CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

La Chatelaine French Bakery & Cafe
627 High St
Worthington

614.848.6711

La Chatelaine Web site

I drive by La Chatelaine on my way home from work.  It was just a place that blurs in with other places on High Street – I know it’s there but it just blends in the background and I forget about it.  But one day, I saw a sign –

It stuck in my mind, registered… and I let it kick around for months.  At the beginning of December after a nice meal at Old Bag of Nails, I dropped into La Chatelaine at 6:50 PM, to take a peek.  I was still there 2 hours later.

It was a slow night.  Val Wielezynski, the owner, noticed my friend and I poking around and invited us to take a seat and sample a beer he liked.  Then, he asked us to sample a great raspberry beer.  Then we ordered a couple beers and spent the next two hours talking with Val about the wine bar, his family’s long route to Columbus via Belgium, France, Africa, Texas, Colorado, Cleveland, etc.; philosophy, American culture, and so many other things.  It is a rare thing now to have that “neighborhood/neighbor” connection with a business and that is what Val is aiming for.

I think he hit it.

For 2007, the plan is a monthly wine tasting – focusing on a region of France and the wines that are produced there.  Mix in some history, some culture, and some cheese for good measure.  Should be a good time. I am going to make a point to drop in.