Author Archive

North Market GrillMasters Festival: Weekend Wrap Up Part I

Posted by CMH Gourmand on June 14, 2009

The weekend began getting up at 3:30 AM to take my dad to the airport so he could legally return to Honduras and I could return to having one roommate – my delinquent dog Toby (who decided to start jumping the fence while I was in Montreal – more later).

Things picked up after a bit of sleep – the GrillMasters Festival at the North Market.

My mission – judge for the Thrilla at the Grilla. This year, it was Janel Hedgepeth from Barley’s vs. Micheal Denton from Martini’s. Both restaurants are just across the parking lot.

The competition is always good-hearted but things still get heated. There are prizes on the line as well as an award for the winner. The chef’s are cooking out of their element: outside on grills, away from their kitchens and sous chefs and they must cook and plate their wares on time – rain or shine. The king of this competition was John Skaggs – but this year he was sidelined as a judge.

Janel's entry - skirt steak

VS.

Michael's Chicken

There were 120 possible points from 6 judges. The winner with 99 points…..Janel. Michael had 98 points. That is close. Just about every competition I have judged has been that tight and often too close to call. These are top chef’s cooking to win – the benchmark is always high and my belly is the beneficiary.

Janel with the prize - a big ass spatula

So here I am again, writing about something you missed. I overheard a woman mention that she likes that Columbus has so many little festivals. So do I. I like getting to eat the best of the best from the best. Bystanders get to eat as well – Michael and Janel plated their entries for the crowd. These contests are fun to watch, the cuisine is the kind you will not experience at these restaurants and the cooking is competitive. It is like watching the Food Network but…..real.

I was stuffed or I would have stayed around for the next event. Steve Lawrence from CaJohn’s was doing a cooking demonstration including grilled fish tacos and Cuban sandwiches. Steve is a top notch chef. Again when the show is over…someone has to eat the leftovers. If it can’t be me, it might as well be you.

Steve Lawrence from CaJohn's

Posted in events, markets | 2 Comments »

The Mother of All Bake Sales and Breast Cupcakes????

Posted by CMH Gourmand on June 11, 2009

Bake Sale and Rummage Sale to Support Zoe Buyalos(Here we go again)

Saturday, June 20
9am to 4pm
Clinton Heights Lutheran Church
15 Clinton Heights Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43202
(614)267-4991
(One block south of N Broadway on N. High St.)
Clinton Heights Web Page

Clintonville resident Zoe Buyalos, continues to battle breast cancer with the help of Komen Columbus and the Clintonville community.

If you are interested in other ways you can help take a look at: Zoe Buyalos Fund

The mother of all bake sales will be on June 20th. There may or may not be breast cupcakes. We will not know until Saturday morning. I walked into Pattycake Bakery asking for breasts and was told there were none to be sampled. So we will see if the creative powers of Pattycake can produce them in time, if not, Jennie and her merry band of bakers will still have plenty vegan crafted goodies.

Cupcake Heaven: No A, B or C Cup Cakes Here

Columbus City Code allows all citizens to go topless without consequence (unless a riot ensues). The same applies to baked goods. You may recall the pancake breakfast back in February (see my February 15th post). At that time, there was a scheme to have breast pancakes with the help of strategically placed chocolate chips. When word of this filtered to the chief clergyman at the church there was a very loud “oh my goodness” and the breast pancakes were dropped to spare the impressionable children. This time – it is no holds barred because what happens in South Clintonville stays there.

So what is this breast fixation all about: breast cancer. Zoe has it. Fighting cancer is hard enough, not having health insurance does not make the battle any easier. Eat a cupcake, buy some baked goods and in the process – help out a future breast cancer survivor.

Baked goods are being supplied by: Pattycake Bakery, Buckeye Donuts, Surly Girl, Lavash Cafe, Mozarts, individual bakers and maybe more morsels by other baked good vendors. Artisan bakers from the Clintonville Farmers Market: Emily’s Sweet Tooth (homemade candies), Bread from Petite Boulangerie, handmade pretzels from Bretzel and others will have special items as well. Coffee will be provided by Global Gallery.

Live local music will come from the likes of Megan Palmer, Miss Molly, Andy Shaw, Matt Monta, Keenan Wade and more.

Prices will range from 50 cents or a dollar for individual cookies, cupcakes and whatnot to $5 for bread, and $10 cakes / pies. One dollar buys a cup of coffee, which is a bargain since it is fair trade organic with Snowville Creamery free range cream.

If you care to donate, contact Amy Mallat

Posted in Clintonville | 1 Comment »

Statehouse Saturday: Ohio Wines with a Side of History

Posted by CMH Gourmand on June 5, 2009

Columbus Foodcast, recently sampled a variety of Ohio Wines with the esteemed Andrew Hall of Oinos Nervosa

Andrew does not give away kudos – he is noted for his strong opinions on a number of subjects – including wine. However, he does opine on a few Ohio wines that more than hold their own. In fact there are a handful that kick ass at an affordable price. Our state produced vino can be hard to find (try Weilands and Hills Market). A fun resource for Ohio wines is the Ohio State House. (This is the only instance of state government doing something constructive to support my alcohol purschasing).

I found the Ohio State House Museum Shop has a respectable supply of Ohio wines including Kinkead Ridge a favorite of mine as well as the usual suspects.

I made my first foray on a sunny Saturday in May. There was plenty of metered parking available. I had the Statehouse almost to myself. The building is beautiful inside. The statehouse offers history, art and some interesting people watching (I spied Japanese tourists, lobbyists and politicos lurking around). There are tours available. For the more spontaneous there is a handout with maps of the inside and outside as well as a detailed history of each area of the building. The park / courtyard outside has comfortable benches, trees and open areas to sit and relax. You can make a full downtown day of it by going to the CAPA Summer Movie series across the street the Ohio Theatre.

I bought the Breitenbach because the bottle was so cool.

The gift shop is in the ground floor. More information is available at www.statehouseshop.com

And speaking of Ohio Wines…..

If you want to sample a wide variety of them, the North Market will host the Ohio Food and Wine Festival July 10th, 11th and 12th.

Posted in Columbus, wine | Tagged: Ohio Wine | Leave a Comment »

No More Nancy’s

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 31, 2009

There is no longer a Nancy’s. To be honest, there has not been a Nancy at Nancy’s since the Nixon Administration. Cindy King bought the Clintonville diner in 1970. (The place reopened in early 2010 under new ownership).

In early April, Cindy announced that Nancy’s would be closed effective June 1st. Within a day local newspapers and television reported efforts to save the community icon. Cindy reported her restaurant retirement was due to debts incurred from health problems as well as the need for mandatory renovations and upgrades to the diner required by the City of Columbus. The estimate to bring the diner up to code exceeded $40,000.

Dispatch on Nancy’s

The Clintonville Chamber of Commerce held a fund raiser at the restaurant on April 24th, raising over $3,200. People poured in to offer help, make donations or whatever was needed. Some traveled far to have their last meal at Nancy’s. Offers of free materials and labor to get things up to spec came from a home improvement store, firefighters, pipefitters and neighborhood handymen.

A Facebook page was started which quickly amassed 4,000+ members and hundreds of messages of support in a matter of weeks.

Facebook – Save Nancy’s

A Kegs and Eggs Event was held on May 23rd at local watering hole Patrick J's as a fund raiser.

my guess, people went here - then to Nancys

I wrote about Nancy’s several times for different publishers. I ate there for the first time when I was 5 or 6. I recall a relative remark how impressed they were that I cleaned my plate (a trend that never ended). I did not return until after college when my most of my friends migrated to Clintonville. We would meet up at Nancy’s on the weekends when other friends came back to town. As lives changed, I often ate there solo when I needed a quick comfort meal on the go or if I just needed a reminder that there is community in Columbus or needed a reconnection to Clintonville.

What Nancy’s was about: my friend who had (“coke no ice” was his Nancy’s name) Cindy and company cater his wedding; pouring your own drink or making your own change when needed; not getting flustered if you had to wait and eating fast so others would not have to wait; and paying one price when I wore my OSU sweatshirt with jeans in student mode but forking out another price when I was dressed for work.

There were rules at Nancy’s: No Menu, No Michigan fans, No Credit cards…. If you “got them” you were in.

If you did not get the culture of Nancy’s you never went back. If you did not get it, you probably missed the litmus tests for other life lessons. The food was good. Over the last couple years, it sometimes was just OK. But Nancy’s was not about the food – it was about mojo and spirit and the melting pot of people that would never rub elbows together elsewhere.

“The thing is”, whether or Nancy’s was saved or lost, it was already gone. Nancy’s was always Cindy’s. So if there is no Cindy ladling chicken noodles (and for old timers Ed making garbage omelets and real home fries with sausage gravy) there is no more Nancy’s. In Clintonville, there will be mourning Monday morning (June 1st) but the time has come to say goodbye. It is the end of an era.

What counts is that in a “It’s a Wonderful Life” style, the community rallied and tried the save a memory. That is the best way to say thanks. At the end, over $10,000 was raised for the cause. The money will be donated to a Clintonville area charity. Since Cindy is declaring bankruptcy, she can not use the money for the restaurant.

Chicken and Noodles really is good for the soul..it made a difference to so many people, so many times.

I do wonder what will happen to George, a customer who has probably eaten at Nancy’s almost every day in this decade and mostly likely many decades before. The “eat it and beat it” sign, belongs in a museum or another spot that places people over profit. The signs of demise were on the wall based on what was off the wall in May – years of autographed photos from OSU athletes and local celebrities were missing.

Last Line at Nancy's * 11:37 am * May 31st 2009

Posted in Clintonville, Diners | Tagged: Keep Nancys Open, Nancy's Home Cooking Closed, Save Nancys | 4 Comments »

Hills Market + Snowville Creamery = Beer Floats!

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 27, 2009

Ice Cream Social

Jill from the Hills teamed up with Jen and Warren from Snowville Creamery to craft a pairing of two of my favorite things – ice cream and beer. Visitors could sample either separately or even better – together in the form of beer floats (or a FrostTop Root Beer float for the timid, young and infirm).

There were many skeptics about beer floats but most were converted after the end of the the evening. I now will break down the steps in the process. DO TRY THIS AT HOME.

Step 1:
Get Snowville Creamery milk, a lot of ice, some sugar, vanilla and a few other items.

Step 2:
Pour, dump and spoon ingredients into your ice cream maker. In this case, Snowville’s bicycle powered ice cream churner. This is one of the coolest things ever.

Step 3:
Wait about 45 minutes for the ice cream to churn and chill. “Let” other people pedal the bike because it is fun, fun, fun! Then get a glass.

Step 4:
Select a beer. This is where people get a little squeamish. You have to choose good beers to make good floats. Jill and the Hills did a fine job with selection – three beers were picked that were float friendly.

Orange Blossom - Orange Ale * Framboise - Raspberry Lambic * Hoppin Frog - Oatmeal Imperial Stout

Step 5 & 6:
Put scoop of homemade ice cream in beer glass. Drink float.

My favorite was The Orange Ale Float – it had an orange creamcicle quality that was perfect for a hot night.

Camera provided by and photo taken by Hungry Woolf

It was a good evening for all. A few biked the Olentangy Bike Trail which conveniently ends at the Hills Market. For those of you looking to get a disinterested person on a bike then on the trail – dangle the Hills as the end of the road reward. If there is not an event going on – there are plenty of treats to be had including: pints of Jeni’s Ice Cream, Pistacia Vera cookies, Dorothy Lane Market Killer Brownies, Sugardaddy’s Brownies and many more reasons to ride.

Snowville makes it to a few events at the Hills Market and other places in town and sometimes they bring their bikeomatic ice cream churner with them. If you see it in action – get your ice cream first and shop later, homemade ice cream scoops out quickly.

Gourmand’s Note:
A funny things happened to me on the way to the market…..

I charged my camera battery for this occasion, but forgot to put it in my camera. Fortunately, there was a Hungry Woolf at the Hills. She loaned me her camera and one of her photos so I can promote my beer float cult. Thanks B.

Posted in beer, culinary knowledge, ice cream, markets | Tagged: Beer Floats, Hills Market, Snowville Creamery | 3 Comments »

Buy Baked Goods: Support Zoe moved to June – more details to follow

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 24, 2009

Clintonville resident Zoe Buyalos, continues to battle breast cancer with the help of Komen Columbus and the Clintonville community.

If you are interested in other ways you can help take a look at: Zoe Buyalos Fund

The event originally scheduled for May 30th is being rescheduled to June at a new venue. Stay tuned for details later.

Posted in events | Tagged: Bake Sale, Breast Cupcakes Beatup on Cancer, Zoe Buyalos | Leave a Comment »

Eat Trout: The Mystery Solved?

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 24, 2009

Thanks to Bear, Rockmaster Mike and Blammo (1.5 of these names are real) for solving the “Eat Trout Mystery” on Columbus Underground. It cost me five al pastor tacos while it cost Mike and Blammo hours of their lives….but it was worth it.

Read the story here…. and add to it if needed.

Solve a mystery, win two tacos: “Eat Trout”?

Columbus Corners:
This project brought to you by the Columbus Social Media Cafe. The project offers a focus on parts or Columbus we may or may not know about.

Posted in culinary misadventure | Tagged: #CbusCorners, Eat Trout | Leave a Comment »

(A) Bakery Gingham (B) Columbus Cupcake Culture (C) Both

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 18, 2009

There are two big trends going crazy in the capital city in 2009: cupcakes and bacon. You can get bacon cupcakes at Surly Girl Saloon as well as a “Bacon is the New Black T-Shirt”. But Bacon is for later, let’s cut to the cupcake chase.

We begin with B – Cupcake Culture. And the other B – Bacon Cupcakes.

Surly Girl Saloon hosted not one but two sessions of Cupcake Camp on May 9th. Take a gander at the cupcake capers that ensued via these links:

Cupcake Camp coming to Columbus – on Columbus Underground

52 Weeks of Baking and Cupcake Camp

Skreened Blog

Columbus on the Cupcake Radar at “Cupcakes Take the Cake” Blog

The (ultra cool) categories for cupcake competition at Cupcake Camp included:
Best Use of Alcohol
Best Use of Bacon
Best Vegan
Most Creatively Decorated

If you dig deep into the Cupcakes Take The Cake blog you will discover a hardcore cupcake culture in our country that is well represented in Columbus. One might say our cupcake crafters are cutting edge.

Maybe it is time you support the motto bacon is the new black, bacon on a cupcake, or both.

Surly Girl Saloon was a excellent site for this event. Carmen Owens and Company have been crafting exotic cupcakes and pairing them with beer for over a year (see my 2008 posts). Jenni from Pattycake was there as well along with many of the of Columbus creme de la creme of cupcake crafters. The only big name missing was Anna Fraizer from Mt. Gilead.

I look forward to the next Cupcake Camp. Maybe it should be semi annual? (See the comment from Kiesha – looks like it is.)

Meanwhile, on the Columbus cupcake culture front.

Bakery Gingham
189 Thurman Ave
German Village
614.449.2253 (CAKE)

Bakery Gingham on the web
Bakery Gingham Blog

Thurman Ave. is busy these days. The Thurman Cafe has been packed everyday since it was featured on the show Man Vs. Food. Right next door, Bakery Gingham is packing them in as well after five months at the new location. Amanda Ellis started out in 2007, tucked in a small space attached to the Brown Bag Deli at the opposite end of Schiller Park. It was a small operation with a fervent fan following. In the early days her mom would occasionally sell cupcakes for her out front as she baked in the back. Things have progressed since then. Think Pink. And think Red as in Velvet – one of her signature cupcakes. You can not miss the signature pink inside and outside of the store.

a leftover from a previous occupant

Bakery Gingham is best known for gourmet cupcakes. If you visit the web site, a menu is available with a weekly line-up of featured creations. There is a larger variety of baked goods in the new space but it is still the cupcakes that keep people craving in. One of my favorites is the Buckeye Nation (with a peanut butter and chocolate buckeye baked inside). Pictured below are: Elvis Has Left the Cupcake – Peanut Butter icing on a banana cupcake and a Haute Chocolate – chocolate, lots of it.

How does poping off $2.50 or more per cupcake keep me contented? After some significant research, it is my opinion that it is the icing. I am not sure what type of pixie dust Amanda places into her icing ingredients but the result is rich, dense, light and flavorful without being too filling.

What goes good with a cupcake, other than another cupcake? Ice Cream! Starting on May 22nd, Bakery Gingham will have Hartzler Dairy Ice Cream. This is a bold move in the ice cream capital of the world (Jeni’s, Denises, etc.) and the home of a huge fan club for Snowville Creamery milk. However, Hartzler churns a good ice cream which I have some previous experience tasting.

Posted in CLOSED | Tagged: Bakery Gingham, Cupcake Camp Columbus | 3 Comments »

EAT TROUT: A CMH Gourmand Mystery?!?

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 15, 2009

While hot on the trail of a new Taco Truck something unexpected materialized.

I was using Google Maps in Satellite View mode to track a taco truck when I noticed something very strange. Written on the roof of the building by Los Guachos Taqueria is the phrase “Eat Trout”. That is it. The print is in large letters and can only be seen from the air. How did this get there? How long has it been there? What does it really mean?

The building is El Volcan Nightclub which caters to Spanish salsa dancing and Latino bands. If it said Eat Salsa or Drink Cervesa I might understand. Eat Trout? Doing some cyber-sleuthing, a Google sightseeing site noted this strange notation in September of 2007.

To see the EAT TROUT go to:

Google Maps

Type in:
461 Commerce Sq, Columbus, OH

Select: Satellite View

Scroll in, your will see EAT TROUT upside down on the roof.

al Pastor....in progress

Someone, somewhere knows the answer to this mystery. Please help me solve it. If you do, I’ll buy you two al pastor tacos at the scene of the (?) crime.

Dos Tacos al Pastor con pina, cebolla y cilantro

Posted in culinary misadventure | 3 Comments »

Chile Verde Cafe – Revamped, Revisited….Refreshing

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 11, 2009

4852 Sawmill Rd (Bethel and Sawmill) 614.442.6630

Chile Verde Cafe

Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Closed on Sunday (this may change…)

During my formative dining days in the early 1990’s, Chile Verde was a standard destination. Over time as my options grew my visits decreased. Not much has changed in nineteen years of business at this location and that is a very good thing. Chile Verde has always been known for good, personable service; good margaritas and signature Southwestern entrees.

So what has changed? Chile Verde knocked down the walls next door and doubled their floor space – adding a lot of room to their former snug layout. This past Sunday the doors were open – another first. The owners decided to offer their fare from 11 am to 8 pm for Mother’s Day (as part of a week celebrating their newly expanded space and continuing their Cinco de Mayo momentum). The result was an incredible turnout. Of course, giving a $10 gift certificate to every mom in attendance helped. Rumor is (based on the response and several customer requests), Chile Verde may be open for brunch/lunch for future Sundays. This would be a welcome addition if they continue Sunday servings of Huevos Rancheros – a dish that is rarely executed to my satisfaction in Columbus.

I took CMH GourMOM to Chile Verde on Mother’s Day and she was pleased. The Mother’s Day trip was inspired by my visit the week before right after the status post remodeling reopening. Both visits included good service and good margaritas with fresh chips and flavorful salsa.

Chile Verde is not a Mexican restaurant as many internet reviews have suggested. It is Southwestern eclectic, in particular, New Mexico inspired cuisine strong on chiles and marinated meats (up to 48 hours).

The Green Chile Stew (which I wrote about on CMH G in February 2007) is still a favorite. It features a fiesty array of flavors: slow-cooked beef, carrots and potatoes with roasted jalapeños and green chilies.

Blue Corn Enchiladas with Beans and Corn

A notable entree which has been on the menu since day one are the Blue Corn Enchiladas. This (exotic in the day) dish used to draw in diners and still does. One to three enchiladas come with this dish (which can feature one meat for each enchilada if you ask nicely). I have always enjoyed the sidedish offerings here, especially the vegetarian friendly Peppered Pinto Beans and Chile Verde (smashed) Potatoes. You can mix and match the sides with no hassle.

Newcomers – with a little prompting to your server – can get a complimentary Chile Verde sampling tray with small tastes of the three signature house sauces, a few meats and other items – this a great way for greenhorns to guide their menu selection.

I can be a little peevish about Restaurant web sites (food and the webernet are my passions). The Chile Verde web page is worth taking a glance at. There are some financial incentives to do so – a free appetizer and a good gift certificate bonus. What I like the most about the site is a brief bio of each employee which adds a simple, personal touch to the web site and the restaurant.

A final note – take a look at the Mucha Luncha artwork on the walls by server Rob Jones.

Posted in restaurants | Tagged: Chile Verde Cafe | Leave a Comment »

« Previous Entries

Next Entries »

	Marines Michalowski on Spain Restaurant
	Steve on Columbus Pizza History: A Slic…
	Sharyn Smith Skelton on Columbus Pizza History: A Slic…
	Linda shaw on Ding Ho, Wor Sue Gai: Columbus…
	BoomerGenX on SKY Gourmand: The Cooker is Ba…
	Betty on R&M Bakery – Newark…
	scottalberts on Columbus Pizza History: A Slic…

CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

Dining, Donuts, Dives and Diatribes

Subscribe

Email Subscription

After Dinner Reading

Columbus Food Blogs

Recent Tweets

Recent Comments

Categories

Top Posts

Archives: August 2006 to Now