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T H E H O T N E W R E S TA U R A N T & E V E N T C E N T E R
E V E R Y O N E I S R AV I N G A B O U T By Paige Adams
s you pull up into the parking lot of Warehouse 9 A you can’t help but know where you are. There’s an enormous “9” painted on the side of the building and the
Warehouse 9 is the vision made possible by the teamwork of owner Paresh Patel and Chef Derek Shelling. It took months of blood, sweat, tears, and
as several fish dishes for the seafood enthusiast. With options such as the In & Out stuffed burger, a triple decker Reuben and the Island Chicken sandwich, the hardest part will be choosing what to get. Chef Derek takes his patron’s palates on a sensory experience for both lunch and dinner at a very reasonable price, while the spacious event hall is capable of handling everything from a fabulous wedding to a pop-up art show all perfect for social distancing. The more we learned about Chef Derek, the more we wanted to know. From the ripe age of eight, Shelling told us he had declared his place in the kitchen alongside his grandmother, whom he credits as the roots of his passion. Shelling recalls days with his grandmother, “snapping peas, shucking corn, peeling potatoes, and we fed the
Kimberly Dyann Photography
name of the restaurant and event center spelled out in bold black brick on the side. The former Tom’s Peanuts warehouse of 1925 now sits proudly adorned in her new artwork. Located on the corner of 10th Avenue and 9th at 920 9th Street, set just off the beaten path of the Historic District and Uptown Columbus near the Liberty District, the building is set to help bridge a gap between the Uptown and Midtown areas. The sizeable parking lot gives way to a wide staircase leading up to the double-door entrance, where a cozy
even a bout of covid-19, but Chef Derek along with Paresh and their crew opened Warehouse 9 in August of this year. Warehouse 9’ executive Chef Derek Shelling offers a classic American menu with an ample range of upscale appetizers, entrees,’ cocktails and desserts. From burgers, to pasta, to seafood, everything is gorgeous and Instagram-worthy. “We want Warehouse 9 to become not just a local place to hang out, but a local brand,” Shelling said. We couldn’t get enough of their signature lemonade, Kimberly Dyann Photography
patio eagerly awaits patrons wanting to take refuge for the afternoon. As you walk inside, smiling masked covered faces greet you as you are welcomed to the grand dining room. The bar is covered with gold shiny pennies and is fully stocked. The only thing to do now is have a taste of what’s on the menu. LocaL
crab cakes with remoulade sauce and their savory philly cheesesteak. Another winner for our foodie friends was the cajun pasta, though we highly suggest you try a lil’ bit of everything. The crew is known to put just about anything together for their guests, all dietary needs included. The menu boasts a variety of salads, as well 20
neighborhood, that’s what we did.” He later found himself in restaurants, starting off as a dishwasher and moving up the ladder from there, learning all the way. When the opportunity to create the vision of Warehouse 9 came, the 24-year restaurant industry veteran felt like he had found the opportunity to return to the kitchen as a passion rather than a paycheck. While his roots are grown in southern style, Shelling doesn’t see his work as traditionally southern. “I want to have a unique twist to everything I touch, so you can know that you had my food,” he said. The new restaurant has already garnered attention with its recent hosting of Dr. Jill Biden, where several officials joined the former second lady to meet with military members and their families. Alongside Biden were Georgia State Senator Ed Harbison, as well as Georgia State Representative Carolyn Hugley, among others. Shelling wants his guests to know that all necessary precautions against the Coronavirus are being taken. While Warehouse 9 got its start amid the global pandemic, he never saw it as a challenge. Shelling started NOVEMBER -DECEMBER 2020
