Archive for the ‘beer’ Category

CLEWeek – A Maker and a Shaker: Sam McNulty

Posted by CMH Gourmand on June 14, 2013

I meet so many people who have a passion for something but lack the focus or sense to make it work. Many have a passion for food but not a lick of business sense. And as many people are so focused on every cent they create a soulless business that can’t keep a customer. It is a rare spirit that can blend the two – a focus on fun, a directed passion but just enough common sense and structure to make the dream a reality and to keep the whole thing fresh, financially afloat and sustainable. I truly believe that a business that connect with their community stands a much better shot at sustainability than one launched by someone with a riveting business plan and a MBA to boot.

The heart of Ohio City is West 25th Street. The soul is definitely West Side Market but epicenter of growth and vibrancy has been fueled by alcohol, passion and good food on West 25th. Bier Markt was an early entry (2005) on what is now a brewery district by any other name. Ask any passerby to name a favorite spot on the street and they are likely to mention one of more of the following: Market Garden Brewery, Bar Cento, Speakeasy or Nano Brew. What do all of these spots have in common other than good libations, good food and distinctive style? The answer Sam McNulty. The key to the success of his enterprises – there are several and he would have all on a cool key ring no doubt.

I had the opportunity to tour all of these locations with McNulty back in October of 2012. I have done many meet and greets with restaurant and bar owners. Most are short, somewhat forced and canned and usually not so memorable. Not the case for McNulty, he spent many hours with the group of writers in my pack – on a busy weekend night. He walked us through every nook and cranny of each of his businesses. He told us the history and inspiration of each. My notes were extensive and throughout his genuine caring for his community, employees and partners shined through. He knew every employee by name. How did he begin the evening – he did not talk about himself, his “brand”, etc., he asked where else we had been and when we mentioned CROP – he raved about the place, how his competitor’s restaurant was so good for Ohio City. When we asked him what was his next project – he shared the next focus would be whiskey, rum and bourbon distilling…..which led to him raving about Middlewest in Columbus.

Many of the little things that set his places apart, start to turn into big things. There is definitely a desire to increase the DIY capabilities of all operations by creating a space for fermentation, aging cheeses and charcuterie and more. McNulty shared that he started to think about the carbon foot print of bringing Italian prosciutto to Cleveland. Then he asked himself, why he was doing it when Cleveland had everything he needed to do it in-house? He has the right people and ingredients. Then he broke the process down into the small steps to make it a big idea: build relationships with local farms to source the right types of pigs, then find the right way to process the hogs, build out a curing room and…… Although a lot of work, the end result is that because he now knows where everything is coming from and who is putting it together, he feels better about serving it. he can serve something that is Ohio to the heart and what his neighbors would want and what his chefs like to create. Another key to making this work (and why all of this works) is he finds the right people who share a passion for what they do – cooking, brewing, serving and he lets them take risks and pursue these projects with the resources they need and the freedom to experiment.

What inspired each concept – mainly the people of Ohio City. McNulty lives within steps of his establishments. When he moved to Ohio City he ditched his car for a bike and a scooter. When not working in or on one of these spots, he is roaming Ohio City as an informal mayor and ambassador. He asks himself and his Ohio City peers what they like….and creates what reflects their values. If you go to the right juice spot in West Side Market and ask for a McNulty – you will get a special blend created for his high energy / hectic lifestyle. A telling aspect of his muse comes from the newer kid on the block, Nano. Since McNulty and his neighbors are so pedal happy, he decided he needed to create a new kind of biker bar….but this time for cyclists. Nano sports an inside bike repair station while the outside features a repurposed shipping container that was built as a bike parking area (to keep his customers bikes from getting wet). Cool and inventive, sure, but it also required working with the city to get a variance to make it work – not the easiest path but it created something unique that is distinctive for the space and for the customer.

McNulty takes care of his staff – mainly by giving them the tools and environment to succeed but also supporting them. Nearby Black Pig is operated by one of his former chefs. And for employee appreciation – here is an example and benchmark to aim at for those in the restaurant trade. McNulty closed operations down the Sunday before Super Bowl (2012) and created a space for four food trucks to serve his team. Then he hired four party busses to bar hop his group around town which he paid for deep cleaning of the kitchens while they were out having fun. If you are in the food biz, having some fun at someone else’s place then coming home to a clean workspace, can’t be beat. Take care of your people and they will take care of your business and your customers – an easy lesson but missed by many.

So take the above and a lot more and that is how one builds sustainable businesses in Cleveland and elsewhere. There are many of McNulty’s peers doing the same but of those I have met to date, no one does it with the vigor and radar guided smart bomb focus of Ohio City’s favorite resident.

(Two side notes) During our tour it was raining heavily. McNulty grabbed a patio umbrella from one restaurant and used it to keep his guests dry moving to the next destination. A young McNulty delivered newspapers to Michael Ruhlman for ten years, and the esteemed Cleveland food writer was noted to be a good tipper. McNulty might give Ruhlman a tip or two these days.

Posted in beer, CLEGourmand, Locally Sourced, Ohio, Road Trip | Leave a Comment »

Seventh Son: The Marriage of Microbrewing and Mobile Food

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 30, 2013

The two surging trends in the Columbus Food scene for the last two years have been microbrewing and microrestauranting – in the form of food trucks. The exponential growth of both has been staggering. In the case of microbreweries as well as specialty beers stores and bars focusing on locally and regionally brewed beer, the number of businesses tapping into this trend has at least quadrupled since 2011. As for Food Trucks, although some have asked if this is a fad that is jumping the shark, the evidence shows this trend has shown no sign of going off the road at the curve. My observation indicates our choices have grown by nearly ten fold in the last couple years.

Some of the elements these two microenterprises have in common include: a desire to own a business, to be able to create something unique to the owner/brewer/team, a focus on local ingredients as well as supporting other local businesses and a sense of contentment of not having to be all things to all people and to not have to dumb down quality for the additional opportunities of being on more shelves or serving more people at more locations. Such is not the case for all owners…some food truck owners view their business as a pathway to a restaurant or other food business. Some Microbreweries have an eye on additional products or markets, but for the most part, the people behind these businesses are happy to have a sustainable business that allows them to earn a living and create something that is a reflection of themselves and their values.

The pairing of these two businesses is a natural fit. The costs of adding a full kitchen to a microbrewing enterprise is daunting. The challenge of finding a location to park and serve to a captive audience that has a reason to stick around and access to amenities like tables, chairs and bathrooms is helpful to a food truck. The trucks need a place to set up. The breweries need food to help draw in customers and to keep their customers on site longer. The marriage of these two types of independent businesses is a marriage that is destined to last.

In the early days of mobile food, bars and food trucks established a quick bond. St. James Tavern, Dick’s Den and a few other watering holes were quick to see the advantages of having fresh food to serve to their patrons…good for the bar business. Access to a set location is key, though maybe counterintuitive, to most mobile food businesses. While not mobile, the expansion of Mikey’s Late Night slice to Woodlands, the Newport and other bar venues was critical to the growth of that business and to the success of the businesses Mikey and Company paired themselves with.

Geoff Towne at Zauber Brewing Company was the first to pair microbrew with regular scheduled appearances by multiple food trucks. What started as growler pours at lunch or dinnertime grew into larger monthly events. We can expect to see more of the same from Zauber in 2013.

At the dawn of this year, Seventh Son Brewing Company started a similar pairing but what makes the place unique is that the layout and design of the brewery, bar and space was with the intention of having food trucks on site on a regular basis. Currently, Seventh Son hosts mobile food Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Saturday and Sunday lunch and brunch service are in the works. Seventh Son just started to offer their own beers to the public in April. In addition to their own brews, the bar maintains a focus on local and regional beers and spirits. These pair perfectly with the food truck offerings. All in all the combination of location, beer and food makes Seventh Son a Hipster Heaven and acts as an anchor for the growth of the Italian Village neighborhood. This is a partnership where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. More than two types of businesses benefit, the community does as well with the addition of more food choices in a neighborhood lacking them and on the end there is a stronger community.

Now for a photo tour of Seventh Son.

Customers can see the brewery in action as they walk through the front entrance.

The open space of the main bar provides quick access to food trucks and an easy view of 4th Street.

The rear bar area is a bit more intimate and can be used as event space or for spillover traffic.

The large outdoor patio has plenty of tables, quick access to the inside as well as to the food trucks in the parking lot and a fire ring to allow to space to continue to be cozy in the frigid late fall and wet early spring of Columbus.

Posted in beer, Mobile Food | Tagged: Food Trucks and Microbrewery, Italian Village Columbus, Seventh Son, Seventh Son Brewing | 1 Comment »

ManBque: An Anthropological Analysis of an Urban Mens Movement

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 25, 2013

A few months ago I was invited to ManBQue. A what the what? Man – B – Que. Simply put this is a gathering of men who want to celebrate and extol three things: Meat, Beer and Rock n Roll. This month I was invited again by Chef Ed Kowalski. I looked at the ManBque website, read his pitch and decided I may have to give this a shot. I have sampled Ed’s culinary work in several places over the last couple years so I knew I would eat well. And, I was honored, this was an invitation only event. I was uniquely qualified for invitation because I am a man.

A few disclaimers and notations before I begin. Most of my friends are women. The few male friends I have, while valued, would, like me, never be accused of being high-test, testosterone manly men. I can’t speak for them but for most men of the Midwest I must be an absolute conundrum. Well, a manly man would not use that word, he would probably just grunt or something. I just never fit in with roaming herds of males. What are some of my failings: OSU Buckeyes….who cares, sports – meh, cars and muscle machines – I drive a Subaru, playing lots of blood and guts video games – nope. Sporting a ball cap, driving a pick up truck, while wearing jhorts and engaging with other dudes in horse-play….is not something I can pull off. I never adapted to being in the pack. I dropped out of Indian Guides because it was too structured. I did a Fraternity rush my junior year of college and just could not drink the Kool-aid. The only man based group I have ever been associated with on a long-term basis is called Nerd Night which involves watching TV and eating pizza with a female librarian. There is one exception to this long history of lack of manliness. You might call this a fling. For two years I was a member of the Loyal Order of the Moose. I joined so I could eat a really good $2 hamburger and play pinball during lunch time and then walk back to work in two minutes. I was often the only one there. Now don’t get me wrong, I like the ladies but I don’t hang out at the Stitch and Bitch classes or watch Grey’s Anatomy. I have never been one to run with the herd. Usually, I just saunter off in the other direction and do my own thing. The only really macho thing I can say about myself is that I am an Appalachian Porch Hound Trainer.

So as cool as it may seem to gather as a tribe and worship Meat, Beer and Rock N Roll, three things that rank high on my hierarchy of needs, it is not by my nature to do so in an organized pack. But, because I care about my readers and I have a mission to explore the world of culinary trends I was resolute to investigate the ManBque meat up which is quickly becoming a world-wide thing. On the plus side of going, the April Manbque was at Savor which is close to my house and would ensure quick access to good beer. I also knew than Rin, the Beer Knowledge Goddess of Savor would smack down any out of control mantics (man-antics) and made sure I had someone to talk to in a pinch.

I approached the location with caution. After parking, I heard the music of Bob Marley wailing through the air. I could smell smoke….of charring meat and cigars….. floating through the air. I followed these sensory clues to the back lot of Savor to find one green egg, three grills, 2 large speakers and twenty plus males from 22 to 62 engaged in grilling, eating, drinking, smoking and laughing. After taking a few more whiffs of the meats being cooked, I knew I was in the right place and my sense was I made the right choice.

Rob the vice-president of the Columbus Manbque cell, seeing I was a newbie, greeted me and showed me where the communal beer cooler was. I tracked down Ed inside Savor buying more beer. I mingled among the members and listened in on some of their conversations. I asked a lot of questions. While this is a very fraternal group it is not a fraternity-style group…well probably not, I was told there is not any hazing or odd rituals. Members do not need to wear weird hats like in the Flintstones (I was bummed about this). The most common thread I found among each of these guys was a passion to eat meat that is cooked really, really well. After Ed was done preparing some exceptional bone marrow, he as both my host and the president of the Columbus chapter of Manbque explained more about the group both locally and nationally. Each month members bring meat to cook and share with the group as well as beer to do the same. Among the feast of meats I dined on: bone marrow, pork loin, bacon wrapped chicken breast, bacon wrapped shrimp, and several cuts of marinated and seasoned beef cooked to perfection.

ManBque started in Chicago and has since expanded throughout the USA and abroad. More than just a manly meet-up, the group hallows the holy trinity of cooking meat, drinking craft beer and celebrating great rock n roll pretty seriously. Each of these three elements are respected for the skill of art and science it takes to craft them. The growth of these local ManBque groups has been expansive and is expected to become exponential after the release of a cookbook in the near future. While “no girls are allowed” this is not a he-man woman haters club. Locally there will be a mixed group meeting in June. In Chicago – there is an all female group with the same goals who have engaged in a competitive but friendly rivalry with their male counterparts. In Columbus, as the group continues to grow, Ed and company want to add in classes, special events and serve charitable causes too.

There are a few rules to the group. New members must be invited by a current member. Meat-ups occur during the week, not on weekends. At the end of the evening (this is where I started to worry about the hazing part) new members are given their ManBque name while the group stands in a circle. I think there may be something to this ManBque thing. I had to cut out early, so I did not get issued my official ManBque name but…I would go back, to the pack, to do so.

Want to learn more?
ManBque.com
Facebook

Interested in membership? Contact Ed: e.kowalski@yahoo.com

Posted in BBQ, beer, culinary knowledge | Tagged: Manbque, Manbque Columbus | 2 Comments »

High Beck Corner Tavern (Hi Beck)

Posted by CMH Gourmand on February 21, 2013

Before we begin…..let’s have a quick history lesson. The Brewery District has seen the best of the boom times and could have been classified as a ghost town in other eras. Long ago, before prohibition, it really was a Brewery District supporting over 600 bars and Taverns in Columbus and more elsewhere and business was very good. The High Beck opened in 1921, after Prohibition started, during the “meh” era of South High Street. In the early 1990’s to early 2000-aughts, it was the boom times and the Brewery District was THE place to be. Parking was scarce, Victory’s was the premiere meat/meet market to be for the gold chained, polo shirt wearing, pegged jeans and big hair crowd while the pre-dawn of hipsters were hanging out at Hoster’s and the Columbus microbrew world was experiencing the first renaissance that did not persist. At the epicenter of this, at least for many I knew, was the High Beck. (We called it the Hi Beck, as per the sign on the south side of the building). Often crowded beyond comfort, this joint, was the place to go for great local music and good beer. While I saw a few good bands here in the 1990’s, I never really hung out there otherwise and promptly forgot about the place. But then, the area fell out of favor again and many businesses went bust and the district faltered. The area is taking off again, but during the limbo era in between, the High Beck Corner Tavern survived the lean times while Victory’s, BW-3, The Clarmont and others bit it.

Why High Beck? The tavern is at the corner of South High Street and Beck Street, hence the name. Why has the High Beck survived? Regulars can answer that question better than me – and they are much of the answer I am sure, so if the High Beck is, your spot, please post here to enlighten me. The joint still features live music but not as much as in days gone by. As far as how the tavern came back on my radar the answer is easy….pizza. During of the Pizza Gran Prix events I used to do, some wonderful person brought in a SmokeHouse Combo Pizza from the High Beck. The Smokehouse features both the house made Texas BBQ brisket and hickory smoked pulled pork on top, house made BBQ sauce at the base with some mozzarella mixed in so it can be called a pizza and not a sandwich. This was easily one of my favorite speciality pizzas and more importantly, it ages well for next day consumption. However, I always had the pizza to go and never experienced it in house. It has taken me years to get back to the High Beck and the pizza got me through the doors. However, this delay on my part still lacks any rational reason. On Mondays, the tavern offers FREE pizza from 4 pm and after. On Tuesdays….FREE coneys….and yet, contrary to all things that define me….I never made it there for free food.

The BBQ itself is worthy of mention. The house made sauce can be found in squirt bottles on the tables. The menu tells us that the house BBQ is created by Tiny. Tiny’s BBQ was perfected over 15 years in the south now to find itself in the land that spawned the war of Northern Aggression piled on top of an Italian Pizza Pie. This may seem like an odd twist of fate yet I have no complaints. I know many people (mostly of the female persuasion), that hate BBQ pizza as an abomination to the purity of the pizza concept. I do not. There are many foods I would add BBQ to if social constructs were more forgiving, but I usually know how far to push things. Well, sometimes I do, maybe not for food. Tiny, keep making BBQ and find more stuff to pile it onto.

But if BBQ is not your thing, the High Beck has some belly busting chili cheese fries that will balance out two or three beers with no effort at all. Or, maybe you would like to try out their make your own bloody Mary Bar? Finally maybe food means nothing to you (so why are you reading this?) if that is the case you will find a good selection of beers, ping-pong, foosball, darts and a pool table to pass the time and wonder why you keep thinking about getting a BBQ sandwich.

The High Beck Corner Tavern
564 S. High St
Brewery Distrct
614.224.0886

Posted in bar, BBQ, beer, restaurants | Tagged: Hi Beck, High Beck, High Beck Corner Tavern | Leave a Comment »

PSA: Savor Now Serving Growlers

Posted by CMH Gourmand on February 19, 2013

I mentioned a few months ago, that Savor would soon have growler sales of select drafts. Well, they are ahead of schedule on this project. As a PSA: ~~Public Service Announcement~~ Pour Some Alcohol Post, I am letting you know the growlers are in and ready to fill.

Posted in beer, Clintonville | Tagged: Savor | Leave a Comment »

Savor: My Saviour, Thank You For Embracing Clintonville

Posted by CMH Gourmand on December 16, 2012

The Indianola strip of Clintonville is the Rodney Dangerfield of the area, no respect. In particular, the Beechwold enclave of Clintonville (Cooke Rd. to Morse Rd) along Indianola is even less endowed with anything to be a draw to the area (well, maybe the Food Trucks at Charity Newsies, being the brilliant initiative that it is would be an exception). The area and it’s residents want what the rest of the area has – more eateries, more independent business and more traffic for the existing businesses along this thoroughfare. Enter Savor.

The space that Savor has taken over was a standard carry-out for many years. It was a place for lottery tickets and last-minute emergency party needs. It was OK as far as carry outs go but noting to speak of, or blog about. However, one day I drove by and noticed a new sign which piqued my interest. Then I saw some flyers and ads – which features a nice logo, some nice photos and whoa….wait a minute, FREE DELIVERY. Someone will deliver beer and wine to my home? Why yes, they will, for free! That is convenient.

However, delivery of a crappy product is no big deal so I make a pilgrimage to case out the place. I walked in to found an atmosphere which felt like a club or living room hangout with a little bit of Cheers thrown in for character. Savor carries the basics but also over 600 craft beers, several which are a challenge to find. The wine selection is respectable and seems to be growing. There are cigars as well – if that is your vice of choice with your alcohol consumption (mine is sleep). Beer and wine tasting occur every Friday as well a free special events from time to time. The staff have done a good job engaging customers on Facebook and keeping the list of new beers up to date. All of this is all good. A few other items of note. Savor carries of couple random food items which have no rhyme or reason to them, my guess is that these are favorite munchies of the employees or regular patrons. They continue to carry a good selection of candy bars (continuing the legacy of the previous establishment). Very notable – a good supply of potato chips in particular Ballreich’s a northwest Ohio favorite from Tiffin. Well done Savor.

But wait there is more. These guys also own the Weber Market at Weber and Indianola. That location is starting a slow conversion to a Savor as well – with the same selection as above,, hopefully delivery, a gyro trailer in the lot and….wait for it Beer Duder……Growler sales. Super cool right.

Maybe we should change the name of Indianola to Alcohol Ave. Looking at the Clintonville segment of Indianola here is what the fine residents of the area have to choose from by mid 2013: Two Savors, Weiland’s ongoing wine and beer renaissance, Palmer’s, the new bar at Studio 35 and a soon to be brewing micropub at Hudson and Indianola. Doing a little fuzzy math, no resident of Clintonville should ever be more than 1 mile away from really good beer and if they are – it can be delivered to them at their home or properly enclosed porch. My feelings on this development? All positive.

4440 Indianola Ave
Clintonville / Beechwold
614.261.7756
Savor on Facebook

Mon – Thu: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm
Fri: 8:00 am – 12:00 am
Sat – Sun: 8:00 am – 11:00 pm

Posted in beer | Tagged: Savor, Savor Beechwold, Savor Clintonville | 2 Comments »

Points for Pies & Pints

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 29, 2012

There is no shortage of pizza joints here in the capital city. Long ago, I read a report which indicated there were more pizza restaurants per capita in Columbus than any city in the nation. Go Figure. I have never heard anyone in Columbus say “Dude, we have way too many great pizza places.”

We also have a fair number of places that pair pizza pies with beer – Mellow Mushroom, Yellow Brick Pizza and Dewey’s are three places that come to mind in less than .05 seconds. I have never heard anyone say “Dude, we have way too many great places that serve beer and pizza.” Our craft beer culture is growing in Columbus and true beer nerds will tell you that we only have a select number of places that really do well in their scrutiny of beer selection. Places that come in mind in over 5 seconds are……Bodega.

So considering the above, when word started to circulate that Columbus was getting a place called Pies and Pints the initial thought of most was……”meh”. I thought otherwise. As a person that tracks food service trends the way other track stocks or OSU Football stats, I have been watching Pies and Pints for several years. Another critical factor was that one Michael Beaumont, a well-known stalwart of the Columbus Food Hipster scene as well as the producer of Foodcast has frequently mentioned Pies and Pints as a highlight of his trips to Charleston, West Virginia.

I was not the only one watching Pies and Pints, Rob Lindeman a former CEO of Max & Erma’s had his roving eyes on the business as well and put a team together to buy and expand the brand. And where do people test market and launch a new chain…….Columbus, of course. As goes Columbus, so go the nation. Pies and Pints opened in 2003. There are two locations in West Virginia (Fayetteville and Charleston). Founders David Bailey and Kimberly Shingledecker are still part of the ownership group and continue to operate the Fayetteville location.

Pies and Pints received a lot of local press in the last two months and rightly so. The company has done a good job of promoting the opening of their third location which is the first in Ohio and part of a multiple unit expansion for Columbus and the region. The Columbus Pies and Pints opened at Worthington Place (known by us old timers as Worthington Square Mall) in early November. The restaurant is an important anchor for a mall that is trying to relaunch and regain its glory days of the 1980s when it was a thriving retail destination. Pies and Pints will definitely draw more people to the area.

I was invited to a sneak peek a few weeks ago and I had an opportunity to sample several of the signature dishes of the restaurant. So let’s begin with the pies. They are good. They are good enough to get the attention of the Food Network. If you feel the Food Network ignores the capital city, then think about the chances of little ol’ Charleston grabbing the attention of a coastally focused trend starting network (this is my blog and I can make up words if I choose). The main accolade attracting pizza is the Grape Pie (featuring red grapes, gorgonzola cheese and fresh rosemary). Grapes? Yes, while this caused hesitation with anyone I mentioned this too, the flavors work together. More mentally accessible is the Cuban Pork Pie (known to a few as the Swint Slayer): Marinated pulled pork, caramelized onions, pineapple, jalapenos, feta, cilantro and crème fraiche. I think the description is enough to establish that the pizza is worth trying.

Meandering back to the start of this culinary exposition, another new pizza place, even one of the seemingly rare, better than average purveyors, really is not much to get really excited about. So let us now segue to the second part of the restaurant name and a true reason to get excited…..Pints.

Pictured below (poorly but proudly) is Pies and Pints secret weapon.

The man above is Mr. Ryan Heasting also known as the Pies and Pints Beer Czar. He also sports a fancy title: Certified Cicerone. What is a Cicerone? It is a trained beer guide. Ryan takes his beer seriously. He is shuttling between the three Pies and Pints locations training staff, selecting beers and setting the bar very high for the bar and the staff behind it. Every server is required to take Cicerone training and must attend a monthly tasting and training session. The initial beer selections were impressive even though Ryan is just getting started. According to the Dining Duder – “this beer list is really good”. The Dining duder is not one to show great emotion but irrational exuberance was displayed while the beers were discussed with Ryan elaborating on how he was going the grow the beer menu at Pies and Pints, why it was important to do so and how he was going to do it. We liked Ryan, we think he is cool. The beer list will continue change and for those that are interested in exploring the world of beer, especially regional craft brews, this is the place to go. (Note to Ryan: You were supposed to e-mail me about connecting you with some Southern Ohio Brewers).

The Final Verdict: Pizza Good. Beer Selection, very good, soon to be great. Much, much better than “meh”. The tag line for the restaurant is “Get Some”. I would say….get some. Welcome to Columbus Pies and Pints.

Pies & Pints
7227 North High Street
Worthington
614.885.7437

Posted in beer, pizza | Tagged: Pies & Pints, Pies and Pints | 4 Comments »

Ace of Cups: An Arsenal for Awesomeness!

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 14, 2012

There is a lot of history at Ace of Cups. Some of it and the back story of Ray Ray’s moving to the spot were detailed earlier in the year – here. Consider that the prelude.

The Ace of Cups is located at 2619 North High Street in a building that housed a bank for decades and then a series of very lame bars including The Counterfeit Heist (really – what were you kids thinking) and Miani’s (again – what were you thinking, who was going to go to a bar that they would be hard pressed to pronounce or know if it meant anything drunk or sober). The space bolstered a bar scene of mediocrity serving college kids and folks training for El Dorado’s and Zuey’s. The area was helped by the arrival of Late Night Slice a few years ago to give people cheap pizza and slut sauce but that was not enough. What Old(e) North Columbus needed was a bar with character.

Marcy Mays has a lot of character. To those that follow(ed) the 1980’s music scene of Columbus Marcy Mays is well-known as one of the members of Scrawl. Before Liz Lessner launched the empire that was Betty’s Family of Restaurants which is now the mighty Columbus Food League, Marcy was a partial investor in the first incantation of Surly Girl in the early 2000 – oughts. Marcy has a passion for music and bars and food and then more music so for our benefits she has invested those passions, and her heart, soul and retirement income into Ace of Cups. Although continuing to work a day job she, like many super heroines, has an alter ego as the proprietress, chief glass washer and booker of really good but somewhat obscure bands at Ace of Cups. She is assisted by an able body of local bar talent including the muse of G.A. Benton. The bar would best be described as eclectic hence the need for a ping-pong table in the middle of the floor. The place has the essence of what you would want a bar to have when you were in college with the addition of what you wanted a bar to have after college with a small dash of what you need to feel like you are not an old person hanging out in a bar. The whole works. The parts work. And it all comes together. The bar menu includes a strong beer selection, well mixed cocktails, homemade lemonade and vodka infusions. There is small in-house menu of simple snacks and nachos.

Adding to the electic mix mentioned above is Ray Ray’s. I will not wax on about Ray Ray’s because I have numerous times before. If there was ever a place that Ray Ray’s was made for, it is the patio of Ace of Cups. The pairing is like the marriage of friends that you know will last forever and you are a bit jealous of. Another perfect fit for the bar is Rogue Bakery. I am surprised that the goddess Demeter has not struck me down for failing to mention Rogue Bakery. I know the owner. I have tweeted about him, Foodcasted about him and eaten at least one hundred of his cookies in my lifetime. He once totaled his car shortly after delivering cookies to me. I owe him. But the most important thing I can say about Rogue Bakery is that Carl crafts the finest cookies with the best labels that money could buy. So here is the thing. THE THING! Ace of Cups has an exclusive Rogue Bakery Cookie. The only place, in the world, where one can obtain this special (and very good) cookie for consumption is at Ace of Cups. Quick reminder inserted here. Ace of Cups is a bar…..that has the best cookie in town. And the best BBQ. And really good beer. And character. The only thing the place is lacking….the absence of a vintage Galaga Machine and a barmaid that has a soft spot for me who slips me a free cookie with my beer on occasion. But who am I to want perfection when I am given pure awesomeness.

A few side notes on some other notable features: house made vodka inclusions, a comfortable couch and better bathrooms than one would expect.

Posted in bar, BBQ, beer, desserts | Tagged: Ace of Cups, Awesome, Rogue Bakery | 1 Comment »

Quick Byte: Iron Grill BBQ & Brew

Posted by CMH Gourmand on October 2, 2012

In the past, I mentioned the nachos at Pig Iron as potentially the best in they city. However, a potential problem came up. The place was sold earlier in 2012. I was wary of the outcome. BBQ places typically don’t fare well during transitions. Pits are a labor of love not something to be acquired in a business transaction. So I kept my distance, skeptical of anymore BBQ bliss coming from the new Iron Grill BBQ & Brew. I mean, they dropped pig from the name, what was I supposed to think?

However, doing a little research, I found out who bought the old watering hole down the road. Eugene Staravecka had done the same to Gahanna Grill about 8 years ago and at the time I had my fears about that too. My reservations were unfounded. Eugene fixed what needed to be taken care of – bathrooms, bar and patio and tinkered very little with the menu. He kept the character and cleaned up the rest. The Beanie Burger was still great and life moved on at Gahanna Grill without the slightest of speedbumps.

So what happened to Pig Iron? The Pig was dropped from the name. The Pink truck was moved to the back parking lot, the place has a new bar, booths, carpet and a patio upgrade. The key change is the tap selection increased to twenty from six – hence the addition of the word brew to the name. What else did Mr. Staravecka add to the bar? Rachel from Villa Nova down the street has come on board as bartender in chief bringing a crowd of regulars with her. Her back story is that she helped open Pig Iron years ago. When I was at the bar he added another great addition to my evening – a free shot.

The core menu remains the same but as penance for taking (some of) the Pig out of Pig Iron, the new owner added the best of Gahanna Grill – the burgers. This had me intrigued – could I still have my favorite nachos and yet add one of my top five burgers at the same place….but with better beer? The answer awaits below.

The verdict: The beer selection is great. The nachos, almost as good as I remember and they are still a great value at happy hour pricing. There seems to be something missing from the nacho mix that I can not place and the salsa is not quite as good as Pig Iron – but these are 95% as good as those I recall from days of yon. The Beanie Burger is good, but it lacks the extra je ne sais grease that comes from the decades of Beanie busting out burgers in the back of the original Gahanna grill.

In summary the BBQ place that had some beer is now the bar that has some BBQ and Burgers. That is an outcome I can live with.

Iron Grill BBQ & Brew
5295 North High Street
(The hinterlands between Clintonville and Riverlea)
614.885.4744
website

Posted in bar, BBQ, beer, Clintonville, hamburgers | Tagged: Iron Grill BBQ and Brew | Leave a Comment »

Wurst und Bier

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 5, 2012

I feared the worst.

I first became aware of Wurst & Bier on Columbus Underground. The first post seemed a bit suspect. A second post seemed more authentic and honest. Note to Restaurant and Social Media consultants (like myself) using Columbus Underground – study these two posts and do a compare and contrast in reaction.

The second point of hesitation was the location which is the Crosswoods office complex at SR 23 and I-270. This is probably the most poorly managed strip mall in the Central Ohio region. In a previous post I described the area as densely packed with apartments, office buildings, condominiums and not so long ago, six steakhouses in a quarter-mile area. Somehow this retail center has become beaten down with numerous failed restaurants, unpatched potholes and thousands of cars driving by in search of an Applebee’s. Nothing has changed, if anything the area continues a death spiral – even Panera left.

I used to work in the area, so when I drive by the old wage slave factory, a dysfunctional hate rises up in me as I shake my fist at my former employer and say “Suck It ____”. So for my own emotional well-being I stay away from this suburban hell.

OK, catharsis aside, there were more misgivings. The WB logo is horrible and cheesy. If I was to classify the artwork the first thoughts that come to mind are honky gnome meets smurf. My initial thought was that this place was a “Schmidt’s Light”. I decided to defer inspection.

However, this is a Biergarten baby! Having spent time in Germany, and specifically the Hofbraeuhaus, I think that Columbus could stand with a good Biergarten. The beer list looked inviting with plenty of German brews on tap. Since the place remained open after a few months of operation, I decided an exploratory mission was in order.

I arranged the services of the Dining Duder as a co-pilot and we made our pilgrimage for pilsner. The moment we walked into the former BW-3 location, memories of the dreaded sports bar of days gone by filled my mind. Comparing the immediate vibe of the former tenant to the atmosphere of the new upstart Wurst & Bier my diagnosis was “This does not suck”. One fear was that the place would be staffed with unauthentically garbed Bavarian-wannbe servers in the theme of Whore & Wurst (this place is a sports bar so it was a possibility). It was not themed in schtick – the black-shirted servers treat this as a bar that serves wurst so they don’t try to act like experts on the cuisine or culture. Our server was proud that she could correctly pronounce one of the items on the menu (one more than me) and for that I would say she earned the Prost on the back of her shirt. I also need to mention that on an off-peak Wednesday night, the restaurant has an 80-odd-year-old accordion player on site blazing away on his instrument. This mild-mannered, energizer bunny style octogenarian Bavarian deserves excessive tips due to his dedication.

The Dining Duder and I promptly zeroed in on the bier part of the evening. Although there were many beers we wanted to try we opted for the novelty of the Gaffel Koelsch wheel of 11 (a wheel of 11 .2 liter glasses of beer). Since these cute little bier tasting glasses are on a moving wheel and the alcohol content seems to sneak up on consumers, the casualty rate for the glasses has been higher than the normal collateral damage of the bar trade. Since the bar could only offer ten glasses for the wheel – we were given two similar glasses to make up for our impaired authentic experience and give us an even dozen. To that I say Prost!

Time to dine. The menu is not overwhelming in size but there are some difficult decisions to be made. My suggestion for your first visit is to go with a group of five or more people so you can fully investigate the selections. German food was made for one purpose…to facilitate the consumption of beer. It is starchy, maintains a non diverse rainbow of white, brown and dark yellow and is true meat und potatoes fare. Granted, there is an occasional earth toned pickle mixed into a dish but vegetables are for the French and girly men.

We started with the Obazda: the traditional Bavarian bar food of Brie mixed with cream cheese, butter, onions and some mystery seasonings served with a large, freshly baked pretzel paired with Bavarian mustard. On a score of 10 – we would place Obazda at 9.7 on the bar food scale. It was the perfect pairing for beer drinking.

Moving right along…time for the wurst. The Dining Duder ordered Currywurst (the popular street food of Germany). Excuse me please, Vas ist Currywurst you ask? You choose one from a wide selection of sausages und wursts which the kitchen slices up and covers it with a magical sauce and curry powder. Simple, flavorful and a little spicy. This is like eating a sponge to soak up alcohol but more tasty.

I opted to go traditional in honor of my own German heritage with a choice of two wursts (one traditional, one spicy), mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. This met my expectations and was on par with my meals in Munich and Frankfurt long ago.

I also decided to draft the Dining Duder into some critical research. There are two potato salads on the menu. I was determined to try both. Munich Style Potato Salad is a mix of vinegar, oil, onions, pickles and mustard. Berlin Style is mustard, potatoes and pickles. Berlin won. Both salads looks similar, used the same potatoes and pickles but the simplicity of the Berlin style won me over. This reminded me of the potato salad of my youth made by my grandmother.

As we finished our meal we noticed that the table across from us had just ordered a beer tower (looks a lot like a giant beer bong) but we decided to save that for our next visit and a different beer. Our server checked in to see if we were interested in dessert. When the Duder and I declined, all three of us snorted, since our served pointed out that she was proud of us for not eating until we barfed….and we had thought that might happen at one point. Good sense reigned for the evening. We expected the worst and got better than we expected. We will be back.

Don’t fear the wurst. CMH Gourmand tested, Dining Duder approved.

A final note. When it comes down to it 21% of the Barvarian food experience is about mustard, Wurst und Bier serves several, authentic, real deal, German mustards. That my friends is significant and makes up for any misgivings I had before I walked through the door. In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, “A’ll bee Baacck.”

W&B aka Wurst Und Bier
110 Hutchinson Ave
Crosswoods
Columbus (Suburban Hell)
614.436.2437

Posted in beer, restaurants | Tagged: Wurst und Bier | 5 Comments »

« Previous Entries

Next Entries »

	Brian N on The Final Course: A Writer…
	Greg on The Final Course: A Writer…
	Anna Sanyal on The Final Course: A Writer…
	Pat Woodward on The Final Course: A Writer…
	Carolyn Weber on The Final Course: A Writer…
	Bill on The Final Course: A Writer…
	Cynthia H Leland on The Final Course: A Writer…

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