CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

Breakfast…..number five on my list of preferred meals after Lunch, Dinner, Second Lunch and Brunch. One of the downsides of my meal preference matrix, is my most available time to socialize….is breakfast. However, brunch does bridge my fifth favorite meal with my first creating an opportunity for balance and perhaps some open-mindedness towards breakfast food. My new favorite brunch spot, specifically on Sunday, is Rockmill Tavern. Unlike the Short North and other local hot neighborhoods the Brewery District has plenty of easy and cheap parking options but Sunday offers easy access to free meters on Front Street. Hence, this creates a win for visit to Rockmill Tavern.

I’ve written about Rockmill Tavern -> before and it has been a favorite lunch spot for me over the last year. The bonus for brunch at Rockmill Tavern is access to plenty of fresh Belgian Beers with their phenols and esters (aromas related to yeasts using in brewing) which the kitchen very consciously works to compliment and pair with the dishes the chefs create. Another bonus is access to some of the best items from the lunch and dinner menus, in particular, the Tavern Burger. I’m really enjoying their Egg in a Biscuit option. Since day one, I have been so enamored with their biscuit choices that I have lobbied to make them a source of currency. The Basic Egg in a Biscuit is a soft egg on top of an extra sharp cheddar biscuit with a half-dollar sized slice of crispy ham and some oh so health cheddar fat hollandaise! Another version of this adds in some Fried Chicken.

Another good option is Pimento Grilled Cheese on Challah Bread. This takes the most simple and basic of sandwiches and upscales the flavors to make a rich and pleasing sandwich which pairs well with a beer or even a cocktail.

There are several more dishes worth exploring including, but not limited to: Spicy chicken sandwich, roasted and braised beets and Chilaquiles. Rockmill Tavern, under the oversight of Andrew Smith in the Kitchen has always excelled at making vegetables that anyone would want to eat. You will find plenty reasons to eat your vegetables among the selections. What I would like to see added – a simple side of home fries with sausage gravy. Maybe someday.

As if these were not enough reasons to drop in for Sunday Brunch, let me make a very different pitch. As Vice President of the Brewery District Trade Association, I want to let you know that the neighborhood wants and appreciates your business. Please come early and come often. Sunday Brunch is from 10 AM to 3 PM. Just do it.