Archive for the ‘culinary knowledge’ Category

Columbus: Ice Cream Capital of the World

Posted by CMH Gourmand on July 2, 2008

Welcome to July – National Ice Cream Month. The link below is my Ice Cream Web Site. I have not updated it for over a year. However the good news is that all of the information is more or less correct.

Ice Cream Ohio

Two places I will add when I get time. Ollie’s Fine Ice Cream in Delaware and Susie’s Big Dipper in Piqua, Ohio.

You may have noticed that the CMH Gourmand blog banner reads Ice Cream Capital of the World (Columbus). I really believe that. I have had Ice Cream and gelato all over the world. I have also consulted on two books about ice cream. Having established my credentials, let me present the case for my argument. In Columbus you have easy access to four places that have all fallen on lists of the top ten ice cream shops in the country. These shops are (in alphabetical order): Denise’s, Graeter’s, Handel’s and Jeni’s. People ask me which I like the best – my answer – it depends on the flavor. I will say, on most given days – you will find me with a scoop of Jeni’s or Denise’s. My favorite flavor is Graeter’s Coconut Chocolate Chip.

In addition to the four ice creameries listed above we also have Johnson’s and Mardi Gras. Johnson’s has a fine vanilla bean and cool ice cream buckeyes for football season. Mardi Gras has some wonderful, exotic flavors as well as some traditional classics. I have taken ice cream fanatic friends from various cities to all of these places and my guests left impressed.

We also have three great ice cream places within less than a two hour drive from the capital city: Tom’s Ice Cream Bowl, Youngs, and (Velvet Ice Cream) Ye Old Mill. The first two have also appeared on a couple top ten lists in their day.

Added to the above, we have some really good high volume ice cream makers in Ohio. We can get the following in Columbus: Toft’s (Anderson’s General Store), Velvet Ice Cream – everywhere, Pierre’s (many specialty grocery stores), and Homemade Brand (most grocery stores and UDF).

So yeah, we are the Ice Cream Capital of the World, because we have the best selection of top quality ice cream one could find anywhere and it is all located inside of 270.

Granted, Le Mars Iowa has billed itself as Ice Cream Capital of the World since 1994 per the Iowa state legislature. No disrepect to the Blue Bunny Brand of high volume commercial grade ice cream. I am sure Le Mars makes more…..we make better. All hail the dictatorship! Le Mars, I have voted you down to Ice Cream capital of Iowa, Columbus is taking the World!

I am open to other names – if you can make a good argument for your choice.

Ice Cream Capital of: Ohio, The Nation, The USA, North America, or Western Hemisphere.

Posted in Columbus, culinary knowledge, gelato, ice cream | Tagged: Ice Cream Capital of the World | 6 Comments »

Support Your Friendly Neighborhood Foodcast

Posted by CMH Gourmand on June 12, 2008

We have hit twelve episodes of Columbus Foodcast. The podcast is not a fluke any more, we are now getting down to the business of delivering good content. Our sound quality improves with episode 6. My favorite episodes are 4, 7 and 10. You can find us on iTunes as a free download. Our artwork is now up on both iTunes and our podcast web site. The art was created by local artist Robert Patricy in 1995 for my first attempt at food writing and has finally found a home on the world wide web.

Listed below is an episode guide as of June 12th. I hope you enjoy at least some of the podcasts. Let us know what you want to hear in future episodes.

Episode 12 – An Ice Cream Road Show: Jeni’s, Denise’s, Mardi Gras
Episode 11 – On Mindfulness and Diet, It’s About Stealing from Webercam (Eating Healthy)
Episode 10.(point)5 – Columbus Foodcast Live! (Our first attempt at live podcasting – not for the weak)
Episode 10 – Grilling With Dave (Grill tips from Dave of Webercam)
Episode 9 – Latitude Adjustment (Jim about his Australia adventures as well as local markets)
Episode 8 – Freeform: Beer and Carrot Cake
Episode 7 – Food Parties (and some bonus bloopers) – with the Beer Wench
Episode 6 – Big Eats – (Large sandwiches and big pizzas)
Episode 5 – The Beer Show
Episode 4 – Storytelling through Food – with professional storyteller Kevin Cordi
Episode 3 – Pizza, Pizza, Pizza
Episode 2 – The Three C’s: Chili, Chicago & Chocolate
Episode 1 – 48 hours to Eat in Columbus (Intro to Jim and Zach)

Look to the left column of this blog at the link for http://www.columbusfood.tv in the Columbus Food Blogs section.

Posted in beer, Columbus, culinary knowledge, food, restaurants, wine | Tagged: Columbus Foodcast | Leave a Comment »

Spain Restaurant, Denise’s Ice Cream and a Social Media Experiment

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 22, 2008

Spain Restaurant
888 E. Dublin Granville Rd
Columbus, (161 and Huntley – hidden in the Best Western Hotel)
614.840.9100

I have been doing occasional dinners out for groups, mostly people I have met through Columbus Underground and the Columbus Social Media Café. Many of my culinary cronies are regular posters at Columbus Underground. There was a recent Other Paper article discussing the “power of Social Media” while profiling the Columbus Underground and The Columbus Social Media Cafe. Our “ilk” was described as young, affluent professionals…thank you – I would really like to be young and affluent.

My second “Dine Out” targeted Spain Restaurant, hidden in the Best Western Hotel on 161. See my post way back in November 2006 for details on this great spot. Nothing has changed at Spain since I last wrote about this restaurant. The food is still good, the service is attentive and professional, and for the price you get more than expected in serving size and quality. You do not often experience tuxedoed servers and tablecloths at restaurants that offer entrees at the price point Spain dishes out.

This is one restaurant I am quick to tell anyone about (some spots I hold to myself to avoid lines) because Spain needs the business, they always have. I am sad to say I still do not have to wait for a table whenever I show up – because there are always plenty available.

On the plus side, this is the perfect place to take a large group of people because there are so many tables to choose from. I had planned on having a group of six to eight people, as word got out about the “Dine Out” our group grew. When I arrived I had no idea about how many to expect, so our table for 10, became 12, then 14, then 15, then 16….. Manager Andres Casal was more than gracious about this and let us each order on separate checks as we kept adding tables and orders. Many of us ordered the Paella – something Spain really does well. In my opinion any of their three paellas are better than Barcelona’s offering. A few others agreed with this assessment and gave Spain high points.

By report, everyone enjoyed their meal and several already plan to come back. None of us had room for dessert – something Spain always excels at. Their after dinner offerings feature several tempting choices including, on occasion, Tres Leches. My Social Media Experiment was intended to introduce people to Spain and convert a few new fans; I believe I accomplished my mission. I asked my dining companions to write their own reviews of the place so I could post here, however, either I did not present my hopes for a mega-review clearly or everyone was disoriented by the food and sangria we consumed. My friend Jessica did report the next day that she had enough leftovers for two lunches.

As we were heading for the parking lot, about 8 of us decided that we might be able to squeeze in some Denise’s ice cream. Denise’s is about a ten-minute drive away in Clintonville so by the time we got there, we figured, we might have room. Many of us ordered Coffee flavored ice creams – with Coffee Oreo being the most scooped. Denise’s (Stan Zafran) makes some great ice cream that often gets overlooked in our Jeni’s and Graetersocentric city. If you have not been to Denise’s then you should drop in to experience one of the three best ice cream shops in central Ohio. They have several new flavors to try out. My current favorites are carrot cake and sumatra.

Denise’s Ice Cream
2899 North High Street
Clintonville
614.267.8800

At the end of a slow Tuesday night, I introduced several people to meals, people, and places they might not find on their own. That is the power of Social Media and why I write this blog. I am a much better person for it. Social Media is about communities and conversations – old school media is about reading what someone else thinks.

Posted in Columbus, culinary knowledge, ice cream, restaurants | Tagged: Columbus Social Media Cafe, Columbus Underground, Denises's Ice Cream | 4 Comments »

North Market Apron Gala – May 17th (and More Market Mayhem)

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 11, 2008

The 12th Annual North Market Apron Gala

Saturday, May 17th

Doors open and aprons on at – 7 PM

North Market

59 Spruce Street

Short North

Who: Me plus anyone one else that likes to eat and/or loves the North Market

What: Three courses of appetizers, tastes and samples of entrees, desserts, beer from Columbus Brewing Company, Ohio wines, multiple North Market vendors, a silent auction, fortune tellers, raffles, prizes, and a contest to see who has the coolest apron.

When: See Above

Where: North Market – the mecca of food goodness

Why: To support the North Market, proceeds go to support our North Market

How: Through the hard work of North Market vendors, staff, local restaurants, and the Friends of North Market

Tickets – $75 (worth every penny); $65 for registered Friends of the North Market

If you have never been to the North Market or have never been to a North Market event, this is the night to go. If anyone wants to meet up and talk food with me send me an e-mail, I will be there all evening.

If you need more encouragement to go, see my photos from the North Market Cinco D’ Ohio Festival below. The photos are a taste of the culinary wonders you can expect at events like this. I was one of the judges for the salsa contest. Nine people pitted their salsas up against the palettes of four lucky judges.

Then, I was also a judge for an array of tacos from for a fiery and heated competition with local professional chefs. Five Top chefs mixed their skill, creativity, and some North Market ingredients for a United Nations of flavors in the Taco Taste Off. The winner – in a tummy pleasing close call contest was Steve Lawrence from Cajohn’s Caboom Chili Company with his Asian Taco (in a soft, yet crunchy Wonton shell). Alana Shook (Alana’s) and John Dornbeck (Basi) were neck and neck in my book for a heartbreaking second place with my palette.

North Market is fun, fun, fun and the people are great so come support our market the night of May 17th.

Finally….If the Apron Gala does not work out for you or the other events seem too large scale, consider a more intimate experience with some of the best chef’s and cooks in Columbus:

To sign up drop by the North Market office or call to register at 614-463-9664.

Shop with the Chef Series, Saturdays, 10AM-1PM

Limit 20 people, cost $45 per person; $225 series

Saturday, June 7 – John Dornback, Basi Italia

Saturday, June 21 – Paul Yow, Barcelona

Saturday, July 5 – David Tetzloff, G. Michael’s Bistro

Saturday, July 19 – Matt Langstaff, Bexley’s Monk

Saturday, August 2 – Alana Shock, Alana’s Food + Wine

Saturday, August 16 – Robin Davis, The Columbus Dispatch

Summer Evening Chef Series, Wednesdays 6:30-8:30PM

Limit 26 people, cost $60 per person; $300 series

Wednesday, June 4 – John Skaggs, Chef at Large

Wednesday, June 18 – Jason Shelley, Mitchell’s Ocean Club

Wednesday, July 2 – Paul Yow, Barcelona

Wednesday, July 16 – Chef Rocco, Pastaria

Wednesday, August 6 – Matt Prokopchak, Trattoria Roma

Wednesday, August 20 – Matt Langstaff, Bexley’s Monk

Fall Evening Chef Series, Wednesdays 6:30-8:30PM

Limit 26 people, cost $60 per person; $300 series

Wednesday, September 3 – Henry Butcher Sr., Creole Kitchen

Wednesday, September 17 – Kevin Jones, The Columbus Fish Market

Wednesday, October 1 – Paul Yow, Barcelona

Wednesday, October 15 – David Tetzloff, G. Michael’s Bistro

Wednesday, November 5 – Matt Prokopchak, Trattoria Roma

Wednesday, November 19 – Matt Langstaff, Bexley’s Monk

Posted in bakery, cheese, chocolate, Columbus, culinary knowledge, food, ice cream, markets, Short North, wine | Tagged: North Market | 1 Comment »

Wittich’s – America’s Oldest Confectioner? – Circleville Roadtrip Part 2

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 1, 2008

Wittich’s

117 West High Street

Circleville, OH

740 474 3313

After my run to the Original Hamburger Inn, I drove a block or so to the northwest for a visit to what may be the nations oldest confectionary – Wittich’s. This chocolate and candy shop has been operated by the same family since 1840. It is currently run by Fred Wittich the great grandson of the founder. I did some quick research on confectionaries in the country. I am not sure it is the oldest – but it probably is the oldest run by the same family (I am still researching this).

My party sampled the candy selections with a venegence and found all to be very good. I really enjoyed the dark chocolate covered peanut brittle. Wittich’s is overflowing with character, charm and history – I felt good walking through the door and those feelings just continued to get better.

What really caught my eye was the 1930’s era soda fountain/counter. Some people know that I am an ice cream lover. One or two people know my first job was at Knight’s Ice Cream in Columbus and because of that I am a big fan of ice cream lore. There are just a handful operating of soda fountains in the country and I had accidently stumbled upon one.

As I sat there on one of the twirling counter seats, I was thinking of memories of a soda fountain in the the part of Columbus I grew up in. At about that moment, a small sign caught my eye. It explained the soda fountain I was sitting at was purchased from the former Beechwold Pharmacy in 1997. Guess where I used to go as a child….. yep!

Posted in chocolate, culinary knowledge, ice cream, Ohio | Tagged: Wittich's Confectionary | 7 Comments »

Beer and Cheese – The New Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

Posted by CMH Gourmand on March 26, 2008

Pace Hi Carry Out in Clintonville closed in February. The signs of demise were there for a long time – they just never seemed to be able to keep things in stock..so I stopped going long ago. Having the wine displayed in the window made me wary as well – you could not do anything worse to a bottle of vino.

UPDATE: Pace Hi reopened August 2008 with new ownership and a lot of work invested in new coolers, stock, etc. This is a great rebound for this part of Clintinville.

I often wonder if a new business concept called Hops and Curd – a high end beer and cheese store might work in Clintonville.

OK – the concept of wine and cheese is well sold.

But beer and cheese…. not so much. I believe beer and cheese is the undiscovered peanut butter and chocolate of the 21st century. So that is why I am posting this post…to build a groundswelling of support for this advanced idea.

And as it just happens – Constance and Kent at Hills Market will be offering a Beer and Cheese Tasting on April 17th – check out the Hills Market web site and get on the mailing list for more details. I have attended two Hills Market wine and cheese tastings – both were wonderful so I expect the beer and cheese pairing to be just as good. The format for the wine tastings has been 6 pairing of wine and cheese with a appetizer for each. The Beer and Cheese tasting will probably have the same format. The cost would be no more than $35. As a bonus, you typically get 10% off anything you buy at that store following the tasting. It a great deal. See my post about the December tasting for more information.

To further sell pairing beer with cheese check out the site below:

A link with all you need to know about beer and cheese

So what do you think – is it time to open Hops and Curd during a recession?

Posted in beverages, cheese, culinary knowledge, food | 6 Comments »

Slow Food Columbus is Moving Fast – Debrief on the Inaugural Dinner

Posted by CMH Gourmand on March 22, 2008

Slow Food Columbus served up their first dinner “Local and Loving It” on March 20th at Cafe del Mondo. In spite of competition from March Madness, The Celebrity Chef’s Dinner and other Columbus activities – the event was sold out with a waiting list of 8 people. Having a local chapter of Slow Food was long overdue – so thanks to recent immigrants Colleen and Bear for adding this to the Columbus plate.

I was one of the guests with the honor of spending the evening enjoying a great meal with some wonderful people. The menu is listed below.

Antipasto

Bruschetta with organic tomatoes and basil

paired with Dal Bello – Rosa della Regina – Brut Rose

Insalata

Salad featuring Blue Jacket Farms mozzarella, Green Edge organic spring mix and mircrogreens, tomatoes, and a wonderful crouton

paired with and (2006) Cantina del taburno falanghina

Piatti Principali

Organic Pasta Bologonese with Spectrum Farm beef and organic vegetables

Rosemary garlic Mount Victory Porkloin

Farfalle all’olio (vegetarian)

Sauteed organic Green Edge greens

Artisanal bread

paired with 2004 Tenuta delle Terra Nere Etna Rosso “Calderara Sottana”

Dolci

Baked organic apples – spiced and carmelized

served with Jeni’s Ohio Spicebush Berry ice cream

Paired with 2004 Lenotti Recioto Della Valpolicella Classico, Veneto

Capping off the evening

Espresso

The creators on site from Slow Food Columbus (Laurie, Haley, Colleen, and Bear – and others behind the scenes) did a wonderful job putting a fine evening together. Wine pours were generous and helped fuel many good conversations at every table. Among the guests were the owners of Northstar Cafe and a manager from their Short North restaurant. In between courses we heard from the owners of Spectrum Farm (talking about their beef), Mt Victory Meats (discussing his business and the pork loin we were eating) and The Greener Grocer. We also heard from the owner of Cafe del Mondo / Fruta del Mondo discussing his business and well as why all breads and pastas are not created equal. The morsel I picked up from his talk – it really is worth paying a little more for good pasta and good bread – they are so much better for your body and and the flavor difference is significant. I also learned that “good” pasta can be placed in ziplock bag and frozen for a quick meal later.

Please take a look at the local Slow Food site for the full scoop on the evening (with photos).

Keep an eye out for more events from this group, it is still a very new branch of Slow Food. Based on conversations I had with Bear, Colleen, and Haley I am excited about how Slow Food Columbus is helping grow the ever expanding food culture of Columbus.

Another side note – I love to see local groups and people connect- the cool snail T-Shirts for Slow Food come from local T-Shirt shop extraordinare – Skreened.

Posted in Columbus, culinary knowledge, food | Tagged: Slow Food Columbus | 1 Comment »

North Market – good to me and great for Columbus

Posted by CMH Gourmand on February 19, 2008

North Market

59 Spruce Street
Short North
614.463.9664

This is what 12 samples of chili look like….

I survived the Fiery Foods Festival at the North Market on February 16th. I had the opportunity to be a judge for the Chili Competition. I sampled 12 chilis in the professional category (with offerings from Alana’s, L’Antibes, Basi Italia and others.) One of the offerings had Mako shark in it…..yep, shark. There was a brief moment of terror on my part. As I was taking my first spoonful, the ingredients were being listed off. Shark was not the the first item mentioned. I am allergic to fish – but maybe not shark as it turns out. After a short pause, it was back to work for the amateur competition and another 12 chilis. Other judges included G.A. Benton from Columbus Alive, Miriam Bowers Abbott from the Other Paper, Lisa – the Restaurant Widow and other local notables. I was in great company. Special thanks to Mary Martineau (marketing director) and David Wible (executive director) for having me there and listening to me ramble on about food. Their continued hard work keeps the market vibrant and appealing to Columbus natives and visitors. Sopressata – did a superb summary of the festival and she (Heather) was able to cover the wing eating contest which I missed out on.

The next day I was at the North American Pizza and Ice Cream Show across the street at the Columbus Convention Center. Many of the people in line to pick up passes were asking me about what to do in our fair city. I had a lot to tell them with North Market on top of my list. Several attendees waiting in line overhead my comments and mentioned their own visits to the market the day before and how impressed they were with what we have here in Columbus.

North Market is a treat for those of us that live here – offering a home to Jeni’s Ice Cream, Curds and Whey, and so many other great independent vendors. The market also supports incredible food events – the Ohio Wine Festival, the Saturday Farmers Market, and the Fall Harvest Festival. All of these North Market endevours put Columbus on the culinary map and keeps it there.

At the Fiery Foods Festival, I spoke with some of the volunteers that do so much to support the market by helping with events….I may have to get my ass in gear and pitch in as well.

Anyway, if you have never been to the North Market, now is the time to support this community asset. I usually go early in the morning on a Saturday to scoop up some farmers market specials, then I pop inside to stock up on cheese, free samples and usually a Jeni’s Ice Cream sandwich for later. On Sundays, I like parking for free near Goodale Park, then walking over for lunch which I take upstairs so I can watch the market in action below.

Posted in cheese, chocolate, Columbus, culinary knowledge, ice cream, markets | 3 Comments »

If you missed it – Columbus Food Bloggers in the Dispatch

Posted by CMH Gourmand on December 30, 2007

Columbus Dispatch article from December 26th, 2007

…

This article is about five local food bloggers including me. If you missed it, here you go.

Posted in Columbus, culinary knowledge | 3 Comments »

Mail Order Cheese, Chocolate and Brownies… oh my!

Posted by CMH Gourmand on December 2, 2007

Dedicated readers may recall my run to Amish country a few months ago. I drove by a sign for Steiner Cheese (a place I had never sampled) but I did not have time to check out their store because I was trying to get to Pearl Valley Cheese before closing time. Shortly after this cheese trip, I read that Steiner won several awards at the Ohio State Fair for their cheeses….drat.

I could not let this missed opportunity slip by but alas, I had no time to drive back. I did some research and found I could order online.

Steiner Cheese

I ordered the Farmer’s Cheese, Aged Cheddar and Aged Swiss. All three were great. The pricing was reasonable even with shipping added in. The Aged Cheddar was my favorite and the two pounds I ordered did not last a week.

I should mention that Pearl Valley does mail order as well. I tried them out a couple years ago and they did a fine job. The only downside with them is they sell in gift packs online.

On a related note, at about the same time I ordered from Steiner, I ordered chocolate from my favorite mail order chocolate company – Bissingers.

The photo of the chocolate did not come out so well. However, this is a photo of 1 pound of chocolate. If you order from the catalog at select times of year, Bissingers will send you a free pound of chocolate – Milk or Dark. I have tried different things with this free chocolate over the years, but my favorite thing to do is break off a piece of dark chocolate (I don’t bother with milk chocolate) and spoon on some chunky peanut butter. The best regular catalog item is the Almond Nut Bark. Bissingers Chocolate is among the best dark chocolate I have tried anywhere. They are based in St. Louis (I discovered them while there for work) and trace their roots to French chocolate making in the 1600’s.

A final find. Dayton’s Dorothy Lane Market does mail order – which for me means mail order Killer Brownies. If you place an order, say Sandie – via the Gourmand sent you.

Posted in cheese, chocolate, culinary knowledge, Ohio | 2 Comments »

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