cuisine

Hall of Fame

Budd Dairy thrives after three years of waiting

By Mallory Arnold

“YOU CAN COME down here every day for a month and never eat the same thing twice.”

General Manager Jeremy Hughes is describing Budd Dairy Food Hall, one of the latest additions to Italian Village.

The food hall has been a long time coming – three years, to be precise. The concept was announced in January 2018 and proposed to open early 2020. However, construction and the pandemic delayed the opening until this year.

Nevertheless, Budd Dairy is well worth the wait.

The concept is structured much like a farmers’ market. All under one hall are unique chef partners with their own selfrun kitchens and businesses.

“When we first started talking about and learning about food halls, I’d heard of them in different iterations,” Hughes says. “There are many different styles, and that interested me.”

Hughes is no stranger to the food industry, having been with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants for approximately 17 years. He worked his way up from a line cook to sous chef to front of house operations and dining manager.

“I’ve gotten to see quite a bit over the years,” he says. “Because of my experience in front of house and back of house, I was prepared to oversee this 1,800-square-foot space and 10 chef partners.” Drink Up

One of the unique aspects of Budd Dairy as a food hall is the cocktail services. Hughes says this isn’t typical with food halls around the U.S.

Spearheaded by Beverage Operations Managers Andrea Cornwell and Nick Ansara, the cocktail selection is an amalgamation of inspiration from food halls in Washington, Baltimore, Chicago and Denver.

Notable and colorful cocktails such as the Heisenberg – Absolut vodka, coconut, fresh pineapple and a Fruit Roll-Up – give the menu flair. Budd Dairy has also developed a unique draft system for specific cocktails.

“Of course, a big part of what we do is supporting the local community,” Hughes says. “So we have local beers from Columbus and central Ohio. Seventh Son created the Village Pilsner just for Budd Dairy, so you’ll only find it at our location.”

Additional taps found at the bar are for Hoof Hearted Brewing, Land-Grant Brewing Company and Rhinegeist Brewery.

A Culinary Incubator

Three years from its conception, Budd Dairy is set to be the next great community centerpiece.

Hughes is excited to host more events after seeing the success of Columbus Crew watch parties, a Mother’s Day popup and an event for 614 Day. The team at Budd Dairy hopes to not only achieve success in its own right, but to allow its chef partners to succeed, too.

“We want to be a culinary incubator,” Hughes says. “I wanted to be part of these amazing chef partners to help them reach their full potential. We have 10 different operators who could be the next Cameron Mitchell or Dave Thomas. Long term, we want them to be successful.” CS

Mallory Arnold is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.

Hughes’s Recommendations

Pokébap: Musubi (Spam glazed with sweet soy, wrapped in sushi rice and seaweed) Alphabetical: The Braised & Confused (rosemary and garlic braised beef topped with caramelized onions, sweet and tangy jicama slaw, and cheddar blend) Cousins Maine Lobster: Maine Roll (Maine lobster served chilled with mayo on a New England roll with lemon wedge) Boni Filipino Street Food: Stuffed peppers Cluck Norris: Angry Bird (Cluck’s secret spice blend, pickles, spicy ranch and sesame bun) Modern Southern Table: Fried chicken, mac and cheese, and fried okra Tacos Rudos: Tacos Pastor (marinated pork with pineapple on a homemade tortilla) The Cheesecake Girl: Buckeye Mini Cheesecake (chocolate shortbread crust, peanut butter chocolate chip cheesecake topped with chocolate drizzle and mini buckeye)

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