Columbus Monthly – July 2024

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FEATURES

21

BEST OF COLUMBUS

Our annual guide reveals 70-plus unique personalities, inspiring ideas, creative boutiques and more. Plus, 99 top picks from Columbus Monthly readers—and five contrarian takes from us.

44 GENE’S MACHINE

As his remarkable career comes to an end, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith reflects on how a changing sports landscape could alter the money-making, championship-winning juggernaut he built in Columbus.

50 WHEELS OF JOY

In this excerpt from their new book, author Mandy Shunnarah writes about finding community (and a home in Columbus) at the city’s only indoor skate park. ON THE COVER:

Photo by Tim Johnson

Murals along Lafayette Alley Downtown

The

New Short North gallery Adamah features pieces by ceramists from Ohio and beyond.

A West Jefferson kitchen renovation centers functionality at the heart of the home.

Nearly

Big

70

Women restaurant owners thrive in

71

Carfagna’s Market and Ristorante strengthens its namesake family’s legacy.

Foris Extraordinary Meats celebrates 10 years and another Good Food Award.

Dosa Corner is Columbus’ South Indian must-try.

72

The last remaining York Steak House is for sale.

73

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Jill Moorhead contributed to the Best of Columbus feature package (Page 21) and wrote about women restaurant owners (Page 66). She’s a frequent Columbus Monthly contributor.

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CONTRIBUTORS

Bill Rabinowitz has covered Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch since 2011 and collaborated with Cardale Jones on his 2023 memoir. Rabinowitz profiled retiring OSU AD Gene Smith (Page 44).

Mandy Shunnarah is a Columbus essayist, poet and freelance writer. An excerpt from their new book, “Midwest Shreds: Skating Through America’s Heartland,” appears on Page 50.

FROM

The Magazine and Me

In 2002, I accepted a job as a staff writer at this publication. I thought it would be a stopover until I found my way back into daily journalism. Instead, it became a home. I fell in love with Columbus Monthly’s editorial mission (explanation and discovery, as my old boss Ray Paprocki used to describe it), plus its smart, playful voice and its commitment to long-form journalism. The magazine didn’t just strive to do good work. When it dug into a story, it was definitive. These qualities kept me motivated through three separate magazine stints. They have served as my guide stones as a reporter, associate editor, senior editor and (since 2019) top editor. They’re why I’ve stuck with the magazine through so much tumult, and they’re why I returned to the publication in 2015 after losing my job during an ownership shake-up three years earlier. Just five people have served as permanent editors in Columbus Monthly’s nearly 50-year history. I’m not the most significant of that group, but I am proud to say I’m the only one who was once

COMMENTS

Powerful Partnership

“White Power Outage,” our June issue collaboration with Matter News about Hilliard white supremacist Christopher Cook, who helped hatch a plot to attack the power grid and start a race war, found an audience on X (formerly Twitter). “Great journalism happening on a regular basis at Matter News, in collaboration with Columbus Monthly,” said former Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot “Really good piece from Andy Downing and Joel Oliphint about an Ohio teen’s evolution from isolated suburbanite to neo-Nazi radical,” wrote Christopher Mathias,

Dave Ghose

dghose@columbusmonthly.com

fired by the magazine.

A second chance like that doesn’t come along very often—especially in this industry—and I’ve never taken it for granted. Working for Columbus Monthly is a blast. It’s still a unique voice. It’s still dedicated to long-form storytelling. It’s still smart, playful and definitive—qualities you can see in this month’s cover feature, our annual Best of Columbus package (Page 21). But, as you probably guessed, I’m burying the lede, as they say in journalism. I’m stepping down from Columbus Monthly (on my own terms this time, mind you), and this issue is my last as the magazine’s editor. It’s time for someone else to build upon the publication’s legacy and offer a new vision. As I leave Columbus Monthly, I want to thank all the people (way too many to name here) who’ve supported both me and the publication during my 17 years at the magazine: insightful readers, dedicated advertisers, trusted sources and, above all, my devoted colleagues (both current and former). You’ve made this a beautiful home.

who covers the far right for Huffington Post.

“This portrait of fascism in the Columbus suburbs is chilling even before we get to the plans to sabotage the electricity grid,” said Dan Gearino, a writer for Inside Climate News. “Super grateful to Andy Downing, Joel Oliphint and Matter News for still doing great Peak Alt-Weekly investigative work in Colum-

Send letters to: Editor, Columbus Monthly, 605 S. Front St. , Ste. 300, Columbus, OH 43215. Or email: letters@columbus monthly.com. A letter must include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. Letters will be edited for length and clarity. All letters sent to Columbus Monthly are considered for publication, either in print or online.

Columbus Monthly @ColumbusMonthly @ColumbusMonthly

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bus,” tweeted writer and podcaster Rob Harvilla. Former Columbus Dispatch columnist Theodore Decker praised “the story of a misfit Hilliard kid turned wannabe terrorist. ... Straight out of ‘The Turner Diaries,’ but this ain’t fiction.” “It’s the discomfiting ending that is going to stick with me,” said Columbus Business First reporter Dan Eaton

“Great article and completely frightening,” tweeted reader Leslieanne Warlick. “How many more young men are harboring the same ideology?”

Ode to an Icon

Readers on Facebook loved the May issue story about siblings Julie and John Jenkins, owners of German Village gift shop Helen Winnemore’s. “My favorite shop in Ohio. I always visit when I’m back in town,” commented Jennifer Arthur Crabtree. Reader Winnie McFarland might win the award for longest-tenured customer: “I started shopping there in 1959.”

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front & center

more on Page 14.

Photo by Tim Johnson

Vibey Vacays Clintonville shop the Brass Hand has extended its brand with a related short-term rental, the Brass House. Read

A Cut Above

New Albany phenom Mia Hammond has emerged as one of the best junior amateur golfers in the country.

By Sheldon Zoldan

New Albany golfer Mia Hammond remembers her first tournament. She was 7 years old, one of six girls competing. Five received medals; she wasn’t one of them. “From that point forward, I was just so determined to finish in the top five. And once it was top five, it was top three; once it was top three, it was second. Then it was first.”

That 7-year-old girl, now 16, has become one of the best junior amateur female golfers in the country. She’s won more than 60 tournaments. She won the Drive, Chip & Putt at the site of the Masters as an eighth grader. Last year, she set a record by winning the state high school golf championship as a sophomore. And she earned national headlines in the summer of 2023 when she qualified for a women’s professional tournament, then made the cut and finished tied for 26th. “She has more talent than any junior golfer I’ve ever seen,” says Kyle Morris, one of her coaches and the owner of the Golf Room in Dublin, where she practices.

Mia started hitting golf balls when she was 3 years old, but she didn’t get serious about the sport until she was 7, when she was old enough to play at Zanesville Country Club, where her parents were members. “She had a cast on her arm one of the first times we took her out on the course,” says Mia’s mom, Terra Hammond. “She was adamant she wanted to hit balls with this cast on. I was amazed at how well she hit. From that point on, we knew she was going to be good.”

The Hammonds moved from Crooksville, 60 miles east of Columbus, to the New Albany school district in 2019, so

‘‘

“She has more talent than any junior golfer I’ve ever seen.”

—KYLE MORRIS, OWNER OF THE GOLF ROOM IN DUBLIN

Mia could play more competitive high school golf. She soon blew past the competition. She set a record for lowest score in the state tournament last September and won by seven strokes.

Mia won’t be eligible for another state title because she signed an NIL (name, image, likeness) contract in January with Columbus-based Sterling Sports Management. (The Ohio High School Athletic Association doesn’t allow athletes with such deals to compete in high school sports, a practice that could change in the coming years.) The company represents many golfers, but Mia is the first NIL client, says Jeff Chilcoat, president and owner.

“We’re pleased with how it started and pleased with her visibility,” he says. “When I went to the PGA Show, I was surprised at how many people knew who she was. … There was a pretty good awareness of her talent in the golf industry.”

Mia’s father, Tom Hammond, a golf instructor and her main coach, says sponsorships will help with expenses. Junior golf is a pricey sport, says Terra Hammond, who works full time at an infusion-therapy company. Tom Hammond takes time off as an instructor at the Golf Room to travel with Mia. Companies started calling after she made headlines at last July’s LPGA event, offering sponsorship deals. Sterling Sports says it will

PHOTO: TIM JOHNSON

Mia Hammond at Rattlesnake Ridge, her home golf course

make sure sponsorships won’t harm Mia’s college eligibility.

Mia says the LPGA tournament—the Dana Open at Highland Meadows Golf near Toledo—was “the best week of my life.” She shot the low round to get one of two qualifying spots on the Monday before the tournament. Then she made the cut shooting two rounds of 68, six under par, while beating back nerves. “I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous as I was on the very first tee of the first round,” Mia says. “My hands were visibly shaking.”

No amateur ever qualified on Monday and then made the cut, says Judd Silverman, the tournament’s executive director. Each day, she attracted bigger crowds and more media attention. Her galleries were larger than most of the pros, Silverman says. Though Hammond is small— just 5-foot-2 and 115 pounds—she can really hit the ball. She averaged 265 yards during the tournament. And she finished the tournament in style, with birdies on the final two holes.

The week was eye-opening for Mia. She realized she was inspiring the next generation of female golfers. She had her Caitlin Clark moment, as young girls lined up seeking autographs. “More than

anything, Mia’s heart, and her personality and how sweet she is, outweighs how good she is. She is an incredible, incredible human being,” says the Golf Room’s Morris. In May of this year, Mia played in one of the most prestigious junior amateur tournaments, the Mizuho Americas Open, where juniors get to play alongside LPGA golfers. Mia was disqualified

after the first round for signing an incorrect scorecard. Who told the officials about it? Mia.

Tom Hammond says he’s learned by trial and error when to be dad and when to be coach and caddy. When Mia was younger, she often got down on herself, cried and acted angrily when she hit a bad shot and wasn’t playing well. The father part of him had to discipline her, teaching her that wasn’t acceptable behavior.

The coach in him saw things differently, he says. He saw her passion and anger as a good thing if she could learn to use them in a positive way. “Today, she really is able to use some of the negativity toward motivating her, which I think has been a big thing for her development,” he says.

Though her demanding golf schedule forces her to miss a lot of school, Mia is an excellent student, boasting a 4.2 grade point average. She still has two years before graduating, but college coaches were allowed to start contacting her June 15. She doesn’t know which coach she will make happy.

“I don’t necessarily have a specific school that I’m looking at right now,” she says. “I’m just going to see what I can do and where I fit in best.” ◆



Hammond reacts after a putt at the Dana Open in July 2023.

Hammond tees off during the OHSAA Girls Division I state tournament in 2023 at Ohio State University.

Front & Center | Health & Wellness

Doctor in the House

As employers grapple with health care costs, some are piloting on-site wellness clinics. Chase and Bath & Body Works are among the local trendsetters.

By Tim Feran

Claire Esslinger had recently moved to Columbus to work at JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s regional headquarters when she encountered a problem.

“One day at work, I got sick,” she says. Esslinger had no idea where to go or what to do. But her co-workers in the Corporate Analyst Development Program told her, “Just go down to Vera and see what they have to offer.”

“Vera” is Vera Whole Health (part of apree health), which a year and a half ago joined with Central Ohio Primary Care to launch on-site advanced primary care centers in Chase’s Central Ohio offices, including the McCoy Center at Polaris.

“It was super easy,” Esslinger says. “I walked in and told them I wasn’t feeling well and would like to be seen, and they got me in immediately.”

Perhaps just as importantly, “You could tell they really cared and wanted to get to know you as an individual rather than just a patient. Sometimes when you go to doctors’ offices, they try to get you in, out and leave.”

Esslinger’s experience is exactly what Dan Mendelson had in mind when he spearheaded the creation of the on-site

‘‘

People don’t go to the doctor. There are barriers. But if you walk past that clinic every day, you’re more likely to go in.

—DAN MENDELSON, CEO OF MORGAN HEALTH

clinics. Mendelson is CEO of Morgan Health, a Chase business unit focused on, in his words, “accelerating the delivery of new care models that improve the quality, equity and affordability of employer-sponsored health care.”

“We want an integrated approach to health care,” Mendelson says. “This isn’t just about a doctor. It’s fully integrated with things like wellness coaching, behavioral health screenings, chronic disease management, pharmaceuticals and more—a whole health approach. We believe in prevention and helping employees and reducing downstream costs.”

To do that, Morgan Health helped launch five new advanced primary care centers for Chase in Columbus—three at company offices and two “near-site” clinics in Dublin and Westerville. Employees enrolled in the medical plan and their dependents can schedule an on-site visit at no cost; near-site clinics have a $15 co-pay. Since opening in August 2022, nearly 5,300 patients have visited, with 33 percent returning for additional care and consultation. “We wanted to take a step back and create an environment where [an integrated approach] is possible,” Mendelson says. “Standard health insurance plans just don’t offer that.”

Mendelson has long been focused on how health care cost and quality can be improved. He was previously founder and CEO of Avalere Health, an advisory company based in Washington, D.C., and associate director for health at the Office of Management and Budget in the Clinton White House. “Primary care is not a new thing, but as employees get super busy we can’t just sit back and expect it to happen,” he says. “People don’t go to the doctor. There are barriers. But if you walk past that clinic every day,

PHOTO: TIM JOHNSON

The Health & Wellness Center at JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s Polaris regional headquarters offers a wide variety of medical services.

you’re more likely to go in.”

Convenient, affordable, quality health care in a caring environment is a proposition that other Central Ohio employers also find compelling. Count Bath & Body Works among them. In September 2023, the company opened its own wellness center and pharmacy at the home office in Columbus.

“We’re committed to creating a space where our associates feel supported and valued,” chief human resources officer Deon Riley says. “We believe that when our associates feel genuinely cared for, they are empowered to use those tools to care for one another, our customers and our communities in a way that has meaningful and lasting impacts.”

The Bath & Body Works Wellness Center is open to all employees and contractors, whether or not they are enrolled in the company’s health insurance plan. That includes home office, store and distribution center workers. “We offer a low, flat fee for visits such as preventive care, urgent care, well-women exams, physical therapy and more,” Riley says. “When we make it easier and more cost-effective for our associates to receive the care they

need, they are more likely to prioritize their health.”

While some workers may worry about employers’ prying eyes, executives say on-site clinics are regulated by strict HIPAA privacy rules, just like traditional providers. Disclosure of protected health information can bring significant federal penalties, including steep fines.

How the financing model for on-site wellness works long term remains to be seen. Mendelson acknowledges “we’re paying more for primary care” on-site, but he expects that clinics such as those

at Chase and Bath & Body Works will ultimately reduce downstream costs. “We really set this up as a model for Central Ohio,” he says. “It’s too early to say if we’re seeing cost savings. But initially we are seeing lower ER usage.

“There’s so much fragmentation in health care,” Mendelson says. “It seems like we’re spending more money, but not seeing improved outcomes. This is intended to tackle both issues.” The on-site clinics are “testing a model that will ultimately improve health care for everyone.” ◆

Bringing the Best Cancer Care

Peter Kourlas, M.D.

Jarred Burkart, M.D. Shabana Dewani, M.D. Andrew Grainger, M.D. Joseph Hofmeister, M.D. Augustine Hong, M.D. Elizabeth Kander, M.D.

Erin M.Bertino, M.D.

Nse Ntukidem, M.D.

Thomas Sweeney, M.D.

Emily Saul, D.O.

Anish Parikh, M.D.

Joy Tang, M. D.

Kavya Krishna, M.D.

Shylaja Mani, M.D.

Erin Macrae, M.D.

Michael Ozga, M.D.

Pharmacists assist Bath & Body Works associates.

Living the Brand

Your favorite curio shop, fashion boutique or bar might have a short-term rental where you can be immersed in their look.

By Katy Smith

Successful hosts know half (or more than half) the fun of staying in a shortterm rental is living somewhere cooler than your own home. You can relax and have fun in a professionally designed pad that pops with statement art, attitude and funky furniture.

Design has a powerful effect on the human psyche, influencing feelings of well-being and productivity. Lighting, textures, shapes and colors all play a role in how much people like to be in a particular space. That dynamic plays out not only in homes but in small businesses— the bar, boutique or shop you love to visit simply because of the great vibes.

Many small-business owners add real estate to their portfolios, and furnishing and decorating short-term rentals is a way for the design-conscious to have fun practicing their craft and extending their respective brands.

Here are three Columbus brands with spaces for rent on Airbnb.

Trend-forward Short North shoe store Sole Classics has a 2,115-square-foot Airbnb that’s viewed as an outpost of the boutique. Owner Dionte’ Johnson says in the early days of Sole Classics, “I battled to the ends of the Earth to get anybody to visit Columbus.” Even though the store has a world-class collection of footwear brands, “unless you’re a Buckeyes fan or you knew somebody here, it just wasn’t on people’s radar,” he says. With the Airbnb, visitors doing creative projects with Sole Classics can stay in the Short North home, surrounded by limited-edition books, original artwork and a wall of shoes like one can find in the store.

These days, Johnson is taking his brand well beyond Columbus, too. Later this year, Sole Classics will open a Los Angeles-area boutique. It’s in a building Johnson bought on Market Street in the

Front & Center | Getaways

re-emerging city of Inglewood, which he describes as feeling like the Short North did 20 years ago.

The Brass Hand, Clintonville’s home goods and plant shop, has a midcentury Airbnb in Worthington. Owner Heather McCloud and her husband, Nathan Parry, offer the lower level of their home as a rental where guests can enjoy the eclectic Southwest cacti and wicker furniture ambiance found in the store. The Brass House, as it is called, is a vibrantly decorated retreat that takes full advantage of its wooded ravine setting along the Olentangy River.

Sister businesses Seventh Son Brewing Co. and Antiques on High are in the short-term rental game, too, with properties in Italian Village and German Village. The hip spaces offer retro décor, vintage records and amenities such as a pingpong table. The real estate play was a natural way to attract more like-minded people to the brands, co-owner Collin Castore told Brewer Magazine ◆

The Brass House

The Sole Classics Airbnb in the Short North

DON’T MISS THE NELSONVILLE

MUSIC

FESTIVAL

Even if music festivals aren’t your thing, don’t rule out Nelsonville on July 26-28. This isn’t Coachella. Imagine, instead, that your chill neighbors with really good music taste threw a family-friendly party with a bunch of their favorite bands, but their backyard also happens to be set in the hills of Southeast Ohio. The state’s best music fest is a comfortable, intimate affair, and it’s not unusual to see bands taking in the sights and sounds alongside festivalgoers.

In 2022, Nelsonville moved from its longtime home at Hocking College to Snow Fork Event Center, 3 miles from U.S. Route 33, a little over an hour from Columbus. This year’s headliners include rapper Killer Mike, Aussie indie-rocker Courtney Barnett and neo-soul act Thee Sacred Souls. Don’t sleep on the undercard, especially enigmatic songwriter Bonnie “Prince” Billy, virtuoso guitarist Yasmin Williams, ambient country band SUSS, legendary rocker Bob Mould and North Carolina alt-country act Fust, which released this writer’s favorite album from 2023, Genevieve.

You can also feel good about paying $100 for single-day tickets or $180 for a weekend pass (kids 12 and under are free), because that money funds programming at the nonprofit Stuart’s Opera House, a historic, beautifully restored theater and performing arts center in downtown Nelsonville that offers after-school programs, tuition-free arts education and other arts events to the surrounding Appalachian community.

Hate at the Lake

The Ku Klux Klan hosted two massive gatherings at Buckeye Lake in the 1920s.

By Jeff Darbee

Any community might welcome an organization seeking to be “a dignified, dependable agency for the achievement of civic righteousness.” But what if that organization also espoused the principle that the American population of white citizens “has proved its value and should not be mongrelized” through intermarriage or even association with other races, nationalities or non-Protestant faiths? This was the Ku Klux Klan, its name derived from the Greek word for “circle.” In the 1920s, it was at the peak of its membership, power, influence and (especially) violence, focused in the Midwest and Indiana in particular.

Klan members were not only everyday racists: the governor of Indiana at the time was a member, as was the mayor of Newark, Ohio. And the “grand dragon” of the Indiana Klan, D.C. Stephenson, had a summer home at Buckeye Lake. There,

in the mid-1920s, he called Klansmen together for two massive “Klonklaves.”

Buckeye Lake, once a canal reservoir and later the site of a state park (as it is today), had interurban train service from Downtown Columbus and hosted Klan gatherings in July 1923 and August 1925, aided by the interurban company’s provision of special cars to be sure everyone arrived on time. The 1925 gathering boasted attendance of more than 75,000 and possibly as high as 100,000. One poster, headed “Call of the Klan,” promoted the 1923 Klonklave, stating, “Klansmen From All States Invited to See Ohio Klux.” A photo from the 1925 get-together shows armed Klan “policemen,” all securely hidden in robes and hoods. National speakers and several marriages between Klansmen and spouses, called “Camellias,” were featured at the gatherings; their children were “Ku Klux Kiddies.”

By the end of the 1920s, legal woes and possibly more enlightened social attitudes led to a withering away of most Klan chapters, though even today, there may be 3,000 to 6,000 members nationally. And not long after the 1925 Klonklave, Indiana’s governor and Newark’s mayor were indicted for corruption. Late in 1925, grand dragon Stephenson was convicted of rape and second-degree murder and received a life sentence. Stephenson was released from prison in 1950 but returned after a few months because of a parole violation; he was released again in 1956 and died, apparently unrepentant, in 1966. ◆

Sources: worldpopulationreview.com; Anthony Lisska, “When the Klan Came to the Lake,” Buckeye Lake Yacht Club at buckeyelakeyc.com; Timothy Egan, “A Fever in the Heartland” (Viking, 2023)



Indiana Ku Klux Klan leader D.C. Stephenson owned a home at Buckeye Lake in the 1920s. He was convicted of rape and second degree murder in 1925.

The Ku Klux Klan hosted a July 1923 “Klonklave” at Buckeye Lake, one of two massive gatherings that occurred in the Central Ohio resort community during the 1920s.

Teen’s sarcoma journey takes her from Ecuador to Ohio State

Sarcoma treatment at Ohio State helped a teen return to life as a college student, and led her to a new calling as an advocate for patients in her home country of Ecuador.

In 2020, Andrea Najas was trying out new ways to fill time amid pandemic-caused lockdowns.

“I started to do some workouts and moving a lot more, and I developed this strange, sharp pain above my knee,” Andrea recalls. “I didn’t think much of it at first, but one afternoon, I couldn’t move my leg at all. That’s when I started to get really concerned.”

After a trip to a physical therapist led to an MRI, Andrea received news no teen expects to hear.

“I heard one of the doctors say, ‘Don’t go to the orthopedist, go to an oncologist.’ That’s how I found out that I was diagnosed with cancer.”

The news shocked the entire family, including Andrea’s father, Jose Ricardo Najas.

“We have three daughters — Andrea’s the youngest of them. It was a very scary time,” Jose Ricardo says.

After the initial shock of the diagnosis, Jose Ricardo reached out to an old friend who works at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute.

“We bought the tickets the next day, and we were in Columbus on Saturday,” he says. “We met with Dr. Mayerson on Monday, and

Tuesday she had her her biopsy, and that’s when we got confirmation that she had an osteosarcoma.”

Scan the QR code to learn more about sarcoma, including risks, symptoms and treatment options at the OSUCCC –James.

Sarcoma support for young patients

Joel Mayerson, MD, and his OSUCCC –James colleagues are among the world’s leaders in the treatment of sarcoma, which disproportionately affects young patients.

“Younger patients that have cancer have special needs that we address with our adolescent and young adult (AYA) program,” Mayerson says. “The AYA team helps with the challenges of dealing with cancer at such a young age, which allows us, as physicians, to optimize our patients’ care.”

AYA support was a core component of Andrea’s treatment as she adjusted to life as a cancer patient in a new country.

“Having psychological help is very important — having someone that is a professional in the area, just to calm you down and take you through the whole situation,” she says. “Hearing the word ‘cancer’ when you’re a teenager is a lot. So having someone walk you through the process and bring peace is very important.”

Because of the expertise of Mayerson and his sarcoma team, Andrea quickly began a personalized, comprehensive course of treatment. Eventually, she was able to resume life as a young college student, while launching a new effort to improve sarcoma care in Ecuador.

“Andrea’s light bulb went on, and she said, ‘Why don’t we do something to create awareness of what osteosarcoma is, and then to help with operations on patients,’” Jose Ricardo says.

Andrea and Jose Ricardo would soon team with Mayerson again to develop a program that would bring an Ecuadorian physician to the OSUCCC – James to learn from Ohio State sarcoma specialists.

“Raising awareness and capability can create opportunities to give everybody the best care, which they deserve,” Andrea says.

Scan the QR code to learn more about the OSUCCC – James’ adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer program.

Tomorrow’s sarcoma treatments for today’s patients

Rare cancers require unique care, so Ohio State’s sarcoma team includes a variety of surgeons, researchers, supportive care specialists and more, each dedicated to improving the treatment of these relatively uncommon conditions.

“The James Sarcoma Program has multiple specialists in every medical discipline that care for sarcoma patients and make sure they’re getting the best cutting-edge treatments,” Mayerson says.

Many Ohio State sarcoma patients benefit from innovative treatments through clinical trials, which provide novel therapies before they’re widely available. As an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, the OSUCCC – James combines research and care at one facility, allowing oncologists to seamlessly enroll patients in potentially-groundbreaking studies.

“We’ve developed a multidisciplinary team representing every medical specialty, giving many patients access to sarcoma clinical trials,” Mayerson says.

No matter what therapies are used, treatment begins with diagnosis, and as is the case with most medical conditions, early detection of sarcoma can help improve the chances of successful outcomes. That’s why Andrea is encouraging others to be aware of the symptoms of potential health issues, no matter their ages.

“If something weird is happening with your body, it’s very important to go check it out as fast as you can, just so you know you’re good or you’re catching anything in time,” she says. “If something is not normal, the best idea is to check it out with a doctor instead of ignoring it. That’s my advice to anyone, be it a kid, teen or adult — never ignore your symptoms.”

Scan the QR code to learn more about cancer clinical trials at the OSUCCC – James.

Spring Cocktail Competition

Nearly 300 guests attended Columbus Monthly’s Spring Cocktail Competition, which featured delicious libations from 11 local bars and restaurants. Some of the city’s best bartenders participated in the friendly May 22 challenge, hosted by the Fives Columbus and sponsored by Middle West Spirits, with Hiraeth taking home top honors. A portion of proceeds benefited Service! For Hospitality Workers.

1 Tina and Chris Christoff, Steve and Costula Balaloski

2 Ryan and Sara Goerlitz, Leslie and Jamie Brown

3 Tracy and Connie Black 4 Bob and Lieve Tschappat

5 Shanese and Jermain Davis 6 Chloe Keating, Seth Laufman, Napolean Burke 7 Adrienne Collins, Calvin Moorer 8 Allison and Craig Calcaterra 9 Claire Cookston, Natalie Cardenas 10 Emma Mattson-Surgenor, Mackenzie Jennings

datebook

A CURATED LIST OF THINGS TO SEE AND DO IN COLUMBUS

THROUGH AUG. 25 |

Big Bugs

Artist David Rogers’ traveling exhibition is spending the summer at Dawes Arboretum, its first visit to the Newark tree museum. The collection features massive insect sculptures, some as big as 25 feet long, 20 feet wide, 10 feet tall and weighing up to 1,200 pounds. Creatures include a spider and web, praying mantis, dragonfly, grasshopper and ladybug. dawesarb.org

JULY 1-27 | Kubrick in July

The Gateway Film Center’s annual celebration of visionary director Stanley Kubrick will showcase all 13 of his movies, including a mustsee July 27 screening of a 70-millimeter print of “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which “Oppenheimer” director (and Kubrick superfan) Christopher Nolan helped restore. gatewayfilmcenter.org

JULY 17 | ‘Calling Hours’ Mershon Auditorium at the Wexner Center for the Arts hosts the Columbus premiere of “Calling Hours,” a theater production performed by Coshocton residents and intended to eulogize the closure of Conesville, formerly one of the country’s largest coal-fired power plants. The performance grew out of Ohio Coal Communities, a multidisciplinary research project at Ohio State. wexarts.org

JULY 20 | Herb Alpert and Lani Hall

Acclaimed trumpet legend

Herb Alpert and his vocalist wife, Lani Hall, will perform a concert featuring Brazilian jazz and American standards, with a bonus audience Q&A. The Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass bandleader also co-founded A&M Records. Hall was a lead singer of Brasil 66 with Sergio Mendes. Catch the show at the Southern Theatre. capa.com

JULY 24 | MLS All-Star Game

For the first time, Lower.com

Field will host the league’s best players as they battle top talent from Mexico’s Liga MX. And while voting hadn’t yet finished before this issue was printed, Miami’s Lionel Messi will almost certainly be there if he’s healthy—an incredible opportunity to witness the greatest player in the world. mlssoccer.com/all-star

GIVE BACK

ONGOING

Litter League

Keep Columbus Beautiful is seeking volunteers to participate in this baseball-themed neighborhood cleanup program, with every “player” receiving invites to designated Columbus Clippers games this summer. columbus. gov/Community/ Department-ofNeighborhoods/KeepColumbus-Beautiful

JULY 20

Columbus Duck Race

The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Development Board hosts this event at Riverside Crossing Park in Dublin to support pediatric research at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute. Thousands of rubber ducks, purchased prior to the race, will whisk down a 300-foot slide, with each duck assigned a number so attendees can cheer on their favorites. nationwidechildrens.org/ giving/ways-to-give/ fundraising-events

JULY 27

Eat Up Columbus

This gala at the Columbus Museum of Art supports Freedom a la Cart, a nonprofit café and catering company that empowers survivors of human trafficking. freedomalacart.org

Lionel Messi

Best Columbus of

Our annual guide once again reveals the fun and funky heart of the city: 70-plus unique personalities, inspiring ideas, creative boutiques, tasty treats and more. Plus, five ways Columbus came up short over the past year.

By Nicholas Dekker, Chris Gaitten, Dave Ghose, Julanne Hohbach, Aaron Marshall, Jill Moorhead, Joel Oliphint and Peter Tonguette

Best of Columbus

HOMAGE TO A COACH

Homage founder Ryan Vesler took Big Game hype to the next level with a dial-in pep talk from Woody Hayes. Vesler explained on LinkedIn how he tracked down the number to Hayes’ former Cardiff Road home by combing through old phone book microfilm. He snapped up the out-of-service number and later recorded an outgoing message featuring a Hayes locker room speech, just in time for the Nov. 25 showdown. After three consecutive losses to Michigan, perhaps the Buckeyes should listen more closely to what Hayes has to say this year; his speech is still live at 614-488-1910.

DOUBLE SURPRISE

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium got an unexpected treat last July when 8-year-old gorilla Sully gave birth (Newborns often arrive without warning, as gorillas don’t show outward signs of pregnancy.) The real shocker: Zoo staffers thought Sully was a male. Sully came to Columbus four years ago from another zoo, which had misidentified her. The baby gorilla, Kwame, is the 34th welcomed since 1956, when Columbus made history as the first zoo in the world to have a gorilla birth.

LIGHTHEARTED LLCS

When purchasing real estate, some homeowners opt to create an LLC. These business names are usually dull, incorporating the address in some way: 1234 Pinegrove Way LLC. Sometimes, though, buyers get creative with the

moniker. In November, the new owners of a $1.6 million Delaware home channeled the Dark Knight with Wayne Manor Gotham LLC, and in October, Taco Belles LLC sold their place on the Scioto River for nearly $3 million. Live Más.

CLAIRVOYANT

In Ohio’s primary election on March 19, Derek Myers, who was in an 11-way U.S. House race for the Republican nomination in Ohio’s Second Congressional District, sent out a concession email at 3:19 p.m.—about four hours before polls closed. His campaign retracted the concession in a follow-up email that also referred to election evening as “such an impotent night.” A third email went out around 9 p.m. officially conceding the race. Myers finished dead last, so we’re guessing whoever sent that initial concession knew what was coming all along.

LIFELONG LEARNER

We all know that we’re never too old to learn something, but 80-year-old Columbus resident Olivia Burnett proves we are never too old to get credit for what we’ve learned. When personal reasons—including health issues and a need to secure employment to help her family—compelled her to leave Ohio State University in 1973, Burnett tried to keep up her studies by enrolling in classes elsewhere. Then, in 2023, Ohio State agreed to accept her additional credits and issue her a bachelor’s degree in child and youth studies. Kudos to the graduate.

Ryan Vesler

Olivia Burnett

Sully and her daughter, Kwame

Woody Hayes in 1967

EYE IN THE SKY

Even when they are retired from their intended purpose of identifying wildfires, fire towers still provide extraordinary views. Columbus residents learned that when the nowdecommissioned Keystone Fire Lookout, previously located in Jackson, Ohio, was taken apart and put back together again in its new home, the Scioto Grove Metro Park. There, visitors can ascend 100 feet to experience a perspective of the city and surrounding area like no other.

SOCK SKATING AT THE LIBRARY

It’s not every day that a major metropolitan library gets turned into something akin to a skating rink, but, then again, it’s not every day that the U.S. Figure Skating Championships slide into Columbus. In January, the championships were held at Nationwide Arena. To help get Central Ohioans in the proper frame of mind, the Columbus Metropolitan Library hosted figure-skaters-turnedauthors Gracie Gold and Nancy Kerrigan, presented an exhibition of skating memorabilia and, best of all, transformed a portion of its atrium into a “synthetic ice rink” on which guests could skate in their socks.

MARSY’S LAW AND POLICE

Marsy’s Law began as a victims’ rights initiative in California in 2008. Ohio voters approved Marsy’s Law in 2017, but complications began to arise when the law was codified last year. The Columbus Division of Police and other departments argue that under Marsy’s Law, police officers are also crime victims in certain incidents, which means their names are shielded from the public. So when a Blendon Township officer shot and killed 21-year-old Ta’Kiya Young and her unborn child outside a grocery store in August, the township would not reveal the officer’s identity. Rather than moving in the direction of greater transparency for agents of the state who employ lethal force, this application of Marsy’s Law instead removes another layer of public accountability for police officers.

Premature Horse Race

The jockeying has begun. While other elections (president, U.S. Senate) have attracted most of the attention this year, gubernatorial hopefuls are working behind the scenes to figure out if they have what it takes to make a play for the top political job in Ohio. Here’s a way-too-early look at the battle to succeed Mike DeWine in 2026.

The Front-Runners

Lt. Gov. Jon Husted and Attorney General Dave Yost are unquestionably at the head of the field. Both have strong name recognition. Both are highly visible and hardworking. But Husted is the stronger fundraiser, with a more varied political career (speaker of the House, secretary of state, InnovateOhio director). Yet Husted’s ties to the moderate DeWine could potentially hurt him in a Republican primary. And there’s the possibility that new revelations could connect Husted more directly to the FirstEnergy scandal, which, incidentally, is being investigated by his media-savvy rival, Yost.

The Right Flank

Despite their efforts to cozy up to Trump, neither Yost nor Husted is a true MAGA Republican. That could create a lane for a rightwing upstart. Jeremiah Workman, conservative Joe Blystone’s running mate during his 2022 primary challenge of DeWine, is currently the only announced candidate for governor in 2026. U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, a popular figure in the far right wing of the party, could also have an impact, though he’s declined to run statewide in the past. A deep-pocketed, conservative business leader is always a threat in a Republican primary. Could tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy follow up his anti-woke presidential campaign with an Ohio gubernatorial run? It seems unlikely given his friendship with Husted.

The Left Behind

After so many statewide losses— including DeWine’s 25-point victory over former Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley in 2022—Ohio Democrats are facing dim prospects in 2026. Yet some Democrat will run for governor. Maybe Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo? Or Ohio Supreme Court Justice Jennifer Brunner? Perhaps the most interesting scenario is what happens if U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown loses his 2024 reelection bid. Would he make a run for governor two years later?

The Dark Horse

He’s the least well-known of all the statewide elected officials, but that isn’t stopping Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague from exploring a run for governor, sources say. Term-limited from his current role, Sprague might be willing to roll the dice in a campaign for the top job rather than go after a down-ticket office, such as state auditor.

Jennifer Brunner

Allison Russo

Sherrod Brown

Vivek Ramaswamy

Warren Davidson

Jeremiah Workman

Jon Husted

Dave Yost

Robert Sprague

SCREEN DEBUT

Among Greater Columbus’ greatly expanding Bhutanese Nepali community— currently numbering about 30,000—is at least one potential future movie star: Reynoldsburg High School Summit Campus student Aditi Pyakurel won a part, her first in a feature film, in the drama “The World’s Happiest Man.” The movie, centered on a Bhutanese Nepali family that makes their home in Akron, also features Bruce Dern, whose countless credits include “The ’burbs,” “Nebraska” and “The Hateful Eight.”

TRIUMPHANT RETURN

On the first day of 2024, Columbus singer and songwriter Mery Steel released long-in-the-works album She’s Back!, and it was well worth the wait. The multi-instrumentalist made waves with a new live band back in 2020, but the pandemic became a roadblock to finishing the record. Steel persevered, and hopefully these eight gorgeous, emotionally raw tunes have opened the door for more Mery Steel songs sooner than later.

COLLECTION OF OHIO ARTISTS IN ONE ROOM

Last year, to celebrate the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s 150th anniversary, the Main branch hosted an exhibition by Rob Jones that included 150 ink-and-pencil portraits of notable Ohioans. The show featured plenty of historical figures, but Jones also emphasized Ohio artists past and present, including Aminah Robinson, Richard Duarte Brown and Elijah Pierce, along with writers (Scott Woods, Hanif Abdurraqib, Maggie Smith) and musicians (Nancy Wilson, Jenny Mae, Camu Tao).

PLACE TO FIND THE NEXT BILL WATTERSON

The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum is reaching out to engage young audiences through a new Cartoon and Comics Museum Education Program. The museum says the initiative, funded by an anonymous donor, was spurred by the growing interest parents and teachers have shown in comics and cartoon education. The program is expected to include activities such as hands-on workshops, interactive exhibits, school field trips and summer camps.

PERFECT PAIRING

Female painters of different generations, countries and artistic epochs were front and center in a pair of concurrent exhibitions at the Columbus Museum of Art that opened in April. Works by the French-born painter Marie Laurencin (1883-1956) and Columbus-born painter Robin F. Williams (b. 1984) were simultaneously on display. Despite the distinct styles of the two, the parallel shows were a vivid demonstration of the rich contributions of female artists in the past and present.

Mery Steel

Aditi Pyakurel

Portraits by Rob Jones at CML’s Main Library

Marie Laurencin’s “Raspberry,” oil on canvas, at the Columbus Museum of Art

Robin F. Williams’ “Siri Calls for Help,” acrylic and oil on canvas, at the Columbus Museum of Art

New Public Art

Columbus was late to the public art game, but the city is playing catchup as quickly as it can—an effort that’s becoming more and more visible. Janet Echelman’s “Current,” a gossamer sculpture comprising 78 miles of multicolored twine stretched above Gay and High streets Downtown, represents the most prominent example of a recent public art installation. Spearheaded by developer Jeff Edwards, who donated the piece to the Columbus Museum of Art, “Current” debuted in 2023 to mostly positive reviews (the fiber art is most dramatic when illuminated at night) and has sparked more conversation about public art.

Also last year, Los Angeles artist Sarah Cain created a huge, site-specific painting at the Franklinton headquarters of Orange Barrel Media, transforming the former concrete manufacturing facility into a kaleidoscopic display of playful, bright colors and abstract shapes. The company finished the renovation of the concrete plant in 2013, but OBM founder and CEO Pete Scantland, a prominent Columbus art collector, didn’t consider the headquarters complete until Cain’s finishing touch, which is titled “This is the thing they call life.”

And then there are the murals—lots of them in recent years. Last summer, for example, Adam Hernandez completed his 110-foot “Guardians of the Old North” mural on the side of the Old North Arcade on High Street. And in May, artists added gallons upon gallons of color to walls during the Alley Islands festival Downtown, which, according to the fest, is part of a larger plan to create murals on all buildings between Grant Avenue and Fourth Street along Lafayette Alley.

Jami Goldstein, vice president of marketing and communications for the Greater Columbus Arts Council, says more public art is on the way, and you can have a say in where it goes. In February, GCAC released a 196-page State of Public Art report, which will inform the comprehensive public art plan for Columbus and Franklin County, slated for release

in June. “This plan will prioritize Columbus-based artist participation in public art, and we hope to develop a fund that pools city, county and potentially private dollars so that in three to five years we’ve transformed the landscape of public art in Columbus,” Goldstein says.

GCAC is also partnering with Ohio State University to democratize where new public art should go. An interactive Franklin County map will display the existing public art collection, and users can then zoom in on the map and drop a pin

where they’d like to see public art in the future. “Overwhelmingly, people want to see more public art—87 percent—but only 56 percent get to see it on a daily basis,” Goldstein says. Look for those tools at takepartcolumbus.com.

“Current” in Downtown Columbus

PHOTOS FROM TOP: INFINITE IMPACT, TIM JOHNSON (2), BRAD FEINKNOPF

LafayettemuralsColorfulalongAlley inColumbusDowntown

“This is the thing they call life” at Orange Barrel Media’s headquarters

ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

About two months after a smashing appearance at the Oscars, multiple Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and composer Jon Batiste made a two-day detour to Columbus. In its first-ever musical residency, the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra played host to Batiste and his jazz ensemble. The high-profile guests were featured in a pair of concerts in early May, each of which had distinct repertoire. Batiste even composed a work that the orchestra premiered. Although ProMusica is no stranger to hosting top-level talent, including Leslie Odom Jr. and Renee Elise Goldsberry, Batiste’s multiday stint was surely a musical stopover to remember.

Faceoff: Prodigal Authors

In November, Columbus writer and podcaster Rob Harvilla published “60 Songs that Explain the ’90s,” a supremely entertaining, incisive book based on his wildly popular podcast of the same name. And in March, Columbus writer Hanif Abdurraqib released “There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension.” Both books garnered rave reviews; multiple outlets named “60 Songs” one of the best music books of 2023, and “There’s Always This Year” hit the New York Times best seller charts. (Abdurraqib also wrote a blurb for “60 Songs,” calling it “an interactive, immersive delight.”)

Most importantly, though, both of these writers lived in Columbus, departed for a time, then came back and published high-profile books. Obviously, returning to Central Ohio is a recipe for success. Who knows what Guy Fieri could do if the king of frosted tips rediscovered his birthplace? Here’s a quick look at these two prodigal authors we’re proud to claim as our own.

Rob Harvilla

Alt-weekly bona fides: Wrote for The Other Paper, Cleveland Scene, The Village Voice (NYC), East Bay Express (Oakland)

Podcasts: 60 Songs that Explain the ‘90s

Height: Tall

THE RISE AND FALL OF FLAVORTOWN FEST

Back in 2020, when people were discussing new names for our city in light of the removal of Christopher Columbus statues amid racial justice protests, some residents rallied around the idea of Flavortown, in honor of Food Network star and Columbus native Guy Fieri—the selfproclaimed mayor of Flavortown. So when Fieri announced that Columbus would host the inaugural Flavortown Fest in June 2024, featuring tons of food and musical acts like Poison frontman Bret Michaels, it made some sense. Then, in February, organizers canceled the fest due to “unforeseen circumstances.” No word on whether those circumstances had anything to do with two-day general admission passes going for a whopping $155.

Book title accuracy: Despite its name, the podcast 60 Songs that Explain the ’90s actually analyzes double the number in the title (plus many, many more in the show’s preambles). The book similarly covers a lot more ground than the title implies; the cover even includes an arrow to “60” with a brief explanation: “There’s way more than that, actually.” A classic case of Midwestern humility. Underpromise, overdeliver.

Plaudits: 60 Songs previously claimed the No. 1 spot on Spotify for music podcasts, and multiple outlets named the print companion one of the best music books of 2023. Unofficially, Harvilla is also the second-tallest American music critic behind Stereogum’s Tom Breihan.

Author bio shoutouts to Central Ohio: “He lives with his family in Columbus, Ohio, by choice.”

Hanif Abdurraqib

Alt-weekly bona fides: Wrote for Columbus Alive, The Other Paper

Podcasts: Object of Sound, Small Joys

Height: Not tall

Book title accuracy: Abdurraqib’s books are always about the thing in the title and also not about the thing in the title. You can read and enjoy “There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension” without knowing anything about basketball, but it’s also a great read if you’re familiar with the game. And that first part of the title is a truism for all sports fans: There’s always this year.

Plaudits: “There’s Always This Year” made the New York Times best sellers list. Abdurraqib also previously received the Mac Arthur Foundation’s “Genius” grant, and he won the Carnegie Medal for his 2021 book “A Little Devil in America,” which was a finalist for the National Book Award.

Author bio shoutouts to Central Ohio: “He is a graduate of Beechcroft High School.”

Taste Test: Glazed Doughnuts

Despite what you might think, glazed doughnuts are not all the same. They can vary in size, shape, texture. Glazes can be sweet, sticky, thick or translucent. Some even have a touch of citrus. The Columbus Monthly team—along with some friends from The Columbus Dispatch and longtime contributor Nicholas Dekker (aka Breakfast with Nick)—made this realization when we set out to determine the best glazed yeast doughnut in the city—or to be more specific, within I-270. The sheer number of local doughnut shops made it impossible to do a full Central Ohio survey. Instead, we focused our blind taste test on 10 joints inside the outerbelt, leaving open the possibility of exploring outlying shops down the road. Here are our three top choices, based on such criteria as appearance, glaze, overall flavor and originality.

First Place

GOLDEN DONUTS & DINER

(1928 Lockbourne Road, South Side)

Comments: This old-school shop was the surprise winner, besting better-known bakeries and diners and earning raves for its originality and distinctive glaze. “If a doughnut can be pretty, this one is,” one judge said.

Second Place

AUDDINO’S ITALIAN BAKERY (1490 Clara Ave., University District)

Comments: The beloved bakery near the Ohio Expo Center brought back doughnut production earlier this year, much to the joy of our judges, many of whom praised the lemony taste of its glazed variety.

Third Place

AMY’S DONUTS

(650 Georgesville Road, Far West Side)

Comments: The small chain with one Central Ohio location received high marks for its doughnut’s appearance, flavor, texture and “balance.” Said one judge: “Melts in your mouth … so good.”

OTHER PARTICIPANTS:

• Buckeye Donuts (Campus)

• Buckeye Donuts (South Side)

• Destination Donuts

• DK Diner

• Honey Dip Donuts & Diner

• The Original Goodie Shop

• Resch’s Bakery

A variety of doughnuts in Columbus Monthly’s taste test

PHOTO: TIM JOHNSON

When the renovated Open Air building debuted in old North Columbus in 2021, it focused attention on a relatively new idea: restaurants along bike trails. The project offers a template for other developers looking to replicate its success, but cyclists don’t have to wait for that to happen. It’s already possible to go on a fun (and fairly accessible) culinary trail ride. Here are some bike-friendly options, focused on the Olentangy and Lower Scioto Greenway trails.

1 THE HILLS MARKET

7860 Olentangy River Road, Worthington Hills

Culinary Bike Ride

If it’s a weekend, start your day at this specialty grocery store that offers a hearty (and cheap) pancake breakfast. For $5, you get coffee, two sausages and two large pancakes (with blueberries and chocolate chips, if you wish) every Saturday and Sunday morning during the cycling season.

Accessibility: Plenty of bike racks and located right off the northern terminus of the Olentangy Trail

2 OLENTANGY SQUARE

Bethel Road, Northwest Side

Take the Bethel Road connector from the Olentangy Trail to reach this shopping center, which includes such global gems as Han Ma Oom Korean Market, Tandoori Grill, MinGa Korean Restaurant and Bamboo Thai Kitchen.

Accessibility: Connector ends at Bethel and Olentangy River roads, forcing riders to brave Bethel traffic briefly to complete the journey. No bike racks at the center.

3

OPEN AIR

2571 Neil Ave., Old North

A beautiful bike-friendly outpost, with one of the prettiest patios in Columbus and lots of food and drink options from Emmett’s Café and Understory.

Accessibility: A short spur off the Olentangy Trail leads to a staircase up to Open Air. Two bike racks are at the bottom of the stairs, with more bike parking options at the top.

4 LOWER.COM FIELD

96 Columbus Crew Way, Arena District OK, not exactly a culinary destination. But the Crew’s home

has expanded its food offerings this year, with new items such as Korean BBQ puffle, a bruschetta board and Condado tacos.

Accessibility: A pedestrian bridge connects the Arena District to the Olentangy Trail, and Franklinton Cycle Works offers free bike valet services for home games.

5 MILESTONE 229

229 Civic Center Drive, Downtown

Join the Lower Scioto Greenway Trail at the confluence of the Olentangy and Scioto rivers, following the route to this restaurant at Bicentennial Park, the only eatery on the Downtown riverfront. Food is decent, but the view is the real star.

Accessibility: Right on the trail and lots of bike racks.

6 NOCTERRA BREWING CO.

AUDUBON (COMING SOON)

516 Maier Place, Brewery District

A new bike-friendly gem is set to open soon (possibly this summer) on the edge of Scioto Audubon Metro Park. The Powell brewery’s second location, which will include a taproom and a restaurant, will embrace biking and serve as a gathering place for its Mountain Bike Team.

Accessibility: Just a few steps from the Lower Scioto Greenway Trail. Renderings show plenty of bike parking.

DOWNTOWN

Nocterra Brewing Co. Audubon

The Hills Market

Best of Columbus • FOOD & DRINK

ORGANIC VINO VENUE

In 2023 the inaugural Columbus Natural Wine Festival came together through the collaborative efforts of the Bottle Shop, Accent Wine, Law Bird, Coast Wine House and several more local restaurants. Crowds gathered in the Lazarus Galleria in Downtown Columbus to taste an impressive lineup of natural wines—organic vino made without chemical additives—from around the country. The 2024 edition, which was to be held in June, planned to move to Gay and High as part of the UnderCurrent Downtown programming, and was to feature live-fire cooking from chefs Avishar Barua and B.J. Lieberman.

FRENCH FRIES

Listeners to Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast Revisionist History may remember a 2017 episode in which he detailed the history of the McDonald’s french fry, and how its quality tanked when McDonald’s stopped frying them in beef fat. So we think he’d be more than pleased with the fries at Chapman’s Eat Market. Chapman’s fries theirs to a perfect, crave-able crisp in beef fat; like everything on the menu, it’s that extra care and attention that makes it a local standout.

TIPPER

As if there weren’t enough reasons to like Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, he made local headlines last June when he visited Brown Bag Deli in German Village for sandwiches and baklava. The staff reported that he was kind and friendly, graciously stopping for a fan photo, and then leaving a $50 tip on a $7 bill. Even on top of a Heisman trophy and a Super Bowl appearance, Burrow is a winner off the field.

LIQUID INCENTIVE

Will travel for free beer! This year, Visit Dublin Ohio, the convention and visitor’s bureau for the Columbus suburb, launched a marketing campaign offering free beer to anyone who visited from Dublin, Ireland (you know, the other Dublin). And in fact, five real Dubliners took them up on their offer. They were given $200 Visa gift cards, which they promised to use on their bar tabs. Now, all five already had other reasons for visiting, but in terms of a marketing initiative, it certainly generated some buzz.

OASIS OF AUTHENTICITY

It’s weird, ugly and cheap, but that hasn’t stopped Betty’s Bar—a glorious, windowless dive just a corner kick away from fancy-pants Lower.com Field—from becoming a beloved pre- and post-match hangout for the Columbus Crew faithful. It’s quite a second act for a joint that’s been around so long that it was open when the Ohio Penitentiary ran three shifts of guards nearby. Belly up to the bar at this stubborn, blue-collar survivor that, by all rights, should no longer exist in the bland, corporate Arena District.

Natural wines

Chapman’s Burger (double) with fries at Chapman’s Eat Market

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow poses with a customer, Kate Haugh of Bexley, at Brown Bag Deli.

Visit Dublin Ohio, the visitor’s bureau for the city, placed advertisements in downtown Dublin, Ireland, inviting people to come visit the “other Dublin” and drink some free beer around St. Patrick’s Day.

Coffee Artist

Locals know Columbus coffee can compete on the national stage, and this year Haley Henderson, barista and head of retail operations for Brioso Coffee, took home first place in the Latte Art World Championship Open in New York City. The competition is part of Coffee Fest, a top industry trade show held four times a year around the country. “I’ve always really loved latte art,” says Henderson, who has worked at Brioso for nine years. “It was something I really liked to do since the beginning.”

She’s competed multiple times over the years, and each competition can be grueling. “It’s a three-day tournament,” she says. “There are 64 people that get into the competition, but it’s usually over 100 that apply. The first day’s really long, because you have to go through 32 rounds of competitions. It’s also the hardest because you fly to this city and then you don’t know what’s going on. You just have to get up there and do your best. And then you just compete down the bracket for three days.”

It’s difficult to earn a perfect score, but Henderson’s winning pours—each one using a complicated rosetta design—bested the competition this year, and in doing so, she became one of only three women to win in the last 10 years.

DINER DUO

Longtime Columbus residents were rightfully dismayed when Nancy’s Home Cooking closed in 2020 after 52 years in business. Known for its garbage omelets and hefty portions of chicken and noodles, the Clintonville institution had struggled with the deaths of two owners and the need for significant renovations before moving to Downtown Columbus at the unfortunate time of early 2020. However, another local dining favorite, itself under new ownership, has merged some of Nancy’s signature dishes into its regular menu. That’s right, with the help of Nancy’s owner Rick Hahn, the Starliner Diner in Hilliard has added Nancy’s classics to the rotation. So now you can come for the huevos rancheros and stay for the chicken and noodles.

For each round, competitors go head-to-head, getting two-and-ahalf minutes to make as many lattes as they want. “It usually only leaves you time to do two,” Henderson says. “I try to do just one, and not rely on making the second one. That’s part of my strategy.”

Competitors are judged on a seven-point scale for creativity/difficulty, line clarity, color distribution, symmetry/balance, execution, presentation and speed. “That’s also part of why I try to go with my first one,” Henderson says. “I like to snap up that speed point.”

RESTAURANT CAR CRASHES

In April, Fox in the Snow Café’s Italian Village location was forced to close for three days after a driver, feeling lightheaded, went over a curb, through a vacant lot, hit another car and then plowed into the popular Fourth Street eatery’s building, striking tables and chairs inside, according to an NBC4 report. Thankfully, nobody was hurt. But that doesn’t mean we should dismiss this as just a freak accident. Something weird seems to be going on with drivers crashing into Columbus restaurants. An Ohio State professor who requested anonymity has even put together a PowerPoint presentation on the phenomenon, identifying seven restaurant car crashes in Central Ohio since 2020. Be careful out there, Columbus. Restaurateurs face plenty of challenges already; don’t make their lives worse by steering your SUVs into their livelihoods.

Haley Henderson pours a latte at Brioso Coffee.

Henderson’s award-winning latte art

Museum Store Finds

Museum shops aren’t just for visitors. Columbus Monthly shopped the shelves of four Columbus stores, where you can find globally significant and locally made gifts, artwork and everyday household items to bring style and a piece of history into your life. Exit through the gift shop, but don’t miss out on the charm these institutions have to offer.

1 DAQI Concept Chirp LED alarm clock and light, $295 at the Columbus Museum of Art Store 2 Aminah Robinson boxed notecards (16 count), $15.95 at the Columbus Museum of Art Store 3 “My mind is with the weather,” by Tanya Lukin Linklater, documenting a series of significant recent works produced by Lukin Linklater and her collaborators, $25 at the Wexner Center Store 4 Mastodon 3D skeleton kit $15 at the Ohio History Store 5 Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks speckled V-shaped mug with terra cotta base $12 at the Ohio History Store 6 Paperweight made with granite from the 2008 renovation of the Statehouse, $38 at the Statehouse Museum Shop 7 Hand-loomed beaded necklace from Marigold co-op in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, $100 at the Wexner Center Store 8 Statehouse glass-etched decanter, $79 at the Statehouse Museum Shop 9 Third Drawer Down “kindness” tea towel collaboration with David Shrigley, $36 at the Wexner Center Store 10 Always CMA Baggu tote bag, $49.95 at the Columbus Museum of Art Store 11 “Color Waves XXI,” stained glass and metal work by Jacob Hinnenkamp (6.5” x 8.5”), $400 at the Statehouse Museum Shop

CREEPY COLLECTION

Cora Mandragora—burlesque performer, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” regular, and co-owner of Bossy Grrl’s Pinup Joint—launched Cora’s Curiosities in Old North late last year. The Columbus “oddity and curiosity shop” (an official retail category) is the best place to find two-headed taxidermy ducklings and papier-mâché puppets made by a priest, among other items. If funerary equipment isn’t your vibe, the store features uranium glass and plenty of edgy buttons and pins.

PET PROJECT

Columbus Humane’s Essential Care Center tends to the needs of pets while also helping offset the burden animal care can place on people. The facility, which is located on South High Street, consists of a drive-thru pet food pantry, a veterinary assistant training program and a clinic providing services at lowerthan-average prices, including vaccinations, wellness checks and care for sick or injured animals.

LUXE LEATHER

Cleveland-based Fount, which offers artisan, ethically sourced leather products, opened its Easton location a year ago. With an earthy and woodsy smell upon entering, the boutique features a wide variety of leather goods handcrafted by skilled artisans in Ohio, the Dominican Republic and Mexico. Items include crossbody bags, totes, wallets and leashes. The store provides a lifetime warranty on its products, helping make each pricey piece worth the investment.

SHIRT FOR MUSIC FANS

Lost Radicals, the online apparel shop of local designer Dave Barber, has a “State of Rock” T-shirt that features 99 Ohio artists inside the shape of the Buckeye State. A wearable hall of fame for the diverse collection of musicians connected to the state, the design both educates and celebrates and is a Where’s Waldo for your favorite Ohio bands.

SOURCE FOR VINTAGE

PHOTO

GEAR

With the ubiquity of smartphones, it seems that everyone now considers themself an amateur photographer. For those whose taste in cameras runs more toward the vintage, however, head over to World of Photography in Grandview Heights. The store, which sells, rents and buys cameras and equipment, is stocked with gear by Canon, Sony, Zeiss and countless other classic brands. Smartphones—who needs smartphones?

E-BIKE REBATES

Last year, Columbus launched a $250,000 program offering partial rebates for e-bike purchases. After high demand, the city decided to fund the Smart Columbus program at double the amount in 2024. To get a slice of that half-milliondollar pie, residents must apply for a voucher at columbusebikes.com; incentives range from $500 to $2,500 depending on the model. Even with the battery assist, e-bikes offer a physically active alternative to vehicle commutes. Plus, the more energy-efficient e-bikes on Columbus roads and trails, the less traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

SUMMER CHEATING

Ashley Madison announced in May that Columbus led the country in the number of per-capita summer sign-ups to the infidelity website, taking top honors from Miami, the previous year’s summerfling leader. It’s bad enough that Columbus is apparently a hot spot for adultery. But what makes it even worse is that the city (new to the rankings this year) is facilitating affairs through the website behind one of the most infamous data breaches in history in 2015, the subject of a recent Netflix documentary series that explores how hackers released stolen personal information for nearly 37 million of the site’s users. So we’re not only cheaters–we’re stupid cheaters.

World of Photography

State of Rock shirt

Cora’s Curiosities

Faceoff: Clintonville Flag Stores

Located just a five-minute walk from one another on North High Street in Clintonville, two competing flag stores have stayed in business side by side for decades, showing that there’s no shortage of patriotism in their corner of the city.

The Flag Lady

Origin: On her farm in Mount Vernon, Ohio, in the late 1970s, Mary Leavitt had a vision that inspired her to sell American flags out of the trunk of her car during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. She opened her first physical store in 1987.

Current Owner: Lori Leavitt Watson, daughter of the original Flag Lady, worked in the store her entire life and took it over after her mother’s retirement in 2017.

Columbus Allegiance: The store is licensed by Ohio State University and hand-makes all Ohio State flags on-site.

How many times the current owner has been to Lawson Flag Supply: Zero

Cost of a 3-by-5-foot nylon U.S. flag made in the United States: $49

Origin: William Lawson’s son was in South America and didn’t know where to get an Ohio flag. He called his father, who contacted a Coshocton-based flag manufacturer to fulfill the need. This act catapulted the retired Columbus police officer into opening his store in 1980.

Current Owner: Jim Farrell, who worked at Lawson Flag Supply prior to joining the Army, purchased the store in 2004 upon Lawson’s retirement.

Columbus Allegiance: The store is the go-to source for the Franklin County government when purchasing its branded flags.

How many times the current owner has been to the Flag Lady’s Flag Store: Zero

Cost of a 3-by-5-foot nylon U.S. flag made in the United States: $41

Lawson Flag Supply

JOB INTERVIEW

When Ohio State men’s basketball coach Chris Holtmann was fired midseason, interim coach Jake Diebler, a former assistant, could have been nothing but a placeholder. Instead, Diebler led an immediate, shocking upset of No. 2 Purdue, and the Buckeyes won eight of their last 11 games, earning him the full-time job. His offseason haul of talent from the transfer portal signals his success is more than a rebound.

GROUNDHOG DAY EXPERIENCE

Every athlete dreams of that clutch moment—game on the line, ball in their possession—but apparently Sophia Borghese has a recurring dream. In 2022, the Thomas Worthington freshman field hockey player scored the tie-breaking goal in overtime to win the state championship. Fast forward to 2023—tied 1-1 in overtime in the state title tilt—and again Borghese delivered the game-winner. With two more years in high school, no one’s sleeping on her now.

STATEMENT GAME

This was a watershed year for women’s basketball, driven largely by Iowa’s wildly popular phenom, Caitlin Clark. But for a few hours, the Buckeyes staked their claim to the spotlight by overcoming Clark’s 45 points to beat the No. 2 Hawkeyes. The game also previewed WNBA battles to come, as OSU’s Jacy Sheldon and Celeste Taylor were selected in the draft alongside Clark and her teammate Kate Martin.

PORTAL PICKUPS

Following a third consecutive loss to Michigan and a faceplant against Missouri in the Yikes, Let’s Never Speak of This Again Bowl, coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes sought help from the transfer portal. They came up huge, landing talented quarterbacks Will Howard (Kansas State) and Julian Sayin (Alabama), workhorse running back Quinshon Judkins (Ole Miss), stalwart lineman Seth McLaughlin (Alabama) and star safety Caleb Downs (Alabama). Forget reloading—OSU got bigger guns.

MARK WAHLBERG AUTO GROUP AND OSU FOOTBALL

Marky Mark wasted no time partnering with Ohio State University athletes on name, image and likeness deals. Last year, the Mark Wahlberg Auto Group signed seven OSU football players to NIL contracts: Kyle McCord, Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, Sonny Styles, Denzel Burke, J.T. Tuimoloau and Xavier Johnson—a group that will heretofore be known as the Funky Bunch.

Ohio State men’s basketball coach Jake Diebler with guard Roddy Gayle Jr.

THE MIKE BABCOCK FIASCO

Though we didn’t want to give the Blue Jackets this dishonor two years in a row, Mike Babcock forced our hand. It seemed like a terrible idea from the start to put the team in the hands of someone like Babcock, whose reputation for cruelty had made him persona non grata throughout the NHL, even though his coaching accomplishments included a Stanley Cup and two Olympic gold medals. Then it took less than three months to prove the conventional wisdom was right, as Babcock was forced to resign after it emerged he asked to look at his players’ cellphones. Maybe another coach could have survived this privacy misstep, but Babcock got no leeway from the players union and the public, forcing the Blue Jackets to act. Seemingly unable to recover from this disastrous start to the season, the team missed the playoffs again and finished last in the Eastern Conference.

Glorious Photo

The outstretched arms. The warm embraces. The sea of black and gold. The joyful expressions. As the Columbus Crew completed their stunning march to become MLS Cup champions at Lower.com Field in December, former Columbus Dispatch photo intern Clare Grant wisely pointed her camera at the Nordecke, home to the Crew’s most devoted supporters. The resulting image captures the moment perfectly, perhaps best represented by the couple in the middle of the frame about to kiss. Nobody deserves this victory more than the fan base that rallied to save the team. And what a team it is now, with its visionary coach, gifted players, beautiful new stadium and electric style of play. Smooch away, you glorious, rain-soaked true believers.

SEMI-SUBMERGED SUCCESS

What constitutes a dynasty? Would the Kansas City Chiefs, with three Super Bowl rings in five years, qualify? Yeah, maybe. But a true dynasty is self-evident. Take the Upper Arlington girls water polo team, which won its 19th state championship in 24 years last November. The win was the school’s fifth straight, meaning two consecutive graduating classes achieved nothing short of a title. That’s dominance.

ROOKIE DEBUT

There are impressive premieres, and then there’s what former OSU quarterback C.J. Stroud accomplished with the Houston Texans. His 4,108 yards passing in a season were the third-most all-time for an NFL rookie, and he set the single-game rookie passing record with 470 yards. He became the youngest QB ever to win a playoff game and the first ex-Buckeye QB to make the Pro Bowl. Stay tuned—Stroud seems poised for much more.

C.J. Stroud

Best Columbus of

Best of Columbus

Best Cocktails

1 Echo Spirits Distilling Co. 11.29%

2 High Bank Distillery Co. 9.68%

3 Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge 9.48%

Best Coffee Shop

1 Stauf’s Coffee Roasters 26.85%

2 Fox in the Snow Café 23.75%

3 Crimson Cup Coffee 8.43%

Best Deli

1 Katzinger’s Delicatessen 39.02%

2 The Brown Bag Delicatessen 28.24%

3 Block’s Bagels, Bakery & Deli 10.59%

Best Desserts

1 Pistacia Vera 23.58%

2 Belle’s Bread 14.34%

3 Chocolate Café 13.58%

Best Diner

1 Starliner Diner 18.75%

2 Tommy’s Diner 15.73%

3 DK Diner 14.31%

Best Doughnut 1 Buckeye Donuts 28.80%

2 Resch’s Bakery 12.93%

3 DK Diner 10.41%

Best Fast-Casual 1 Brassica 33.83% 2 Bibibop 15.41% 3 Lavash Café 13.72%

Best Food Truck 1 Ray Ray’s Hog Pit 28.85% 2 Cousins Maine Lobster 13.38%

3 Los Agavez Taqueria 7.26%

Best Fried Chicken

1 Hot Chicken Takeover 37.99%

2 CM Chicken 17.94%

3 The Eagle 12.66%

Best Gourmet Pizza

1 Harvest Pizzeria

24.47%

2 Dewey’s Pizza 16.96%

3 Natalie’s Grandview 12.52%

Best Happy Hour

1 The Pearl 11.63%

2 Forno Kitchen + Bar 11.34%

2 Lindey’s 11.34%

3 Kitchen Social 11.05%

Best Hot Dogs

1 Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace 70.29%

2 Dad’s Coneys and Wraps 9.28%

3 Tony’s Coneys 7.43%

Best Ice Cream

1 Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams 32.91%

2 Graeter’s Ice Cream 29.07%

3 Johnson’s Real Ice Cream 9.11%

Best Indian/ Pakistani Restaurant

1 Aab India 33.15%

2 Rooh 16.99%

3 Indian Oven 6.58%

Best Italian Restaurant

1 Villa Nova 9.95%

2 Novella Osteria 9.76%

3 La Tavola 9.58%

Best Kids Menu

1 Cap City Fine Diner 19.81%

2 Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern 14.49%

3 101 Beer Kitchen 13.04%

3 Bob Evans 13.04%

3 Northstar Café 13.04%

Best Korean Restaurant

1 Gogi Korean BBQ 25.58%

2 Min-Ga Korean Restaurant 24.42%

3 KPot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot 12.79%

Best Latin American Restaurant

1 El Arepazo 37.96%

2 Sí Señor Peruvian Sandwiches 21.17%

3 Sidebar Tapas Bar & Grill 8.03%

Best Live-Fire Restaurant

1 Agni

Best Mediterranean/ Middle Eastern

Plant-Based Dining

Comune 40.23%

Portia’s Café 16.86% 3 Seitan’s Realm 11.49% Best Ramen 1 Fukuryu Ramen 22.73% 2 Meshikou Ramen 18.88% 3 Tensuke Ramen 11.89% Best Romantic

Best Rooftop Patio 1 Jackie O’s on Fourth 12.46% 2 Vaso 11.82% 3 Antiques on High 11.18% Best Sandwiches

Katzinger’s Delicatessen 23.21% 2 Wario’s Beef and Pork 21.05% 3 The Brown Bag Delicatessen 13.88%

Jackie O’s on Fourth

Resch’s Bakery

Best of Columbus

Best of Columbus

SUMMERS ARE FOR FESTIVALS IN COLUMBUS!

Best Blue Jackets Player

1 Boone Jenner 45.51%

2 Zach Werenski 18.54%

3 Johnny Gaudreau 11.80%

Best Buckeyes Football Player

1 TreVeyon Henderson 39.88%

2 Emeka Egbuka 30.36%

3 J.T. Tuimoloau 20.24%

Best Chef

1 Aaron Clouse, Littleton’s Market 28.98%

2 Avishar Barua, Joya’s Café/Agni 14.81%

3 BJ Lieberman, Chapman’s Eat Market/Hiraeth 11.55%

Best Crew Player

1 Cucho Hernández 52.10%

2 Diego Rossi 16.17%

3 Darlington Nagbe 14.37%

Best Female TV Anchor

1 Colleen Marshall, NBC4 23.73%

2 Yolanda Harris, 10TV 19.30%

3 Monica Day, NBC4 16.77%

Best Male TV Anchor

1 Matt Barnes, NBC4 32.49%

2 Kurt Ludlow, ABC6/FOX28 24.19%

3 Bob Kendrick, ABC6/FOX28 12.64%

Best Radio Morning Show

1 Mornings with Brian Phillips, cd929fm.com (now off air) 81.02%

2 Dave and Jimmy, 97.9 WNCI 6.27%

3 Dino Tripodis and Stacy McKay, Sunny 95 (now off air) 4.29%

Best Radio Station 1 cd929fm.com (now off air) 78.66%

2 89.7 WOSU 6.20%

3 90.5 WCBE 3.10%

Best Talk Radio Personality

1 Anna Staver, 89.7 WOSU 22.18%

2 Mike Ricordati “The Common Man,” 97.1 The Fan 15.49%

3 Bobby Carpenter, 97.1, The Fan 8.80%

Best Weatherperson

1 Dave Mazza, NBC4 18.40%

2 Ben Gelber, NBC4 14.72%

3 Marshall McPeek, ABC6/FOX28 13.50%

Pelotonia

Gene’s MACHINE “

As his remarkable career comes to an end, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith reflects on how a changing sports landscape could alter the money-making, championshipwinning juggernaut he built in Columbus.

BY BILL RABINOWITZ

In 2005, Ohio State approached Gene Smith to interview for its athletic director job. Smith, a Cleveland native, turned OSU down. Twice.

He was the athletic director at Arizona State. He was happy there. He and his wife, Sheila, had a home on a golf course, a backyard pool, a view of the mountains. Smith had big plans for Arizona State, and he wanted to see them to fruition. Returning to Ohio held little appeal to him. But Sheila told her husband he should interview anyway and pressed him on it.

“Sheila and one of her buddies, [novelist and educator] Jewell Parker Rhodes, told me I had a responsibility to interview because Ohio State had never had a Black athletic director,” Smith says. “They hit me hard. Of course, they had two bottles of wine.”

An interview was arranged in Dallas, but Smith was still unenthusiastic about pursuing the job. He wasn’t even going to wear a necktie until Sheila made him.

Now, as he gets set to retire at the end of June, Smith, 68, can laugh about his ambivalence. He

had been a successful athletic director at Eastern Michigan, Iowa State and Arizona State. But it was his 19-year tenure at Ohio State that cemented his place in collegiate sports history.

Since 2005, 127 Buckeye individuals and 35 teams have won national titles. Academic performance among OSU athletes has improved significantly. Under his watch, the 3,700-seat Covelli Center opened, as did the Ty Tucker Tennis Center, new lacrosse and field hockey stadiums, and the Schumaker Complex, which houses locker rooms for all of Ohio State’s Olympic sports athletes and is attached to the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Smith also served on numerous influential boards and committees, including the College Football Playoff and NCAA men’s basketball tournament selection committees, and one dealing with the issue that would become known as name, image and likeness. It’s been a singular career, with huge accomplishments, stunning changes and multiple controversies in the pressure-cooker world of big-time college sports.

Jim Delany served as the Big Ten commissioner from 1989 until 2020. By his count, he worked with 71 athletic directors.

Sheila and one of her buddies, [novelist and educator] Jewell Parker Rhodes, told me I had a responsibility to interview because Ohio State had never had a Black athletic director. ... They hit me hard. Of course, they had two bottles of wine.

PHOTO: ADAM CAIRNS

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith will retire at the end of June.

“There’s no doubt in my mind,” Delany says, “that he deserves a place on the Mount Rushmore of college athletics.”

No AD job is quite like Ohio State’s. No program has more varsity sports than the Buckeyes’ 36, with about 1,000 athletes participating. OSU’s athletic department reported revenue of $279.5 million, a national high, in the most recent fiscal year, almost double the total (even adjusted for inflation) that OSU produced in 2005. Expectations for success, especially in football, are immense.

During Smith’s OSU tenure, Ohio State has enjoyed plenty. The 2014 football team won the first College Football Playoff, and the Buckeyes have been in the Bowl Championship Series title game three other times. The men’s basketball team reached the NCAA championship game in 2007. Men’s volleyball won the 2011, ’16 and ’17 national titles. The women’s hockey team has won two national titles in the past three years. Synchronized swimming has won 10 national championships. The wrestling team won its first national championship in 2015.

As gratifying as the titles have been, Smith says he takes more pleasure in the academic improvement of athletes.

Under Smith, 811 student-athletes achieved Scholar-Athlete status in the ʹ23-24 school year by having a 3.0 GPA. In 2005, Smith says, OSU had only 324 Scholar-Athletes.

Smith also has been a forward thinker in college athletics. The NCAA clung to its amateur model for decades, even when schools and television networks were making huge amounts of money while permitting athletes to receive nothing more than scholarships.

As the foundations around that outdated model began to crack, Smith advocated for change, often on NCAA committees. Sometimes he was successful. Sometimes he wasn’t.

One of his successes was his push for cost-of-attendance funding, which allows schools to provide extra money for living expenses not covered by scholarship packages. At Ohio State, that’s about $3,800 per student-athlete. “It took seven years,” Smith says. “Had we done some of the things we should have done in the

business a long time ago, we might not be where we are.” As Smith put it, “You do it yourself, or it’s done to you.”

The latter is happening. Smith served on an NCAA committee that dealt with the issue of name, image and likeness. Smith has long supported players being allowed to benefit from NIL, which was finally made permissible in 2021. But the current system borders on what many call anarchy.

“If the board of directors had supported the package that we put together and passed [as an NCAA committee], we may not have some of the issues we have today,” Smith says. “But they stripped all the prohibitions and the guardrails around it and just introduced [mostly unfettered] NIL. Now we’re trying to put the genie back in the bottle. But the thing with NIL is that people just don’t see the good it’s doing for a lot of people.”

What might not be commonly known is that football and basketball players are the exception in getting full scholarships. Most student-athletes are on partial scholarships. NIL allows them the chance to defray costs and maybe finish school

with money in the bank instead of graduating with major debt.

Smith’s success, however, isn’t merely a money game. It also stems from his style and personality.

At many big schools, the athletic director can seem to be a remote, unapproachable figure. That’s not the case at Ohio State. “The thing I appreciate about Gene is that he was around,” says Joshua Perry, a linebacker on OSU’s 2014 football team. “He spent time with us, got to know us, know our families.

“I was friends with a lot of athletes at Ohio State, some of them in nonrevenue sports. I’d go in my downtime to watch them compete, and I would see Gene out there with Sheila. I thought it was awesome.”

Nadine Muzerall took over the women’s hockey program when it was at its nadir eight years ago. She says Smith delivered on his promise that she would get all the resources needed to build the program. “To have that support and to fix a program that was very broken and to care and truly dig in and make it something special was important,” Muzerall says.

nect and make you feel like you’re the most important person, coach or team on campus,” Muzerall says.

The Buckeyes have reached the Frozen Four the past four years. The Smiths have attended each one. “I never saw anyone [else’s] athletic director there,” Muzerall says. “I saw the associate AD or sport AD, but not the actual AD of the school. And Gene was everywhere. He cares. I think that just makes you run through a wall for him.”

It probably helped that Smith played football for Notre Dame and joined the coaching staff at his alma mater after graduating—a background that has become increasingly rare for athletic directors these days. He understands what athletes and coaches want.

Urban Meyer met with Smith in Atlanta in late 2011 to discuss taking the football job. Meyer says that he had only two conditions. He wanted assurance he could hire his right-hand man, Mickey Marotti, as the strength coach. Second, Meyer says, he needed a commitment that no corners would be cut in providing for the well-being, health and safety of his players.

Muzerall understands that football is king at Ohio State, but she says Smith doesn’t treat other sports as less important. “I think his superpower is his ability to con-

“We have to invest in these guys—in nutrition, weight training, athletic training, sports psychology—because we are on the cutting edge of all that,” Meyer says he told Smith. “And he looked at me and says, ‘You’ve got it.’ How many ADs actually do that?

“We were right on the forefront of this

GENE SMITH timeline

1973-77

Attends and graduates from Notre Dame

1978-80

Born on Dec. 18 in Cleveland

Smith at Arizona State’s Sun Devil Stadium in March 2005

transformation [in college sports]. I’d like to think we set the bar. That’s why I would tell people we are the best, and I still believe Ohio State has the best infrastructure in college sports.”

In 2018, Meyer was suspended because of a saga involving assistant coach Zach Smith, who was accused by his estranged wife of domestic abuse. He is the grandson of former OSU coach Earle Bruce, Meyer’s mentor. Questions swirled about how much Meyer knew of the accusation and about his response.

Ohio State placed Meyer on administrative leave on the eve of training camp.

Gene Smith appointed Ryan Day as acting coach despite having former head coaches Greg Schiano and Kevin Wilson on the staff. Day had never been a head coach.

“When he turned to me in that moment,” Day says, “it gave me confidence because he saw something in me that led

1986

him to believe that I was ready to take over that situation, and so it empowered me.”

When Meyer decided to step down at the end of the 2018 season, Smith hired Day as his successor. “My family and I are very much in debt to the opportunity he provided,” Day says. “That’s why I’ve worked so hard to make sure I’m doing my job at a high level.

“Every year, our relationship gets stronger. He’s been a mentor. He’s been a friend. He’s been a boss. I would never be in the situation that I am right now without him.”

Any athletic director who’s been in a high-profile job like Smith has been for 19 years is bound to have valleys as well as peaks. Smith has not been immune.

He let go of Thad Matta and Chris Holtmann as men’s basketball coaches. Women’s rowing coach Andy Teitel-

baum was fired in 2020 after a university investigation found he had dismissed mental-health concerns among the team members. Muzerall’s two predecessors were fired, one for inappropriate behavior and the other because of NCAA violations. Five years ago, an assistant OSU women’s basketball coach, Patrick Klein, resigned amid allegations that he behaved inappropriately toward players.

In 2011, during a tattoo-and-memorabilia scandal, Smith parted ways with Jim Tressel after it became known that Tressel had signed an NCAA form stating he didn’t know of a potential violation when he in fact had been told. “It hurt,” Smith says. “It really hurt. Such a good man. Iconic. That was painful.”

The Buckeyes limped to a 6-7 season that included a Gator Bowl loss. Smith chose not to self-impose a bowl ban, believing it wasn’t warranted. He was stunned when the NCAA banned OSU from the postseason in 2012, which denied that undefeated team a chance for a national championship in replacement Meyer’s first season.

Seven years later, Gene Smith himself was disciplined as part of the Zach Smith situation. Both he and Meyer were suspended for three weeks for their handling of the matter.

“Mistakes were made, and people needed to be accountable for them,” Gene Smith says. “I needed to be accountable. Urban needed to be accountable. Whether I agreed with the suspension and how it was levied, that’s another issue. I just think differently.

“Sure, initially I was pissed off, but I don’t stay pissed off long. I move to resolution. I could stay pissed off and wallow in it and do what I used to do when my

2000

1993

2005

Becomes athletic director at Iowa State

Becomes athletic director at Ohio State

Becomes athletic director at Eastern Michigan

Becomes athletic director at Arizona State

Former OSU football coach Jim Tressel addresses members of the media regarding the team’s NCAA rule violations during a press conference in December 2010.

dad would beat me with a belt. But I just don’t think that way. I move to, ‘How do we and how do I be positive?’ And that’s what I did.”

Michael Drake, OSU’s president at the time, says that suspension did not affect his overall opinion of Smith. “He was a great leader of young men and women,” Drake says. “He understood the full student-athlete and the full student-athlete experience, and he was always an advocate for athletics at the highest level but also integrity at the highest level.”

Smith’s departure will leave a void, but his legacy will probably best be kept alive by the numerous protégés now entrenched as athletic directors. Few ADs have bigger “coaching trees,” and none are more diverse.

When Smith first became an athletic director at Eastern Michigan, he had few colleagues who looked like him. At meetings, he knew some of the others didn’t want him in the room, even if the racism he encountered was more covert than overt.

“You kind of knew where not to sit,” Smith says. “But there were plenty of guys in the room who were welcoming.”

The meetings included almost exclusively men. Women athletic directors were as rare as minority ones.

He vowed that if he got in a position to help change that, he would. Smith mentored numerous underlings at OSU, giving them major responsibilities that allowed them to enhance their experience and become ADs themselves. Ben Jay became the first Asian-American AD when he took the University of Hawaii job. Pat Chun became the first Asian-American at a Power 5 conference when he got the Washington State job.

Heather Lyke is at the University of

and Diana Sabau at Utah State. Martin Jarmond, who is Black, is the AD at UCLA.

“I was very intentional at the beginning here at Ohio State about hiring diverse people and women, trying to help them develop and grow,” Smith says. “As a hiring authority, diversity is important to your department in what you do. You want to give those opportunities for those people to have leadership positions.”

Delany says Smith pushed him to make the Big Ten office more diverse, as well.

Jarmond says he and his peers are indebted to Smith. “We all stand on his shoulders for how much he’s done and the way he goes about his business,” he says. “He hasn’t always needed to bang the table and be loud, but he has a quiet leadership to him, and people respect him. He knows how to get things done behind the scenes.”

Jarmond says he especially appreciates

2011

2012

how comfortable Smith is in his own skin. He says there have been times when Smith has gone to meetings wearing a Tommy Bahama shirt and flip-flops. “Gene is the one who taught me the most important thing is to be authentic with people and with yourself,” Jarmond says. “He is the most authentic and real person that I know.

“As a Black man, sometimes in corporate America you’re trying to be who you think they want you to be. That’s how my perception was—trying to fit in—because I’m in a world where not that many people look like me. Gene Smith, as a Black man, did so much for me just being his authentic self and that being OK.”

Diversity is important to Smith, but not for its own sake, he says. “Where somebody is from, what they look like, their sexual orientation—I don’t care,” he says. “Frankly—and you can quote me on this—I like people who get s--- done.”

2014

2017

Forces resignation of football coach Jim Tressel for NCAA violations in a tattoo-and-memorabilia scandal. After deciding not to make interim coach Luke Fickell the permanent coach, Smith hires Urban Meyer.

Pittsburgh

PHOTOS

OSU goes 12-0 in Meyer’s first season but is denied a chance for a Big Ten or national title because of an NCAA postseason ban.

Ohio State overcomes early-season defeat to Virginia Tech and the loss of quarterbacks Braxton Miller and J.T. Barrett to win the inaugural College Football Playoff.

Parts ways with men’s basketball coach Thad Matta and hires Butler’s Chris Holtmann

Smith with OSU forward Cotie McMahon after winning the Big Ten title in February.

Smith’s last day of work at Ohio State is June 28. The next day, he and Sheila will fly to Colorado to spend a few days with family before they head back to Arizona, the state they left 19 years ago.

The Smiths have a home awaiting them in Paradise Valley, a suburb of Phoenix. “I’m excited,” Smith says. “I haven’t second-thought it at all. My wife and I had a really good plan, which is what my mentors recommended when you do retire. After running so hard, you’ve got to have a plan, and we have that.”

The college sports landscape seems to change by the day. Smith has been in the middle of it for decades. Now it’s time for others to carry the load.

In May, the NCAA and its Power Five conferences agreed to a landmark, multibillion-dollar legal settlement that could have huge repercussions. The deal reportedly includes more than $2.75 billion in payments to former Division I athletes, plus a revenue-sharing model between the schools and athletes going

forward. In other words, athletes would receive direct payments—a monumental change for college sports.

At Ohio State and most top athletic departments, revenue from football subsidizes almost all other sports except men’s basketball. OSU’s football surplus was about $55 million in fiscal year 2023. If colleges must pay athletes in revenue sharing, that would cut severely into the money allocated for nonrevenue sports. “I don’t know what that’s going to look like,” Smith says.

It’s not as simple as dropping moneylosing sports for OSU, largely because of Title IX gender equality requirements. Ohio State funds 36 varsity sports, with an expectation of competing for championships in all of them. That might not be realistic in the future, Smith believes, and it would come at a major cost.

“The thing people forget is that the collegiate system provides the Olympians for our country,” he says. “Over 82 percent of Olympians in the last Olympics were from the college environ-

2018

Smith and Meyer are suspended for three weeks for their handling of assistant football coach Zach Smith’s domestic-abuse saga. Ryan Day is named acting coach and then hired as Meyer’s replacement when Meyer elects to step down in December.

ment. What happens to gymnastics? That’s the thing I’m concerned about, because I can’t see around the corner about what these lawsuits are going to do from a financial point of view. We’re all kind of waiting.”

Smith says the challenges around the ever-changing landscape are not why he’s retiring. A part of him would like to help navigate through the uncertain times. But he’s mostly content to leave it to the next generation.

“I think we all have to adjust,” Smith says. “I’ve always told my teammates that change is inevitable. It’s coming. How do we embrace it and do our best around it?”

As he departs, Smith believes his legacy is represented by those he worked with and tried to help. “It’s the people,” Smith says. “The legacy is the culture within the athletic department among the people and the culture among the student-athlete population.”

That includes those now who have left OSU and are sharing what they learned under Smith. “The AD’s role is unique,” Chun says. “It’s really about other people’s successes. When you total up the success the student-athletes have had academically and competitively at Ohio State, that’s at the highest levels. You see the coaches he’s retained or hired, and they’ve won at the highest levels. You see the administrators he’s populated in and around college athletics.

“It’s a magnificent masterpiece painting of a career that will never be duplicated in college athletics, especially with all the changes going on right now.” ◆

This story was first published by The Columbus Dispatch, a sister publication of Columbus Monthly

2020

Leads OSU through the COVID-19 shutdown, becoming an advocate for restarting football after the Big Ten originally canceled the season

Announces he would retire in 2024

Fires Holtmann

Asked if he plans to take another job after retiring as Ohio State University athletic director, Smith points to his wife, Sheila Smith, to answer the reporter’s question. Her answer from the back of the room: “Hell no.”

Wheels of Joy

Finding community (and a home in Columbus) at the city’s only indoor skate park

The sound is something like a scrape, maybe a rough-grain sandpaper. At first, you can’t help noticing how loud it is—how loud you are—riding with these eight roller skate wheels. Though Rollerblading is still a thing and skateboarding is more common, I prefer to go to skate parks in good old-fashioned roller skates. I learned to roller skate as a kid at the rink, so it seemed natural that those are my wheels of choice. I’ve been delighted by the rise in popularity of skate park roller skating since the pandemic. At least now I’m not alone when I go out. Eventually, you stop noticing the scraping sound because it’s always there, like the hum of a city at night—the throbbing that’s proof of life. And like the heartbeat of a city, you come to only notice it when it’s not there. Columbus is a city with one indoor skate park. In winter, when the outdoor parks have ice frozen in the bottom of the bowls and snow coating the tops of the rails, the one indoor skate park, Skate Naked, comes to be a crowded place.

There’s a camaraderie among those of us willing to leave our warm homes to drive to this chilly warehouse in the no man’s land near the airport to skate; some days, it’s already dark by the time Skate Naked opens at 3 p.m. No matter what we ride— whether skateboards, scooters, Rollerblades or roller skates—we’re all itching to put wheels under our fragile bodies that we’ve convinced ourselves against better judgment aren’t so fragile after all.

Story by Mandy Shunnarah | Photos by Tim Johnson

Tyler Mixon goes airborne at Skate Naked indoor skate park on the East Side of Columbus.

Though Columbus isn’t part of the Rust Belt, cities in the Midwest seem to exist in the popular imagination as a land of decay. The skeletons of former factories, the husks of great industry packed up and gone away. People outside the Midwest watch the curated tragedy porn on the news and see misfortune, sadness, defeat. They don’t see what we see: possibility. I moved to Columbus from Birmingham, Alabama, a city that has no skate parks to speak of. If I wanted to skate in Birmingham, I had to do so in the streets or at the roller rink. So while Skate Naked doesn’t look like much, with its flaking plywood ramps that’ll jab splinters in your ass, it’s a world of possibility for me.

From the outside, Skate Naked is a nondescript building. Its many bay doors, high ceilings and cinder block walls indicate the businesses that were there before involved 18-wheelers. The floors that were first made smooth for forklifts now give skaters speed, enough to feel the force of the air push your hair back when you drop off the larger ramps.

Jeff Trasin and Jon Hammond, the owners of Skate Naked, had the vision to see what the old warehouse could be, the indoor skate park Columbus so desperately needed. What was first the Buckeye

‘‘

I don’t know that I would have discovered my love of skate parks if I lived anywhere outside the Midwest—Columbus in particular. You can be a beginner here.

Potato Chip plant in the 1950s, then later a golf cart sales place, then a windows and siding shop was transformed by their hands.

“When we first saw it, it was empty. Nobody else would’ve looked at this place and thought it was awesome,” Hammond says, speaking of his gut feeling that this was where their indoor skate park should be.

“I was like, we can do this, we just need to paint it,” Trasin adds, laughing, knowing there was so much more work ahead of them than just painting.

On the whole, Midwesterners are

practical people, dedicated to function and resourcefulness. Aesthetics are secondary, or in Skate Naked’s case, hardly considered at all. With the exception of a spray-painted mural above the big bowl, the park is gritty, both in the literal and figurative sense. The cinder block walls are painted black. The roof above both bowls leaks, and you have to carve fast on your feet to avoid wiping out on a rainy day. The sheets coating the wooden ramps are often flaking and woe be unto you if you’re the unlucky soul whose wheel adds just the right amount of pressure to break through to the other side.

And I’m always surprised by the creative places patrons find to make DIY trash cans—behind a ramp, inside of a wall where a piece of plywood has come loose, or just the edges of any old platform—and I never leave without a deep coat of black grime under my fingernails. And I love it. There’s no place I’d rather be.

Skate Naked feels like home in the way that only a place abundant with memories can. It’s the place I learned to drop into a ramp, where I learned to pump back and forth on a half-pipe, where I learned to jump over stairs, and where I made my first roller skate friends. And it

Author Mandy Shunnarah at Skate Naked

Top

David

A skater practices a board flip at Skate Naked.

right: Friends watch Nando Vizcaya skate at Skate Naked. Right: Tabatha Johnson hangs out with friends at Skate Naked.

Young skates one of the many ramps and bowls at Skate Naked.

is the place where, one day, if I don’t die trying, I’ll drop into the big bowl and get a couple of good carves in.

The winter of 2020-2021 was especially brutal. There was a period of just under three weeks when it didn’t get above freezing, so the snow never melted. And when it finally did hit the above-freezing threshold, it was only marginally so. The streets and skate parks turned into a slippery slush that was treacherous even to walk on. Through it all, Skate Naked was there, a beacon—as long as you weren’t too afraid of the coronavirus.

I hardly roller skated at all that winter, and my body ached with longing for the changing elevation of the ramps. Every night I dreamed about skating, nailing tricks I’d never done in real life, and getting the kind of air that’s only possible in the imagination unless your name is Tony Hawk. Even in sleep, I could feel the texture of the ramp, the heart-droppinginto-the-stomach sensation of flinging myself down its slope. In the dreams, the panic that hits the moment when you know you’re going to crash was absent, as was the pain of feeling the wind knocked out of you when you fall hard. In the morning I’d wake to search for the bruises I wear like badges, trophies and battle scars. The bruises that purpled my shins, thighs, elbows and especially my ass, where there was more often than not the imprinted kiss of a skate wheel, deep

enough to qualify as a hematoma.

I missed those wounds. I don’t know that I would have discovered my love of skate parks if I lived anywhere outside the Midwest—Columbus in particular. You can be a beginner here. Columbus is constantly reinventing itself and over the decades has gone from farm town to corporate business haven to one of the fastest-growing cities in the country.

Though I come from the South, I can tell you that Southern hospitality is a myth. I’ve found people here are much more kind. There have been kind strangers who waited patiently for me to overcome my fear at the skate park, creating space for me to learn. There’s little pressure to get out of the bowl with a quickness if I’m still trying to learn how the curves flow. There’s little pressure to get off the top of a ramp if I need a minute to talk myself into stepping over and letting its slope propel me downward.

I came to Columbus because I fell in love, but me getting to fulfill my childhood dream of shredding at skate parks is a welcome bonus. I could be a beginner here. I could roll, fall, collect my bruises like Girl Scout patches, get up, and do it all again with minimal dirty looks. Columbus allowed me to learn. I made a home in Columbus, and I found my skating home in the process. I skate because I live here. I keep living here because I can skate here. ◆

This essay is excerpted from Mandy Shunnarah’s “Midwest Shreds: Skating Through America’s Heartland,” which will be released by Belt Publishing on July 16. On that day, Two Dollar Radio Headquarters will host a book launch, including a reading by and a Q&A with Shunnarah. twodollarradiohq.com

Sie Logsdon works the counter at Skate Naked.

home & style

Photo by Tim Johnson

Earthy Art

New Short North gallery Adamah features pieces by ceramists from Ohio and beyond.

By Katy Smith

Joshua Schottenstein is keeping the “art” in the “Short North Arts District” with Adamah Ceramics, his new gallery and studio at North High and West Russell streets. Named for the Hebrew word that means “soil” or “earth,” it’s a home for the Columbus ceramist’s work and also a haven for Ohio pottery lovers looking to add pieces to their collections. The light, airy space formerly occupied by Hammond Harkins Galleries, which closed in 2023, is a place to find both functional pottery and whimsical, sculptural pieces.

Schottenstein’s vision for Adamah involves plenty of partnerships, including shows by local art students and painters at the back of the gallery. In June, for example, Columbus artist Leela Waters was to curate a Pride month show centering LGBTQ+ artists. “I really want this to be a place not only where people can come and see the work of talented artists, but also one where people can gather and learn and celebrate together,” Schottenstein says.

2)

1) 3)

1) Columbus ceramist Donna Hecker’s “Damn Keds” is a piece brimming with nostalgia and relatability, as Schottenstein describes it. To create her shoe series, the self-taught artist scavenged through thrift stores for old shoes that told compelling stories, such as lightly creased penny loafers, lovingly worn Birkenstocks and bright red Converse. $550.

2) Ceramist Jon Stein of Cincinnati uses a method called soda firing, a process that involves using sodium oxide during kiln firing, creating glassy, luminescent gradients of color on pieces, as seen here on “Large Blue Lidded Jar.” $1,750.

3) Columbus artist Liz Delatore works both in soft, wheel-thrown pieces and sculpted humanoid forms that she molds to her vision, such as in this piece, which she calls “Large Head.” $800.

4)

5)

4) Christopher St. John’s work often features animal-like forms, such as this bunny rabbit carrying a baby opossum on its back. The Athens-based ceramist’s art evokes a sense of the mythological, Schottenstein says. “People have been really drawn to his work—there’s certainly a lot of storytelling in his pieces.” Price not available.

5) The abundant, spacious walls at Adamah make the perfect setting to display these large painting- or tapestry-like ceramic pieces by Tom Hubert of Erie, Pennsylvania, who also uses wood carving in his art. These works prove that great ceramic artists aren’t limited to sculptures, vases or mugs. $725-$750.

6)

Yellow Springs-based Miami Valley Pottery is the studio of Naysan McIlhargey, whose wood-fired kiln takes several people to light. McIlhargey’s work focuses on earthy, functional pieces such as platters, plates, bowls and vases enlivened by his paintings of fishes and handmade textural forms. $600, large platter.

7) The most interactive piece at Adamah is the clay planter chair by Corey Mahoney, ceramist and lecturer with Ohio State University’s Department of Art. “Lush Throne” invites visitors to sit down, relax and, naturally, take selfies, Schottenstein says. $9,200.

Builder’s Retreat

A West Jefferson kitchen renovation centers functionality at the heart of the home.

On their journey to a kitchen perfect for entertaining, Jason and Joy Phillips started with the pool. “That was my wife’s priority when we bought the house,” says the husband, a contractor who founded Phillips Custom Builds in 2009. Not long after they moved in, he delivered to her a curvy pool and outdoor spa overlooking their 12 ½ acres in West Jefferson, situated at the rear of the home and surrounded by abundant greenery.

The beautiful, backyard oasis made the tradeoff for life with a plain, only moderately functional kitchen worth it for several years. But not forever. And so, in 2022, the couple began the process of designing their dream kitchen, one where they could cook and host family and friends in comfort and style. It was a project that ended up involving more than that, of course: They updated all the common spaces in their 1993 ranch home. The kitchen ceilings were raised to 10 feet to match the living room, and a butler’s pantry was added off the kitchen leading to the garage. A half-bath in the front hall was sacrificed, leaving the 2,200-square-foot home with three full bathrooms and four bedrooms.

Walking into the home today, one meets a modern, functional, fun space overlooking meditative views of the woods and stream from both the kitchen and dining room. Instead of dominating one corner, the kitchen is now situated truly at the heart of the home, with an open plan that separates it from the living room only by a stairwell leading to the finished basement.

Story by Katy Smith

Photos by Tim Johnson

Arches are incorporated into the transition from kitchen to dining room.

Home & Style | Home

The room is anchored by black cabinets and drawers below, but the space reads as light and airy, owing to the white quartz countertops and expansive white walls and ceilings above. The design incorporates a restrained use of light, natural wood cabinets with doors in a chevron pattern, and floating shelves decorated with personal photographs and ephemera frame the main kitchen sink rather than using every available square foot for cabinets, which can feel like a necessity in some homes. Brass drawer handles and black light fixtures bring drama and contrast to the blackwhite-natural-wood theme.

“We wanted it to feel light,” Joy Phillips says. “So we kept most of the black down below. We thought having black upper cabinets would feel dark and cavelike.”

Dinner parties and family gatherings for the couple, who love to cook, are easier than ever, with two dishwashers, prep sinks and trash cans. In the center of the room, a large island is crowned by a bright chandelier. A Thermador induction cooktop is the main event on the island, and the homeowners love it. Water boils in minutes, while the rest of the surface remains cool, making it a safer choice for an environment frequented by children. The cooktop is also very easy to clean—just a bit of soap and water removes spills without scrubbing or abrasive cleansers.

Instead of a range hood, the homeowners installed what is known as a downdraft. With the touch of a button, a metal panel rises out of the island behind the stovetop and rapidly sucks the cooking smoke and steam into vents that carry it to the basement, where it is piped out of the house.

On the wall behind the cooktop, a large, black-framed television screen can be programmed with scenes of their choosing—usually family photos—or play cartoons when their 2-year-old granddaughter is there. She soon will be joined by other kids—the Phillipses’ two daughters are pregnant.

Across from the island, a Fisher & Paykel refrigerator and freezer stand 7 feet tall, hidden by doors made to look like the surrounding cabinets by local artisan Chad Keeler of Keeler Carpentry. They, like the flooring by Deible’s Floors, are rift sawn white oak, which became difficult to source during the past few years thanks to the boom in craft whiskey, which is aged in casks made from

Clockwise from top: view from the large kitchen windows to pool and pool house; the kitchen island features a Thermador induction cooktop; appliances and storage in the butler’s pantry or “scullery,” an extension off the kitchen.

the wood.

Next to the refrigerator, a sliding door leads into the butler’s pantry, a long and narrow auxiliary kitchen space that traditionally held large serveware, linens and storage. Such rooms, also known as “sculleries,” are making a comeback.

The Phillipses’ version includes double wall ovens that keep the heat and mess from the main kitchen area. Abundant storage space surrounds a built-in Miele coffee machine that filters water, grinds beans, and brews cappuccino, latte and macchiato. (Joy takes plain black coffee, while Jason prefers what’s known as “long coffee,” a regular brew powered with an extra shot of espresso.)

The coffee bar will be joined by a cocktail counter and drink fridge, right under a bright pink neon sign bidding, “Cheers!” Arched doorways framed by tall, black wall sconces lead from the pantry into the kitchen and then into the long, narrow dining room, creating a visual effect of spaciousness, alignment

and momentum.

Jason Phillips credits much of the design work to his wife. Joy spent months building mood boards on Pinterest and bouncing ideas off their two daughters. She wanted a space that was functional, primarily, and she achieved that. She also brought elegance to the project with her color and material choices.

The couple only had to live in a camper parked in their driveway through one winter. The project in total took about a year to complete.

When they bought their house, the couple had planned to build a home in the popular Hidden Creek subdivision in West Jefferson. They had drawings and were ready to launch the project. But life has its twists and turns. One Saturday, a friend asked whether Jason had seen a house for sale with acreage on Taylor Blair Road. Though Joy had her reservations at the time, they agreed to buy the property the next day. “It feels like home, and we definitely love it here,” she says. ◆

Photos from top: a bright chandelier crowns the kitchen island; arches create a visual effect of spaciousness, alignment and momentum; a matching toy kitchen set for grandchildren.

Home & Style | Real Estate

Top 25 Real Estate Transactions

April 1-30, 2024

PRICE ADDRESS BUYER/SELLER

$3,000,000 5931 Havens Road, Jefferson Township Jersey Farm LLC from Raymond G. and Sandra J. Levi

$2,300,000 2445 Cambridge Blvd., Upper Arlington Edward DA Sommer III and Gabriella Marie Sommer from the Tuckerman Home Group Inc.

$2,200,000 7101 Armscote End, New Albany King Bailey LLC from Samuel R. and Karrie L. Short, trustees

$2,125,000 15 S. Ealy Crossing, New Albany Cynthia and Robert W. Hooper from Roger W. and Therese M. Thompson

$1,695,000 83 S. Columbia Ave., Bexley Allan and Eva Lin Tsung from Jeffrey D. Meyer, trustee

$1,680,000 8480 Concord Road, Delaware

Michael G. and Angela M. Lyons from Thomas W. and Tanya L. Irelan

$1,646,155 2501 Middlesex Road, Upper Arlington Kevin S. Potter and Jillian E. Froment, trustees, from the Tuckerman Home Group Inc.

$1,610,000 2739 E. Orange Road, Lewis Center Michael Dominic and Corinne Ann Calo from Jorge and Marcia Espinosa

$1,562,500 105 N. Riverview St., Unit 717, Dublin

Charles and Debra Penzone from Ross O. Youngs

$1,550,000 6880 Oxford Loop S, New Albany Adam Pohlman, trustee, from Craig Tuckerman

$1,725,000 4130 Mountview Rd., Upper Arlington

$1,650,000 7697 Somerly Ct., New Albany

$1,550,000 4899 Byington Lane, New Albany

Andrew J. and Sarah L. Grossbach from Jill R. and Timothy A. Judge

Catherine and James M. Farrell from Christopher Michael and Sarah Elizabeth Blanda

Anthony and Carol Congeni from Arlyne K. and Stephen F. Thung

$1,500,000 4611 Goodheart Court, New Albany Buckeye Solutions & Developers LLC from AM Investment Solutions LLC

$1,483,400 1988 Woodland Hall Dr., Delaware Sujay Mehta from Darrin H. and Jodi Lutz

$1,402,360 236 N. Columbia Ave., Bexley Yore Fine Homes LLC from Harry Lesser

$1,400,000 99 Normandy Ave., Columbus

Jonathan Grant Sefton from Gay Street Condominium LLC

$1,395,000 1 Miranova Place, Unit 2430, Columbus John C. and Donna D. Shoemaker, trustees, from Leslie A. Lauer

$1,315,000 8553 Stonechat Loop, Dublin

$1,310,000 4162 S. Squires Lane, Upper Arlington

John P. Riggs, trustee, from Kenneth Sterk and Renee Kolozy

Tucker L. and Michelle M. Bohm from Donna Grittani

$1,295,000 8361 Meadowlark Lane, Delaware Robert S. Cowden Jr. and Karen F. Cowden, trustees, from Thomas J. and Jennifer L. Weissling

$1,250,000 3501 Redding Road, Upper Arlington

$1,250,000 8219 Tillinghast Dr., Dublin

$1,250,000 4636 Smothers Road, Westerville

$1,235,000 2350 Brentwood Road, Bexley

Timothy J. and Sunyoung E. Shin from Compass Homes Inc.

John and Megan Hatanelas from Matthew A. and Laura M. Cleavenger

Curtis L. and Cynthia J. Miller from Edward and Lisa Minhinnick

Soaman Dizechi and Hannah Jacobs from Eibsee LLC

VACATIONS AND GETAWAYS

Minutes from Downtown, miles from reality, The Timbrook Guesthouse is truly Columbus’ best-kept secret. Situated on 4 glorious acres, it is a getaway that has it all. With our heated outdoor swimming pool/hot tub, lush gardens galore, an aviary, greenhouse and gourmet breakfasts, The Timbrook has something for everyone. Whether celebrating a special occasion or visiting family/ friends, it is a must-stay in the Columbus area.

5811 Olentangy River Road Columbus, OH 43235

614-634-2166

timbrookguesthouse.com

Travel Partners in Dublin

Join Travel Partners in Dublin as we journey through the iconic Mediterranean aboard the Oceania Marina.

Our itinerary will include stops in Athens (Piraeus) and Katakolon in Greece; Rome (Civitavecchia) and Florence/ Pisa/Tuscany in Italy; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Provence (Marseille), France; and Barcelona, Spain. Group amenities include $200 shipboard credit and $400 shore excursion credits per stateroom, prepaid gratuity, and more!

4980 Blazer Parkway Dublin, OH 43017 614-792-0002 travelpartnersindublin.com

Zanesville-Muskingum Convention & Visitors Bureau

Discover Zanesville-Muskingum County’s allure! Immerse yourself in history at the John & Annie Glenn Museum and browse some of our ceramic stores or art galleries. Enjoy scenic views on the Triple Nickel Tour or marvel at the Y-Bridge spanning the Muskingum River. For adventure, visit the Wilds for a safari experience unlike any other. There is so much to explore and there is something captivating for everyone!

205 N. 5th St.

Zanesville, OH 43701

740-455-8282

visitzanesville.com

The Timbrook Guesthouse

food & drink

Magnifica Italian specialties and saucy comfort food are everywhere you look at Carfagna’s Market and Ristorante. Review, Page 68.

PHOTO BY TIM JOHNSON

Breaking the Mold

Women restaurant owners thrive in Columbus.

By Jill Moorhead

In a city where the restaurant scene is best known for the culinary empire of Cameron Mitchell, four remarkable women have quietly built their own multilocation restaurant enterprises: Tina Corbin, Kathleen Day, Lisa Gutierrez and Megan Ada. Despite their successes, they face unique challenges in an industry where men predominantly hold leadership roles.

Corbin, co-owner of Little Palace, El Camino Inn and Club 185, emphasizes women’s strengths in multitasking and empathy. “Women are better multitaskers. We’re mothers; we carry the family,” she says. Corbin’s journey began in 2000 with Club 185, which she and her hus-

band, Randall, revitalized while maintaining its neighborhood bar charm. Corbin, a Columbus College of Art & Design graduate, handles the creative side—menu design, décor and PR— while Randall manages business logistics. Despite their balanced partnership, Corbin often faces gender bias. “People assume my husband is the owner,” she notes, adding that sales reps are more likely to negotiate with men, making it harder for women to assert themselves without being labeled negatively.

For Day, owner of Katalina’s Cafés, being authoritative is often considered “being emotional.” Day, who transitioned from the fashion industry, where she pri-

marily worked with other women, feels the weight of maintaining quality across multiple restaurant locations. She fights the perception that chefs are formally trained men. Despite learning to cook in France and through the guidance of her mother and grandmother, she believes her authority is questioned when mentoring back-of-house cooks. She also points out financial hurdles, noting that women often lack the same access to capital as men, exacerbating the difficulty of scaling businesses.

Ada, owner of Ampersand Asian Supper Club in the Short North and Asterisk Supper Club and Sunny Street Café in Westerville, describes her initial

PHOTO: TIM JOHNSON

Megan Ada at her restaurant, Asterisk Supper Club, in Westerville

struggle with credibility due to her age when she started at 25. “Proving I could run a restaurant was tough,” she recalls. Ada emphasizes the importance of support networks among female entrepreneurs. “Other Sunny Street owners have been great mentors,” she says. Balancing motherhood and business is another challenge. “I was pregnant when we opened Asterisk. I spent the first nine months of a brand new restaurant with no caffeine or alcohol and worked until 10 p.m. until the night she was born,” she remembers. “My daughter has grown up in the restaurants. She knows all the staff members. She buses tables and greets people. I’m trying to teach her to be a strong businesswoman, as well. I grew up really shy—I really want her to not be afraid to talk to people.”

As co-founder and CEO of Dos Hermanos, Gutierrez started with a single food truck and now operates three food trucks, two North Market locations, a full-service restaurant at Easton, a taco cart, a space in the Greater Columbus Convention Center and a commissary kitchen. “Our growth was organic, one opportunity after another,” Gutierrez says. She underscores the role of empathy and collaboration in her success. “Our superpower is empathy. Women are more open to collaboration, which helps both brands grow.” Gutierrez co-hosts a local chapter of Let’s Talk Women, a support network for female restaurateurs.

“In the beginning, I had no support group,” she says. “[Economic & Community Development Institute] is a big part of our story, helping me with the Women’s Business Center and giving us access to capital through microloans.”

ECDI’s assistance inspired her to help others, and she’s now a pivotal figure in mentoring and supporting other women in the industry by facilitating monthly Zoom meetings. “We discuss the best purveyors, share advice and support each other. It’s a safe space for women to learn and grow,” she says. The monthly calls attract six to 10 women, creating a community of shared knowledge and encouragement.

Gutierrez also founded Food Truck Millionaire to coach aspiring food truck owners. “I share my stories and mistakes to help others scale their businesses properly,” she says. Additionally, Gutierrez serves on the board of the Ohio Restaurant Association, advocating for

‘‘ Our superpower is empathy. Women are more open to collaboration, which helps both brands grow.

women’s voices in the industry.

Regardless of gender, scaling a restaurant business presents unique challenges. Corbin prefers to launch new concepts rather than expand a single brand. “We enjoy creating something new each time,” she says. Day struggles with balancing creativity and administrative duties, while Ada finds joy in the constant

hustle and bustle. Gutierrez’s approach to scaling required her to face her fears and get out of her comfort zone. Each new location was driven by a desire to create opportunities for others to help sustain their families.

Despite the challenges they face, these women are optimistic about the future. They believe in the value women bring to the industry through their multitasking abilities, empathy and collaborative spirit. Their advice to aspiring women restaurateurs is to be assertive, seek mentorship and embrace their unique strengths. As Corbin says, “Do it. It’s rewarding and gratifying. Your business is valuable.”

These women are not just breaking the mold; they’re redefining what it means to be successful in the Columbus restaurant scene. ◆

LISA GUTIERREZ OF DOS HERMANOS

Lisa Gutierrez, owner of Dos Hermanos, at the Easton location of her restaurant chain

Appetites

Encouraged

Carfagna’s Market and Ristorante strengthens its namesake family’s legacy.

By Amy Bodiker Baskes

“Don’t shop on an empty stomach” is advice designed to prevent impulse purchases at the grocery store. If you’re visiting Carfagna’s culinary campus in Polaris, however, I might suggest the opposite: Come hungry.

For nearly 100 years, Carfagna’s has been a Columbus institution. Founder Saturnino “Sam” Carfagna opened his first market in Linden in 1937, specializing in live chickens and fresh meat. Since then, four generations have expanded the business to provide fresh, prepared and imported Italian ingredients through various stores and kitchens in Central Ohio.

In 2021, the family consolidated operations and brought their market, bakery, deli, catering business, restaurant and wine shop under one roof near a Costco and a Cabela’s at Polaris. This is big-box store territory, and the 27,000-squarefoot Carfagna’s fits right in thanks to its huge selection, bulk items and generous portions.

Warm, vibrant Carfagna’s is alive with activity—not just shopping, but live music, cooking classes and wine tastings. The comfortable sit-down ristorante offers family-style tables for large parties and cozy wooden banquettes for more intimate groups, the latter framed with stained glass windows and black-and -white photos from the old country. On one of our visits, the Bar Saturnino was packed with guests enjoying live classic rock, so we headed outdoors for a lovely evening on the patio, where a wall of greenery and a bubbling fountain buffered the parking lot and the hum of Interstate 71 nearby.

Carfagna’s menu is approachable, too, laden with familiar and storied Italian-American fare: baked red-sauce pastas, garlic bread, meatballs, pizzas and sausages. This is a something-for-everyone menu, loaded with delicious choices in each category, with many entrées

Food & Drink | Review

priced under $20. Servings are generous and clearly designed for sharing famiglia-style.

Knowing the calories ahead of us, we were sure to start our dinner on one visit with vegetables. The cold and crunchy Caesar Carfagna ($9.95) comes garnished with bacon crumbles and minced red onion. The straightforward house salad ($9.95) combines mixed greens with tomatoes, cucumbers and shredded mozzarella topped with a sweet, oregano-forward vinaigrette.

For my piatto, or main plate, I enjoyed a large serving of chicken Marsala ($21.95), two pieces of plump, seared breast meat served with sauteed mushrooms in a sticky and somewhat cloying wine sauce. All of Carfagna’s piatti come with a choice of pasta or vegetables, and I chose what turned out to be a huge portion of housemade fettucine noodles to

soak up the Marsala sauce.

My husband went for the Carfagna’s Meat Combination ($23.95), a massive plate of chicken Parmesan, meatballs, lasagna and meat ravioli served together under a blanket of classic marinara sauce. This delicious pasta bomb was deeply satisfying, even if the individual dishes were somewhat undistinguishable from one another under all the sauce and cheese.

Wine is a bargain at the restaurant. Just grab a bottle from the superb wine store for retail price plus a nominal corkage fee, which is waived on Thursdays. We drank a delicious, full-bodied, toasty bottle of Brunello ($65) that easily would have cost well over $100 at any other restaurant. Bargain hunters also will find weekly deals on cocktails, dinner specials and wine offerings advertised in Carfagna’s in-store broadsheet, a marketing tool from another era.

PHOTO: TIM JOHNSON

Booths with arched windows at Carfagna’s Ristorante on Gemini Place

SHORTHAND

Carfagna’s Market & Ristorante

1440 Gemini Place, Columbus 43240 carfagnas.com 614-846-6340

Market hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

Ristorante hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday

If you go: Don’t miss one of Carfagna’s many activities like trivia night, wine tastings, live music, and Double Happy Hour (with specials both early and late)

For lunch on another visit, I tried the fried mortadella sandwich ($11.95), with crisped, griddled meat and melted cheese on a toasted bun. The pepper jack cheese brought a spicy kick, but felt a little gluey on the roof the mouth. We were less excited by the Italian Festival Sausage ($10.95), a housemade sausage with sautéed peppers and onions that lacked flavor and was served on a dry, over-toasted roll. Both sandwiches came with house- made potato chips that I wanted to love; they were brown and crispy but tasted as if the fry oil might have been off.

Pizza at Carfagna’s is available in thin or thick “Abruzzo”-style crust. We enjoyed the 11-inch, thin-crust House Pizza ($16.95), featuring crisp pepperoni, crumbled sausage, sautéed onion, mushrooms and banana peppers.

For dessert, we enjoyed the tiramisu ($6)—coffee-flavored sweet cream layered with ladyfingers—and took home some homemade Florentine and Italian wedding cookies from the bakery.

Carfagna’s Market Friendly, helpful staff are plentiful at the Carfagna’s culinary complex, easing the navigation through the massive market stocked with imported and homemade Italian ingredients. “Need a

Clockwise from top: House pizza, the “pasta wall” with a Sophia Loren quote, spaghetti bolognese and Italian Festival Sausage sandwich at Carfagna’s Ristorante.

glass of wine as you shop?” one clerk in the liquor store asked. “Try a bite of this lemon cookie,” another clerk said in the bakery.

Carfagna’s offerings are staggering. The bakery offers dozens of Italian cookies, gelatos, cannolis and cakes. Displays feature gallon-size cans of imported olives and huge varieties of tinned fish. This is the place to go for all of Carfagna’s homemade sauces and pastas, which are also retailed at Costco, Kroger and other area grocery stores.

As has been the case since 1937, the butcher case remains the star of the show at Carfagna’s Market, with fresh varieties of prime and hard-to-find meats like rabbit and veal, plus housemade sausages, cheeses and fresh pastas.

Whatever the driver—maybe you signed up for a cooking class to finally learn to make gnocchi, or you want to take lasagna to a sick friend, or you need the fixings for a pizza party—you’ll leave Carfagna’s well-fed and well-cared-for, like you’ve visited the house of a friendly Italian grandmother whose love language is food. ◆

Charcuterie and Beyond

Foris Extraordinary Meats celebrates 10 years and another Good Food Award.

By Nicholas Dekker

Foris Extraordinary Meats, formerly known as North Country Charcuterie, just celebrated 10 years of crafting award-winning cured meats, sausage, bacon and other products.

The family-run company was created by brothers Duncan and James Forbes and their mother, Jane Forbes. The original name came from James’ time in school in the North Country of New York, “basically everything north of Syracuse,” he says. There, he got involved in the local agricultural community and began cooking. “That sort of sparked the culinary journey,” he says. “I wanted to bring that community collaboration to Columbus. So that’s why we always strive to be as much sourced from Ohio as we possibly can.”

As the company has grown and earned a national following over the past decade, the name “North Country Charcuterie” became too limiting, both in terms of geographic footprint and product offerings. Customers didn’t always recognize it also produced bacon and sausage. “Often on my sales calls, people would be surprised that we’re based in Columbus, Ohio,” Duncan says. “We wanted a bit more flexibility from a brand standpoint. As we diversify our products, and in the eyes of consumers and retailers and chefs, we wanted to position ourselves as a more well-rounded meat company as opposed to just charcuterie.”

The trio worked with a branding firm to rename the company Foris Extraordinary Meats. “Foris” is Latin for “outside,” which speaks to the alfresco living conditions of the Duroc/Yorkshire hogs at McDowell Farms in Southern Ohio, where the Forbeses get their pork. They also enjoy the echo of Foris to their last name. The new logo incorporates the traditional Forbes Scottish clan crest and is colored orange as a nod to Jane’s Dutch heritage.

Food & Drink | Product

The new name also allows the company to capitalize on its growing national success. The Forbeses have taken home honors at the Good Food Awards four years in a row—first an honorable mention for their Hoguera spreadable chorizo, then wins for wagyu bresaola, wagyu beef bacon and most recently their Fino salami.

That recognition has helped Foris distribute farther outside Ohio, but the real key is the commitment to fresh ingredients and custom recipes. “At the Good Food Awards, I went around to a lot of the other companies that sell in our niche,” Jane says. “I’m as unbiased as I can be when I say our flavors are really stronger than other companies because we use so many fresh ingredients. Of course, I am biased. I’m a mother, after all.”

Forging ahead with a new name, the “Salami Squad” (as their T-shirts say) hopes to add more products and expand distribution, all while working closely together as a family. “It’s been a grind,” Duncan says. “And also it’s been great.” ◆

PHOTOS: TIM JOHNSON

James, left, and Duncan Forbes, founded Foris with their mother, Jane. The company has a new name to communicate that it makes more than just charcuterie.

Vegetarian Delight

Dosa Corner is the longstanding South Indian must-try of Columbus.

By Katy Smith

Ohio’s capital city is home to a thriving Indian community, and good restaurants for Indian cuisine are plenty. While many offer dishes native to different regions of the country, North Indian food dominates menus—think naan, palak paneer and chicken curries. Dosa Corner on Old Henderson Road is focused specifically on South Indian food, which is built around rice, lentils and vegetables.

Owners Hebbaka and Girija Narahari are originally from Banglalore and spent time in Montreal at the helm of a restaurant before coming to Columbus following their children, who came to the region for school. They established Dosa Corner in 2004.

Girija is the chef and the heart and soul of the kitchen, and at 76 she still works noon to 8 p.m. six days a week, preparing family recipes she’s perfected over a lifetime of cooking. “I love it, and I cannot stay home,” she says. “I always want to work.”

Her creations are never less than delicious. The star of the menu is the dosa—a thin, crispy rice and lentil crepe about a foot in diameter, folded and served plain with cilantro and chutney or filled with spiced vegetables. Dosas are also good with sambar, a spicy, bright orange lentil stew with mixed vegetables that’s a staple of the cuisine. Sambar can be accompanied by idli (fluffy, white steamed rice and lentil dumplings) or vada (small doughnuts made with lentil flour).

Dosa Corner’s menu offers another crepelike treat: uttapam, a thicker rice and lentil pancake topped with cilantro. Many of the options for diners are variations on the dosa or uttapam, which can come with spiced mashed potatoes, onions, cheese, spinach or chickpea curry known as chana masala.

From the appetizer section, don’t miss the crispy, complex aloo bonda, a round potato dumpling made with cashew and fried in chickpea batter. Another fun choice that brings added dimension to

Food & Drink | Short Order

a meal is the papadam, a crunchy, light cracker made from black gram flour.

Rice is central to the South Indian diet, and Dosa Corner carries a nice selection of dishes that celebrate it. There’s a spicy tamarind rice known as puliyogre, a vegetable biryani, and rice flavored with lemon, tomato or yogurt. A specialty is bisibelabath, a soft, lightly spiced rice porridge with nuts and vegetables. A lovely, creamy and cool coconut chutney accompanies most meals, as well as a hot and sour pickled vegetable preserve known as achaar.

The restaurant seats a limited number of diners in two rooms, where you can order a meal called a thali, which is a little of this and a little of that—bread, curry, rice, chutney, pickles and dessert (typically the sticky, sweet balls called gulab jamun made from dairy solids).

Dosa Corner’s takeout game is strong, too, with quickly prepared, carefully wrapped meals including all accompani-

SHORTHAND

Dosa Corner

1077 Old Henderson Road 614-459-5515

dosacornerrestaurant.com

Cookbook:

“Dosa Corner” by Girija Narahari and Srinivas Ramachandran

ISBN 979-8588294799

ments that reheat nicely. Catering services also are available.

With its addictive, crunchy, vegetable-centric offerings, Dosa Corner can be a wonderful introduction to Indian food for first-timers, who can specify their preferred spice level. For vegetarians and lovers of the cuisine, Dosa Corner is reliably yummy, relatively affordable and not to be missed. ◆

Bisibelabath, in the foreground, and lemon rice at Dosa Corner.

The Last Remaining York Steak House is For Sale

Plus more in local food and drink news

By Nicholas Dekker

Openings & Announcements

Jay Bettin, the owner of York Steak House on the West Side, announced in a May social media post that he is retiring after 45 years and putting the business up for sale. The first York Steak House opened in Columbus in 1966 and over time grew to nearly 180 restaurants nationwide. The Columbus business at 4220 W. Broad St. is the last remaining location. It will maintain regular hours until it’s sold.

The owners of Hiraeth, the live-fire cooking Short North restaurant, paused its dinner service on June 1, converting to guest chef dinners, pop-ups, special events and catering. Hiraeth is operated by Bronwyn Haines and B.J. Lieberman, who also own Chapman’s Eat Market and Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge. In response, they’ll add more menu items at Ginger Rabbit and expand service at Chapman’s to seven days a week starting in mid-June.

Guy Fieri’s Trattoria , a new restaurant from the Food Network star, opened on June 2 at the Eldorado Scioto Downs. According to the eatery’s website, it will bring a “flavorful twist” to classic Italian dishes.

McGinnis’ Grill joined Budd Dairy Food Hall’s Hatch incubator space in early June. Restaurant veteran John McGinnis has been operating his eponymous food truck with a gourmet sandwich menu

like Cubans, brisket melts and pimento grilled cheese since 2021.

According to a May press release on the city of Hilliard’s website, Drunch Eatery + Bar will open a second location next summer in the forthcoming TruePointe development. TruePointe will feature a mix of luxury apartments, retail and restaurant space. Drunch opened its first location in 2017 at 995 N. Fourth St. in Italian Village.

The owners of Aardvark Wine & Beer in Linworth (2355 W. Dublin-Granville Road) opened a new extension called Dive Baar in May. Located at the rear of the space, Dive Baar serves wine by the glass and bottle, draft beer, ciders from Seek-No-Further Cidery and locally made snacks. A Ray Ray’s Hog Pit truck also parks on-site Thursdays through Sundays.

Closings

Talita’s Burritos & Coneys closed its Hilliard location at 6542 Hayden Run Road. Its store at 1335 Dublin Road remains open. Talita’s has a long history in the Columbus dining scene, starting first in 1968 as Talita’s Mexican Kitchen in Clintonville before closing in 2007 and briefly reopening in 2013. It reemerged in recent years with the addition of coney

dogs and other menu items. Besides the Hayden Run and Dublin Road stores, a location operated briefly Downtown at 30 S. Young St. before closing in 2022.

Thurn’s Specialty Meats closed its retail shop at 530 Greenlawn Ave. in late May, though owners are still offering meat processing and will occasionally sell specialty items. Thurn’s, run by four generations of the family, has been open since 1886.

Pam Tylka of Pam’s Market Popcorn and Windy City Eats in Gahanna announced that she will close the business on June 22. She cited the need to take a medical hiatus as the reason for closure. Pam’s started inside the North Market in 2005 before moving to a stand-alone Gahanna storefront in 2017.

Stauf’s Coffee Roasters closed its Discovery District shop at 350 Mt. Vernon Ave. on May 30. An exact reason for the closure wasn’t given, although Stauf’s operates a Cup O’ Joe location on East Broad Street nearby.

To keep up with the latest restaurant/bar openings and closings, visit columbusmonthly.com and subscribe to our food newsletter, Copy & Taste.

PHOTO: ROB HARDIN

A York Steak House meal in 2018

let’s eat

WHERE TO DINE THIS MONTH

Editor’s Note: Please call restaurants to check hours and menu availability.

$$$$ Very expensive, $26 and higher

$$$ Spendy, $16–$25

$$ Moderate, $11–$15

$ Affordable, under $10

NEW Restaurant has opened within the last few months.

Outdoor Seating

B Breakfast BR Brunch L Lunch D Dinner

2024 Best New Restaurants

Let’s Eat comprises Columbus Monthly editors’ picks and is updated monthly based on available space. Send updates to letters@columbusmonthly.com.

AMERICAN

1808 American Bistro

Josh Dalton’s American bistro uses both contemporary and classic elements in décor and cooking. The menu features short ribs, filet medallions, and shrimp and grits. 29 E. Winter St., Delaware, 740-417-4373. BRLD $$$

Asterisk Supper Club

Owner Megan Ada offers teatime and suppertime in a bibliophile’s dream atmosphere. Craft cocktails are served at a handsome bar, while the eclectic menu ranges from fancy grilled cheese to lamb chops. 14 N. State St., Westerville, 614-7764633. LD $$

Biscuit Boss

Looking for on-the-go comfort food? Biscuit Boss offers made-from-scratch biscuits with a wide variety of toppings and Ohio-grown meats. Go for French toast bites and the Boss, a biscuit with cayenne fried chicken and jalapeño honey. Food Truck, Citywide, 937-631-7614. BLD $

Bowzers

Housed in a concrete igloo, Shawn Mulligan’s delightful hot dog stand is unmistakable. Standout dogs include the Junkyard Dog, Hangover Dog and a variety of limited/ seasonal hot dogs. Soft-serve ice cream is

also available. 2936 Brice Rd., East Side, 614398-0364. LD $

Cameron’s American Bistro Open since 1993, Cameron’s is the flagship for Cameron Mitchell Restaurants. The restaurant’s chef-driven menu showcases the diversity of American cuisine with fresh seafood, pastas, steaks and chops. 2185 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., Northwest Side, 614885-3663. D $$$$

Club 185

You’ll find cozy booths and stiff drinks at this dimly lit German Village hangout serving better-than-average bar fare like cheeseburgers, Anchor Bar wings and pizza. 185 E. Livingston Ave., German Village, 614228-3904. LD $

Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace

A hip hot dog joint with retro décor and oneof-a-kind wieners that can be topped with condiments such as sauerkraut, baked beans and Fritos. 248 S. Fourth St., Downtown, 614-824-4673. LD $

Granville Inn

American bistro fare is served in the dining room of this historic English manor inn, located in the heart of downtown Granville. The menu includes soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas and steaks. 314 E. Broadway, Granville, 740-587-3333.

BBRLD $$$$

Hubbard Grille

Visit columbus monthly.com to read about the latest restaurant openings.

Hubbard specializes in upscale takes on down-home and down-South dishes made with organic and local ingredients. 793 N. High St., Short North, 614-291-5000. BRLD $$$

The Keep Kitchen & Liquor Bar

This hotel restaurant is a convenient option for pre-theater dinner and drinks, offering LeVeque Tower luxury without being overly fussy. Menu items range from fresh oysters and pierogies to burgers and Arctic char. The adjacent bar is darkly lit with an emphasis on craft cocktails. 50 W. Broad St., Mezzanine Level, LeVeque Tower, Downtown, 614-7450322. BBRD $$$

Kitchen Social

A stylish, independently owned restaurant serving classic American grill fare alongside plates inspired by global cuisines. Start with the fan-favorite cheddar and scallion biscuits to go with any of the signature cocktails or a glass from the extensive wine list. The menu includes entrée salads, pizzas, tacos, seafood, steaks and more. 6791 Longshore St., Ste. 110, Dublin, 614-763-1770; 8954 Lyra Dr., Polaris, 614-505-8492. BRLD $$$

Lindey’s

A Columbus institution, this upscale German Village restaurant with Upper East Side New York flair is a diner favorite, no doubt due to its classic and consistently good fine-dining fare and lush patio. 169 E. Beck St., German Village, 614-228-4343. BRLD $$$$

BAR FARE

Ash & Em

Housed inside Classics Sports Bar, this kitchen turns out above average game day fare such as pizzas, smashburgers, fried pickles and 24-hour brined wings. 541 S. High St., Brewery District, 614-697-1108 LD $$

Barley’s Brewing Co.

The microbrewery offers an expansive selection of brews, which can be enjoyed at the hand-carved, century-old mahogany bar alongside American bar favorites like grilled wings, nachos and burgers. 467 N. High St., Short North, 614-228-2537. LD $$

Blackbird Kitchen

Located inside Woodlands Tavern, Blackbird Kitchen boasts an eclectic menu of appetizers, sandwiches and tacos, all made from scratch. You can enjoy mouthwatering birria tacos at the full bar which boasts

over 30 taps. 1200 W. Third Ave., Fifth by Northwest, 614-266-8092. D $$

O’Reilly’s Pub

A casual, neighborhood Irish bar with a menu including the Pepper Burger, subs, sweet potato fries and wings. 2822 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-262-6343. LD $

Brekkie Shack

Staying true to its name, this cheerful Grandview Yard spot focuses on breakfast, with scratchbaked goods, savory breakfast sandwiches, pancakes and espresso drinks. Lunch includes wagyu burgers and veggie bowls. 1060 Yard St., Grandview, 614-208-7766. BBRL $$

Heirloom Café

The fresh and seasonal café located inside the Wexner Center for the Arts always seems to have whatever we’re craving—homemade soup, sandwiches, salads, pastries and coffee drinks. 1871 N. High St., Campus, 614-2922233. BL $

Katalina’s

Expect an eclectic menu of Latin-leaning items at this café known for its pancake balls, breakfast tacos, egg sandwiches and killer patio in the warmer months. 3481 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-689-8896; 1105 Pennsylvania Ave., Harrison West, 614-2942233. BLD $$

NEW Littleton’s Market Café

UA’s new neighborhood market boasts an inhouse café that’s open daily. Shakshuka, avo toast and bagel towers star in the mornings; lunch and dinner offerings include salads, shrimp cocktail, chilled seafood towers and burgers. 2140 Tremont Center, Upper Arlington, 614-826-1432. BBRLD $$$

Schokko Art Café

Chef Laura Richmond runs the kitchen at

the Columbus Museum of Art’s house café. Expect a menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and desserts to accompany a fantastic setting overlooking the museum’s sculpture garden. 480 E. Broad St., Downtown, 614-221-8300. BLD $$

CHINESE

Chuan Jiang Hao Zi

From the owners of bygone dim sum destination Fortune Chinese comes this University City restaurant featuring both American Chinese and authentic Chinese menus. House specialties include fish fillet in Sichuan green pepper broth, mapo lobster and tofu, spicy dry pot beef and fried spicy intestine. A dim sum menu is also available. 496 Ackerman Road, Northwest Side, 614372-5520 LD $$$

NE Chinese Restaurant

Authentic dishes from the Dongbei region of China are the specialty at this unfussy Old North spot. Go for the cumin potatoes, spicy twice-cooked fish or any of the hot pots. 2620 N. High St., Old North, 614-725-0880. LD $$

Xin Wei Kitchen

This Sichuan restaurant offers both traditional Chinese and American-Chinese menus. Opt for the former, with dishes like braised eggplant, dry-fried string beans, Chongqing spicy chicken and excellent seafood preparations boasting lavalike heat. 1932 W. Henderson Rd., Northwest Side, 614824-3347. LD $$$

YF Chinese Cuisine

Offering a new option for authentic Sichuan fare, the flavor-packed menu ranges from cauliflower dry pot and ma po tofu to pork feet and stir-fried squid with garlic chives. 5225 Godown Rd., Northwest Side, 614-7064870. LD $$$

Yun Nan Crossing Bridge Noodle

An authentic noodle shop that specializes in rice noodle soup from Yunnan Province, China. Choose from more than 10 noodle soups and starters like pork dumplings or crispy salt and pepper chicken. 2548 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-929-5552. LD $$

CONTEMPORARY

Alqueria Farmhouse Kitchen

This rustic yet refined neighborhood restaurant is the work of two veteran chefs. Expect fine cheeses and charcuterie to start,

plus entrées like buttermilk fried chicken and pan-roasted walleye with risotto. The bar offers several cocktails and takes care in selecting its craft beers and wines. 247 King Ave., Campus, 614-824-5579. LD $$$

Agni

At his fine-dining restaurant, chef Avishar Barua (Top Chef Season 18) entertains guests with multicourse tasting menus that showcase Barua’s Bengali roots, penchant for creative hijinks and live-fire cooking chops. Reservations are a must or try snagging a bar seat. 716 S. High St., Brewery District. D $$$$

Chapman’s Eat Market

Chef BJ Lieberman, a 2023 James Beard semifinalist, runs this eclectic, globe-trotting restaurant in the former home of Max & Erma’s in German Village. Dishes explore the food traditions of Thailand, Italy, the American South and beyond. A bold interior design, fine cocktails served at a great old bar and homemade ice cream complete the package. 739 S. Third St., German Village, 614-444-0917. D $$$

Comune

Joe Galati’s restaurant and bar fills a void in Columbus with a plant-based approach to upscale dining. The seasonal menu includes shareable dishes like tahdig, house-made pita with dipping sauces, tempura cauliflower and semolina cavatelli. 677 Parsons Ave., Schumacher Place, 614-947-1012 D $$$

Fyr

Argentinian chef Sebastian La Rocca oversees this live-fire restaurant at the new Hilton Columbus Downtown tower. Dinnertime starters range from empanadas to grilled bone marrow, while the mains include ember-cooked shrimp, grilled filet, wood-

Comune

O’Reilly’s Pub

fired pizzas and roasted salmon. Breakfast is served daily. 404 N. High St., Short North, 614-384-8600. BD $$$

Goodale Station

Topping Downtown’s Canopy by Hilton hotel is this rooftop restaurant, bar and patio led by executive chef Jonathan Olson. The restaurant’s city views are complemented by a large bar, high-end cocktails and sophisticated fare inspired by global cuisines. 77 E. Nationwide Blvd., Downtown, 614-2279400. BRD $$$

Joya’s Café

This casual Bengali-American café from chef Avishar Barua (Top Chef season 18) was one of the most exciting openings of 2022. Highlights include the excellent chai, Thai iced tea, fried rice and Cheesy Double Crunch (Barua’s take on Taco Bell’s Cheesy Gordita Crunch). 657 High St., Worthington, 614468-1232 BL $$$

Service Bar

Local distiller Middle West showcases its fine spirits at this on-site restaurant and bar led by executive chef Chris Connolly. Expect New American fare ranging from a wagyu beef burger to halibut with Kashmiri curry. 1230 Courtland Ave., Short North, 614-947-1231. D $$$

Veritas Chef Josh Dalton’s modern, tasting-menustyle restaurant celebrates the art and science of cooking while offering one of the finest dining experiences in town. Located in the Citizens Building, Veritas prides itself on excellent service and exhilarating cocktail and wine lists. The menu’s theme changes often. 11 W. Gay St., Downtown, 614-745-3864. D $$$$

Watershed Kitchen & Bar

Watershed complements its distillery with a handsome, proudly Midwestern restaurant and bar known for its chef-driven menu and locally sourced fare. The bar is a destination on its own, with classically inspired cocktails served by an industry-recognized bar staff. 1145 Chesapeake Ave., Fifth by Northwest, 614-357-1936. D $$$

Wolf’s Ridge Brewing

French- and California-cuisine-inspired Wolf’s Ridge is a truly delightful reflection of how we enjoy fine dining today—a happy marriage of high-end small plates, pints of house-crafted beer and craft cocktails. Don’t miss the brunch. 215 N. Fourth St., Downtown, 614-429-3936. BRLD $$$

EUROPEAN

Café Elena

A fusion bakery and restaurant with a Russian twist operated by a mother-daughter duo. Go for the freshly made pastries and delightful

breakfast options such as crêpes, pancakes, skillets and more. 2054 Crown Plaza Dr., Northwest Side, 614-726-0726. BL $$

Hubert’s Polish Kitchen

A large counter-order operation in the North Market serving affordable, made-from-scratch Polish food, including kielbasa, pierogies and gotabki (cabbage rolls). 59 Spruce St., Short North, 614-220-8787. LD $

Pierogi Mountain

Located in the former Grass Skirt Tiki Room space, Pierogi Mountain offers a 50 percent vegan menu that includes a variety of handmade pierogi, chicken paprikash and house-made pork sausage and kraut. 105 N. Grant Ave., Downtown, 614-745-3139. LD $

IRISH & BRITISH PUBS

Dublin Village Tavern

A traditional Irish tavern nestled in a 120-yearold building offering Irish favorites like fish and chips, Irish egg rolls and shepherd’s pie. 27 S. High St., Dublin, 614-766-6250. LD $$

ITALIAN

Ann & Tony’s Restaurant

A quaint family restaurant serving

traditional, homemade Italian and American dishes, including chicken Parmesan, prime rib, spaghetti, seafood and homemade desserts. 211 E. Main St., West Side, 614879-8897. LD $$

Bar Cicchetti

In 2022, the grand Westin Great Southern Columbus added this casual bar and restaurant from celebrity chef and native Italian Fabio Viviani. Not to be missed are the focaccia, Polpetti Di Fabio, grilled octopus and strozzapreti verde. 310 S. High St., Downtown, 614-228-5300. BLD $$$

Basi Italia

Nestled in the heart of Victorian Village, Basi Italia serves clean, simple Italian fare with innovative twists in a setting so intimate, you’ll feel like the chef invited you over for dinner. Basi offers one of the city’s best patios. 811 Highland St., Victorian Village, 614-294-7383. D $$$

Due Amici

Exposed brick walls and modern black and white furniture give this Downtown Italian eatery an upscale feel. 67 E. Gay St., Downtown, 614-224-9373. BRLD $$

Giuseppe’s Ritrovo

This unfussy Bexley restaurant is the place to go for classic Italian pasta dishes, such as Gamberi Diavola and Fettucine Calabrese. Italy plays just as big a role behind the bar with a lengthy wine list, a solid amaro selection and outstanding craft cocktails. 2268 E. Main St., Bexley, 614-235-4300. LD $$$

La Tavola

Chef Rick Lopez owns this popular Old World Italian restaurant in Grandview. Dotted with green and yellow accents, the setting is open and welcoming. The food is seasonal, rustic Italian, with pizzas, housemade breads and pastas. 1664 W. First Ave., Grandview, 614914-5455. D $$$

Pasqualone’s Ristorante

This hidden gem in Columbus Square Shopping Center serves Italian classics in a dining room where kitsch and fine dining collide. The veal dishes are the big star here. 5766 Emporium Square, North Side, 614890-2070. D $$$$

Pelino’s Pasta

At their cozy restaurant, Vinny and Christina Pelino serve a prix fixe menu featuring house-made semolina pastas and seasonal

Pierogi Mountain

ingredients. Don’t skip the scratch desserts. Menus change monthly. 245 King Ave., Dennison Place, 614-849-6966. D $$$$

Speck Italian Eatery

Chef Josh Dalton tackles rustic Italian fare at this buzzy Downtown spot in the Nicholas building. The menu ranges from mortadella on house focaccia to rigatoni Amatriciana to scallop risotto. 89 N. High St., Downtown, 614-754-8544. LD $$$

Tony’s Italian Ristorante

In business since 1982, this white-tablecloth Brewery District stalwart offers a blend of traditional and modern Italian-American food, with lasagne, shrimp scampi, veal saltimbocca and Tony’s Own Fettuccini. 16 W. Beck St., Brewery District, 614-224-8669. D $$$

Villa Nova Ristorante

A family-owned Italian eatery that’s a local favorite for its red-sauce Italian cuisine (manicotti, lasagna and ravioli), no-frills pizza and ice-cold beer. 5545 N. High St., Worthington, 614-846-5777. LD $$

SMALL PLATES

Black Radish Creamery

This cut-to-order cheese shop also offers artisan preserves, chocolate, crackers and

Best Tacos Al Pastor In The City!

Speck Italian Eatery

more. 59 Spruce St., Short North, 614-5179520. BLD $

Denmark on High

A European-style cocktail bar focusing on vintage and modern drinks, craft Ohio beers and seasonal small plates. On the second floor of the Yankee on High building. 463 N. High St., Short North, 614-914-6700. D $$

Ginger Rabbit Jazz Lounge

Cocktails and conservas rule the night at this intimate jazz room from the owners of Chapman’s Eat Market. Small plate options include Iberico ham, Black Radish Creamery cheeses, Castelvetrano olives and highquality tinned seafood with butter and crusty Dan the Baker bread. 17 Buttles Ave., Short North, 614-929-5298. D $$$

Lincoln Social Rooftop

Cameron Mitchell Restaurants’ first-ever rooftop lounge offers impressive views of the whole city from atop the Lincoln Building. Cocktails and socializing are the focus here, with a complementing menu of beach-y small plates and snacks. 9th Floor, 705 N. High St., Short North, 614-300-9494. D $$

SOUTHERN

The Eagle

This Southern-style restaurant from the

Cincinnati-based owners of Bakersfield features Amish fried chicken, spoonbread, craft beers and a large patio along High Street. 790 N. High St., Short North, 614-7453397. LD $$

Modern Southern Table

Budd Dairy visitors can order fried chicken, catfish and low country shrimp and grits at this outstanding food hall eatery from owner Daisy Lewis. 1086 N. Fourth St., Italian Village, 614-505-2637. LD $$

Subourbon Southern Kitchen & Spirits

At this Linworth spot, the owners of Alqueria Farmhouse Kitchen serve up Southern-style cuisine such as cast-iron cornbread, chickenfried chicken and blackened redfish. As its name suggests, the restaurant offers an extensive whiskey list. 2234 W. DublinGranville Rd., Worthington, 614-505-0773. D $$$

THAI

Bamboo Thai Kitchen

This bright spot in a drab strip mall offers well-executed Thai staples like som tum (green papaya salad), flavorful green and red curries and pad thai, plus some Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese dishes. 774 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-326-1950. LD $$

Bangkok Grocery & Restaurant

A family-owned, carryout-only eatery specializing in authentic Thai fare for more than 30 years. Go for some of the city’s best pad thai, tom yum soup, nam tok and Thai curries. 3277 Refugee Rd., East Side, 614231-8787. LD $$

Erawan Thai Restaurant

Classic Thai and Vietnamese dishes highlight a large menu with many Southeast Asian favorites at this modest, family-owned restaurant in a strip mall. 3589 Refugee Rd., East Side, 614-237-9310. LD $$$

Thai Grille

This modest spot serves Thai classics like pad see ew, tom kha gai, massaman curry and pad thai. 15 E. College Ave., Westerville, 614-8654515. LD $$$

VEGAN/VEGETARIAN

4th & State

This vegan eatery for the Downtown crowd features meatless alternatives to American favorites like Just Egg omelets, pancakes, pizzas and burgers. 152 E. State St., Downtown, 614-636-5383. BBRLD $$

Lifestyle Café

This vegetarian and vegan restaurant offers meals with meat substitutes for a new take

Bangkok Restaurant & Grocery

on classics such as sliders and chicken and waffles. 891 Oak St., Olde Towne East, 614754-1444. BBRL $$

Seitan’s Realm

This devilishly named deli specializes in plant-based sandwiches such as Reubens and gyros. Try the vegan cheesesteak sandwich with curly fries for a great combo. 3496 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-230-2889. BLD $$

Two Dollar Radio Headquarters

An indie bookstore/bar/café residing on the South Side. The bar serves cocktails and draft beer (except on Sundays) while the café focuses on plant-based salads, burritos, sliders, sandwiches and dips. 1124 Parsons Ave., South Side, 614-725-1505. BRLD $$

Willowbeez SoulVeg

Carnell Willoughby’s vegan soul food pop-up now has a space in the North Market, where it serves soups, salads, wraps, sandwiches and a handful of brunch items. Don’t miss the So’Lasagna on Wednesdays. 59 Spruce St., Short North, 614-678-6067. LD $$

Seitan’s Realm

My Neighborhood

SHORT NORTH

High Street Style

“After we moved to the area 12 years ago, I immediately gravitated to the Short North,” says Nicci Hicks, an attorney who made a mid-career shift into retail a few years ago and opened Pivot boutique in the neighborhood’s High Street business district. “There are so many beautiful, thoughtful businesses here, and so many are locally owned.”

—STEVE WARTENBERG

Shopping Spree

“The reason I first visited the Short North was to shop,” says the stylish Hicks. One of her favorites is Rowe Boutique, which “has a lot of emerging

brands, similar to what I have [at Pivot], and they have a lot of pieces grounded in color,” Hicks says. Two other regular stops are Ladybird (“it’s flirty and feminine, like old Hollywood”) and Artisan De Luxe (“they have great denim”).

Restaurant Row Hicks doesn’t have to wander far to find several great eateries. Her current passion is Hiraeth, which features a wood-fire hearth. “The first floor is beautiful, but if you go downstairs, that’s where the magic [and the wood hearth] is; you can watch them cook.” Hicks also

loves Ginger Rabbit (“it’s a jazz bar and lounge with live music”), the popular Northstar Café (“I love their burgers”), Forno Kitchen + Bar (“one of the best happy hours in the city”) and One Line Coffee (“I love their lattes”).

Cone or Cup?

A few doors from Pivot is Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. “I love their dark chocolate, the salty caramel and the brown butter almond brittle, or a combination of any two, or even three, of them,” Hicks says.

Kids Korner Hicks, her husband, B.J. Hicks, and their children,

10-year-old Eleanor and 7-year-old William, love to browse the aisles of Big Fun Columbus Vintage Toys. “We’re huge Star Wars fans, and they have so many cool Star Wars things,” Hicks says.

Gallery Hopping

The Short North is chockfull of art galleries. “Sharon is one of the OGs, and her way of thinking and approach is so refreshing,” Hicks says of the Sharon Weiss Gallery. Brandt-Roberts Galleries “has a lot of diverse artists,” and Fletcher House “just opened and has a lot of really cool, found objects.”

Nicci Hicks, owner of Pivot

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