CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

A New Chef at Latitude 41

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 13, 2013

I have written about Latitude 41 before. As a quick recap, the restaurant is located in the Renaissance Hotel downtown. While many people have low expectations for hotel restaurants, the Renaissance and their culinary partner Chef Dean Max, have very high expectations. The hotel sourced several very impressive chefs to date, including one of my personal favorites the departed (and missed) Chef David MacLennan. (Note: The downtown Hilton has Bill Glover at the helm so hotel restaurants in Columbus are bringing back the hey day when hotels restaurants were THE destination for diners).

Michael Koenig became executive chef at Latitude 41 in July. He brings over 20 years of culinary experience to the kitchen. Restaurants on his resume include these bay area notables: Café Delluchi Kuleto’s Restaurant, Scala’s Bistro, Restaurant Zibibbo (Palo Alto) and the Renaissance Stanford Court Hotel restaurant. Some local residents will want to know that he attended Michigan State University so we know the chef is well grounded in midwestern palates and football etiquette. The chef credits his mother and her Lebanese heritage for teaching him about food and ingredients. As with previous chefs at the restaurant, he is committed to sourcing local where possible and integrating those flavors into dishes. I had an opportunity to sample a tasting dinner with the Chef and I was very impressed with what he had to dish out.

Chef Koenig continues to source local when possible and plans to expand on that commitment with a larger roof top garden and if the stars align – a chicken coop for fresh eggs for the restaurant. If that happens, I hope to write about that and hope not to report that a chicken tried to swim in the Renaissance’s pool. Chef is also looking into adding a beehive to the mix on the rooftop. I like how he thinks.

A few notable local purveyors featured in the menu. Watershed bourbon is a star ingredient in the house made caramel sauce. Empty Watershed bottles were used for water at our table which was a nice aesthetic and good repurposing to boot. SaraBee Honey is also incorporated into some of the dishes for sweet results.

Favorites from previous menus will continue including the Lobster Mac & Cheese but we should expect to see some changes in the menu as well as weekly specials based on what is fresh and in season. I have always enjoyed the flat breads at Latitude 41 however I now look forward to rediscovering them since Chef Koenig has changed the dough recipe and is focused on the dough being prepped by hand instead of rolling pin….that is old school and should make a good thing even better. Chef Koenig has interests outside of the kitchen as well. He has an interest in making mixers for the bar and makes an excellent Limoncello, both regular and creamy.

I asked the Chef, how his transition has been to Columbus. I know for me, if I was in the bay area as long as he was, I would have a little trouble transitioning to the Midwest. Chef reports that he has adapted quite easily to life in the capital city, he has discovered some fine restaurants and as well known, the cost of living is much more palatable. He also enjoys being a 4 1/2 hour drive from family instead of a transcontinental flight. Welcome to Columbus Chef, I look forward to the new ideas you bring to the table.

Latitude 41 website

Posted in beverages, Locally Sourced, restaurants | Tagged: Chef Michael Koenig, Latitude 41 | Leave a Comment »

O’Reilly’s Revisited: The Wings Are Wonderful.

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 10, 2013

I’ve written about O’Reilly’s before. My feelings about the pepper burger are well-known. And other than a pepper burger a side of sweet potato fries and an interest in their daily specials I have never tried, I had little more to write about this favored dive bar.

That is until I tried their wings. I am not sure how the wings escaped by roving eye. Well, actually, I know how they escaped. I don’t have much ardor for wings. I find them frequently disappointing. In our city, I can not think of many wings worth the effort. Roosters are pretty good. Barley’s Smokehouse brines, smokes and grills their wings, it is a lot of extra work but the end result is very good. I did have wings at the original Anchor Bar, I liked those, as much for the tradition as the taste. I can’t think of any other wings that have made an impression.

If you know of a place that does serve really good wings, let me know.

So a few words about the wings at O’Reilly’s. They are sold by the pound. They are large and meaty. They are deep-fried to a fine crispness. And they are densely breaded. The breading holds the sauce to the wings, so that it clings to the entirety of the surface. I tried the “Scott’s style” which is extra hot, but not painfully so. They are typically served with extra sides of chunky blue cheese sauce. Not too hot but really close to being too hot to handle. My intuition and taste buds suspect that the wings may have been liberally dosed with Franks Red Hot Sauce or something from that family. Other than the 25 cent wing special of decades ago at the fabulous Mill Tavern (Wilson Mills Road) in Cleveland, I can’t think of another wing I wanted to go back and have the next day. I want 2 lbs. of O’Reilly’s wings right now but probably one lb. of wild and one lb. of mild – which are far from that – the mild are served traditional buffalo style with a dab of heat.

Posted in Clintonville | Tagged: O'Reilly's | 1 Comment »

North Market Cookbook Recipes and Stories from Columbus Ohio’s Historic Public Market

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 7, 2013

I have had a while to peruse North Market Cookbook – Recipes and Stories from Columbus Ohio’s Historic Public Market. It is written by Michael Turback, a well-known food focused writer. The forward is written by former Dispatch food editor, Robin Davis, the writer of the first North Market Cookbook. There are no surprises in this book – it provides a quick history of the market and recipes from many of the vendors, growers and personalities of the market. Local chefs and mixologists contribute to book as well.

What I like the best about the book – it is constructed to survive a kitchen or getting crushed on the couch with a slick cover and fold outs front and back for marking pages. There are over 100 recipes to choose from in six major areas: soups, small plates, salads and sides, main dishes, desserts and ending with beverages and cocktails. The best way to use this book to turn to the back and look for the names of your favorite purveyors or chefs and/or to look at the sections one by one instead of getting lost going through the book page by page.

If you have a favorite restaurant in town and a favorite North Market vendor then you are guaranteed to find a recipe that you will want to make and more importantly, that you will be able to make. Nothing is overly complicated or driven by extreme ingredients. If you are a North Market regular this cookbook would be a good fit for your bookshelf or kitchen counter.

Posted in culinary knowledge, markets | Tagged: North Market Cookbook | Leave a Comment »

Rice Bowl: South Side Gem

Posted by CMH Gourmand on November 3, 2013

I have driven by Rice Bowl a few times in my day. It is located at the intersection of South High Street and SR 104. The sign looks like it is from the 1960’s but it turns out it is circa 1991. The Rice Bowl has a long history on the south side. It has existed with three owners and two locations since 1962. Rice Bowl 3.0 is a family affair that has operated the restaurant for a few decades. Judging from the outside and the location, I did not have great expectations for the Rice Bowl. However immediately on entering I had a good feeling. Looking at the menu, I had a very good feeling and starting with the egg rolls, I knew that I had stumbled in something very special indeed. You can not judge a book by its cover nor a restaurant by its mailing address.

So let us begin with the egg rolls. The lowly egg roll rarely gets much respect mainly because they are typically reheated frozen fare. The eggs rolls are made from scratch at the Rice Bowl and are hand rolled each week. They are filed to capacity with to the point of being stuffed. The exterior is soft and crunchy and do not disintegrate with a light bite. The sauces are also made from scratch. The mustard sauce is hot and thick. The other sauce is made with fresh citrus and spices. It is much better than any egg roll sauce I have encountered.

A staple of Midwestern Chinese restaurants is General Tso’s Chicken. The Rice Bowl executes this dish better than any restaurant I have visited. Each gigantic piece of white chicken meat is drowned in a spicy rich sauce. The portion size can easily feed two people. Looking around the restaurant I saw several other mainstay dishes that looked like they were award winners as well including Wor Sue Gai, Chow Mein and Frogs Legs.

What else did I like? The service was great. Rice Bowl has what looks to be a pretty well stocked bar. If you have kids, they serve burgers, Fried Fish Sandwiches and Grilled Cheese with Bacon.

I look forward to exploring the menu much more and will gladly be adding an egg roll to each meal.

Rice Bowl Restaurant
2300 South High Street
(South Side)
614.445.8828
Rice Bowl Web site

Posted in Columbus, kid friendly dining, restaurants | Tagged: Rice Bowl Restaurant | 4 Comments »

Moretti’s: That’s Italian.

Posted by CMH Gourmand on October 24, 2013

There are two Moretti’s Restaurants in Columbus. One is on Sawmill and the other is at the Tremont Center in Upper Arlington. Those that go to either of these locations are usually in one camp – they like one more than the other and tend to be staunch loyalists. I have only been to the Upper Arlington location so I can choose not to pick sides. Well take that back, I did go to the Sawmill location once in 1990, I remember because someone else picked up the tab.

Moretti’s has impressed me on my last three visits. During warm weather, their patio is packed. During all weather their bar seems to be packed by a hardcore group of regulars. There is a lot to like about the place. The service is consistently good. The only complaint I can think of is that the live music is a little too loud, that may mean that I am a little too old.

Tim Moretti is the owner. He lists the philosophy of his family and the restaurant on a page of the menu. The message from Tim takes up three paragraphs. I like that. It sets the stage for the meal.

The meal starts with fresh bread and seasoned butter. Your server will refill bread service gladly. As an appetizer you can order two giant meatballs. I highly suggest trying this out. Meatballs are simple, classic Italian American comfort food. And frequently in restaurants they are mildly disappointing. These balls will not let you down. They come with plenty of sauce. They are tightly packed and seasoned just right.

Moving along, lasagna is another Italian-American classic. Morettis’s does this one right too – the perfect ratio of meat to cheese to sauce to noodles. If this is one your comfort classic list, you will not be disappointed.

Another classic dish they do well is eggplant parmigiana. The eggplant is neither too mushy, too firm or too “eggplanty”. The sauce ratio is also good and as well as the proportion it has to the breading. There is just enough crisp crunch of each bite of the dish to make it perfectly balanced.

For dessert, among your choices is cheesecake. The cheesecake is made fresh and delivered by Jamie. I think she may work there too. She makes a variety of flavors including the classic cherry as well as some seasonal favorite such as pumpkin – pictured below. I declined the cheesecake the first time it was offered because I was too full. But it looked so good, I decided to go looking for it later elsewhere. Save room for a slice to share with someone, it is worth it. Moretti’s is much more than the typical Americanized Italian Comfort food restaurant du jour. It is worth the effort to try them out. If you are a Moretti’s of Sawmill loyalist – let me know what I should try there or if I am tempting choosing the wrong side.

Posted in restaurants | Tagged: Moretti's of Upper Arlington | 1 Comment »

Small Byte: Lavash

Posted by CMH Gourmand on October 15, 2013

Nasir Latif has a long history in the Columbus Mediterranean restaurant business. He stepped out for a while but came back with Lavash several years ago. He planted a fast casual restaurant in south Clintonville and it has been a huge hit, especially with me since, it opened. I will mention a few things I really appreciate about the place: great daily specials, very good vegetarian and carnivore friendly offerings and a wide selection of baked goods, many from Nanak Bakery.

I have enjoyed each meal from a simple shawarma to any of the daily specials. However, I never visit without ensuring I get a serving of hummus with a side of their freshly made pita bread. Hummus is one of the basic staples of any middle eastern restaurant but not all are created equal. The Lavash hummus blends ground chickpeas, tahini sauce, lemon juice, garlic and extra virgin olive oil in just the right proportions. The balance of all of the flavors mixes together in just the right proportion and pairs perfectly with the pita bread. Lavash pita is thicker than what you typically encounter elsewhere. The outer crust offers just a bit of resistance while the inside of the circle of bread is doughy, bubbly and has just the right amount of firmness yet is porous enough to soak up the hummus from the plate so you leave no evidence of the dish behind.

Lavash is frequented by a wide variety of guests, many walk from their homes in Clintonville, many more journey up from the campus area and a diverse range of cultures seem to make this a destination meal. Lavash is relaxed and casual. You can count on the staff to be friendly and helpful. An on the right night, you can sit outside to soak in the sunset on a table under the vines.

Posted in bakery, Clintonville, restaurants | Leave a Comment »

Brewed Awakening

Posted by CMH Gourmand on October 7, 2013

So what have I been up to you might ask? Well, I moved back to a buzz cut, finally conceding that I have more head than hair now. I neglected to mention that I won a Vendy Award and last and very much not least have you heard about Columbus Brew Adventures.

I have often immersed myself in a subject to learn more about it. I became fascinated with Australia so I got myself there six times for a total of 4 1/2 months, visited all the states and territories and make several lifelong friends in the process. Then I wanted to get a job at OCLC and improve my research skills for writing so I earned a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science….well, I did become a better researcher. And as you readers know, a few other things caught my attention: donuts, pizza, Food Trucks and such.

And now…..Beer and Business.

Partnering with (and learning a lot, every day) Bethia and Andy from Columbus Food Adventures we have been working on and since September 7th running beer tours. There have been countless meetings with brewers throughout the area. Even more e-mails and phone calls. There has been a good amount of time “product” testing as well. The brewing community is a great group of people – passionate about their craft and growing a craft beer culture in our city. I am honored to be able to work with these business owners and immersing myself into their culture. I am learning about more beer and myself every day.

Our downtown brewery tour has been very popular. We explore four breweries and even through I have done my research, I learn something new from each place we visit and each brewer we work with every time I guide a tour. We have also run a tour out to Licking County to visit Brews Cafe, Granville Brewing, Homestead Beer Company and Buckeye Lake Brewery. We made a run to Rockmill Brewery, Dancing Tree Distillery and Jackie O’s in Athens. As fun as that tour was, I was amazed that a couple drove in from Dayton to join us for a multiple hour tour and then drive back home. We are adding more tours this month to explore the breweries of Grandview and our local distilleries. Other ideas are fermenting as well. Pizza and Beer sound good? Maybe a progressive tour of a league of restaurants?

And of course, our tours include food to go with the beer. As you can guess, we take that part of the tour pretty seriously too. As for our beer tourists, each group has been fun to guide around. From craft beer neophytes, to home brewers and beer experts everyone has enjoyed the tours, tried beers they might not have tried before and even at places they might have visited on their own, taken something away they would not have without being on the tour. We learn something at each brewery be it history, how ingredients influence the brewing process, or sampling a beer flight that showcases twenty years of microbrewing in Columbus. In every case, I guests leave wanting to explore even more and go back to try these places again.

In the process I have learned to drive a 14 passenger van, initially felt like a freshman at Food Tour University, lost the company cell phone (which was one of the top 13 worst days of my life), and every day found myself nudged further out of my comfort zone. While learning I have found that there is so much more to learn, I guess that makes sense, beer has been around since the 5th century BC. I knew a good deal about beer before I walked down this road. Now that I jumped into the brewing culture of Columbus I find myself in the catbird seat observing something I believe is going to become a big part of the character of Columbus, a craft beer and distilling culture that will earn a lot respect in the industry. Columbus Brew Adventures is exactly that, an adventure. Care to join us on one?

Posted in beer, Behind the Counter, beverages, cocktails, Food For Thought, Gastronomic Stimulus | Tagged: Columbus Brew Adventures | Leave a Comment »

Restaurant Raves

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 14, 2013

A long while ago I wrote a series on Restaurant Rants. It was a fun discourse. I covered some raves in there too but thought now would be a good opportunity to review some of the things that make me happy at a diner dive or a Four Star restaurant. What about your raves?

Clean Bathroom:
It does not need to be fancy but a clean bathroom is usually a sign that other things in front and back of the house are being watched over. I like that Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and some other places have plenty of mouthwash, etc., on hand, that is a nice touch. But clean and well stocked is what I hope for and sometimes what I check out before I make my dining decision.

Water:
I have strong feelings about water. I do not like to see it wasted. So I do not think water should be served unless requested. That being said I drink a lot of water. So when I can get by own decanter that makes my life easier. It helps the server too especially if there philosophy is no glass should be less than 75% full. I drink water like a fish so that is a lot of pouring for one person with multiple tables to manage.

Napkin:
Every once in a while, I find myself in front of a very nice and soft cloth napkin. I know these are a pain to clean, but I like it. I like it very much thank you.

Napkins:
In lieu of a cloth napkin I would like access to a lot of paper napkins because my eating style is somewhat daredevil in nature and leads to some messes that don’t seem possible, but that do indeed happen with a regularity that can be counted on.

Dine Originals:
Great organization. Event better when you can get a discounted restaurant certificate. A good value is always appreciated at a lower price.

Butter:
I like my butter warm, easy to maneuver on bread and soft on the knife. Frozen butter makes me sad because I have to wait. That may mean that I eat less bread which is probably a good thing. Anyway, keep the warm butter coming.

Music:
Often I prefer no music, but if it must be on then do it right. I like the piano player at Mozart’s. Soft music – either classic or eclectic is fine as long as it is low and fits the menu and the character of the place.

A Great Server:
My criteria for a great server is different that some. And not all servers are going to be the right fit for great for all people. In my case, two servers come to mind. Lou (female) was my favorite server at Galaxy Cafe and Lost Planet Pizza and Pasta. Best ever. I had a big crush on her when she was at the Galaxy but I was always professional in my manners and only slightly out of percentage for tipping. The other server is Tiffany at Latitude 41. She knows me by name and makes sure I get my credit card back when I forget it (twice).

These are a few of my favorite things. What are yours?

Posted in Food For Thought | 1 Comment »

Something different but loosely restaurant related

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 6, 2013

Confessions of a Non Buckeye Football Fan

I am one of the 1%, not that 1% the other 1%. I am among the people who don’t wear scarlet and gray throughout the fall and who don’t reply IO to the OH. I’m not the guy who daydreams about the perfect personalized fan plate. For years, I have been unable to answer the question – who are the Buckeyes playing this Saturday. I’ll use a conversation about the weather to throw you off track when I’m clueless about the stats for the season. Yes, I am that guy.

In this city one can be allowed to have a disinterest in professional football, even all sports for that matter. The good-natured folks of the 614 area code, with their Midwestern manners, will allow that aberration to exist as strange of a concept as it may sound. In their eyes, football apathy is like being a vegetarian, kind of cute but silly. However, there is one cardinal rule within 270. You MUST love the BUCKS. How could you not? How dare you not!

I’m not a hater, I don’t hate the game. I played football as a kid and wanted to have Archie Griffin’s number on my Jersey. Digging into my childhood photos there are plenty of images of a young lad, who still had hair, wearing an Ohio State Buckeyes jersey. My lifetime membership to the OSU Alumni Association is buried in my filing cabinet. I even tossed the football around in the stadium back when you could sneak in at night. Somehow, in spite of my upbringing Buckeye Football Fever never stuck with me. I’m not sure when I was inoculated but I’m more than happy to skip the game every Saturday.

I suppose I first noticed this when I stopped signing up for my alumni tickets. A few years after, I even stopped making an effort to watch the OSU Michigan game. That is the moment when I could no longer hide my nature. It was evident for all to see. I was no longer a Buckeye….not even trying.

I believe those like me, maybe forty or fifty in all, are an oddity to the rest of you. We share notes about the phenomenon of the Buckeye cult. It is odd to be on the outside looking in. We wonder about all of you and your zeal. We occasionally hit a tailgate or two to try to mix in with the crowd. However, while we curse the congestion of game day traffic our secret is that we love Columbus between the first kick off and the final whistle.

While the 99% are out worshipping the cult of Brutus we are enjoying an abandoned city. By timing your excursions just right the city is pretty amazing on a game day. I will highlight a few of the perks of being footloose and football free. The first thing you notice is driving is fun. The streets are abandoned; everyone is in the shoe, a sports bar or entrenched in their man cave watching the game. Parking is easy to find. No waiting at the gas pump. Life behind the wheel is good again.

Game day is a fine day for shopping. The aisles are empty. There is no waiting in the checkout line. All of the employees stuck working are excited to see you. You will be greeted with a GO Bucks and promptly asked for the score. At this point I punt and say “I’m not sure… my radio is on the fritz”. Saddened, they are still glad to see me and very helpful because they are very bored. All my shopping needs can be accomplished in one half of the time. Even during away games, if you do encounter any other customer, it is only as they grab and go at half time to restock on a few critical supplies so their disruption to my optimal experience is minimal.

However, the best perk of the day, is being able to go to any of my favorite restaurants (with one television or less) without the need for a reservation and enjoy any table I choose with the most attentive of wait staff. The restaurant business is a gut-wrenching on fall gridiron Saturdays. If the home team triumphs the restaurant can do well after the win is marked in the books. If the Bucks lose, well, there is no joy in Columbus and no patrons to be fed. So during those precious hours before the fate of the shift and opportunity for tips are determined your server is focused and aimed to please their only customer.

So all in all, despite being an outsider, membership in my small exclusive club does have privileges and the benefits outweigh the costs of being a football pariah. Go Bucks!

Posted in food | 1 Comment »

CLOSED: The Original Leonardos

Posted by CMH Gourmand on September 1, 2013

Leonardo’s Pizza has a history dating back to the early 1950’s. It was one of the pioneers in a new wave of food in Columbus. If you read the comments on my older post on Columbus Pizza History, you will find many comments about memories of the several Leonardo’s locations over the years. The last shop closed their shutters in the late 1980’s.

Patrick and Anna Rose Orecchio started their first shop on Northwest Blvd. back in 1953 and grew a large family business with all of the kids working in front and back of the house. The empire grew to several locations by the early 1980s in various parts of town. Pizza gets in the blood and can often not be removed. This past month, Drew Orecchio (son of the founder) and his wife Laurie reopened Leonardo’s in a recently vacated Sparanos Pizza location on Hague Ave. Having read about the excitement of the grand opening in my blog comments I had to check the place out. The spot on Hague Ave. has a lot of history as well….but that is for some other time.

I suppose I was in a bit of a rush to try out this new version of a Columbus pizza legend. I left my wallet at home. No problem, after chatting with Drew and Laurie for a while, they were fine with me calling a friend to get a credit card number over the phone to pay for my order. By the time we were done, they would have gladly given it to me for free or taught me how to make my own – but I was insistent about not being a mooch. Drew spoke about his family’s history in the pizza business for a long time. He shared that his dad Pat worked 13 years without a vacation as he grew the business to other locations and mentored others in the business. Drew is clearly proud of Orecchio family history in the local pizza trade and has been overjoyed by the many former fans who have traveled to the west side for a taste of their past.

I did not have a chance to sample Leonardo’s when the original locations were open, but I did try the 21st century version of the pie. It won on all marks for me. Ample amounts of rich, slow cooked and herbed sauce, a crunchy and crackery crust edge but not thin wimpy dough crest in the in the middle of the pie. The cheese was dense with a few scorch marks in the right places. The version I tried, featured pepperoni which had just the right amount of curl and crisp. Some might call in a Columbus style pie, I say it is far better than the average for that genre of pizza.

I enjoyed the pizza and would gladly go back again. What I enjoyed even more was the conversation with Drew. He so passionate about his pizza, his business and his family he would have easily spoken with me for an hour at the end of a long day of a long week. Both Drew and Laurie have a lot of restaurant and food service experience which they plan to showcase soon when they add a bakery to the pizza shop. Laurie is a baker so I sampled one of her cream puffs and I am happy to report it is the best I have had in Ohio. The cream puff was enormous with fresh tasty and flakey pastry shell packed solid with plenty of vanilla cream. I consumed the second half the next day and it was still as wonderful. The desserts are currently from the Little Pink Pastry Shoppe and I can see their line expanding with Leonardo’s. These are good people making good food they care about. That is rewarding see and consume.

So based on one Pizza and one cream puff, I can say Leonardo’s is worth the trip. Other items include: calzones buffalo chicken cupcakes, pretzel sticks with beer cheese, sandwiches, house made soup in the cold months, pastas and salads. Head out to try any of those items with a pizza and hear a bit of pizza lore if it is slow. And make sure to take your wallet or they might think you are me.

The Original Leonardo’s
1783 N Hague Ave.
Columbus, OH 43204
614 487 0555

Closed Sundays
Open
Monday to Thursday 10 am to 11 pm
Friday to Saturday 10 am to 11 pm

Posted in CLOSED, desserts, pizza | Tagged: Leonardos, The Original Leonardos | 8 Comments »

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