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Archive for January, 2010

Back to the Clintonville Chili Bowl (for Charity)

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 24, 2010



Clintonville Chili Bowl III

Who: People that make chili and want to eat chili
What: Chili
When: Saturday, January 30th 5 pm to 7 pm
Where: Maple Grove United Methodist Church, 7 West Henderson Road (N. High Street and Henderson)
Why: Raise money for charity and connect with your community
How: Through the work of volunteers and the coordination of Miriam Bowers Abbott.
Anything else? – Show up and eat.

More Information:
Here
and
Here

Below I have some information from Miriam:

Judging is TOTALLY by the public. For non-food-bringers, an entry fee of $3 gets three votes, to be distributed as the eater likes. Eaters can buy as many votes as they like. (competitors get three voting slips too . . . ).

Just as an FYI, there is no administration overhead on that fund. It’s all money FOR causes as they are identified. There is also no administration overhead on the ChiliBowl. The space and work are all donated. There is no advertising. The only expense is paper table covering, which should be less than $30.

So, that’s lots of bang (for the community and for participants) for $3 .

This is the third annual Chili bowl and my third time as an attendee and a contestant. I will be crafting two batches of chili. I did not have time to get goat meat but I did get Chorizo and Russian Sausage from Bluescreek Farm Market at North Market and I will see what I can make with that.

Posts from past Chili bowls can be found in the January 2008 as well as January and February 2009 CMH Gourmand archives.

Posted in events | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Anna’s Greek Cuisine: Sunday Brunch and Dinner Buffet

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 22, 2010

(Warning: There is a long wind up on this pitch)

In the eight years I have owned my house I have cursed the previous occupants many, many times. The husband appears to have been a do it yourself type who did everything wrong, especially if the task involved electricity or plumbing. I found each of the electrical errors the hard way. The plumber that fixed one of “Mr. Frak it up” mistakes used profanity I had never heard as he stated what he discovered in the toilet installation was the greatest act of stupidity he had encountered during forty years in the trade.

Speaking of the bathroom, there was one (and only one) redemptive act the couple made. They (most likely just the wife since she may have not been an idiot) painted the bathroom like a gyro shop with mural that depicted the scene from a Greek seaside temple. Since I had spent a lot of time in Greek restaurants I was not disturbed by the bathroom but the other people that could have purchased the house were bothered by the prospect of a bathroom/restaurant so a bidding war was avoided.

This passive aggressive digression does have a purpose. I recently had the mural painted over to prep my house for a possible sale. Having had a Greek mural in my bathroom to greet me to consciousness most mornings in the last decade I found that when the temple was destroyed, my mojo was off. The mural had served an important role in my social life for years – if someone could not appreciate my bathroom, there was a good chance they were not going to be a significant part of my social life. Now how I am I supposed to exclude people?

It was a Sunday and I was in a penitent mood so I figured the best way to make peace with Apollo, Zeus and the other Olympian gods was to feast on Greek cuisine. I needed to eat a good Greek meal for atonement. One of my favorite Greek restaurants is Anna’s on Sawmill Road. For no good reason, I had not been there in over one year.

If you have never tried Anna’s or have limited experience with Greek cuisine, their Sunday buffet is the perfect introduction. The brunch buffet is offered from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and the dinner buffet is from 2:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The overlap of dishes for both meals is significant so you do not need to worry about missing the best of the best. Selections include two salads, two soups, appetizers as well as a dozen or more entrees and sides completed with an entire table dedicated to dessert.

The table of desserts

The quality of the food and the service are both excellent. A few of my favorites from the buffet (and the regular menu) include Mousaka (as fun to say as to eat; this is a mix of eggplant, beef or lamb, tomato base and spices), walnut cake, and Lemon Chicken soup (Avgolemono). Anna’s has been open since 1997 and continues to keep standards for food and service at a high standard. When I am not enjoying the buffet, I often just order the spread sampler (a choice of three from hummus, Tzatziki, Skorthalia, Kafteri, Melitzanosalata and black olive spread).

There is another thing I like about Anna’s. Their marketing is well done and their e-mail list is well managed. They occasionally e-mail coupons to customers and most importantly, the restaurant gives blogs their due. Anna’s frequently cites the review by Becke from Columbus Foodie in their promotions. Go social media!

Anna’s Greek Cuisine
7370 Sawmill Road
Columbus/Dublin (just north of 270)
614.799.2207
www.annasgreekcuisine.com

Anna's menu cover, not my bathroom wall...but close

Posted in kid friendly dining, restaurants | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

DK Diner Donuts

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 19, 2010

I don’t get excited about breakfast since it is the meal that takes stomach space and money away from lunch and dinner. However there are a few exceptions that deserve discussion. In my book donuts go with any meal but for some reason they seem most associated with breakfast. With that disclaimer, here is the downlow on DK Diner and their donuts.

Many people I know rave about DK Diner as a breakfast and lunch spot. Their reasons vary but the good feelings about the place are consistent and persistent. The common thread in all discussions is DK Diner donuts. People LOVE them. I was a bit skeptical about this. How could a place that is not a bakery or a donut specialist make such a drool worthy fried dough product? I am not sure of the how or why but I do know this, these are the best donuts in Franklin County.

DK Diner is a small place in Grandview. Looking at the building, it’s past life was probably as a garage or gas station. The inside seats about 40 and the interior would best be described as nondescript diner decor. One wall is plastered with propaganda from community sports teams and schools. Eating here is a lot like eating at a friends house. Service would best be described as a relaxed version of laidback. The staff seem to be hanging out here as much as working. Beverages are all self-serve and the orders come flying off the grill so fast you don’t even have time to establish a bond with the employees.

DK All the Way aka the heart attack starter

The breakfast and lunch are served here is standard diner fare. I did stick around for breakfast. I tried the DK All the Way which seemed to be the best way to gauge the quality of the food since it features about 1/2 of their menu. This dish consists of two soft chewy biscuits, each topped with a slice of ham and a fried egg covered with sausage gravy and surrounded by home fries. This was quite good. However it is time to get back to the donuts.

Damn, those donuts were good! During my time at the counter I noticed one common denominator among every customer. They each ordered a lot of donuts. There is a small selection of donuts by the cash register. I doubt there are ever more than 100 in the display case at any time. The selections include (the varieties are unmarked): blueberry, cinnamon, cruller, old fashioned cake, cream filled, Devils Food and maybe a few others. These fresh fried pastries appear to crafted in small batches. They would best be described as irregularly shaped (in some cases deformed), each one looks different from the other unlike the more uniform appearance I have seen at any other donut shop I have visited. The donuts are dense and chewy with a perfect crispy, crunchy crust on the outside.

See the bottom right corner, the first woman to bring me three of these gets my hand in marriage

Somehow looking at these unassuming handmade pastries I knew they were going to rock my socks off. I ordered one of each and spent the next twenty four hours sampling them looking for evidence that they were not the best donuts I have ever had. Exhaustive research on my part could only conclude that these are indeed the best donuts in central Ohio. I appreciate the public service that DK Diner offers by serving meals to the community but if they want to focus exclusively on donut sales that would be OK with me. My favorite of the box was the old fashioned cake donut with chocolate frosting and peanuts. I would really like to have one right now. Ummm donut…..

Where to find the donuts:

DK Diner
1715 West 3rd Ave
Grandview Heights
614.488.5160
Call for hours.

D K Diner on Urbanspoon

Posted in bakery, breakfast, Diners, donuts | Tagged: , , , | 11 Comments »

Bono Bounces Back

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 13, 2010

The summer of 2008 was THE season for Bono Pizza in the Short North. The unconventional ways of pizza purist Bill Yerkes meshed a traditional approach to pizza (well kind of) with many non traditional elements such as a unique partnership with a Short North Bakery in a location along an alley. The enterprise should not have worked. It did. In fact it prospered. It was the darling of Short North and Victorian Village residents and an unofficial meeting point for Columbus Underground ilk. However, like any burning sun, it was bound to extinguish and it did in the fall of 2008. (To learn more about this era see my December 2008 post and Foodcast episode 18 from August 2008.)

CU – Bono Bounces Back

There were attempts at rebirth. Bill came full circle with a location near his home at a site vacated by Cowtown Pizza. Showing his very unconventional side and some significant out of the box thinking, Bill utilized Columbus Underground as a means to raise some fast cash to get his operation going. (See below and below that)

CU – Taking “stock” in Bono

Always the non-traditionalist, Bill has put together a proposal for his loyal customers to help raise the extra cash quickly. He calls it the “bonoPIZZA Pay it Forward Plan. Effective immediately, bonoPIZZA will begin selling half-price gift certificates in $100 and $200 increments. The $100 gift certificate will cost $50, and the $200 gift certificate will cost $100, making it a great deal for anyone planning on dining at bono in the future. The goal is to sell approximately 75 of these certificates to cover the cost of raising the additional $5,000.

The equitable effort was successful but the site fell through. As a result, most of 2009 was a year without a Bono clause so the natives started to get a little restless. I was one of the people that invested (or donated depending on your perspective) money depending on how you look at it. The outcome was a new location even closer to Bill’s abode. Bill has the best commute to work in the local restaurant trade. Bono bounced back so I now have $200 worth of pizza in the form of twenty buy one get one free pizzas.

The new Bono Pizza is located in a carryout on Northwest Blvd in Grandview. It features a wood fired oven and the always entertaining personality and styling of Bill Yerkes. His wife Peggy is there most evenings to take orders and take care of her customers. I was technically the first paying customer and somewhere in the establishment there is a signed first dollar bill from me. Bono is still experimenting with hours (we could see an lunch option in 2010), the menu – a constant blank slate for Bill and other dishes (maybe a salad, maybe a pepperoni roll) and who knows what else. Bono also offers crepes for $3, espresso for $1 and more often than not creme brulee in shot style glasses. Beverages can be obtained in the adjoining carry out.

il gato - an mexican style pizza under development, served with a side of guacamole. This may be added to the regular rotation

The new site is not without challenges. There have been issues with the roof and the space itself calls for some creativity for business hours after the carry out closes. The walkability and charm of the old site are not the same but the “hidden clubhouse” feeling continues on in this incantation of Bono.

A Greek Boy.....

The new Bono features eighteen specialty pizzas as well as a build your own option. All pizzas are $10 each. Bill perfected his pizza craft for twenty five years in Italy. His crusts and ratios are in the Italian style with all flavors balancing each other. His non traditional half or in his case 3/4 self, exhibits itself in the toppings and names (Hulk, Waikiki, The Greek Boy….) Here are a few examples of the pizzas:

San Rolando
Fresh tomato sauce, pepperoni, (real – really good too) Italian Sausage and fresh Mozzarella cheese.
This pizza is named in honor of Roland Kopecky, the best Bono customer of 2008 and future Pierogi King of Columbus.

Carbonara
Smithfield peppered ham/bacon, carmelized for three plus hours with onions then lathered on a layer of Asiago and real mozzarella cheese with a sprinkling of Parmesan and “pixie dust” (that came right off the menu not my keyboard, but at Bono….it could happen).
This pizza was created and inspired in part by the Grumpy Gourmet who has made an appearance or two at this establishment.

Most of a San Rolando...prior to delivery to Roland

Bono ToGo Pizza
1717 Northwest Blvd
Grandview
614.906.8646(ToGo)
as the menu says: “of course it’s in the back of a liquor store, it’s bonopizza!”

Open: Monday to Saturday 5 PM to 10 PM

Posted in pizza, restaurants, Vegetarian Friendly | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Breakfast with Nick at Beechwold Diner

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 10, 2010

Some readers may have noticed that I don’t often write about the morning meal. The reason is breakfast is my fifth favorite meal (CMH Gourmand dining order of operations: Dinner, Lunch, Second Lunch, Brunch, Breakfast). Fortunately for me and you, there is a blog about Breakfast in Columbus called Breakfast with Nick. Suzzie’s Beechwold Diner opened on January 2nd. Since the place is in my neighborhood, within walking distance even, I felt an obligation to investigate. Nick lives in the Clintonville as well so we joined forces to check things out. Since breakfast is not my forte I will defer to Nick’s review which you can read HERE.

The Beechwold Diner is a big deal in the neighborhood. Clintonvillites lament about a dearth of dining options in our community (although I would like to see more places, I must say we have a good selection, especially if one gets creative and includes Sage which is on the border). This diner is in the space previously occupied by Rube’s Diner a popular spot in the 1990’s which closed in 2005. The place was then labeled as Gina’s Eatery for almost three years but a combination of mishaps and misfortunes keep Gina’s from ever serving the public. Business looks good for the Beechwold Diner so far although open for less than two weeks a core of regulars has already developed and if I am not mistaken they have a former Rubes waitress working for them.

Breakfast sandwich (sausage, egg and cheese on Texas Toast in the foreground) with potatoes and sausage gravy with biscuits in the back.

On opening day no one showed for the first hour. After that, it was standing room only for 4 hours. Business has remained brisk. The diner serves standard breakfast fare and lunch time staples of soups, sandwiches and salads. There are daily specials and Hillbilly steaks (Ohioans my know this as a bolonga sandwich) to entice people looking for a change of pace. Housemade pies and cakes are made daily as well.

While the menu may be of the greasy spoon genre the space is far from that. Everything is new inside: fresh paint, new stainless steel everything, seven brand new booths and a dozen stools at the granite/marble counters.

Nick taking a photo post breakfast

I have known Nick for over a year now. We have collaborated on food related events at Wild Goose Creative and we are currently working on an event known as Beercamp! Dining with a fellow food writer is always a treat. There are certain unwritten rules for the trade which can be a bit awkward for people that just eat to eat. These are some of the rites we observe: sharing plates, order strategically from the menu to avoid overlap and to maximize the diversity, no one eats before the photos are taken and we ask the staff a lot of questions. As a result I was able to introduce Nick to the concept of chocolate cake for breakfast. We also spoke in depth about the culture and mores of breakfast and diners as well as their meaning to our community and communities everywhere. Speaking of community, there was not much buzz on the Beechwold Diner prior to opening. Their marketing approach was very DIY and included dropping off a flyer at many business locations along Indianola.

After our meal, we went on to do a recon mission at another eatery that is home to the Great American Pecan Roll and a giant three pancake eating challenge. That is another story.

If you would like to support a new business for breakfast and lunch here is where you can go:

Suzzie’s Beechwold Diner
4408 Indianola Ave
Beechwold (The Northern Canton of Clintonville)
614.447.0944
Hours
Monday to Saturday 6 am to 2 pm
Sunday 7 am to 2 pm

Beechwold Diner on Urbanspoon

Posted in breakfast, Clintonville, Diners | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

Saturday Sticky Buns at Pattycake Bakery

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 6, 2010

We will get to the Sticky buns, in particular the Orange sticky buns soon, but first I must digress with some Pattycake preaching.

Columbus’ IF girl would have people to believe that I am a lobbyist for Pattycake Bakery due to some actions which include: bringing Pattycake baked goods to most social functions I find myself invited to, tweeting about Pattycake, writing about Pattycake, showing up to Pattycake events and apparently other “influencing” activities. Those things might be true. I do believe if the 45 odd pounds I added in 2009 could be isolated from my original December 2008 body mass about 17% would be Pattycake ingredients. In retrospect, I surmise my massive weight gain was due to a subconscious desire to become the Pattycake Doughboy. Believe what you may. One things is true, I LOVE Pattycake Bakery. Love is a strong word I don’t use often. I will not take back the statement even under duress or the offer of a Tollhouse Cookie, Orange Sticky Bun, Vanilla Cupcake and something else.

What is there not to love? Take a click at their website here. The Pattycakians clearly state that they love: sweets, you, animals, our community, the earth and the universe. How can one not love something that has that much love to give? There is at least 2% love in every baked good. What else is there to love? This is a place where they allow IOU’s if you are a bit short on cash and you can take silverware with you if you promise to bring it back. Pattycake is the home of the beguiling Sarah B, the devestatingly devine decorator of cakes Diana and Jenni “Kit(ten)” Scheinbach. They even let a man work on their team. R-E-S-P-E-C-T!

I feel like Norm from the sitcom Cheers when I walk through the door, as I hear shouts of JIM! I am their favorite Jim. I think the reason for this up with Gourmand movement is that I am of a select few customers that appreciates the Orange iced sticky bun. If you can appreciate this item as much as our secret splinter cell does, then the Pattycakians will probably scream your name when you walk through the door too.

On the far right, an Orange iced Sticky Bun, surrounded by several soon to be vanillaized Sticky Buns....sad.

I acknowledge the Vanilla iced sticky bun as an excellent product but the Orange has better staying power once the bun cools and the frosting hardens. It also wins out in the day after, reheating contest. While it would be a lie to offer false claims such as Orange sticky buns prevent cancer, I can say I have not been ill since I started eating them.

When can one get sticky buns? These are offered to the masses every Saturday. They are often offered on big holidays. The buns are frequently iced to order when hot out of the oven. I took the Orange for granted until Christmas Day when I walked in to order one. As it was iced, Jenni shared that few people order these. I was dumbfounded. Then I was perplexed. Then I think I started to rant. There may have been statements such as “what is wrong with our world” and “who are these freaks”. I am not sure what I was saying but I think I scared a new customer. Or maybe it was when I told the new person “we don’t say Starbucks in Clintonville”. It is not uncommon that you will miss out on the Orange sticky bun frosting window since it is offered on a supply and demand basis. Hence I want people to demand these more to increase my supply.

All of this may be lobbying.

I will say as an undisputed fact that Pattycake Tollhouse cookies have no peer on this planet and Orange sticky bun ordering might earn you elite status at a certain south Clintonville bakery.

Pattycake Bakery
3009 North High Street
Clintonville
614.784.2253

Tollhouse cookie in primordial form

Posted in bakery, Vegetarian Friendly | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

C-Bus N Bar Crawl

Posted by CMH Gourmand on January 3, 2010

The Night Owl Bus, more fun than the Love Boat

On the Saturday evening after Christmas, I tagged along on a High Street Bar crawl. Normally something like this would not catch my interest (well, OK, it might) nor would it be “blog worthy” however, this event was about much more than drunken debauchery. This bar crawl was designed to fill up late night COTA buses and support High Street business.

So why was this important to me? The new Night Owl Bus (#21) runs until 2:30 AM on the weekends from the Arena District to Clintonville. This is good for many reasons. People complain about nothing to do downtown – this nips that in the bud. Citizens complain about having problems finding parking in the Short North – negated. Business owners along High Street are looking for more business and new customers – this helps that. The Night Owl bus provides an alternative to drunk driving for people that drink and live along High Street – that is a plus. Most importantly, this bus provides a means of transportation for employees that work at businesses along this route, such as restaurant, bar and hotel workers. As a supporter of all things public transportation anything that adds options to riders while promoting fun at the same time has my support. The best way for me to show my blessing for the new route was to plant my ass in bus and bar seats so I rode and I drank.

Oddly, I have been on only one other intentional bar crawl in my life. In 2004 I planned a bar crawl of every Clintonville bar from Villa Nova to Patrick J’s. I made maps, plotted distances, designated rest stops for food and hydration. While many people committed to join me only one person showed. He joined me for the first six bars. I was joined by various friends for the subsequent seven bars and finished the night by walking from Patrick J’s to my home in Beechwold at 4:00 AM. Along the way I found a dime and a softball making my evening complete and proving that my folly was no mistake.

Knowing the pain of planning an event that no one shows to, I wanted to support the planner of this event. The master of ceremonies of the C-Bus N Bar Crawl and I have a special connection; my dad threatened to shoot him. Fortunately for all involved that did not happen and my dad is now a full-time resident of Honduras where he is not allowed to have a firearm and I don’t have the worry as much about his cowboy style of justice. Jerrod Wagner did not need my assistance, he had thirty people show for the crawl.

The event had the support of the business community as well. Barrio which was the first stop of the evening offered discounted drink specials to the group. The Betty’s Family of Restaurants offered assistance as well. At Betty’s, we were offered $1 PBR’s and a food special. At Surly Girl Saloon we each received a free cupcake.

I was in my element among this group of crawlers since many of them were not native to Columbus or buses. I was able to share my knowledge of public transportation, bars, restaurants and Columbus culinary lore with these out of town wayfarers. In addition to detailing the fine points of Betty’s and Surly Girl I was able to explain Columbus style pizza to some east coasters culminating in my pointing at a Donatos pizza in mid consumption through the window at the Short North location. I also was able to convince some skeptics that Surly Girl Saloon is not a lesbian bar and that Columbus rocks the socks off the offerings of most major cities.

I ended my service to the tour at O’Reilly’s in Clintonville. This magic place is “my bar”. It was my honor to introduce two people that live within walking distance of this fine establishment to their first O’Reilly’s poured beer here. Everyone loves O’Reillys, except people that hate parades, a strange, but true fact.

It is my understanding the the crawl carried on to Blue Danube, Char Bar and points in between until the wee hours. If you are looking for a fun way to explore High Street consider making your own COTA crawl.

Posted in bar, beer, Clintonville, Short North | Tagged: | 3 Comments »