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Hot Dog Daze: A Dirty Franks Field Trip

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 17, 2008

Coming Soon

Several times per week people will ask or e-mail me – “When is Dirty Franks going to open?” My answer is: not soon enough. However, like a fine red wine, a fine red hot hot dog place needs time to age. Progress has been slow but sure, however the wait will be worth it.

Take the site of the former Queen Bee Diner. Then mix in the power of Liz Lessner and Harold LaRue as well as many others and you get Dirty Franks Hot Dog Palace.

Columbus has been waiting for a dining destination in the Red Brick District (south part of downtown). Dirty Franks aims to deliver in the form of hip hot dogs and comfort food at comforting prices.

The Palace is inspired by Liz’s love of Chicago style hot dogs. Liz and Tim Lessner spent their formative years in Chicago. Dirty Franks aims to bring the authentic tastes of Chicago hot dog and beef stands to our fair city. You will see elements of the other Liz Lessner Restaurants – Betty’s, Surly Girl, and Tip Top Kitchen and Cocktails but Dirty Franks will stand apart with a Chicago focused menu and some new twists on old favorites.

You will find this hot dog hot spot at:

248 South 4th Street
Downtown / Red Brick District

Dirty Franks on MySpace

While we are waiting, Liz, Harold and company are building the palace. In the pursuit of the perfect hot dog, Liz arranged a tour of the Vienna Beef plant in Chicago as well as a few days to research as many places as possible. The key to having an authentic Chicago style sandwich making Mecca is to get immersed in all things Chicago. And the only way to do that is to go there and “get it”.

By getting it, I mean learning every little thing that is needed to do a Chicago Dog outside the Windy City. The ingredients are the easy part. The hard part is getting a million other little things right. What temperature is the best for cooking a hot dog? Where do you find the best equipment? Who has the best bun?

When Liz mentioned she was making a run to Chicago – I volunteered to go as a one-man focus group. Liz was gracious enough to let me join her crew for a day so I put my money where my mouth was and flew up for a thirteen hours of relentless research. The night before I had dreams of hot dogs dancing in my head.

Chicago Hot Dog land

The tour started at 9:00. I arrived at Midway just after 6:00 AM. So what does one do to get ready for a day of heavy eating? If you are me, you head to the original Billy Goat Tavern for a Cheeseburger and a coke. This is one of my favorite places in Chicago, I always feel at home the second I walk in the door.

Billy Goat

Vienna Beef Factory Store & Deli
2501 North Damen Ave
Chicago
773 435 2277
Vienna Beef

Vienna Beef Sign

Hot Dog Truck

Our Crew (from left to right) consisted of: Tonya Harris – chef for all Liz Lessner restaurants and a key fixture at Betty’s, Harold LaRue, Dirty Franks visionary, Liz Lessner (of Bettys, Surly Girl, Tip Top and Dirty Franks), (brother) Tim Lessner, (Tip Top) and CMH Gourmand – self appointed taste tester, focus group, and comic relief.

The Crew - before

By stroke of luck, we were joined by Mark Reitman, (PhD, Professor of Hot Dogs) who operates Hot Dog U. Mark helps people start their own hot dog cart business and he was in town to give one of his students a tour. Mark knows all things hot dog. He was an incredible resource to have before, during, and after the tour.

Mark

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
taking notes

Our tour was led by Bob Schwartz, Vice President at Vienna Beef. Bob is one of the nicest and most knowledgeable people I have met in the food business. He knows his meats – hot dogs, Italian Beef, Pastrami, Corned Beef, Brisket and more. He is the author of an excellent book of Chicago Hot Dog lore – Never Put Ketchup on a Hot Dog. Bob is in the middle of the photo below.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Bob in the Middle

It is a fair assumption that meat permeates his work day.

plate

Chicago takes hot dogs seriously. There is a true culture to the Chicago hot dog with an unwritten code, mores, rituals and the like. The prime directive of a Chicago Dog – no ketchup!

NK 17 sign

Vienna Beef signs can be found throughout the Chicago metro area. There are hundreds of restaurants, hot dog stands and the like that serve Vienna Beef products 24/7.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
into the plant

Our tour lasted well over three hours and we saw everything. Bob led us throughout the plant. Vienna Beef produces multiple types of hot dogs and sausages. Hot dogs make up a faction of the business. Vienna Beef also cooks up pastrami, brisket, corned beef, soup, and beef for Italian beef sandwiches.

Hot Dogs

HD Tour

HD tour

The meat of the matter is the meat. We started with meat processing. We followed the meat as it was cut, sliced, and cooked into final forms. The process uses minimal automation. We saw workers hand slicing cuts of meat, individually seasoning pastrami, and everything else that transforms meat into what we eat. The plant is cleaned three times per day and has USDA inspectors on site. Going behind the scenes was really amazing. We were all impressed with the quality of the products and the pride that everyone takes in their work. It was like Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory in some ways. I have toured all types of factories: chocolate (Cadbury in New Zealand among them), ice cream (countlress places), beer (several in Australia and the West Coast), and many others. I would pick the Vienna Beef tour as the best.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
me at the plant

At the end of the tour we went to the test kitchen to “assist” with quality control. Bob tasted one type of hot dog that did not quite met muster so that entire batch was scrapped. Vienna Beef takes quality and consistency seriously. We we also able to sample several of the soups which were the best pre-made soups I have encountered anywhere.

Test Kitchen

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
test kitchen 2

We wrapped up our tour in the company cafeteria. Bob brought Vienna Beef products in their final form for us to sample the final cut. We consumed hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, Polish sausage, pastrami and corned beef. I liked all of them. Their corned beef was the best I have tasted.

Bob asked what we had in mind for the rest of the day. Liz let him know the plan was to sample from as many places as possible so that Dirty Franks can create the true Chicago experience. Bob put together a list of places to hit and we were off.

Before I get started on the hot dog road show, there will be an intermission to explain what we were eating.

A Chicago Style Hot Dog:
pure beef frankfurter
steamed poppy seed bun
yellow mustard
relish (often of the neon variety)
onions
tomatoes
two serrano “sport” peppers
kosher pickle
dash of celery salt

An Italian Beef:
thin slices of seasoned roast beef
long Italian-style roll (dense and chewy to hold in the meat and juices)
Chicago-style giardiniera (called “hot”)
– a mix of jalepeno peppers, carrots, celery, olives, vinegar, spices and a few other ingredients
sauteed, green Italian sweet peppers (called “sweet”)
au ju – aka: “gravy”

There are several ways to order a beef, here are a few:

Hot, wet: Italian beef on gravy-soaked bread and giardiniera
Combo, hot: Italian beef and polish sausage with giardiniera
Sweet, dry: Italian beef piled into dry bread, topped with sweet peppers

Cheesy beef or “cheef”: Italian beef with cheese (provolone, mozzarella or, rarely, cheddar). There is some controvesy on this one. Hard core beef eaters, including Bob, will tell you – NO cheese on a Beef.

If you want to learn more about Chicago food, take a look at my Sidedish Sidetrip – Chicago at the top of the blog.

Johnnie’s Beef
7500 W. North Ave
Elmwood Park
708 452 6000

Johnnies

Our first stop was at one of my favorites. Johnnies has been one of my preferred beef stands for several years. This place often has long lines but the wait is minimal because they move customers quickly. It is easy to panic when ordering so you really need to know what you want before you go through the door.

To help you out, this is what you want to say:

“Beef – Hot, Wet, Fries, Large Ice, Hot Dog – Everything”.

Johnnies does not take American Express, or Visa but a beef and an ice are priceless. Take cash. And for goodness sake if you are in line keep the door closed – trust me. They serve one type of Italian Ice – lemon. This is one of the finest Italian ices I have had in my life. Just get a large and don’t plan on sharing.

Johnnies Spread

Gene and Judes

Gene & Jude’s Red Hot Stand
2720 River Rd
River Grove
708 452 7634

Johnnies is fast. Gene and Jude’s is faster. Strangely, the guy that served me looked like Donnie Wahlberg plus he had a New Jersey style accent and attitude. He crisply let me know “no photos”. Below you are not seeing a photo of a Gene and Jude’s hot dog with fries. The fries are served on top of the dog and the whole package is wrapped in wax paper to move the line along at breakneck speed.

G J Dog with Fries

Frannies Beef and Catering
4304 N. River Rd
Schiller Park
847 678 7771

The award winner here is the combo. Italian beef and Polish sausage are sandwiched into the same roll. It is the perfect thing to order if you are undecided or if you have a good HDL count and health insurance. The combo is topped with their homemade giardinera. It was at this point that I started to wonder which Chicago Hospital has the Vienna Beef Heart wing. A word for the wise, Frannies has Italian ice in several flavors. If you are just going to have one ice in Chicago go to Johnnies. When you decide to have two, go to Marios Lemonade in Little Italy. I’m just sayin’.

Frannies

Combo

Poochies
3832 Dempster St.
Skokie
847 673 0100

Poochies

Poochies Spread

Poochies has the look of a classic Chicago Hot Dog shop. It is a cool and friendly place to hang out. Two things that stood out to me were the Char Dog and their fries. Their Char dog is steamed in water and then char grilled to give it just a bit of extra snap when you bite in to it and some searing for extra flavor. I can not describe why the the fries struck a cord with me, but after a day of eating french fried potatoes, these stood out. Another item of note is their grilled salami sandwich – served simply on a bun with mustard.

Group at Poochies

Herm’s Hot Dog Palace
3406 Dempster St
Skokie
847 673 9757

Herms Palace

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Herms Food

By the time we arrived at Herm’s we were started to wear down and bloat up a bit. Herm’s had the largest menu we encountered all day. They seem to offer just about everything. The Herm’s crew were also the most friendly behind the counter people I have met in a long time. The family takes a lot of pride in their place and their products. Marla Shane runs Herm’s with her sons Scott and Craig. She fell into the business as a fluke. The location was in the neighborhood. She started out helping out and eventually her family bought it. The family is a fixture at Herm’s and in the community. Tim and I walked in first. I ordered an Italian Beef cut into four pieces and a hot dog the same way for sampling. Then I started asking a lot of questions as I am prone to do. The family figured out what we were up to when the rest of out team arrived. More food starting flowing out of the kitchen. Even though we were stuffed, we ate it all since it was so good. We did defer on their hamburgers even though it is one of their signature items. Herm’s made the best steamed hot dog I had all day – the crunch and the temperature were perfect. The presentation of their hot dogs were really impressive as well. Thanks Herms – I’ll be back.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Herms Chicago Dog

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Group Photo herms

Green Mill Cocktail Lounge
4802 N. Broadway St
Chicago
773 878 5552

Green Mill

Many people would have stopped after the first couple places. But when the mission is to create the finest hot dog palace on the planet the only option is to press on. However, after Herm’s, we needed a break to recharge, regroup, refresh, and try not to regurgitate. We all needed a drink as well. Tim led us to the Green Mill, which used to be Al Capone’s hang out. This place has 110% character. I felt like I was in the 1930’s. The Juke Box still has 78’s from that era and we filled it up with every quarter we had.

Green Mill’s History

Murphy’s
1211 W. Belmont Ave
Chicago
773 935 2882

Murphys outside

Murphy’s was our last stop, it was about 6:00 PM and I needed to slow down so I could fit into my plane seat in a few hours. There are a lot of interesting things about Murphy’s. The most intriguing is that there is a second location in Hiroshima, Japan. Everything was good here. However I was beefed out and dog tired when I finished up here so my memory was a little nitrate hazy and my notes are unintelligable.

Murphy Dog

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Tim with Tray

Harold LaRue is also known as the Michael Moore of Chicago Hot Dogs. However, when Tim brought a tray of eats to the table, I think Harold was mildly shocked.

Photo Courtesy of the Dirty Franks Crew
Harold

This was easily the best 13 hours of eating I have ever engaged in. I could not have been with a better group of people to fine tune my Chicago cuisine knowledge. This trip is a sample of the passion that is going into the creation of Dirty Franks. It is worth the wait but the waiting is the hardest part.

If you want to add to the tour on your own, take a look at the site below to build your own hot dog hit list.

Chicago Hot Dog Style

Posted in culinary knowledge, hot dogs, restaurants, Road Trip | Tagged: | 7 Comments »

Slow Food Columbus: Snails Slide South

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 13, 2008


At some time or another, a food blogger will beg forgiveness for not posting or not posting well. That time has come for me. (CMH Gourmand is a pro bono blog). I have been swamped professionally and personally – mostly for the good… I think : >, for several months. So I ran away to San Diego for the Food and Wine Festival to get caught up on my writing in between meals.

on the farm

On November 2, eighteen members of Slow Food Columbus headed to tour Athens. The trip was coordinated by members Alyssa, Liesl, and Arlene. The symbol of Slow Food is a snail. So we called the tour “Snails Slide South”. I’ll take a little credit for the name. I have posted a lot about Athens. I must admit I have always been smitten with Athens, especially the food scene.

So what is Slow Food? A quick answer is it is the opposite of fast food. The general concepts of Slow Food are: knowing where your food comes from, knowing who is growing or preparing it, eating local and seasonal food when possible, and getting to know the people at the table while you enjoy as well as learn about what you eat. Slow Food links well with the Mark Bittman and Michael Pollan posts from a few weeks ago.

A picture is worth a thousand words, Slow Food deserves much more than a sound byte / bite, so I am going to show you my Snails Slide South photos to help explain what the Slow Food is about. We have a very active chapter in Columbus with over 90 members. Check out the Slow Food Columbus blog to learn more about upcoming events and how to become a member.

Another benefit of Slow Food is fine friendships. I have the honor to call the Columbus Convivium leaders Colleen and Bear Braumoeller my friends and co-conspirators. Colleen has started working at the Greener Grocer at the North Market which is a natural extension of Slow “Fooding”. See Colleen below doing some Slow Food / Greener Grocer field research.

In the Field

My best Brit, Bethia, aka Hungry Woolf is a member as well. She writes excellent posts about many of the Slow Food events and eating adventures.

Our first Stop was Village Bakery (268 East State Street).

Village Bakery

We started with brunch, basking in the sun on the patio of Village Bakery’s night time pizza place – Del Zona Pizza.

Del Zona

I opted for the Huevos Rancheros.

Huevos

In between good food and conversation, we had the opportunity to hear from the people behind the counter at Village Bakery. We learned about their business, food philosophy and how they connect with the community. We were also able to ask questions and sample some of their baked goods. Village Bakery was packed with people waking up from Halloween the night before so our speakers alternated with each other so they could cover the kitchen.

Lecture 1

It was a pleasure to met with Christine Hughes, the owner of Village Bakery. She is a prime mover in the Athens food scene. She is also growing the Green Plate Club to help improve school lunches and food education in Athens schools.

lecture 2 Hughes

Christine then headed with us to Green Edge Gardens about 15 minutes outside of Athens for a farm tour. We toured the growing area for their multiple varieties of mushrooms (which are used at several of my favorite restaurants in Columbus). Christine helped us understand the connections between local farms and business.

Mushrooms

We then moved on to see their microgreens (as seen with my Huevos Rancheros).

Micro Greens

I encountered something I had never seen before, this plant with the colorful off shoots is called Freckles.

Freckles

We wrapped up with a tour of the fields to learn about the variety of crops Green Edge grows as well as the innovative techniques they use to produce their mostly organic produce through Ohio’s often variable four seasons.

After the farm it was back to Athens to visit Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery, for a microbrewery tasting and tour.

Jackie O’s

Jackie O’s brewer, Brad Clark, poured through their microbrewed beers, offering samples of each and telling us the story of how each beer came to life, often with the addition of local ingredients.

brews

brews

We also had an opportunity to eat an example of Slow Food in action. Jackie O’s incorporates spent wheat used in brewing into their house made pizzas.

pizza

Bear, is our bourbon expert. He does not have much affinity for beer in his spirit world. However, he discovered a Bear friendly beer at Jackie O’s – Joe the Plum.

Bear Beer

Hmm, looking at the ingredients it is easy to see how this beer has courted Bear’s taste. Joe the Plum is an excellent example of Slow Food in action. The wee comes from Village Bakery. The mix is soured with local micro flora. The 10.5% alcohol content might help a bit as well. However, I believe the key to the magic the brew brings to Bear is it’s aging process. And, the use of the barrel promotes recycling.

Barrel aged

After sampling Jackie O’s selections, we were able to go behind the scenes and tap into the brewers knowledge of the beer making process.

Brewing

At the end of our tour several of us walked to Casa Nueva for a sample of salsas and appetizers before hitting the road back to Columbus.

Many of the Athens restaurant owners and food purveyors grew their roots at Casa Nueva, which is an employee owned cooperative restaurant. Looking at the back of the “Casa” menu, there is a long list of local suppliers. The cooperative mindset continues after people leave Casa to start new businesses. These folks continue to work together to support each others ventures instead of competing for consumer dollars. This is how they are growing sustainable local eating one bite at a time.

Posted in bakery, beer, culinary knowledge, events, Road Trip, Vegetarian Friendly | Tagged: | 5 Comments »

Granville Goodies

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 19, 2008

Welcome to Granville, home of Dennison University and a street lined with great dining destinations. This is the perfect sleepy little college town for an afternoon frolic any season.

The downtown looks like it was pulled out of a Norman Rockwell painting with a touch of Mayberry thrown in for good measure.

Del Mar

Del Mar
136 North Prospect St
740.587.4701

The Del Mar will be a favorite for fans of the Rossi and Club 185. If you like these restaurants you will find the best of both in Granville. The Del Mar has the same owners. The food a fusion of both menus with a few extras and specials thrown in. The bill of fare includes pizza, the Club 185 burger, macaroni and cheese, and several daily specials.

The decor inside is urban cool. Looking out the window, the view is hometown Ohio – old houses and the local fire station.

I ordered the pizza because I love Rossi’s pizza – Del Mar’s is close but something is missing – maybe it is the oven or the way they toss the dough, but I found the pizza to be a B+ compared to the Rossi’s solid A.


Above is a view inside the Del Mar.

Brews Cafe and Deli
128 Broadway East
740.587.0249

Brews is a local favorite and standby. If you if have not been back to brews recently, the owners changed the menu in August but everything else is the same – crowded booths of regulars, beer, and pub food. If you get there at the right time, you might score one of the balcony tables with ancient ceiling fans to help a brew, or two, cool you off as you watch people pass by on Prospect Street.


Whits Frozen Custard
138 Broadway East
740.587.3620

Whit’s has just a few standard flavors and a flavor of the week – but the combination of choices is large – multiple types of cones and sundaes. This is worth skipping dessert at the other places. A scoop of custard is the perfect prop for a walk down Prospect.

Buxton Inn
313 Broadway East
740.587.0001


There isa famous Inn in town – The Granville Inn. Across the street is the Buxton Inn, a bit smaller but a lot more fun. There is a cool bar in the basement that serves as a nice respite on a cool or cold evening. The Inn has been around almost 200 years – they know what they are doing.

Just bit south of downtown, there is a new restaurant worth checking out.

Short Story Brasserie
923 River Road
Granville
740.587.0281
Web Site

Hours:
TUES-WEDS 5:00-9:00
THURS-SAT 5:00-10:00

Luke from the restaurant was kind enough to send me an e-mail about this place which inspired me to head back to Granville after a long hiatus. Since his e-mail did such a good job convincing me to make a visit I am going to post a part of it below – maybe this will inspire you as well. Fate keeps getting in my way for plans of having a meal here – but I have a trip planned in October – so I will let you know all the details next month.

We offer fine food in a casual setting and our concept comes from the way Hemingway used food to bind together his stories. Our chefs are use classic french techniques (they have been at The Refectory, l’Antibes, Handke’s Table) but our food encompasses many culinary styles. We also have a 100 bottle wine list with many available by the glass.

We share some of the same favorites that are not too well known around Columbus. I really like Spain and Alana’s too and recommend them all the time. Our GM worked at Alana’s as well, so we have a nice tie to them.

The owners have a handy second business behind the building.

The Wine Cache
925 River Road
(Closed Sunday)

Posted in Ohio, restaurants, Road Trip | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

Athens Food Tour – Roadtrip to Ruin

Posted by CMH Gourmand on August 4, 2008


Twice or thrice a year I drive down to Lake Hope State Park and rent a cabin for a long weekend. I hike at my favorite places – Cantwell Cliffs, Cedar Falls, Ash Cave and Moonville Tunnel. I make fires, get caught up on books and podcasts. I play a game Risk or Carcassone depending on the company of my companion(s). But the real reason I go is to eat like a fool in Athens, my favorite college town east of the Mississippi. Athens is a short 22 mile drive from Lake Hope which is about how long I can stay awake after what is typically a lunch at two…or more locations.

Avalanche Pizza

Avalanche Pizza
329 East State Street
740.594.4664

Avalanche Pizza web site

Avalanche pizza may look a bit cheesy from the outside but these guys know what they are doing. Avalanche has been voted as the best pizza in Athens eight years in a row. The shop has won several national and international pizza competition awards. Among their 45 plus toppings are Kimchi, Red Bliss potatoes, and cashews.

Pictured below are the two pizzas I tried on my last food tour

Ted Nugent Pizza

Ted Nugent – Genoa Salami, Chicken. Ham, Pepperoni, Steak, Meatballs Mozzarella and Provolone

The Godzilla

Godzilla – Best Pizza in World Pizza Championship (Italy) 2007
Spinach, Feta Cheese, Chicken, Sun dried Tomatoes, Provolone, and something else

Casa Nueva

Casa Nueva Restaurant, Bodega, and Cantina
6 West State Street
740.592.2016

Casa as the locals call it started in 1985 as a worker owned co-op restaurant. It is still worker owned today maintaining its hippy, tree hugger, whole foods roots and continuing to deliver some exceptional food at reasonable prices. The Bodega and Cantina are extensions to the original restaurant space. The Bodega offers quick meals and appetizers while the Cantina serves as a waiting area, fully serviced bar and venue for local performing acts.

As much of the food as possible is from local or Ohio suppliers whenever practical. The supplier lists features over 40 local farmers and food companies as well as Columbus Brewing Company and Marietta Brewing Company. The menu is changes each season to feature and showcase the produce available. A must try for any visit is the salsa sampler of chips with two or more salsas. You will not be disappointed. The menu does offer meat but is very vegetarian friendly. Most of the menu is Mexican themed or inspired but there are other food styles represented for personal as well as bio-diversity. Breakfast is really good as well and always busy on the weekends. There can be a wait at peak times but feel free to use my survival strategy, put your name on the wait list then walk across the street to O’Betty’s to order a hot dog and fries to go to make wait enjoyable.

O\'Betty\'s

O’Betty’s Red Hot Dogs and Sausages
15 West State Street
740.589.6111

According to Jim Ellison, O’Betty’s is the greatest hot dog place ever, in the history of the world. No doubt about it, this is a true fact. And you can get the full lowdown on the page I have devoted to O’Betty’s on this blog. O’Betty’s did a small expansion in 2008 adding about 5-6 seats which doubles the seating area. The variety and creativity of hot dog combinations that O’Betty’s puts together never cease to amaze me, see some examples below.

A true Athens experience is getting a burrito from the Burrito Buggy late at night in the heart of campus, the buggy was doing Chipotle before the concept was big, One little food cart makes a lot of yummy big burritos. I love this place and look for it whenever I am at Athens. Hours vary by time of year, number of students in town, and weather conditions.

Burrito Buggy Link

I should also mention Seven Sauces. It is supposed to be a great restaurant but I never have room left when I am in Athens, I will have to stay an extra day some time.

Seven Sauces Link

(Update May 2009 – I guess I should have gone, because the Seven Sauces sailed off). An alternative is Zoe’s. Another lower priced alternative is Jana’s. Both are very good.

There are two newer discoveries as well.

Mistretta’s Italian Market
9 North Shafer Street
740.594.4949

This little market is about the size of a garage. It has a small selection of fine wines, some miscellaneous gourmet items and cheeses, some chocolate and a large selection of deli style sandwiches and Italian paninni.

Miller’s Chicken (Poultry Company)
235 West State Street
740.593.6544

The Miller family has sold chicken, in various forms since the 1940’s. This simple, cinder block building is tucked away off the beaten path in town but is well known to locals You can buy buckets of chicken, pints of side dishes, or chicken hearts and gizzards. They make a fine fried chicken and the prices are very pocket friendly to promote poultry consumption.

Posted in Athens, Ohio, restaurants, Road Trip, Vegetarian Friendly | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

Market Daze

Posted by CMH Gourmand on July 31, 2008


Some of my best memories growing up were the days we decided to pop into the car and drive out to a farmer’s market for some corn or fresh melons. Inevitably, there would also be some homemade fudge to buy as well. What could be better. It was an adventure and a roadtrip for food. Everything was fresh and homemade. This may have been the genesis of my food-focused wanderlust. Today I don’t have to work so hard for the adventure, I can ride my bike to the Saturday Clintonville Farmers Market.

Cvlle farmers market

The market has slowly grown over the years, it is not big by any measure, but it has sustained itself and it promotes things that are easy to feel good about – local farms and businesses selling their goods to the community.

crowd at the market

As you can see above there is a really good turn out. There are free samples from many vendors and stacks of good information. A couple shots of vendors you may see at the market are below.

2 silos
chese
oink moo cluck

The larger and better known community/farmers market is in Olde Worthington. This market also features crafts and other items. Last, year a successful try was made at a year round market, with some vendors coming in for select Saturdays in the wintertime to keep the fires for local food and produce burning.


And of course there is the North Market Farmers Market – the market have been at it for more than 100 years so the concept works. I mention the North Market often in my blog, and with good reason – the place is wonderful.

North Market – Farmers Market Details

It is great to have these markets doing well locally. There are also two great resources for getting up to date information on Farmers Markets and CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture).

Two of my fellow food bloggers offer market updates and wonderful photos from local markets.

Restaurant Widow CSA and Market Reports


Columbus Foodie Ohio Farmers Markets

If you are on the road and looking to find some markets to mix up the drive or put a speedbump to potential roadrage, here is a handy site to do some market research.

Ohio Market Maker

A recent discovery of mine, is not so far away.


Yutzy’s Farm Market
6010 Converse Huff Rd
Plain City, OH
614.873.3815
(Closed Sunday)


Yutzy’s Market


This little market has a great selection of meats and cheeses, with prices that beat the big box stores. They also have the typical selection of farm fresh tomatoes, corn, etc.

With a little planning, you can support local, sustainable farming without emptying your wallet on gas prices or food costs. Maybe you or someone with you will be inspired to planet a garden, eat something new or appreciate the opportunity to meet the person that supplies your meat, eggs, milk, or salad on some Saturday.

Posted in culinary knowledge, markets, Ohio | Leave a Comment »

Ohio Wine (OH-WINO) + North Market Food & Ohio Wine Festival

Posted by CMH Gourmand on July 9, 2008


There are wines made in Ohio. This is true. Some are really good and a few are even nearby.


Ohiowines.org

The Ohio Wine Producers Association has a handy site that uncorks all types of good Ohio wine information. The Ohio Wines site provides a listing of six wine trails (color coded and grouped by region), Ohio Wine History (there is a lot, going back to the 1820’s), an ode to Catawba wine….really, winery information – there are at least 50 more than you thought.

My Ohio Wine

A similar handy site is My Ohio Wine. This is from Great Lakes Publishing. There are plenty on ads here and some information spills over from the OWPA site but there are good articles and winery profiles here. And, this site lists seven wines regions by county.

You can create some great wine road trips using the links above. I would encourage you to start close to home. Head up the road, a bit northwest of Marysville, for a taste or two at Ravenhurst Champagne Cellars.

Ravenhurst Champagne Cellars
34477 Shertzer Rd
Mt. Victory
937.354.5151

This Union County winery whips out four lines of well rated wine and Champagne:
Ravenhurst Champagne
La Terre Riche Champagne
Busch-Harris handcrafted wines
Les Corbeaux

Their moto is “Excellence Under Pressure”, a great slogan for a Champagne producer.

Go forth and drink some Ohio Wines.

And if driving does not fit into your plans – you are in luck this weekend.

The North Market hosts the Food & Ohio Wine Festival
July 11-13

This is the seventh edition of the festival at the North Market. I attended last year and was surprised at the diversity of Ohio wines.

Bravo’s Top Chef Tour is making a special appearance on Saturday. Special appearances will be made by season three winner Hung Huynh and seasonfour runner-up Richard Blais. The two Top Chefs will perform cooking demonstrations on Saturday.

The festival will kick off on Friday night with a special preview party from 7-10 p.m. Tickets to the event are $20 and include a customized wine glass and 10 tasting tickets. I will be one of the celebrity wine pourers. Local jazz and funk band Honk, Wail and Moan will provide the music. There are discount coupons good for $5 off Preview Party admission are available at local National City Bank locations.

The following wineries from around Ohio will offer select wines by the taste (50 cents to $2.00 each), as well as by the glass, bottle and case:

Chalet Debonne Vineyard, Madison
Ferrante Winery, Geneva
Firelands Winery, Sandusky
Henke Winery, Cincinnati
Laurello Vineyards, Geneva
Maize Valley Winery, Hartville
Markko Vineyard, Conneaut
Meranda-Nixon Winery, Ripley
Mon Ami Winery, Port Clinton
Ravens Glen Winery, West Lafayette
Slate Run Vineyard, Canal Winchester
St. Joseph Vineyards, Thompson
Stoney Ridge Winery, Bryan
Troutman Vineyards, Wooster
The Winery at Wolf Creek, Norton
Valley Vineyards, Morrow
Viking Vineyard, Kent
Wyandotte Winery, Columbus.

Support Ohio wines and the North Market this weekend!

And check out Episode 15 of Columbus Foodcast – where we experience a Spanish Wine and Cheese Tasting at the Hills Market and The Beer Wench and I case out the first Worthington Wine Walk.

Posted in Ohio, wine | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Detour: Downtown Delaware Dining

Posted by CMH Gourmand on June 26, 2008


Sometime between 2001 and 2007, I forgot about Delaware. I recently decided to head back to check on the status of downtown Delaware dining. I am happy to report that there is a lot to choose from. My only disappointment was that I was not able to go to Nova, a great (newer) addition to the downtown scene. Here is a stop by stop account of my tour. I had some help with the eating part of this – thank goodness.

Dairy Depot
390 N. Sandusky St
Delaware, OH 43015
740.363.5297

Dairy Depot

I am sure there are many good things at the Dairy Depot. I made my first stop at this ice cream station in 1995 or 1996. Each time I go I order a small Orange and Vanilla twist cones and 2-3 “Lil” Cheeseburgers. Why mess with perfection?

Orange Vanilla Twist Cone

Lil Cheese Burger

The ‘lil” cheeseburger is basically a slider/white castle type burger. The meat is fresh and just a bit thicker than a white castle patty. The cheese is thick and the pickle is a dill. I don’t crave White Castles but I do sometimes crave the “Lil” Cheeseburger.

Dairy Depot Sign

Dairy Depot on Urbanspoon

Gula Lunch

Gulla’s Hot Dogs
12 W. William St.
740.369.9040

Gulla’s – “By Golly It’s a Gula”

Gulla Hot Dogs is a very popular spot in Delaware. It is usually crowded. The staff are very friendly and the food is decent hot dog diner fast fare. The Original Gulla’s in Bellaire has been going strong since 1929. The Delaware location opened in 2006 The Gulla sauce is a family recipe which is ladled on their hot dogs and famous fish sandwiches. Gulla’s also well known for their deep fried pickles.

Chili Cheese Fries

Above are the chili cheese fries. The chili is homemade with big chunks of beef and peppers. I have to admit a was a little bummed out on this visit. There was a place called Gullas in Grandview for a couple years and they offered great build your own hot dogs in a cramped little spot. I thought I was walking into the new location of the Gullas I knew….unfortunately such was not the case. It was still good but not the Gulla I was hoping for.

Bun’s Restaurant
14 W. Winter St.
740.363.2867

Buns has been a Delaware institution since 1864. Yep the civil was was still going on when this place began. An arson in March 2002 took Bun’s off the Delaware bill of fare for about two years but the community rallied around the restaurant and the place is back and better than ever now. It remains a local fixture today and is a must visit for any one new to town.

Bun's sign

Bun's Menu

Cover of the Bun’s menu above.

Bunwich

Above is the Bunwich. This is no gimmick, it is a really good sandwich. The ingredients are slices of baked ham, American or Swiss cheese, Crunchy cabbage, salad dressing and grilled rye bread. Buns makes all of their breads and baked good in house. The Buns and other baked goodie are favorite take home items after a meal.

Buns just has a great, comfortable feel about the place, you feel at home here. This may be why they can “get away with” shirts like the one they sell below. It is not what you might expect from a “senior” (140+ year old) restaurant.

* Intermission *

Strand Theatre

28 E. Winter St
740.363.4914

Strand Theatre Web Site

All that eating can make you need a break, so how about seeing a movie at one of the best movie houses in Central Ohio!

Hamburger Inn
16 N. Sandusky St.
740.369.3850

Hamburger Inn

Hamburger Inn is another local institution. The counter and stools snake around on the inside to seat about 50 people but you can still expect a wait here for the good hamburgers and famous breakfast items. And come early – because this is a breakfast and lunch spot.


The Brown Jug
13 W. William Street
Delaware, Ohio 43015
740.369.3471

Brown Jug

My loyal fans…. I failed you. I have never been to the Brown Jug. The locals seem to like it. It is named after a race you may have heard of the…The Little Brown Jug. I was too full to eat at the Brown Jug and I was trying to save room for Ollie’s Fine Ice Cream just a few blocks away.

Posted in Ohio, restaurants | 1 Comment »

Dessert Detour: Ollie’s Fine Ice Cream

Posted by CMH Gourmand on June 18, 2008


Ollie’s Fine Ice Cream
19 S. Franklin St
Delaware
740.363.6554

Ollie\'s Outside

I took a wrong turn in Delaware, I was trying to find my way back to the main drag of town. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a sign that read “Homemade Ice Cream”. The sign was hanging on a wrought iron fence in front of an old house. At first I thought this was a joke – the place did not look like an ice creamery, it looked like someones house. But there might really be ice cream there…… and I was already late getting back to the Capital City so I opted to turn my Subaru around and I made chase for a new ice cream place.

Ollie\'s Door

When I walked through the door, I knew I found a good thing. But I was kind of pissed off. I found a really, really good thing. One of my secret dreams has been to open an upscale ice cream parlor with beer and music on a college campus somewhere…well, looks like Delaware is off my short list for locations.

Ice Cream Sanctum

Everything about the place was perfect. I could tell by how the ice cream was stored, scooped, and from what I sampled that these folks knew what they were doing. Ollie’s knows ice cream and gelato. I sampled all their flavors and I was really impressed with the selection and quality.

Ollie\'s Menu

Ice Cream

ice cream 2

Ollie\'s Beer Selections

I spoke with the owners at length. They are really kind people and they care a lot about the business. They are also taking the time to grow it right by only adding the best items to their menu. I was given the grand tour of the house as well as a preview of what is to come at Ollie’s. In addition to an impressive and growing micro brew selection, Ollie will be adding wines – Ohio wines where possible. Beer tastings are on the horizon. If Ollie’s offer a Youngs Double Chocolate Stout and Cake Batter ice cream beer float….guess who helped brainstorm that. Or if there is a 6 shot ice cream flight as an intermission for the beer tasting….yep. Also in store for the future – more live bands on an outdoor stage as well as an outdoor BBQ. Did I say I was in heaven. Do you think I am a bit jealous? This place is great and the base of it all – the ice cream – is well worth the drive.

Old lamp


If you catch Dale, aka Ollie on a slow day, ask him to tell you some of the history of the house. The lamp I have pictured above is an original from when the house was built in the 19th century. And if he was able to figure out a way to get the walnut bar from his family’s tavern in Buchtel, Ohio into the second floor tasting room….well I am sure that will be one hell of a story.


I asked him to e-mail me a current flavor list and I got a lot more, below is the list in his own words.

Ollie’s ice cream flavors change on a daily basis. Some of our many flavors have become favorites of Ohio Wesleyan students and as a result have been renamed after the student. For example our Coffee Mocha was renamed Mochanisha. Anisha is a senior Math student from India attending OWU. Others would include our old fashioned vanilla being change to Yodernilla after Matt Yoder from Urbana, The Great Madhu is a very strong lemon with a swirl of black raspberry. Madhu is senior this year, attending OWU from Sri Lanka. Our chocolate silk, well known for it’s unique flavor profile and smooth texture has been a long time favorite of Sahar. Sahar is OWU student from Pakistan.

Our Ice cream flavors change on a daily basis and may include; Banana, banana nut, butter finger cheesecake, very berry strawberry, strawberry shortcake, Finals ice cream, cookies, cream and chocolate fudge, gooey stuff, gooey and lumpy stuff, maple walnut, maple caramel chocolate, stupid dog tracks, Mint Ollie O’s, Chocolate Sahar, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Underwood, Chocolate cake, oatmeal chink, Caramel Coffee, Mochanisha, the Great Madhu, Snickerdoodle, Hawaiian sunset, Lemon Custard, Black Raspberry, Butter Pecan, Pistachio, Chocolate Cinnamon, Jamican-Me-Crazy, Coconut, Real Peach, etc.


Additionally Ollie’s also produces authentic Italian Gelato with flavors such as Pistachio Sicilian, roasted Pistachio, Chocolate Almond, Tiramisu, Pannacotta, Espresso, Dulce de Leche, Mango, Mango-Passion fruit, Chai, Amaretto Choc. Chip, White Chocolate Raspberry.


Recently Ollie’s obtained beer and wine license allowing for a second “over 21 adult ice cream cabinet” housing such flavors as Chocolate Merlot gelato, Strawberry Merlot sorbetto, Marsala gelato, pantari Pink Catawba.


Ollie’s produces a number of different sundaes and shakes, with and without alcoholic content, such as Muddy Sundaes, Mr. Turtle sundae, Affogato, Merlatta, and etc.

Posted in beer, ice cream, Ohio, wine | Tagged: | 27 Comments »

Quadruple Hamburger – Circleville Roadtrip, Part 1

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 1, 2008

The Original Hamburger Inn
125 Watt Street
Circleville, Ohio
740 747 1233
(Closed the business in November 2008 – please let me know if they reopen)

I heard about the Original Hamburger Inn in Circleville for a couple years. I was passing through town one afternoon while coming back to Columbus after doing some work for “the man”. I popped in for a quick hamburger and found it to be very tasty. While I was there I noticed a little sign titled Josh Dares You. I am all about dares – they typically get me into a lot of trouble.

In case you can not read the bottom line – it says – Don’t be a pansy, no sharing please!

As it turns out, for $10, Josh dares you to eat a quadruple hamburger – with cheese if you like, unlimited fries and free refills on Pepsi. Um….duh, how could I not want to do that – it is a bargain. I was determined to come back and get my ten dollars worth.

A few weeks later I was back with two friends in tow. The Quadruple hamburger was really good and not so big as to cause illness. There is no way Josh is making any money on this ten dollar steal. Josh is the owner, he dropped by about every 5 minutes refilling my fries. There was almost a sense of panic if my beverage was less than 3/4 full. My non foodie friend Chris had a quad burger as well and thought it was great.

Josh reports that the “Josh Challenge” is popular on the weekends, 3-6 people will come in for the dare and most usually finish their burger. During the Circleville Pumpkin Festival 10 or more quadruple burgers are ordered each day. The most memorable consumption was two quadruple burgers, a load of fries and a piece of pie by an out of town visitor during a past Pumpkin Festival. There are also Pumpkin Burgers for the festival. Really!

The Original Hamburger Inn has been around since 1930. Josh has owned and operated it with his family for about 6 years. It is a Circleville local landmark and worth the drive for the experience of eating in a small town eatery where everyone knows everyone by name. This would be a good summer or fall adventure. Circleville is about 30 minutes from Columbus depending on where you hail from. There are several farmers markets along Route 23 you can check out on your way there or back to mix up the drive.

Josh dares you, so do I – hit the road and get that hamburger.

Posted in CLOSED, hamburgers, Ohio, restaurants | Tagged: | 7 Comments »

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: | 7 Comments »

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