cards of any denomination; one hour of open jump is $12. www.columbus. skyzonesports.com

Chocolate and Gray

5Team spirit has never tasted so good as it does with the Block “O” Buckeyes at Emlolly Candy in Worthington. The specialty buckeyes are available in dark, milk, white and mint chocolate, and can be purchased in gift boxes of 12 ($14.95), 20 ($22.95) and 30 ($32.95). www.emlollycandy.com

Healed History

6Surprise a loved one by making an old photo look new again with photo restoration services from A Defining Edge in Grandview Heights. restore and enlarge for archiving, scanning to CD or DVD, or printing, with prices starting at just $5. www.adefiningedge.com

Serving in Style

7All eyes will be drawn to this multi-glazed cascade serving bowl from Tulane Road Pottery in Clintonville. The nine-inch bowl can come with a classic or fluted rim. $45. www.tulane roadpottery.com

Polaris Fashion Place Columbus, OH 43240 614.846.1729

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