CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

Ultimately any eatery is about food. But a great restaurant, food purveyor, etc., is more than the sum of the parts. A great place has to have great food, that is a given, but it also an extra….. something. For some that je ne sais quoi is a collective approach to service or a favorite server. At others it may be offering something hard to find elsewhere or raising the bar of quality well beyond the bar. And sometimes, it is about the collective community of customers, employees and neighborhood that create something beyond what is on the menu.

I have encountered a few of this type of place, you might even call these a hang outs, in my lifetime. Most of my “hot spots” were in the 1990’s: Galaxy Cafe, Lost Planet Pizza & Pasta, Niki’s, Cancun, Fresno and Dagwoodz. All of these places are just memories now. Today the best example I can think of is Thurns – a place where you can step back in time to get forgotten types of meats and irreplaceable banter and knowledge from three generations of butchers.

I’m adding a new place to this list, Goremade Pizza. Goremade, is a bit of a play on words of Gourmet. Nick the owner, does have a gourmet approach to ingredients but his vision of Goremade goes well beyond what he puts on the plate. Nick the owner and maestro of pizzas has created something at Goremade which exemplifies the concept of a whole being greater than the sum of the parts.

At some subconscious level, Nick has created an atmosphere that provides a Cheers vibe. They may not always remember your name, but they are very glad you came. Conversation flows between those on all sides of the counter. Goremade tends to act as a magnet for people who like to talk about food almost as much as they like to eat it. The conversations don’t just stick to making pizzas, you are as likely to talk about making patios, figuring out how to make charcuterie board with some foraged black walnut or how to connect with the community. Guests hang out as much as they come in to dine. Some might opt to have a drink on the patio after a pizza while others may play a board game at the bar.

Nick offers some standard menu items but to really invest in the full Goremade experience, you should devote at least one half of your order to a leap of faith into the world of culinary exploration and allow him to create something for you. Nick sources from many local farmers as well as some non traditional ingredients for pizza combinations which at the mildest would be described as wildly creative. Exploration is not limited to pizzas. The bar features about one dozen house made infusions often combing concoctions from local distiller 451 Spirits as the base. The cocktails are exciting mixes of flavors including excellent small batch sodas from Forged and Sown. Throughout the food and drink menu the underlying theme to to explore what one can do with flavors, ingredients and ideas. And in the process of exploring, we see what we can collectively learn about our food and ourselves.

But Goremade food is not fully focused on being all artisan and avant-garde, Nick is a craftsman as well. He built out much of what is in the space with materials often sourced from friends and family. The wood-fired oven, which goes by the name of Ferdinand would receive nods of approval from practitioners in New York and Naples alike. The size and shape of the oven limits mass production of pizzas, he can do about two at a time at full speed. However, what is missing in quantity is made up in quality. The oven maintains a steady, consistent temperature without wasting any wood. Nick coaxes out a bit extra from each crust and flavor with his attention to detail or eye for ingredient pairings.

At Goremade, guests can choose their own adventure. You can order, safe, sensible and traditional dishes or take a journey and see where it leads you. Either way you will feel the spirit of the space among of community of people who care about what they eat and who they eat with.