CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

Cleveland Week: an Intro by CLEGourmand

Posted by CMH Gourmand on June 10, 2013

In the last two years among the never relenting items on my Sisyphean to do list I added – learn more about Cleveland. With some persistence, an iron lined stomach and a lot of help from Positively Cleveland, I have taken a pretty big bite out of Cleveland. The more I explore, the more I realize, I have much, much more to sample and appreciate.

I am not sure what will take you to Cleveland or the North Coast this summer. It might be tall ships, an air show, a ball game or a whim, but whatever takes you I suggest you consider staying longer and doing more. Historically, most of my Cleveland adventures were targeted missions – one destination – (maybe two or three if only food related) or attending a wedding or social soiree. The city and it’s metro area are so spread out it that the many “nuggets” that make the city special are easy to miss.

Among the components than makes the city memorable is the spirit and spunk of each of its neighborhoods. They are all separate but equal in offering character, history and something unique more than just a zip code. Clevelanders often define their own city by a demarcation line between East and West sides. Given the travel time and distances between the far-flung outposts of each side, I can understand how natives might limit their excursions to one segment of the city. However, in my ongoing explorations, it has become more apparent to me, that Cleveland is best experienced by picking a neighborhood for a day or weekend and fully immersing oneself into the culture of the place. Most of the neighborhoods I find myself leaning towards are a bit more Bohemian in nature and all are food focused. I suggest you focus on these neighborhoods when you start your Clevelandification: Ohio City, Gordon Square, Shaker Square, Tremont, Coventry and University Circle. Pick a day for each (in some cases a weekend will not do an area justice) or a long weekend to hit two and I think you will find Cleveland is more that you knew or expected.

I always knew, well at least intuitively, that Cleveland was a great place for ethnic food thanks to my college pals from Cleveland and to the writings of Laura Taxel and Marilou Suszko. In my roaming of the neighborhoods, I have found more than authentic ethnic enclaves of Polish and Italian specialties but many, many places that would send a Bay Area Locavore to hippie heaven. I have mingled with chef’s well ahead of the edge of any culinary movement seen on the Food Network. There is a pride in the food based business owners in Cleveland that is ubiquitous, contagious and inspiring. It is hard to put into words. It is not cockiness. It is very collaborative with many a person spouting off long lists of other restaurants and purveyors to try and why they are so good. This spirit crosses neighborhoods and even the east side / west side line.

What I also discovered is that there is so much to do in between bites be it art, nature or history, that I can spend hours not eating between meals and lose track of time. I will share a few of them with you. Aperature in Tremont is a mecca for polaroid and non digital camera enthusiasts. If you are photographically challenged or inspired, you will want to see if you can get added to their next Polaroid walking tour of the area. The Cleveland Museum of Art, always worth a few hours of my time. A new discovery is Lakeview Cemetary, I could and have just wandered around the plots reading history by default on the tombstones but for a real bonus visit the James A. Garfield Monument for one of the best views of the city. And finally, even after two trips to the Rock and Roll Hall of fame, I just feel like I have scratched the surface, I could use another six hours of exploration to feel I have done the exhibits justice.

To prepare for this week and/or your next trip, you can look back at some of my past posts about trips to Cleveland via: CLEGourmand

This week is Cleveland Week offering a post per day about some of the places that prove that Cleveland really does rock. I hope to inspire you to make a visit to enjoy what our neighbors to the north have to offer.

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

How To Be A Good Customer: The Primer

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 27, 2013

Any relationship involves an exchange, a quid pro quo if you will. The unwritten social contract of a restaurant/Bake Shop/Food Business goes like this: I will feed you: You will pay me. The more complicated version is: I will make food that is significantly better than average at a price that is a good value and you will consider coming back. The third tier and the key to sustainable business is: the previous version + I (the business) will provide superior customer service, recognize you in some way if you come back often and never compromise what brought you in when we started our business. As a business we will never become complacent thinking that the business can just make the exact same thing for ten years and scoot by. A business might get bonus points for finding time to engage their community and add to the good of their neighborhood.

Above are the basics and the dance we dance together: we vote with our cash, checks and credit cards if we get what we expect. Customers keep coming back, if they get more than expected. I think Dr. Phil would sign off on that.

But as customers, I would say we have a duty, maybe even an obligation. If you really care about what your eat, the sustainability of the business you patronize and your community, you need to do more than just pay. You may want to ponder if you have a duty to be a good customer in the interest of our communities and to our neighbors.

1) Let the business know if something is not quite right. If you did not like it, then others probably did not as well.

How is everything? – if the kitchen hears – “OK, but too salty, I probably would not get it again” – the recipe might change.

Feedback is critical to any business but especially new businesses and food based companies. Our culture raises us to be “nice” but not sharing a problem with a business is not being nice, it is ensuring mediocrity or failure. You can share negatives things in a positive way and any business that cares about you as a customer, will listen you want you have to say and maybe even reward you for it.

2) If you have a problem – deal with at the restaurant first – not on Yelp.

3) If the manager did not deal with it or did not deal with it well – send an e-mail or letter or follow-up with a call. If not responded to with 48 hours – go public with specific details about what was not right and what if anything could fix it for you – or a reasonable person. After the business has had a chance to do the right thing (and failed) then Yelp away. Counterpoint, if the business did do the right thing then Yelp away. Positive reinforcement works both ways.

4) Leave your ringer off and take your conversations outside.

A business owner might be reluctant to ask you to shut up because you are a customers. I applaud those that do. Your fellow patrons aren’t interested in your conversation and you are ruining their digestion. I wish we had preserved all of the phone booths from days gone by and left them in place for people to have private conversations now.

5) Have fun but not at the expense of others. Do you have a favorite pal that is loud obnoxious and a little inappropriate when they start to drink (or just when they start to speak)? The server is being paid to endure you – your fellow diners are not – consider your environment and show a little respect when you are yuking it up and have a “great time” – it may be at the expense of others not just the people sitting near you but the business you are enjoying at the expense of others.

6) The place is packed, the lines are deep, your meal is done and your check is being processed……time to move your ass. Make some other party happy while you continue your conversation in the parking lot and help the restaurant turn a couple extra tables. You paid for your experience and have a right to enjoy your meal at a leisurely pace. I can’t count on my fingers and toes combined the number of times I have seen parties parked at a table long after there bill was paid while others were waiting for a table or service. Nancy’s Home Cooking had a sign labeled “Eat it and Beat it”, sometimes you have to do that.

That was today’s serving of food for thought. You may have read the Restaurant Rants Series earlier in the year, but as any therapist will tell you, any relationship with a problem rarely is the fault of one party…..think about what you might do to help your local business survive and thrive.

What do you think? Is this asking too much? What did I miss? Are there other rules of engagement I overlooked?

Posted in Food For Thought | Tagged: Culture Nazi | 3 Comments »

Find Your Food Tribe & Plan Your Party: Inspired by Not So Polar Q

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 25, 2013

Last weekend I was invited to a party. The description below is from the Facebook page for the group.

Now for a little Polar Q history via Steve Hamm:

This BBQ has been going on since Superbowl Sunday in 1990. There were 4 cooks that day, Steve Hamm, Charlie Kuhlman, Joe Coles (Chef at Rigsby’s at the time) and Larry Tuten, plus a dozen or so wives, girlfriends, partners and friends. By year six there were 35 cooks and 250 people including two Master Chefs (Hartmut Handke and Rod Stoner from the Greenbrier) joining in the fun. Now that Polar Q is no longer being held on Superbowl Sunday the name morphed into “Not So Polar Q”. Just as much fun with a lot less snow! All three major network TV stations have sent a crew out over various years.

Please add your own stories and memories and post your photos from the last 22 years. We hope you can join us this year and pass this on to those we may have missed!

To find out more about Not So Polar Q, check out their Facebook page.

The cook-out party featured Anna and the Consequences as well as a few guest musicians. The food was great – grilled, chilled and otherwise. It was hosted at City Club a bucolic hideaway tucked into a residential area near Hoover dam. The club is run by a group which has existed since the 1920’s. I had heard of City Club for years but never had an invite to go. All of the above, inspired me to drop in under the radar to experience the party. I knew a few of the people there vaguely but not enough to really embed myself in the festivities, so I sat back and watched the party with some detachment which inspired me to muse a bit about the culture of the Midwestern get together.

As residents of the Midwest, we are trained from an early age to expect, prepare for and recruit for cook-out’s between Memorial Day and Labor Day. For some, this level of preparation is on par with a Doomsday prepper (and for those of you that are so uber-organized and gung-ho!, I salute you). I say parties of these ilk should occur all year-long, but clearly the ones in the core party phase of the summer and something we look forward to and something that should be special.

What can you do to heat up your summer cook-out to make it memorable and more than meh? I think we can learn something from the Not So Polar Q folks.

1) Find your Tribe: Too little or too many people make a party bland. Sure the food is most important but the company, camaraderie and conversation run a close second. In my life experiences, for parties, I lose track of people once the 12-16 person zone is crossed. More than that, people get lost in the crowd.

2) Pick your theme: Grilled meats, cocktails, a regional cuisine….whatever, find a common thread to the grub to guide the evening and perhaps add to the after meal chatter.

3) Have a heart: The core of any group needs an organizer. Someone that changes the conversations from “we should do this” to “here is the plan”. Back in the day, there was a collective in Clintonville known as the West Californians. I was adopted into their group event though I reside in Beechwold. We had several memorable parties over the years but the core driver of each was “The Coop Dawg” who would say, “hey ya’ all” let’s get this thing going”. It does not take much, but someone has to light the fire to action and get the group in motion. Someone has to be the heart of your group.

4) Brand your Tribe: Make a sign, pick a name, print up T-Shirts… do something to own the name of your event and get people involved. If you do this once, you are likely to create an event that will recur and be looked forward to every year.

Looking for an idea but stumped or intimidated by having limited cooking skills? I’ll give you four themes to inspire your creativity or you can copy off of me.

A) Hotdogpalooza: Buy as many different hot dogs as you can. Gather a multitude of mustards and toppings. Buy some really good buns. Grab a grill, cook your hot dogs and enjoy the evening.

B) Pizza Grand Prix: Have everyone bring a medium pizza from their favorite pie shop and share buffet style.

C) Chilifest: Each person brings a chili or soup and let the ladling begin.

D) Donut Tasting: Pick any baked good, but I would advocate for the lowly donut (but you could do pies, cakes, breads, whatever) and have each guest bring enough samples to feed twelve…mix, match and hope you have plenty of couches to slumber on status post sugar coma.

Armed with some ideas and inspiration, go forth and create something special this summer. And if you are outside, have a fire, that is the best way to gather your tribe.

Posted in BBQ, Food For Thought | Tagged: Not So Polar Q | Leave a Comment »

Yerba Buena is Back….Again.

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 16, 2013

Not unlike the Terminator, Yerba Buena keeps going down for the count and then comes back from nowhere. When I last check-in in with Carlos and Carolina about the fate of Yerba Buena in Spring of 2012, the trailer was for sale because they were too busy with a new restaurant and an even newer child. But last week I saw the trailer back in the old spot. I called the restaurant, left a message….No response. And today….it was open. Yerba Buena is the mobile version of El Arepazo which means great food within walking distance of my house. El Arepazo started as a stall at the Latino Festival – then became a restaurant and then a second restaurant. The trailer has a really good run in 2011 but then ran in to some problems with their location.

Carlos and Carolina Gutierrez are the husband and wife owners of the restaurant. You can follow their story at the El Arepazo Facebook page.

The mobile menu mirrors the restaurant menu and is the same as the last time the trailer was working. Items include arepas (corn cakes), plantains, chorizo, empanadas and assort Latino beverages.

Yerba Buena
4490 Indianola Ave
Clintonville (about five blocks south of Morse Road)
Facebook
Wednesday to Saturday 3:30 pm to 8:30 pm (based on previous experience, these hours will change).
And please note: CASH Only, no credit cards.

(Note: Yes this is largely recycled content – my belly was full when I visited to confirm hours today).

Posted in CLOSED, Mobile Food | Tagged: Yerba Buena | 1 Comment »

Value Meal / Defining Old School: Back to T.A.T

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 15, 2013

It has been a couple of years since I visited TAT Ristorante di Famiglia. No surprise that nothing has changed at this classic eatery but my appreciation of the place has grown. Due to a craving for Midwestern Italian comfort classics and not being able to think of many restaurants in town that really deliver the goods, I did two back to back visits to TAT.

There was a golden era of restaurant dining in America from the 1950’s to the 1970’s. Booths were big, so was the hair. The economy was good and dining out became a common habit instead of an occasional custom. In particular, Italian restaurants were trending high after America’s appetite for the fare changed after World War II. Think of the movie Big Night, well think of the feel of a place, not the cuisine, Primo would have gone ballistic looking at The TAT menu. To set the scene, there was a time when most of the staff in a restaurant was from the same family, when you would have the same server every visit, when there really was a family recipe and something cooked from scratch in the back by grandma and when customers wore fine garments for fine dining.

The above might be referred to as “Old School”. I was trying to think of places that were true “old school in Columbus. I could not think of many. To many, old school might mean old-fashioned, out dated or inauthentic cuisine. To that I say hooey. Old School has its place especially for natives of the Midwest who were reared with this as our model for “exotic” food. There is something more than comforting in regards to comfort food. For some, there is a lot of comfort that comes from cottage fries, chicken livers and cottage cheese on the main menu. TAT still feels like stepping back to 1978 or even 1958. On my visits, I looked around and saw neither the customers or staff had changed since my last visit in 2011. I could not spot a server under 50. Most of the customers are families that interact with staff like they have been coming here for decades and probably always ordering the same thing. There is something nostalgic about this type of atmosphere and again, something comforting about this culinary time capsule. They don’t make them like this anymore and they probably can’t. I hope that all of these elements can carry on as the 4th and 5th generations of the Carrova family take over the front and back of the house. And I hope the children and the grandchildren of the current customers keep coming back to preserve this culinary classic. On my first revisit, I saw several older couples dressed in suit and tie or cocktail dress. The clothing may have been a bit worn or out of fashion, but I admired the dedication these couple made to make a night out special. I also saw a couple of kids come in for prom, also dressed to the nines, who came to TAT for a special night and special meal. I struggle to paint the scene in words but trust me that no other place in town can replicate this environment. I also observed that the older couples were wrapping up their early bird specials and I resolved to check that out myself on my next visit.

Talk about a blast from the past. Other than MCL Cafeteria, I can’t think of another eatery that can dish out the array of offerings that TAT can for their Early Bird Special. It is featured 3:30 to 6 pm Tuesday to Sunday. The entrees are reduced portions of customers favorites from the regular menu. However, for $10.95 this is a real feast. The four course meal included an appetizer (often soup), salad, an entrée and a (scaled down) dessert, often a slice of homemade cake. Bread (with crackers) and butter service is included as well. I am often asked by younger folks about a family friendly place they can take their grandparents, kids or more “conservative” eaters. This is the place and this is the meal that will fill that void for old school, “safe” eating in the capital city. The food is good, the atmosphere is unique and the experience is priceless.

And now for some bonus content. While I was there, and having been identified as a regular by having visited twice in the same month, I was given an insider tip about breakfast at TAT. Longtime readers know that I view breakfast as my fifth favorite meal, so I did not check this out, but maybe you will or one of our Columbus Breakfast bloggers. Photos below are my pictorial contribution to your breakfast knowledge.

Posted in restaurants | Tagged: TAT, TAT Restaurant, TAT Ristorante di Famiglia | 2 Comments »

How To Find Food A Truck in Columbus

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 11, 2013

One person that responded to my poll a few weeks ago requested less about food trucks. Two people said they wanted to know more. How about if I just let you know how to find them on your own?

(Below is from a page I wrote for one the other websites I write for: Street Eats Columbus).

So you are looking for a food truck but can’t find one? What to do? Here are your options.

Food trucks are mobile in concept but such is not always the case. Almost all of the Taco Trucks in Columbus are stationary and keep standard hours – you can find most of them at Taco Trucks Columbus.

One of the most famous of Columbus Food Trucks is not mobile at all – and it started as a trailer. That would be Ray Ray’s Hog Pit.

However most street food vendors….are on the streets going from location to location looking for people to feed. In Columbus the business model for most mobile food owners is to schedule locations to serve lunch at Monday to Friday then supplement with a few evening locations as well as festivals and events on the weekends. These trucks look for corporate lunch locations with the goal to serve fifty to one hundred customers in a two-hour period as long as they have the permission of the property owner and the business site.

In the evening, they look for business sites that have a second or third shift of hungry workers or a bar with some patrons in need of a snack or two. Dick’s Den, Seventh Son Brewing and St. James Tavern host food trucks one to three days per week.

You can try twitter to find a food truck – if you know what the twitter address is and if they continually tweet where they are serving. This is not practical for most people nor is it helpful if you do not know what truck(s) you are looking for or want to look for.

The same can be said for Facebook. While many vendors post where they will be for the day or the week, if that is all they post the content soon becomes boring. Plus, with recent changes to Facebook you may not be able to find these posts in a timely manner. And again, you need to know the truck exists….to find it. Another downside, most people can’t access Facebook from their workplace computers….so finding a truck at lunch can be a struggle.

There is a website called Ohio Food Truck Finder which lists many of the twitter feeds for food trucks in Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati and elsewhere – this can be a good way to see much of the variety of vendors but it is not a complete listing and food trucks that throw in the towel or take a long hiatus are often in this stream as well.

The same group also coordinates mobile vendors for lunch at ten plus Ohio State University Medical Center locations. You can find a schedule -> HERE.

And HERE is a map of sites. The vendors currently serve lunch at most sites Monday to Friday.

App(lication)s exist to find food trucks. Some have come and gone (Hungerly) and others have come and fizzled (Eat Street, Roaming Hunger and Street Food (Columbus)). The only app / finder worth your time is (and it should continue to get better) Street Food Finder. What makes this the best? It works. It meets the needs of the Food Truck owners because it is easy to use and saves them time. It is good for customers because it is good food food truck owners, so there is actually current information on Street Food Finder which makes sure information is there to look at and easy to put to use. The creator of Street Food Finder lives in Columbus and consulted with Food Truck owners and Street Eats to make sure his product met the needs of everyone. It started as a chicken or the egg situation: if the owners don’t put information into StreetFoodFinder then customers won’t us it, but food truck owners had to be OK with putting in information when no one was using StreetFoodFinder so that people could see that it does work. Make sense?

Posted in culinary knowledge | Tagged: Columbus Food Trucks, Find a Food Truck, Food Trucks in Columbus | Leave a Comment »

North Market Apron Gala May 18th

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 11, 2013

Welcome to the Midwest. If it is a party, there will be food. That is what we do. Even more so if the event is a fundraiser for a good cause – your donation of money will be rewarded with a selection food and drink. Columbus is often cited as one of the most giving cities in the country, considering how frequently we are offered food for our benevolence it is no wonder our city is so giving or so fat. Our city is rife with food based fund-raisers. Almost every week features a major charity event featuring “food from Columbus’ best restaurants” with a selection of beverages. The events are for fine causes and well run. I have been to most of them as a complimentary guest or paying out-of-pocket. After a few rounds, most start to blend together…different cause, some format and same food. There is one clear exception, The North Market Apron Gala.

If you are interested in going, you can find information -> here. Tickets are $75 and I opine they are a good value for the price. The price for your ticket goes to support what the North Market does which includes but is not limited to: maintaining a nationally known destination that draws visitors from afar and many glowing articles by travel writers, cooking classes at the School of Cooking, countless events including: the Microbrew Festival, Fiery Foods Festival and the Coffee Festival, a farmers market, an artisan market and the market itself serves as an incubator for new food businesses. Have you heard of a place called Jeni’s Ice Cream?

The food is provided by the North Market vendors with the offerings changing throughout the course of the evening. Unlike other events which feature the same restaurants offering the same 2-3 tastes every year, this event mixes things up yearly and hourly. There are a few exceptions. Curds and Whey presents a gigantic table of cheeses which I hit early and often. A few other aspects make the evening special. The feel of the place is relaxed more like a block party of friends than an anonymous gala spectacle. It is an Apron Gala by the way so people wear aprons and can win prizes for having the best apron of the evening. An Apron fairy roams the aisles looking for the best aprons and tapping potential winners with her wand to let them know. The music and the beverages are local and liberally distributed. After one or two trips to other events in town I usually feel that I have “been there, done that” but the Apron Gala feels fresh to me every time.

Posted in markets | Tagged: Apron Gala, North Market Apron Gala | Leave a Comment »

Ray Ray’s Chicken Wings

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 7, 2013

There are several questions the people in North Columbus ask about Ray Ray’s.

-Why are they just open on weekends?
-What happened to the original trailer?
-When are they going to open a restaurant?
-When will they make chicken wings again?

I have a hint to some of those questions below:

The first and third questions are answered next. Starting on or near or at least close to May 11th, Ray Ray’s opens inside Ace of Cups to serve the people more often with more menu items.

Question two – the original trailer is for sale. Hopefully, it will help someone new make great BBQ.

And the fourth question. The chicken wings are back, permanently and with a vengeance. Take a look at the menu below.

For those of you that have not been to Ace of Cups, long ago it was a bank. The former drive through window has now been converted to a walk up window for wings. The wings are sold by the pound with a choice of three sauces or rubs. And, going somewhat off the grid, the second choice from the fryer are Plantains. The dish is uncommon in Columbus but I think it will pair well with the beers and other libations at Ace of Cups.

The path of many Mobile Food chefs is to go from a menu on wheels to a cuisine under a roof. In the case of James Ray Anderson of Ray’s Ray’s, he has come full circle. Years ago, he honed his craft in restaurants, the last of which was Smackies. In 2009, he moved to a trailer and with a lot of hard work and patience he built a Columbus cult favorite. Now he is blending his two worlds to create one hell of a destination for food, music and beer.

After the lines die down and the menu is fine tuned, I am sure I will write about the wings. In the meantime, post a comment and let people know what you think of them.

Ray Ray’s Chicken Wings
2619 High St.
Clintonville, OH 43202

Post Script
Astute readers (reading after May 17th 2013, who look at one of the photos will see the word Tostones in one of the menu photos. That name last about one day when Jaime (Ray Ray) was informed that his use of the word was not the same as the traditional use of the word in Latin Culinary culture….so it changed it immediately.

I stopped in to try the wings on day three of operation. I found them to be good, much better than BW-3. The plantains are decent but I would pass of them the next time. I prefer the style that Starliner Diner and Explorer’s Club serve. What might I like to see on this menu to go with the wings? I vote potato chips. For a serving suggestion, I would suggest go with a rub and ask for a sauce on the side, as pictured below. The second photo is of the plantains.

Posted in CLOSED | Tagged: Ray Rays Chicken Wings | 3 Comments »

Mozart’s: How to Win Friends and Influence Customers/Voters

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 6, 2013

I have never owned restaurant, but I worked in one. I have never run a full-fledged marketing company but I have helped out more than a few. I work with a lot of food based businesses and while it is easy to be an armchair business owner or backseat marketing guru, I have formed some opinions on what works or does not work in the world of restaurant marketing and promotion. I have also watched every episode of Madmen. I see a lot of people who don’t do it or don’t do it well. Or they take a formula and try to apply it universally to all types of businesses. That doesn’t work.

This is what does work, with trial and error, practice and determination and a bit of luck and timing thrown in. You need to know yourself. You need to have a passion about your product and business. You need to know your customers and the community you serve. If you do these things and keep at it, you just might market your business long enough to have a sustainable enterprise.

I wrote earlier about the May 7th vote to allow the new Mozart’s to serve alcohol in the Beechwold community. And I described how the owners and employees approached the community about doing this. They made their campaign personal and authentic and not too pushy or preachy. I predict (less than a day before we find out) that they will win. Why, because the community already wanted this outcome but the victory was helped because Mozart’s made their case. Below you will see part of the flyer that was on my door this past Saturday. The flyer was delivered by a person, not mass mailed. It did not offer a coupon or flashy graphics or claim the end of the world if booze does not flow in our community. Take a look and see how grassroots marketing can work.

Page 1: Introduced the business and shows their history in the community. Sidenote: among the many past uses of this building was The Beechwold Tavern and many other long-term businesses.

Page 2: asks for help and shows you how to do that…if you choose.

Page 3: Who we are what is our place in your community.

Page 4: The history and an invitation to find out more.

My conclusion. Good job. In general, what helps a food business survive in the first year is to find a community (or tribe) that will support it. What helps a food business thrive after that is to stay connected to their community and to stay on the radar by supporting causes, little league teams, offering meeting space, showing up to events, helping other businesses and by being there when you are asked and even better when you are not. Best wishes in your new location Mozart’s, we appreciate your commitment to our community.

Posted in Clintonville | 2 Comments »

An Obit. for O’Betty’s on Union

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 3, 2013

First before you panic or you worry that I have panicked or become distraught, let me assure you that the original O’Betty’s is still open. I found out about the demise of the “other” O’Betty’s from John, a former manager that I worked with when I was behind the counter.

I mourn the passing with a tinge of regret. During the dog days of August of 2011, O’Betty’s owner Bob Satmary and I were almost partners in opening a second location at a different site in Athens. That did not work out (actually a lot of things did not work out so well for me in August of 2011) but I was happy to see the second location open on a different spot and to see what O’Betty’s could do with a little more space for customers and a lot more room in the kitchen. In the end the place was moderately successful but not really worth the extra work it entailed according to Bob. The other, other Betty’s (the CMH Gourmand version) fell into the file of my many “What if’s” for 2011.

On the bright side he may have more free time now for another hot dog related project (perhaps with a new investor) and the 10th anniversary of the original O’Betty’s is this summer.

I guess another good / bad thing about the closing of O’Betty’s on Union is that I never got around to writing about it. I had attended the grand opening in January of 2012 as a VIP guest and had a great time that evening. I was also introduced to my Doppelganger (by report I have several) at the VIP party. This guy was described to me as the Athens version of me but with his passions directed towards music – instead food. When we met, for a brief moment we were concerned that combined our powers might either destroy or better the world. Fortunately, the world did not explode.

For the historical archives, I have included some photos below of the place you missed eating at. Do keep the original O’Betty’s on your Ohio eating bucket list, it is the best Hot Doggery this side of the Mississippi. I will miss the second O’Betty’s because on my tours of Athens the route was typically: O’Betty’s, Casa Nueva, O’Betty’s on Union, Jackie O’s, one other place at random and them coin flip of O’Betty’s Uptown or Downtown. On three occasions I was in a party which made three combined visits to both locations for a total of three to five hot dogs.

This is the Doppelganger. For the safety of the world, we could not allow our photos to be taken together or allow ourselves to be in the same GPS coordinates more than a few minutes.

The larger space allowed Bob and Company to do more things with the decor, maintaining the Burlesque theme of course.

More space meant a larger menu selection as well and a Sunday Brunch (during a brief collaboration with Jana’s)

Posted in Athens, CLOSED, hot dogs | Tagged: O'Betty's on Union Closed | Leave a Comment »

« Previous Entries

Next Entries »

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

CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

Dining, Donuts, Dives and Diatribes

Subscribe

Email Subscription

After Dinner Reading

Columbus Food Blogs

Recent Tweets

Recent Comments

Categories

Top Posts

Archives: August 2006 to Now