CMH Gourmand – Eating in Columbus & Ohio

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Tremont Goodie Shop: More Than Just A Bakery

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 11, 2011

And now for something completely different…… guest commentary.

Columbus is lucky to have a very large and devoted cadre of food enthusiasts with an unconscious agenda to grow good food in our city. Through exploration, education, encouragement, advice, allocating 40% or more of disposable income to the culinary arts and a good amount of twittering around, these people are guiding Columbus into a more food focused town. I am happy to call many of these people my friends. I am also happy that I can not count all of these movers and shakers with all of my fingers and toes. Indeed, there are that many people escalating eating forward, around and upside down in our town.

My friend Molly Kurth serves on the board of Slow Food Columbus and is vocal supporter of our food community especially her neighborhood haunts Basi Italia, Knead and Cafe Corner. Today she is sharing one of her favorite places since childhood. Photographs are by our mutual friend Kate Djupe who is a chef, photographer, gardener, canner and person extraordinaire.

Frosted Butter Star Cookies. Those four words evoke memories, flavors, moments and smiles for me in a way that few other foods do. Those little cookies, compliments of The Tremont Goodie Shop, represent more than just delicious little baked treats (and they are delicious!). They represent tradition and community and, for me, my childhood. My grandma would take us there on our weekend adventures, letting us pick out a treat or two and, for me it was always the frosted butter star cookie. Those cookies still bring a smile to my face every time I walk in the shop and I can hardly ever walk out without a few in a bag, eating them as I walk out the door.

If you have not experienced The Goodie Shop, let me give you an idea of what you are missing so you can hurry up and add it to your list of “Things I Must Try in Columbus”. Tucked in the Tremont Shopping Center, in an area one of my friends fondly calls the Bermuda Triangle of Arlington, is a business that is first and foremost a family. And, in case you wondered how a business can be a family, let me share a story with you. Back in 2009, The Goodie Shop was going through a transition that was going to force them to close for a few months. It was emotional for the family who had owned it for more than 50 years and it was a sad moment for those in the community who had gotten their birthday cakes, holiday rolls, weekend donuts or just a simple treat while they were in the area. I became one of the fierce advocates posting on Twitter and Facebook about the closing of The Goodie Shop and our hope that it would be saved by those who loved it most. Soon there were posts about selling t-shirts and coming out to support them as they made their best effort to repurchase everything at the mandated auction, which would occur after a community rally to save The Goodie Shop. The outpouring of community support and love was overwhelming, even to the casual observer and an emotional buoy for the people trying to save the business that had become a family for this community.

During the period of time that the shop was closed, my best friends from college were coming to town for our annual girls’ weekend, which was doubling as a baby shower for one of the girls. I was saddened that I would not be able to get my cake from The Goodie Shop and began the search for where I was going to go. In the midst of the search, the returning owners of The Goodie Shop (whose father had owned it years before) reached out and said “we’ll make it for you at our home – just send us pictures of what you want and we will meet you at the Chef-o-nette to pick it up”. Yep, that is what I mean by family.

So, fast forward to 2011, where I have a few friends who have *never* been to The Goodie Shop – what? I know. But instead of berating them (okay, there was a little of that), I organized a mini-tour of the Tremont Center, where we got to sample some of The Goodie Shops classic treats. Emilie Smith, whose mom Debbie Smith, owns the shop, did an amazing job putting together a tasting for us, letting us sample some of the beloved treats and even bringing in Snowville Creamery Milk for us to enjoy with the sweets. Emilie is successfully carrying on the legacy that was created by her grandfather, one that is rooted in the community and the traditions of so many families who grew up here.

So, I will leave you with a few of my favorite treats and hope that you discover a few of your own too:
Molly’s favorites:

Frosted Butter Star Cookies (buy several, trust me.)

Chocolate Frosted Long Johns and Classic Glazed Yeast Donuts
(get there early or pre-order the donuts, when they are gone, they are gone.)

6-Pan Cinnamon Rolls (a must-have for holiday mornings in our house)

Dinner Rolls
(choose your style, so good and one less thing you have to do for Thanksgiving dinner!)

Cream Horns
(light and flaky, one of the few places that still makes their dough from scratch!)

White cake with white Icing
– Miranda, one of Debbie’s daughters, does much of the decorating (if not all of it) and has made some awesome designs – you can check out the gallery online.

Tremont Goodie Shop
located in Tremont Center
2116 Tremont Center
Upper Arlington
614.488.8777
www.theoriginalgoodieshop.com
Hours: M-F 7a-6p; Sat 7a-5p; closed Sundays

Writer and Foodista Molly is a Columbus native who loves sharing her passion for the people and food in her community. After many years living away from Columbus, she is back and discovering how much cool stuff the city has to offer.

Posted in bakery, Columbus, culinary knowledge, desserts, donuts | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

The Original Crispie Creme Donuts: On the Ohio Donut Trail in Chillicothe

Posted by CMH Gourmand on May 7, 2011


Welcome back to the Ohio Donut Trail, the ongoing mission to find the finest fried dough in Ohio. During this phase of the intensive research process these are the donuteries at the top of the leaderboard: DK Diner, Auddino’s, and Bill’s.

The donut tasting team took a trip south to dig into the donut heritage of Ohio’s other half, south of I-70. One third of our three stop tour took us to Chillicothe. Our destination was Crispie Creme. Not that Krispy Kreme, it is this Crispie Creme. KK has served donuts since 1937. Chillicothe’s own Crispie Creme has crafted dough since 1929.

This shop serves as a community meeting point and landmark in Chillicothe. The counter is well-worn from elbow scuffs by generations of donut eaters killing time on a stool catching up with neighbors while watching the donut construction process in the kitchen directly behind the service area. All donut styles are represented on the menu as well as some less common variants including Mountain Tops (chocolate frosted doughnuts with a large dollop of creamy icing on top), maplenut bismarks, fudgies and lots of jelly filled and topped treats.

During our visit, we saw four generations of Crispie Creme fans come in together to pick out a box for their clan. The son of the entourage was about five years old. He was given the honor of carrying the box out the door to the pick up truck with the warning “boy, if you drop that box you better run as fast as you can”. At the same time, I had a box in my hands too, so I could feel the responsibility and the fear of crispie creme custody. Neither of us dropped our boxes. I also considered running as fast as I could but since I was not driving I opted to share.

There are some interesting mysteries about Crispie Creme. First what is the Original Recipe they tout on the sign? Alas, I did not think to ask until we were twenty miles away on State Route 35 heading to Bill’s in Centerville. Another mystery involves their merchandising. In an area that would safely be labeled conservative, in a place serving a traditional product as scared as apple pie, hots dogs and Chevrolet, how it that all of their shirts and such are tie-dyed or brightly colored and infused with peace symbols? Could hippies have taken over at some point in the 1960’s with their Sweet Love? This dichotomy works because I made a rare impulse clothing purchase to prove this marketing approach really happened and really worked in small town USA.

The donut tasting team tried the donuts and we found them to be good. What we liked more was the character and spirit of this place. There is a lot of history at Crispie Creme and a lot of donuts to sample while you soak in the ambiance of Chillicothe.

47 North Bridge Street
Chillicothe
740.774.3770

Disclaimer and foreshadowing: I anticipate that someone will ask about New System Bakery. I wanted to go but New System is not open weekends and not open late in the day so the Ohio Donut Tour will have to wait for a while on this one. I don’t know what new system New System uses but I can assure you Crispie Creme uses the old system and they use it well.

New System Bakery
175 E Main St
Chillicothe
740.773.2885

Crispie Creme Donut Shop on Urbanspoon

Posted in donuts, Ohio Donut Trail, Road Trip | Tagged: , , | 26 Comments »

Benny’s Pizza: Marysville

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 30, 2011


When Marysville comes up in conversation four things are mentioned: Scott’s, Honda, Doc Henderson’s Restaurant and Benny’s Pizza. Benny’s seems to be mentioned the most and I became increasingly curious about the place. However, I could never convince myself to drive out to Marysville just for pizza. On my way home from Hot Dog University I found myself ahead of schedule and wanting to avoid rush hour traffic so I decided I would check on Benny’s.

The exterior (the exterior’s actually) of Benny’s did not suggest anything noteworthy. There are two buildings, one is a carry out only location for quick pick ups the other dining in location includes part of what I believe to be an old Frosttop Root Beer stand.

As I walked in, Benny’s looked more like a sports bar. The walls are lined with all things Ohio sports related. There is a signed 1976 Reds World Series team shirt, Ohio State jerseys, more Browns and Tribe memorabilia than some Cleveland bars have and much more. There are bleacher seats from old Riverfront Stadium. While sports enthusiasm is big at Benny’s, music is bigger. The walls are also filled with signed photos of rock and country stars including one of Eric Clapton’s guitars. An impressive bill of local and regional musicians fills the giant patio and/or the bar most weekends. The beer selection is extensive and should impress sports and music fans alike.

Considering the focus on the above, I was not sure Benny’s would need to focus on the pizza. I was pleased to find out that they do take their pies very seriously and that pizza makes Benny’s the destination with everything else a significant bonus. The pizza at Benny’s delivers. It is a medium thick crust featuring a cracker style rim with a nice snap, crackle and pop to it. The cheese tends to char and brown on the crust edge in a most divine way. The cheese is thickly applied to the pizza on top of a sauce with a tease of sweetness to it. There are many topping combinations to choose from including “Garbage” which is all fourteen toppings. The pizza is served old school on a pizza tray. As a bonus, when I bounced into my booth, I was greeted with a basket of popcorn to nibble on while I studied the menu.

My pizza was great, I would place it in my top 10 to 15 for central Ohio based on just one pizza. The rest of the menu has a lot to offer including Stromboli, pasta dinners and Robin’s Ribs which are often mentioned as some of the best BBQ ribs in the area.

I was also happy to find out the place kept some of the Frosttop heritage by making and serving their own root beer in frosty mugs that they are not shy about refilling. I was also happy to see that they support local drinking by serving Eldchrist wines. Benny’s is well worth the drive for pizza and a beer and a show.

Benny’s Pizza
968 Columbus Road
Marysville
Dine In: 937.644.8383
Carry out: 937.644.0881

Benny's Pizza on Urbanspoon

Posted in bar, beer, pizza, Road Trip | Tagged: | Leave a Comment »

The Chicken Corner of Columbus: No Fear of Frying Here

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 24, 2011


Note: RIP A&M It caught fire and was demolished.

This may or may not be a public service. The intersection of 5th Avenue and Cleveland Avenue is a byway for many people and parts of our community. This is on the border of downtown and the Short North and serves as a gateway to the Northside, Linden and elsewhere. State Route 3 passes through and Interstate 71 is nearby. No one lives at this corner, everyone is just passing by on the way to something else.

However, something unexpected and unexplained is happening at this intersection. There are FIVE chicken restaurants at an intersection where most smart folk would say even one restaurant would struggle to get by. Church’s Chicken is at the NE corner. KFC is about 200 yards to the east. Popeye’s is at the SE corner. About 300 yards to the west at 4th and 5th, in a building that looks like a bunker is Woody and Jo’s. The last member of this poultry quintet is A & M Chicken & Fish. This independent restaurant seems to be the new kid or chick on the block. I can not tell what former fast food purveyor occupied the current A & M space.

I parked in the lot of A & M late one night and watched hordes of cars going to all of these chicken places. I saw one or two cars visit two or more spots. This was amazing to watch. Other than A & M, the other corner players are known entities so I will not write about them. All of the places serve chicken in one style or another. A & M serves chicken from the genus of fried as well. They also serve chicken livers and gizzards and forty varieties of combination meals that take up two page sides to explain. In the arena of fish, these guys are the winner of the corner serving and frying: catfish, white bass, Tilapia, perch, Whiting, Boston Blue, Shrimp, Jumbo Shrimp, Catfish Nuggets. Yes, you read correctly, Catfish Nuggets. Gyro’s and some other comfort foods appear on the menu to boot. My guess is that the owners hail from the Middle East at least based on the crew on duty that served me.

A & M has the latest hours (consistently) of the corner (only beaten by Woody and Jo’s on Saturday late, late nights). The staff seemed a bit startled to see me at the window. I guess they don’t see many Subaru driving fooders popping in for late night snacks. They were very nice. They made sure to give me a menu and asked that I call ahead next time so I would not have to wait so long for my food. A & M does cook to order so when you place your order at the drive in microphone you can hear the plunk into the frying oil in the background.

I was impressed by the care put into packing my order. The chicken was placed in a styrofoam box and then the box was slid into a thick paper wrapper to preserve heat. I was also given a large quantity of ketchup, hot sauce and tartar sauce packets. A side dish side note, the coleslaw was as good as KFC which is my benchmark for satisfying slaw. Church’s probably has the best fried chicken on the Chicken Corner, Popeye’s seems to have the longest line and A & M appears to have the loyalty of the late night crowd.

A & M Chicken & Fish
1097 Cleveland Ave
Chicken Corner in the Chicken District
614.294.6666

(Note: No Gourmands were killed in the production of this post, however, while I was out taking photographs I was given the stink eye by some tough looking fellas at the bus stop. When I explained what I was doing they laughed. That made me glad. I was also glad I did not wet my pants when the five of them started walking towards me).

Update: June 2012

Chicken Corner is still clucking along. Church’s, Popeyes and KFC are still doing a good business and holding their corners down. A few blocks west, Woody & Jo’s is having a renaissance of sorts with earlier hours. A few blocks to the east of Chicken Corner is Royal Chicken and Fish. I have never been because each time I have dropped by I have been threatened by someone inside while taking a photo, so I’m not going back. First impressions do matter, especially on Chicken Corner.

Posted in culinary misadventure | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

Johnnie’s Beef and Status Report

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 23, 2011

One of the top 100 meals in the world consists of the following:

“Beef, wet (dipped in au ju), hot (giardiniera pepper mix); Chicago dog (comes with a handful of fries); Ice (lemon Italian ice), large.

Where:
Johnnie’s Beef
7500 West North Avenue
Elmwood Park, IL 60707-4140
708.452.6000

This meal never fails me, ever. I drove eight miles in the rain after a long ten hour day of driving in Chicago and hot doggery to have this meal. It was great, and it was simple and it made me happy. This is one of the best meals anyone could eat anywhere. It is also a true taste of Chicago.

Posts are going to be sporadic for a while. I have plenty to write about but not much time to do it. It is also Taco Truck and Street Eats season so there is lots of tracking and eating and updating to do for the world of Columbus mobile food. Click on Taco Trucks Columbus and Street Eats Columbus to watch the growth of these mobile food kitchens.

On CMH Gourmand there is a lot of donut information coming your way and pizza places and several miscellaneous things I have not had time to write about. Stay tuned.

Posted in food | Leave a Comment »

Borgata Pizza Cafe: Story of the Little Guy in The Big CMH Pizza Pie Picture

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 13, 2011


I found out about Borgata Pizza Cafe from my pals at Pizza Slayer. They liked it very much. They also mentioned the phrase “New York Style”, that got my attention quick. Columbus has a large minority of people from the east coast that crave New York style pizza. These people whine and complain and beg for the pizza of their youth or their college days. They find pizza in Columbus failing and lacking and lackadaisical. These people are sad. I am sad for them. My sadness is based on two reasons. First, there is plenty of good pizza in Columbus if you know where to look. There is also good to great New York style pizza in town…if you know where to look. We have Chicago style pizza too, which probably angers more than is assuaged. At one time, and it may still be the case, Columbus had more pizza places per capita than any other city on the country. You can’t find good pizza here? If so, you are not looking. If so, you are not even trying. Granted, Columbus style pizza can disappoint pizza purists or cultists, but even that can be good from the right place.

The reality is this, not many people are looking for good pizza in Columbus. Many of our neighbors, co-workers and yes, it is true, some of our friends are content to eat boring, bland, soulless corporate pizza or pizza that essentially comes out of a can or plastic bag. With a bar set low for pizza and people reluctant to travel more than around the corner for quality pizza pie there does not seem to be a market for someone who “wants to do the right thing”.

So, with all of that Columbus culinary hubris who would dare open a new pizza place against such odds? The owners of Borgata Pizza did and they are still at it. The shop has been open just over a year and it could use a few more customers willing to try something outside of their normal pizza experience. Borgata is often a one or two person operation. Orders are made to order. Dough is make from scratch from a premium flour that costs twice as much as what most pizza shops use. The menu is small – pizza, calzones, stromboli, sandwiches, salads, a couple pasta dishes and a few homemade desserts.

I spoke with the owner and chief pizza tosser at length. He is a Columbus native. He graduated from DeSales and worked in construction for years. He had a friend that had retail space that needed a purpose so that became Borgata Pizza Cafe. It is a tough spot for the food trade. This part of north Columbus had its culinary heyday back in the 1980’s. The only thing that draws me to this side of town (Cleveland Ave. and Dublin Granville Road/SR 161) is the presence of some new immigrant ethnic gems (Mi Li Cafe, Solay Bistro, Salaam Bakery, Nazareth and some super Taco Trucks). Borgata is tucked in a retail strip by a service road just west of Cleveland Ave. It is hard to see from the road and even neighbors wonder if the place is new. The type of pizza served here is different that what the community is accustomed to. It might take a few more minutes to make and it does not look like the neighborhood favorite – Massey’s. The pizzas are bigger than normal too – 12″, 16″ and 20″ inch pies are the standard. The owner is looking for a 28 or 30 inch or larger pizza but he can’t find the right boxes to fit this size.

I sampled the meat combo (ham, sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella), a stromboli (sausage, pepperoni and mozzarella is standard) which was about 15 inches long and the Meatball Parmigiana sub (made with homemade meatballs). The pizza is definitely of the New York variety, or at least close, as in New Jersey. The pepperoni curled at the edges. The crust ring is big. Borgata also sells by the slice which is a hallmark of New York style pizza. The stromboli was the winner of the trio. It was clearly freshly made and cooked to order. It was also a good value for the price. It came with sauce for dipping (could have been spiced more, slow cooked longer and/or richer but it was good and got the job done).

This is a good pizza place that is trying to do the right thing with the pizza tradition. If they get more business, I certain they will get better and continue to improve with more selection, better (maybe even some local) ingredients and more recipe fine-tuning. These are folks that make a good product but are committed to making it better and maybe someday the best.

We just passed the pledge season for public radio, where we consider donating to keep public radio alive for six more months. I ask you to consider pledging to make pizza better in the next six months by supporting a local pizzeria, especially Borgata if you live on the North side.

Borgata Pizza Cafe
5701 Parkville St
614.891.2345

Borgata Pizza Cafe on Urbanspoon

Posted in pizza | Tagged: , | 8 Comments »

The Pepper Burger & Other Reasons O’Reilly’s Rocks!

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 7, 2011


I have mentioned O’Reilly’s a few times over the years, most recently as the inspiration for the Clintonville Cocktail and the Clintonville Cocktail Royale. I might not want you to go to O’Reillys. I might not want O’Reilly’s to be more crowded so I can’t find a booth or barstool. I might use O’Reilly’s as a litmus test. But I might as well tell you about O’Reilly’s.

There are fifteen bars (give or take) in Clintonville. This may come as a shock since Clintonville is well known for having quirky and archaic alcohol laws and dry zones. I have been to every bar in Clintonville and most of them are, well, maybe there is a reason parts of Clintonville should be dry, let’s leave it at that. O’Reilly’s is a good bar. It is a very good tavern. It is a spot that makes Baja Clintonville a great place to be.

If the maxim “the whole is greater than the sum of the parts” was ever better applied I have not yet found that example. O’Reilly’s reminds me of the bars you find in most small Ohio towns. It is dark, maybe a little dumpy or “divey”. Because it has an Irish name it is infused with real and fake Irish bric-a-brac for character. The bar is sunken. There are a few characters you can expect to see there every day on one side of the bar or another. The staff have been there for years, some have been there for decades. Ann Marie is the kind of woman that is likely to lose her car keys daily but if you walk through the door once she is likely to remember what you want to drink and your name the next time you drop by. Johnny, the main grill cook makes an occasional appearance in the front end of the business. His personality and demeanor are more suited and more happy in the kitchen and for that we are all better off. Tom comes across as abrasive, surly and ill-tempered but don’t be taken aback by that because he is that way with everyone and it serves to amuse him and his regular customers the first time he encounters a new person walking through the door. The beer selection is not so great but O’Reilly’s pours a good Guinness properly. There is a Galaga machine in the corner, a respectable juke box and a selection of board games to play. These things combined make O’Reilly’s a good bar to go to. The menu makes it THE bar to go to in Clintonville.

Villbillies, as long time residents of Clintonville, are called have all eaten at O’Reilly’s in their lifetime. There is some debate on what is best on the menu. Everyone seems to have one or two items they get everytime. This is an interesting phenomenon to observe. The common answer when asked about the menu at O’Reilly’s is “I don’t know, I always get ___________”. The burgers are a common favorite. I have tried them all. I like them all. However, the one I always get is the Pepper Burger with a side of sweet potato fries.

The pepper burger is 1/2 pound of hamburger encased in cracked black pepper. The misshapen, handmade patty is topped with pepperjack cheese, plenty of pickles, provlone and bacon. The bun is fresh and light toasted so it does not collapse from the weight of the contents. The sweet potato fries are also hand made and served with some type of secret sauce. Place a dill pickle on the plate, add a pint and a glass of water and my meal is complete. When I walk through the door at O’Reilly’s this is what I want. If this is what I get then I am truly content when I walk out the door.

The other burgers do deserve a mention: Bacon BBQ, Mushroom and Onion, The Deluxe Cheeseburger. My secondary burger of choice is the Jerk Burger (aka The Tom Burger, this is not me being mean, this is on the menu). The Jerk is slathered with spicy, peppery, tangy, jerk sauce. I suggest American Cheese with this one.

O’Reilly’s does Saturday morning breakfast specials September to May. You can order Egg Salad and Tuna Salad Sandwiches May to September. There is a daily dinner special which varies by the day and the week. If you get O’Reilly’s then I will probably get you.

O’Reilly’s
2822 North High Street
Baja Clintonville

O'Reilly's Pub on Urbanspoon

Posted in bar, Clintonville, hamburgers | Tagged: | 3 Comments »

Brezel: (The Power of Pretzels!) New at the North Market

Posted by CMH Gourmand on April 2, 2011

Sometimes the stars line up. If get you get really lucky, maybe galaxies align. In the case of Brezel, maybe, just maybe the universe has put everything in place for this post. Huh? It just so happens that April is National Soft Pretzel Month. I have been following the pretzel making path of Brezel for several years. Maria and Brittany are the chief dough makers and bakers at Brezel. They have kneaded their way into the bread business by being at nearly every event, farmer’s market and party they could find. They also placed their product at bars and grocery stores. The good will, word of mouth and fine tuning they gathered from working hard allowed them to find a home at the North Market. They recently opened their shop (near Clever Crow) so I dropped in to see them.

Brezel (there is a “_” over the e) makes and bakes and creates big, soft, chewy, Bavarian style pretzels. However, these are pretzels with an extra twist. The ladies of Brezel stuff their pretzels with a variety of flavors and top them with good, tasty things. They have standard pretzels every day and they serve several other varieties such as jalapeno, apple cinnamon, everything, habanero and more. If you want to dip your pretzels they have a variety of toppings for dunking and flavor enhancement. Maria and Brittany also bake pretzel buns, bites and pizza shells. A pretzel hot dog bun….oh yeah. I can attest to their pizza crusts as well – a Brezel pizza has a life expectancy of 43 seconds at Pizza Grand Prix. The Brezel gals are constantly tinkering in the kitchen so drop in and sample their latest creation or give them a flavor suggestion, they may just make it and bake it.

Brezel
at the North Market
59 Spruce Street
Short North
614.586.0523

Brezel on Urbanspoon

Posted in bakery, markets, Short North | Tagged: , | 5 Comments »

Rusty Bucket Wrangles Rogue Root Beer

Posted by CMH Gourmand on March 27, 2011

I get many incredible offers. Most come from people in African countries that will give me millions of dollars just to help transfer some money from their country to ours to cut down on paper work and avoid hassle for the estate of a deceased relative with a horribly misspelled name. Some offers come from Russian mail order brides and maybe related to that, it seems that there are some medications I should be taking, I that I can get cheaply. Maybe I should consider the mail order bride option.

The type of offers I would like to get would include: Hey, you are awesome and resourceful and blindingly creative, here is a job that does not suck; or yes you really should write for us, starting now, because you are not boring or pretentious. These offers don’t come and years of trying for them have not yet been productive.

So when the Rusty Bucket asked if I wanted to drink root beer and get some remuneration for my trouble I was curious. I read further. It seems that said root beer was Rogue Root Beer. That fact changed no thanks to yes, pretty please PDQ. As fate would have it, I had Rogue Root Beer in PDX (Portland) recently which was a highlight of five days that were a low point.

I get an interesting array of offers from the food industry that tempt my wallet and threaten to stretch the scope of my blog and my ethics. I almost always say no. The Rusty Bucket offer was perfect. I knew I liked the root beer. I did not know I could get it in Columbus so that knowledge was a gift to me. Rusty Bucket is a locally owned company and aligned with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants so I could support them without hesitation. I knew I was going to rush out for root beer anyway so for the price of gas and a mug of root beer – game on! Yes, I will write for root beer so here we go.

It seems that if you are planning on going Rogue, Columbus is the place to do it. Rusty Bucket charmed this Portland-centric purveyor of tasty drinks into sending most of it’s product line here for serving. This is unique for Columbus and Ohio and the Midwest and most of the country for that matter. The only other states that have Rogue Root Beer are Oregon and Washington. You can pretend you are in Portland while sitting inside 270.

I am not a big pop drinker (we say pop in Columbus, accept it, move on). I NEED to have a coke with pizza to complete the experience. However, I am an absolute sucker for a good Root Beer. I have invested a good deal of time searching for the perfect root beer experience. I found a few that are worth traveling for – Virgil’s Root Beer and Sioux City Root Beer were my brews of choice.

Why might you want to make the effort to try Rogue Root Beer? Because they make it right and because Rusty Bucket pours it right. Rogue approaches their root beer with the same attention to detail and devotion they invest in their craft beers. Their root beer is made with 100% pure dark brown sugar. It has a nice dose of Sassafras. This is draft root beer, served from a tap into a cold, frosted mug with just a bit of foaming head. It may be the most perfect root beer experience in town. Visions of childhood bike rides to the Clintonville A&W drive-in come to mind when I take a sip. To appeal to the child in you or the child tagging along with you, Rusty Bucket also offers kid sized mugs and root beer floats in both sizes.

If you want to completely go Rogue, Rusty Bucket serves several Rogue beers on draft. You can also sample Rogue’s other roguish spirits including Dead Guy Whiskey, Spruce Gin and White Rum. A daily drink special involves soaking a giant chunk of pineapple with brown sugar, vanilla beans and Rogue white rum, then adding some ice and more rum. Yum.

On Tuesdays, a featured drink is the Rogue Spruce Gin Gimlet. I had not been to Rusty Bucket for a while so I decided to try out multiple locations in my root beer research. For your first Rogue run I suggest trying out the Lane Avenue location and hoping that Katie is tending bar when you walk in. She knows all things Rogue and can talk you through your choices while you enjoy a frosty root beer.

Posted in bar, beer, beverages, culinary knowledge, restaurants | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

The Burrito Buggy at Byrne’s Pub: Recap and Review

Posted by CMH Gourmand on March 26, 2011


Pairing the Burrito Buggy with Byrne’s Pub for their Survivors Party (surviving St. Patrick’s Day) turned out to be an excellent idea. Pat Byrne was happy with the outpouring of Burrito Buggy Bobcats and other mobile foodophiles.

I did worry a bit. The morning on the big day I received one e-mail, a few direct messages on Twitter and several forwarded tweets about the Burrito Buggy being broken down on SR 33 outside of Lancaster. I had not heard anything from the Burrito Buggy and it was 2 hours to “showtime”. I contacted them and started to draft my mea culpa to Columbus. About an hour later I heard back from the Buggy, they had a flat tire and were popping the lug nuts back on to hit the road again.

They served the first two burritos at 3 pm….. to me. I was going to get six, but looking at the line behind me, I could not bring myself to do it. When I left the line was about forty people deep. Reports are the line never got shorter than forty up until at least 10 pm. I heard the line was 1 to 2 hours long at any given time.

Byrne’s is considering making this a yearly tradition. What do you think? I did not know before but Byrne’s has “street meat” most Fridays and Saturdays from 10 pm after.

As for the Burrito Buggy – they had one of their biggest nights ever and are looking to come back to Columbus. Where and when might they appear next?

Check their Facebook to track other appearances and see what people thought of the Big Burrito Night.

Also see what OU Alumni thought about the night.

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