Archive for the ‘bar’ Category

Ray Ray’s Chicken Wings

Posted by cmh gourmand on May 7, 2013

There are several questions the people in North Columbus ask about Ray Ray’s.

-Why are they just open on weekends?
-What happened to the original trailer?
-When are they going to open a restaurant?
-When will they make chicken wings again?

I have a hint to some of those questions below:

The first and third questions are answered next. Starting on or near or at least close to May 11th, Ray Ray’s opens inside Ace of Cups to serve the people more often with more menu items.

Question two – the original trailer is for sale. Hopefully, it will help someone new make great BBQ.

And the fourth question. The chicken wings are back, permanently and with a vengeance. Take a look at the menu below.

For those of you that have not been to Ace of Cups, long ago it was a bank. The former drive through window has now been converted to a walk up window for wings. The wings are sold by the pound with a choice of three sauces or rubs. And, going somewhat off the grid, the second choice from the fryer are Plantains. The dish is uncommon in Columbus but I think it will pair well with the beers and other libations at Ace of Cups.

The path of many Mobile Food chefs is to go from a menu on wheels to a cuisine under a roof. In the case of James Ray Anderson of Ray’s Ray’s, he has come full circle. Years ago, he honed his craft in restaurants, the last of which was Smackies. In 2009, he moved to a trailer and with a lot of hard work and patience he built a Columbus cult favorite. Now he is blending his two worlds to create one hell of a destination for food, music and beer.

After the lines die down and the menu is fine tuned, I am sure I will write about the wings. In the meantime, post a comment and let people know what you think of them.

Ray Ray’s Chicken Wings
2619 High St.
Clintonville, OH 43202

Post Script
Astute readers (reading after May 17th 2013, who look at one of the photos will see the word Tostones in one of the menu photos. That name last about one day when Jaime (Ray Ray) was informed that his use of the word was not the same as the traditional use of the word in Latin Culinary culture….so it changed it immediately.

I stopped in to try the wings on day three of operation. I found them to be good, much better than BW-3. The plantains are decent but I would pass of them the next time. I prefer the style that Starliner Diner and Explorer’s Club serve. What might I like to see on this menu to go with the wings? I vote potato chips. For a serving suggestion, I would suggest go with a rub and ask for a sauce on the side, as pictured below. The second photo is of the plantains.

Posted in bar, BBQ | Tagged: Ray Rays Chicken Wings | 3 Comments »

High Beck Corner Tavern (Hi Beck)

Posted by cmh gourmand on February 21, 2013

Before we begin…..let’s have a quick history lesson. The Brewery District has seen the best of the boom times and could have been classified as a ghost town in other eras. Long ago, before prohibition, it really was a Brewery District supporting over 600 bars and Taverns in Columbus and more elsewhere and business was very good. The High Beck opened in 1921, after Prohibition started, during the “meh” era of South High Street. In the early 1990′s to early 2000-aughts, it was the boom times and the Brewery District was THE place to be. Parking was scarce, Victory’s was the premiere meat/meet market to be for the gold chained, polo shirt wearing, pegged jeans and big hair crowd while the pre-dawn of hipsters were hanging out at Hoster’s and the Columbus microbrew world was experiencing the first renaissance that did not persist. At the epicenter of this, at least for many I knew, was the High Beck. (We called it the Hi Beck, as per the sign on the south side of the building). Often crowded beyond comfort, this joint, was the place to go for great local music and good beer. While I saw a few good bands here in the 1990′s, I never really hung out there otherwise and promptly forgot about the place. But then, the area fell out of favor again and many businesses went bust and the district faltered. The area is taking off again, but during the limbo era in between, the High Beck Corner Tavern survived the lean times while Victory’s, BW-3, The Clarmont and others bit it.

Why High Beck? The tavern is at the corner of South High Street and Beck Street, hence the name. Why has the High Beck survived? Regulars can answer that question better than me – and they are much of the answer I am sure, so if the High Beck is, your spot, please post here to enlighten me. The joint still features live music but not as much as in days gone by. As far as how the tavern came back on my radar the answer is easy….pizza. During of the Pizza Gran Prix events I used to do, some wonderful person brought in a SmokeHouse Combo Pizza from the High Beck. The Smokehouse features both the house made Texas BBQ brisket and hickory smoked pulled pork on top, house made BBQ sauce at the base with some mozzarella mixed in so it can be called a pizza and not a sandwich. This was easily one of my favorite speciality pizzas and more importantly, it ages well for next day consumption. However, I always had the pizza to go and never experienced it in house. It has taken me years to get back to the High Beck and the pizza got me through the doors. However, this delay on my part still lacks any rational reason. On Mondays, the tavern offers FREE pizza from 4 pm and after. On Tuesdays….FREE coneys….and yet, contrary to all things that define me….I never made it there for free food.

The BBQ itself is worthy of mention. The house made sauce can be found in squirt bottles on the tables. The menu tells us that the house BBQ is created by Tiny. Tiny’s BBQ was perfected over 15 years in the south now to find itself in the land that spawned the war of Northern Aggression piled on top of an Italian Pizza Pie. This may seem like an odd twist of fate yet I have no complaints. I know many people (mostly of the female persuasion), that hate BBQ pizza as an abomination to the purity of the pizza concept. I do not. There are many foods I would add BBQ to if social constructs were more forgiving, but I usually know how far to push things. Well, sometimes I do, maybe not for food. Tiny, keep making BBQ and find more stuff to pile it onto.

But if BBQ is not your thing, the High Beck has some belly busting chili cheese fries that will balance out two or three beers with no effort at all. Or, maybe you would like to try out their make your own bloody Mary Bar? Finally maybe food means nothing to you (so why are you reading this?) if that is the case you will find a good selection of beers, ping-pong, foosball, darts and a pool table to pass the time and wonder why you keep thinking about getting a BBQ sandwich.

The High Beck Corner Tavern
564 S. High St
Brewery Distrct
614.224.0886

Posted in bar, BBQ, beer, restaurants | Tagged: Hi Beck, High Beck, High Beck Corner Tavern | Leave a Comment »

Quickbyte: Be it Pi or Meister’s Bar, this Pizza is Pleasing

Posted by cmh gourmand on January 30, 2013

Pizza has been on my mind for a couple of decades now but deeply calling to my senses for the last year. I have thought long on this. My favorite pizza is……Adriaticos. I can say there may be others that are the result of better ingredients, finer craftmanship or better pedigree, but Adriatico’s is the pizza that I crave. Pizza is the penultimate comfort food and to me that means that factoring out all other elements – a serving will deliver unto you….peace of mind and satisfy your desire without compromise.

There are several other pizzas I place highly as well: Bono, Rossi, Harvest, Hounddogs…..but the pie pictured above has been tempting me to name it as my alternate favorite comfort food pizza. The place, is under the radar. It might even be off the grid. Buried in the back of a bar, that is tucked into a corner of town that does not really have an identity there is a small kitchen the size of tool shed that crafts pizza that is unlike any other in Columbus.

Some may refer to the pizza as Chicago Style…. In the spirit of Windy City Pie – I say Aye. To the letter of the definition and practice of the style I would say….closer to nay. We could debate this to the end of time but I would choose not to because it would limit my time to eat this pizza.

I have been stalking this place for almost year and have yet to experience anything that would lead me to find fault with this creation. It is both simple and complex at the same time. It pleases the eye and the palette. The aroma is alluring. Options include pizza, deep dish pizza, cheese breads and subs. Simple menu, complex flavors. I have sampled the deep dish most often. The addictive qualities it triggers in me should be monitored by food scientists and people more learned than I. If there is a pizza Rehab I won’t go, go, go.

The deep dish approach works in reverse order to the typical laying of pizza. Bread – followed by cheese, then toppings, then sauce. Lots of sauce – usually a half-inch or so. This sweet and spicy tomato mash is infused with strong dumpings, not dashes, of herbs and spices. The crust end, or butt, or ring, whatever you might call it is crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside and about three inches high. The crust at the base is shy of an inch. I struggle to complete three slices. I said…I STRUGGLE TO COMPLETE THREE SLICES. Has anyone ever seen me fail to consume pizza with reckless abandon? Never. This is not such a bad thing, because the great hidden quality of this pie is that it ages well. Three hours from serving, it is even better. The next day, even better than that. The cheese and sauce solidify and the crust holds it’s own against the metamorphosis. Any good pie, in my eyes, should be good the next day. This pizza is better. That is a rare.

If I was to engage in optimal strategy I would order two pizzas and a small side of extra sauce. I would choose one pizza for instant gratification. I would eat a slice or two at Meister’s Bar while it cooled. Then I would drive them home, to eat a slice or two more in the comfort and safety of my home. I might share some with my trusted inner circle or like Gollum, I might guard my precious pie, watching for someone who might……. (sorry, a bit of a decompensation there). I would dip some of the crust rings in the extra sauce until I passed out. The next morning, I would consume what was left with renewed vigor.

The advantage of day two is that the pizza had congealed so that is can be eaten by the slice by hand instead of having to cut it with fork and knife while it is still hot. Gratification is instant instead of delayed by civilized use of dining utensils.

Where can you find my this ~~precious~~….pizza pie? It is located at a place that some call Pi, in the back of Meister’s Bar. The bar is a suitable place for dining, if it comes to that. The beer selection is good and the patrons are quite accustomed to people staring longingly at their pizzas.

Pi
Meister’s Bar
1168 Chambers Rd
(Near Kenny Road, Near the 5XNW, Near Bono Pizza, Near Sparano’s Pizza, Near perfect)
614.427.3141

Posted in bar, pizza | 2 Comments »

Ace of Cups: An Arsenal for Awesomeness!

Posted by cmh gourmand on November 14, 2012

There is a lot of history at Ace of Cups. Some of it and the back story of Ray Ray’s moving to the spot were detailed earlier in the year – here. Consider that the prelude.

The Ace of Cups is located at 2619 North High Street in a building that housed a bank for decades and then a series of very lame bars including The Counterfeit Heist (really – what were you kids thinking) and Miani’s (again – what were you thinking, who was going to go to a bar that they would be hard pressed to pronounce or know if it meant anything drunk or sober). The space bolstered a bar scene of mediocrity serving college kids and folks training for El Dorado’s and Zuey’s. The area was helped by the arrival of Late Night Slice a few years ago to give people cheap pizza and slut sauce but that was not enough. What Old(e) North Columbus needed was a bar with character.

Marcy Mays has a lot of character. To those that follow(ed) the 1980′s music scene of Columbus Marcy Mays is well-known as one of the members of Scrawl. Before Liz Lessner launched the empire that was Betty’s Family of Restaurants which is now the mighty Columbus Food League, Marcy was a partial investor in the first incantation of Surly Girl in the early 2000 – oughts. Marcy has a passion for music and bars and food and then more music so for our benefits she has invested those passions, and her heart, soul and retirement income into Ace of Cups. Although continuing to work a day job she, like many super heroines, has an alter ego as the proprietress, chief glass washer and booker of really good but somewhat obscure bands at Ace of Cups. She is assisted by an able body of local bar talent including the muse of G.A. Benton. The bar would best be described as eclectic hence the need for a ping-pong table in the middle of the floor. The place has the essence of what you would want a bar to have when you were in college with the addition of what you wanted a bar to have after college with a small dash of what you need to feel like you are not an old person hanging out in a bar. The whole works. The parts work. And it all comes together. The bar menu includes a strong beer selection, well mixed cocktails, homemade lemonade and vodka infusions. There is small in-house menu of simple snacks and nachos.

Adding to the electic mix mentioned above is Ray Ray’s. I will not wax on about Ray Ray’s because I have numerous times before. If there was ever a place that Ray Ray’s was made for, it is the patio of Ace of Cups. The pairing is like the marriage of friends that you know will last forever and you are a bit jealous of. Another perfect fit for the bar is Rogue Bakery. I am surprised that the goddess Demeter has not struck me down for failing to mention Rogue Bakery. I know the owner. I have tweeted about him, Foodcasted about him and eaten at least one hundred of his cookies in my lifetime. He once totaled his car shortly after delivering cookies to me. I owe him. But the most important thing I can say about Rogue Bakery is that Carl crafts the finest cookies with the best labels that money could buy. So here is the thing. THE THING! Ace of Cups has an exclusive Rogue Bakery Cookie. The only place, in the world, where one can obtain this special (and very good) cookie for consumption is at Ace of Cups. Quick reminder inserted here. Ace of Cups is a bar…..that has the best cookie in town. And the best BBQ. And really good beer. And character. The only thing the place is lacking….the absence of a vintage Galaga Machine and a barmaid that has a soft spot for me who slips me a free cookie with my beer on occasion. But who am I to want perfection when I am given pure awesomeness.

A few side notes on some other notable features: house made vodka inclusions, a comfortable couch and better bathrooms than one would expect.

Posted in bar, BBQ, beer, desserts | Tagged: Ace of Cups, Awesome, Rogue Bakery | 1 Comment »

Quick Byte: Iron Grill BBQ & Brew

Posted by cmh gourmand on October 2, 2012

In the past, I mentioned the nachos at Pig Iron as potentially the best in they city. However, a potential problem came up. The place was sold earlier in 2012. I was wary of the outcome. BBQ places typically don’t fare well during transitions. Pits are a labor of love not something to be acquired in a business transaction. So I kept my distance, skeptical of anymore BBQ bliss coming from the new Iron Grill BBQ & Brew. I mean, they dropped pig from the name, what was I supposed to think?

However, doing a little research, I found out who bought the old watering hole down the road. Eugene Staravecka had done the same to Gahanna Grill about 8 years ago and at the time I had my fears about that too. My reservations were unfounded. Eugene fixed what needed to be taken care of – bathrooms, bar and patio and tinkered very little with the menu. He kept the character and cleaned up the rest. The Beanie Burger was still great and life moved on at Gahanna Grill without the slightest of speedbumps.

So what happened to Pig Iron? The Pig was dropped from the name. The Pink truck was moved to the back parking lot, the place has a new bar, booths, carpet and a patio upgrade. The key change is the tap selection increased to twenty from six – hence the addition of the word brew to the name. What else did Mr. Staravecka add to the bar? Rachel from Villa Nova down the street has come on board as bartender in chief bringing a crowd of regulars with her. Her back story is that she helped open Pig Iron years ago. When I was at the bar he added another great addition to my evening – a free shot.

The core menu remains the same but as penance for taking (some of) the Pig out of Pig Iron, the new owner added the best of Gahanna Grill – the burgers. This had me intrigued – could I still have my favorite nachos and yet add one of my top five burgers at the same place….but with better beer? The answer awaits below.

The verdict: The beer selection is great. The nachos, almost as good as I remember and they are still a great value at happy hour pricing. There seems to be something missing from the nacho mix that I can not place and the salsa is not quite as good as Pig Iron – but these are 95% as good as those I recall from days of yon. The Beanie Burger is good, but it lacks the extra je ne sais grease that comes from the decades of Beanie busting out burgers in the back of the original Gahanna grill.

In summary the BBQ place that had some beer is now the bar that has some BBQ and Burgers. That is an outcome I can live with.

Iron Grill BBQ & Brew
5295 North High Street
(The hinterlands between Clintonville and Riverlea)
614.885.4744
website

Posted in bar, BBQ, beer, Clintonville, hamburgers | Tagged: Iron Grill BBQ and Brew | Leave a Comment »

Ray Ray’s 2.0: Two Trucks, Same Menu, Much Better Venue

Posted by cmh gourmand on May 1, 2012

It was a sad day for Baja Clintonville. It was a great day for Old North Columbus, Jaime Anderson, Ace of Cups and the SoHud Non-Industrial Complex. After an extraordinary run in an unlikely convenience store parking Ray Ray’s Hog Pit has moved on.

There is no need for me to write accolades about Ray Ray’s – 96% of your already know or have read about Ray Ray’s and wanted to go but never did. You now have many more reasons to drive just slightly south on High Street for the full Ray Ray’s experience. The BBQ master is now based at Ace of Cups. What does that mean? It means beer…good beer, a patio, a great live music line up and a bar that will be successful in a location that has repeatedly failed. It also means better parking, twice the BBQ output and a pairing of two business that were meant for each other. By combining their strengths, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Ray Rays and Ace of Cups is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, (the peanut butter and chocolate) of food pairings.

Marcy Mays is the owner and bartender in chief of Ace of Cups. You might have heard of her in a past life in the band Scrawl or maybe as a one of the founders of saloon called Surly Girl. She has taken a building that was a bank, that turned into a series of failed bars. It was a place that never seemed to come together. She is making it work while working fulltime and pursuing other projects at the same time. Ace of Cups has a ping-pong table to complement the patio and an inside menu, with vegan items to complete the carnivorous offerings of Ray Ray’s.

Jaime Anderson worked in the BBQ trade before finding a niche in a trailer that did great in an unwieldy spot. The secret to success: time, word of mouth and a commitment to the art and science of BBQ that polished this diamond in the rough. It worked. But not without some barriers. The biggest obstacles – some bull-headed bureaucracy and literally a handful of people who saw a small business person, running a BBQ operation in a trailer as a threat to their customer base or as someone who should be paying a higher rent elsewhere out of self-interest, not community good.

There is a downside to the story of Ray Ray’s 1.0. This is where the bureaucracy comes in. Jaime has a trailer. Pubic Health requires that a food trailer move every 45 days. There is some obscurely worded, arcane and unclear zoning and other city regulations that are inconsistently observed as requiring a trailer to move every day. From a health and safety standpoint – there is no support for this requirement. From a practical and pragmatic point of view the 24 hour rule is rarely enforced and often ignored but for some reason the microscope zoomed in on Jaime. Maybe he was too successful, received too much press or caught some bad karma. The 1% won against the 99% on this joust.

Jaime tried to get the city departments to explain to him why he had to tear down and set each day that he was in operation. He was only set up a few days a week so the possibility of being unsafe or unsanitary did not exist. Jaime continued to hit a brick wall fighting city hall and never received a real answer. He invested money and time, hired a lawyer and more. Eventually he had to give up, suck it up and waste three to five hours each business day setting up and tearing down for no good reason. In spite of this Sisyphean effort, he continued, thrived and has now moved on. For a point of record….there is another trailer business nearby which does not set up and tear down every day. There are several mobile businesses that dodge the hoops Jaime had to jump through. Is there some reason he was singled out? Whatever it was, he has moved on to a better place and Clintonville loses a bit of its character in the process. Fortunately, Ray Ray’s is still a short bike ride away from his original spot. The Ville will miss you Ray Ray’s but we could not think of a better spot for you. Thanks for being the peanut butter Ace of Cups. And now we watch a reason to visit Clintonville and discover our other independent businesses go away. Now Ray Ray’s is a side note in our community history of lost opportunities.

Posted in bar, BBQ, Clintonville, Gastronomic Stimulus | Tagged: Ace of Cups, Ray Ray's | 6 Comments »

Rivage Atlantique: Exploring The Gastropub

Posted by cmh gourmand on June 8, 2011

When reading about Rivage Atlantique I found the name a bit off-putting. This new restaurant is located in the Olde Worthington Quarter in the former location of a few failed restaurants. I see no signs of Rivage failing. I also see a loyal following developing already. I did a walk through of Rivage one Saturday during the Old Worthington Farmers Market. I was instantly impressed. I asked a guy dressed in very casual clothes for a printed look at their fare and he gave me copies of the various menus. He also introduced himself as Rich and started talking about what Rivage wants do and serve. Considering I was unshowered, a little sweaty and donning my cool (?) cowboy hat, the extra service was unexpected. At the time I did not know Rich was the executive chef.

Parking at Rivage can be a little tight considering The Quarter also sees people flooding in to House Wine, Graeter’s, Worthington Inn and other places. There is plenty of public parking a short walk away so get a bit for pre-meal exercise with a stroll. Rivage is divided into two sections. The main dining area seats about sixty or so. The back room, which has its own entrance, houses the Gastropub featuring a not so traditional bar menu as well as the option to order off the menu from the front of the house as well. The Gastropub has a large variety of craft beers on tab as well as bottles. The wine selection has depth as well. The pub side has multiple TV’s set up for the sports crowd and an eclectic mix of music for the rest of us.

The Gastropub menu is more than a back room assortment of bar snacks. This menu easily stands on its own. Selections include an oyster raw bar, bisque and chowder, more oysters, shrimp, clams, low country crab dip, trout pate, Applewood smoked pimento cheese dip and more. Portions are generous and well prepared. The restaurant uses a stone hearth oven for a variety of pizzas including White Lobster Pie (lobster, basil, ricotta and olive oil) and the Butchershop (Italian sausage, pepperoni, salami, provolone and whole milk mozzarella with thick house made sauce).

The Cuban Sliders would get a thumbs up from residents of Miami. The bread is pressed in the grill just right to compliment the spiced pork loin (some meats are smoked in-house), ham, house-made spicy mustard, onion and swiss cheese. There are twenty items on the Gastropub menu which offers more than enough depth for a meal or a snack.

The menu in the front of the house deserves a mention as well. It is very seafood focused with half of the two page menu involving a variety of fish, scallops, shrimp, mussels and more.

Rivage is a worthy port of call when visiting Olde Worthington.

Rivage Atlantique
652 High Street
Olde Worthington

Posted in bar, restaurants | Tagged: Rivage, Rivage Atlantique | 2 Comments »

Benny’s Pizza: Marysville

Posted by cmh gourmand on April 30, 2011

When Marysville comes up in conversation four things are mentioned: Scott’s, Honda, Doc Henderson’s Restaurant and Benny’s Pizza. Benny’s seems to be mentioned the most and I became increasingly curious about the place. However, I could never convince myself to drive out to Marysville just for pizza. On my way home from Hot Dog University I found myself ahead of schedule and wanting to avoid rush hour traffic so I decided I would check on Benny’s.

The exterior (the exterior’s actually) of Benny’s did not suggest anything noteworthy. There are two buildings, one is a carry out only location for quick pick ups the other dining in location includes part of what I believe to be an old Frosttop Root Beer stand.

As I walked in, Benny’s looked more like a sports bar. The walls are lined with all things Ohio sports related. There is a signed 1976 Reds World Series team shirt, Ohio State jerseys, more Browns and Tribe memorabilia than some Cleveland bars have and much more. There are bleacher seats from old Riverfront Stadium. While sports enthusiasm is big at Benny’s, music is bigger. The walls are also filled with signed photos of rock and country stars including one of Eric Clapton’s guitars. An impressive bill of local and regional musicians fills the giant patio and/or the bar most weekends. The beer selection is extensive and should impress sports and music fans alike.

Considering the focus on the above, I was not sure Benny’s would need to focus on the pizza. I was pleased to find out that they do take their pies very seriously and that pizza makes Benny’s the destination with everything else a significant bonus. The pizza at Benny’s delivers. It is a medium thick crust featuring a cracker style rim with a nice snap, crackle and pop to it. The cheese tends to char and brown on the crust edge in a most divine way. The cheese is thickly applied to the pizza on top of a sauce with a tease of sweetness to it. There are many topping combinations to choose from including “Garbage” which is all fourteen toppings. The pizza is served old school on a pizza tray. As a bonus, when I bounced into my booth, I was greeted with a basket of popcorn to nibble on while I studied the menu.

My pizza was great, I would place it in my top 10 to 15 for central Ohio based on just one pizza. The rest of the menu has a lot to offer including Stromboli, pasta dinners and Robin’s Ribs which are often mentioned as some of the best BBQ ribs in the area.

I was also happy to find out the place kept some of the Frosttop heritage by making and serving their own root beer in frosty mugs that they are not shy about refilling. I was also happy to see that they support local drinking by serving Eldchrist wines. Benny’s is well worth the drive for pizza and a beer and a show.

Benny’s Pizza
968 Columbus Road
Marysville
Dine In: 937.644.8383
Carry out: 937.644.0881

Posted in bar, beer, pizza, Road Trip | Tagged: Benny's Pizza | Leave a Comment »

The Pepper Burger & Other Reasons O’Reilly’s Rocks!

Posted by cmh gourmand on April 7, 2011

I have mentioned O’Reilly’s a few times over the years, most recently as the inspiration for the Clintonville Cocktail and the Clintonville Cocktail Royale. I might not want you to go to O’Reillys. I might not want O’Reilly’s to be more crowded so I can’t find a booth or barstool. I might use O’Reilly’s as a litmus test. But I might as well tell you about O’Reilly’s.

There are fifteen bars (give or take) in Clintonville. This may come as a shock since Clintonville is well known for having quirky and archaic alcohol laws and dry zones. I have been to every bar in Clintonville and most of them are, well, maybe there is a reason parts of Clintonville should be dry, let’s leave it at that. O’Reilly’s is a good bar. It is a very good tavern. It is a spot that makes Baja Clintonville a great place to be.

If the maxim “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts” was ever better applied I have not yet found that example. O’Reilly’s reminds me of the bars you find in most small Ohio towns. It is dark, maybe a little dumpy or “divey”. Because it has an Irish name it is infused with real and fake Irish bric-a-brac for character. The bar is sunken. There are a few characters you can expect to see there every day on one side of the bar or another. The staff have been there for years, some have been there for decades. Ann Marie is the kind of woman that is likely to lose her car keys daily but if you walk through the door once she is likely to remember what you want to drink and your name the next time you drop by. Johnny, the main grill cook makes an occasional appearance in the front end of the business. His personality and demeanor are more suited and more happy in the kitchen and for that we are all better off. Tom comes across as abrasive, surly and ill-tempered but don’t be taken aback by that because he is that way with everyone and it serves to amuse him and his regular customers the first time he encounters a new person walking through the door. The beer selection is not so great but O’Reilly’s pours a good Guinness properly. There is a Galaga machine in the corner, a respectable juke box and a selection of board games to play. These things combined make O’Reilly’s a good bar to go to. The menu makes it THE bar to go to in Clintonville.

Villbillies, as long time residents of Clintonville, are called have all eaten at O’Reilly’s in their lifetime. There is some debate on what is best on the menu. Everyone seems to have one or two items they get everytime. This is an interesting phenomenon to observe. The common answer when asked about the menu at O’Reilly’s is “I don’t know, I always get ___________”. The burgers are a common favorite. I have tried them all. I like them all. However, the one I always get is the Pepper Burger with a side of sweet potato fries.

The pepper burger is 1/2 pound of hamburger encased in cracked black pepper. The misshapen, handmade patty is topped with pepperjack cheese, plenty of pickles, provlone and bacon. The bun is fresh and light toasted so it does not collapse from the weight of the contents. The sweet potato fries are also hand made and served with some type of secret sauce. Place a dill pickle on the plate, add a pint and a glass of water and my meal is complete. When I walk through the door at O’Reilly’s this is what I want. If this is what I get then I am truly content when I walk out the door.

The other burgers do deserve a mention: Bacon BBQ, Mushroom and Onion, The Deluxe Cheeseburger. My secondary burger of choice is the Jerk Burger (aka The Tom Burger, this is not me being mean, this is on the menu). The Jerk is slathered with spicy, peppery, tangy, jerk sauce. I suggest American Cheese with this one.

O’Reilly’s does Saturday morning breakfast specials September to May. You can order Egg Salad and Tuna Salad Sandwiches May to September. There is a daily dinner special which varies by the day and the week. If you get O’Reilly’s then I will probably get you.

O’Reilly’s
2822 North High Street
Baja Clintonville

Posted in bar, Clintonville, hamburgers | Tagged: O'Reilly's | 2 Comments »

Rusty Bucket Wrangles Rogue Root Beer

Posted by cmh gourmand on March 27, 2011

I get many incredible offers. Most come from people in African countries that will give me millions of dollars just to help transfer some money from their country to ours to cut down on paper work and avoid hassle for the estate of a deceased relative with a horribly misspelled name. Some offers come from Russian mail order brides and maybe related to that, it seems that there are some medications I should be taking, I that I can get cheaply. Maybe I should consider the mail order bride option.

The type of offers I would like to get would include: Hey, you are awesome and resourceful and blindingly creative, here is a job that does not suck; or yes you really should write for us, starting now, because you are not boring or pretentious. These offers don’t come and years of trying for them have not yet been productive.

So when the Rusty Bucket asked if I wanted to drink root beer and get some remuneration for my trouble I was curious. I read further. It seems that said root beer was Rogue Root Beer. That fact changed no thanks to yes, pretty please PDQ. As fate would have it, I had Rogue Root Beer in PDX (Portland) recently which was a highlight of five days that were a low point.

I get an interesting array of offers from the food industry that tempt my wallet and threaten to stretch the scope of my blog and my ethics. I almost always say no. The Rusty Bucket offer was perfect. I knew I liked the root beer. I did not know I could get it in Columbus so that knowledge was a gift to me. Rusty Bucket is a locally owned company and aligned with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants so I could support them without hesitation. I knew I was going to rush out for root beer anyway so for the price of gas and a mug of root beer – game on! Yes, I will write for root beer so here we go.

It seems that if you are planning on going Rogue, Columbus is the place to do it. Rusty Bucket charmed this Portland-centric purveyor of tasty drinks into sending most of it’s product line here for serving. This is unique for Columbus and Ohio and the Midwest and most of the country for that matter. The only other states that have Rogue Root Beer are Oregon and Washington. You can pretend you are in Portland while sitting inside 270.

I am not a big pop drinker (we say pop in Columbus, accept it, move on). I NEED to have a coke with pizza to complete the experience. However, I am an absolute sucker for a good Root Beer. I have invested a good deal of time searching for the perfect root beer experience. I found a few that are worth traveling for – Virgil’s Root Beer and Sioux City Root Beer were my brews of choice.

Why might you want to make the effort to try Rogue Root Beer? Because they make it right and because Rusty Bucket pours it right. Rogue approaches their root beer with the same attention to detail and devotion they invest in their craft beers. Their root beer is made with 100% pure dark brown sugar. It has a nice dose of Sassafras. This is draft root beer, served from a tap into a cold, frosted mug with just a bit of foaming head. It may be the most perfect root beer experience in town. Visions of childhood bike rides to the Clintonville A&W drive-in come to mind when I take a sip. To appeal to the child in you or the child tagging along with you, Rusty Bucket also offers kid sized mugs and root beer floats in both sizes.

If you want to completely go Rogue, Rusty Bucket serves several Rogue beers on draft. You can also sample Rogue’s other roguish spirits including Dead Guy Whiskey, Spruce Gin and White Rum. A daily drink special involves soaking a giant chunk of pineapple with brown sugar, vanilla beans and Rogue white rum, then adding some ice and more rum. Yum.

On Tuesdays, a featured drink is the Rogue Spruce Gin Gimlet. I had not been to Rusty Bucket for a while so I decided to try out multiple locations in my root beer research. For your first Rogue run I suggest trying out the Lane Avenue location and hoping that Katie is tending bar when you walk in. She knows all things Rogue and can talk you through your choices while you enjoy a frosty root beer.

Posted in bar, beer, beverages, culinary knowledge, restaurants | Tagged: Rogue Root Beer, Rusty Bucket | 3 Comments »

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