Topic: Columbus: Restaurant News & Info

[Columbo]

I didn't intend to post another story about the re-opening of The July Room in the Downtown - but an interesting development came to light.  Apparently, where on-line gift certificates are concerned, both restaurant owners and customers need to take the good with the bad.

First, the new Jury Room owner posted this notice to Columbus Underground: Restaurant.com Selling Worthless Gift Cards to The Jury Room

Then, the Columbus Dispatch followed up with this article:

Jury Room reaches a verdict
Some - but not all - gift certificates will be exchanged
Friday, January 28, 2011
By Tracy Turner, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

The new owner of the Jury Room restaurant and an online gift-certificate company have come to terms on an issue that threatened to flood the restaurant with more requests for discounted food than it could handle.

In September, Elizabeth Lessner, president of Betty's Family of Restaurants, bought the Jury Room, a fixture for decades at 22 E. Mound Street. 

Unknown to her, she said, the previous owner released 1,500 gift certificates worth $37,000 to Restaurant.com for resale before selling the business.

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/01/28/jury-room-reaches-a-verdict.html?sid=101

[Keith M.]

Columbus' first gluten-free bakery, Cherbourg Bakery, opened up just recently on S Drexel and E Main.

[dmerkow]

Gotta check that place out. Have missed the tasty sweets having gone gluten free.

[Columbo]

More reviews of Columbus area cuisine from alt.eats.columbus:

Mi Bandera -- Review of Mi Bandera, a Mexican/Dominican restaurant on SR 161/East Dublin Granville Road.  It’s of the ‘restaurant in a grocery store’ genre, which the reviewer notes may not be the easiest place to go through the process of getting a meal.  But any ordering difficulties ordering are worth it for the authentic qualities of the food.
 
Lai Lai Asian Kitchen -- Overview of what the reviewer terms an excellent new Chinese restaurant along Broad Street on the city's Far East Side.

Reethika -- Reethika (pronunciation – think ‘Ithaca’ with an ‘R’ in front) perhaps isn’t quite as flashy as some of the other new Indian restaurants in Columbus, but their Hyderabadi home-style food is very noteworthy.  They opened quietly at the end of November.  But the location, between the two large Indian markets on Sawmill Road guaranteed they wouldn’t go unnoticed for long.

[Keith M.]

Lai Lai has been there for years and I went several years ago and was not impressed, but it doesn't take much to be ahead of the competition in Reynoldsburg.

[Keith M.]

In addition to The Angry Baker opening up in OTE is a new cafe, Portico, right on Parsons near Franklin Ave. The broccoli cheddar quiche was very nice.

[Columbo]

More about The Angry Baker opening in Olde Towne East in this review from the Dispatch.  Good looking photos of the renovated interior and exterior also at the link.  It looks wonderful.  And it sounds like the food is up to par with the building's aesthetics too:

Mad about sandwiches? Stop in at Angry Baker
Olde Towne East's new place to eat also has desserts, vegan dishes
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
By Denise Trowbridge
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Olde Towne East is now just a little bit sweeter.  The Angry Baker bakery and cafe opened its doors at 891 Oak St. on Jan. 28, becoming part of the growing restaurant scene on the Near East Side.

"I live in Olde Towne East. There is a real need for a lot of things here, like small restaurants and places for people to go," said Angry Baker owner Vicki Hink.  "I really love the area and all the people that live here. Everyone has a strong sense of community and has been super-supportive."

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/02/22/mad-about-sandwiches-stop-in-at-angry-baker.html

[Keith M.]

One of just quite a few up and coming neighborhoods greatly under-served by local retail. Glad to see that's finally changing with the uptick in new small businesses.

[Columbo]

Some more from alt.eats.columbus:

Los Guachos Taqueria -- AltEatsColumbus reviews the much anticipated opening of Los Guachos - the brick & mortar version of one of the most popular taco trucks in Columbus (see the 2009 taco truck review from TacoTrucksColumbus).  Los Guachos joins Super Torta as one of the few taco truck mobile venders to also start a sit-down restaurant.  As with Super Torta, they are also continuing to operate their taco truck operation in its usual location.  The Los Guachos restaurant is located at 5221 Godown Road just north of Bethel in the city's north side.

Sunflower Chinese Restaurant and Lounge -- A look at this north side chinese restaurant located at 7370 Sawmill Road.  This review focuses on its dim sum offerings during their weekend brunch hours.  This restaurant stands out from the many other chinese restaurants for its dim sum experience.  Dishes are ordered and served from a roaming cart in the dining room.  The dim sum offerings range from the usual - many varieties of steamed dumplings - to the unusual - like foong jow (chicken feet).

Fito’s -- Fito's is a family run restaurant across from the OSU campus that specializes in Peruvian rotisserie chicken.  The rotisserie chicken (pollo a la brasa) is cooked in a huge indoor charcoal barbecue that was imported from Peru.  Fito's is located one block north of the South Campus Gateway.  The address is 1664 N. High Street, but the restaurant entrance faces Chittenden Avenue.

[Keith M.]

Fito's is excellent, as is Los Guachos (Sunflower is too out of the way). When I went to Fito's, I noticed that Buckeye Sambusa, the first East African restaurant in the area, had already closed and is going to be a hot dog joint.

[Columbo]

Couple of breakfast-centric reviews of two downtown area restaurants.  One is Due Amici, the well-established lunchtime and evening restaurant on Gay Street that expanded to offer weekend brunch hours.  The other is a Short North pizza place that opened a new location in the North Market and now offers their take of breakfast pizza.

Due Amici - 67 E. Gay St. - A look at the weekend brunch offerings at this popular Gay Street restaurant.  The blog reviews a wide variety of good-looking dishes and even throws in a sampling of the weekend brunch's Bloody Mary cart.

Clever Crow Pizza at the North Market - A look at Clever Crow Pizza in its new North Market location.  CCP has expanded their hours at the North Market into the morning on Tuesday thru Friday and on the weekend.  Because of this, they've added two breakfast pizzas to their menu.  Those breakfast pizzas are reviewed at this breakfast-centric blog.

[Keith M.]

New addition in the southern reaches of OSU next to the The Village Idiot bar. Very nice brick interior.

[Quimbob]

Columbus Based White Castle wins award for it's Laughing Noodle concept (in Springfield) from Chain Store Age magazine.
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/white-castles-laughing-noodle-wins-chain-store-age-award-117949549.html

[Columbo]

Bexley getting Piada, ZenCha, Barbounia dining options
Columbus Business First
Friday, March 18, 2011, 6:00am EDT.

Economic Development Director Bruce Langner said three restaurants are expected to open in the city in April.  All three are new or expansion ventures by restaurateurs familiar with feeding folks around Central Ohio.

Piada - The second location for Piada, a fast-casual Italian startup chain, is opening at a former Huntington Bank branch at 2585 E. Main Street.

ZenCha - Also coming is the second outlet for ZenCha Tea Salon, at 2396 E. Main Street in the Shoppes at Bexley.  The tea house debuted in 2002 in the Short North.  The business is taking a storefront that has been vacant since the retail center was built in 2007.

Barbounia - The owner of Cafe Istanbul, which has dining spots at Easton Town Center and in Dayton, is planning a scaled-down Mediterranean eatery at 2455 E. Main Street.  The Barbounia restaurant will fill the space most recently vacated by California cuisine-serving Flavors Eatery.

LOCATION MAP AND MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/print-edition/2011/03/18/bexley-getting-busy-adding-dining.html

[Fashion Diva]

Had the pleasure of stopping in at Smothered Gravy over the weekend in Columbus Ohio, and must say quite impressive!!!!!! Home cooking right at your lips, who could complain. Loved the Collard Greens and Shrimp potatoe salad. WE NEED THIS IS IOWA!!!!!!!

[Columbo]

Last week's Columbus Dispatch food section has some info on the opening of Smothered Gravy:

• Smothered Gravy, 1114 E. Main Street, opened on Saturday (March 19).  The Southern comfort-food restaurant is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday.

Columbus Underground had some more info about this:

Smothered Gravy Grand Opening
1114 E. Main Street
Corner of Champion Avenue
Columbus, Ohio

[Columbo]

Last week's Columbus Dispatch food section also noted the opening of Fleur:

• Fleur, a cafe serving cocktails, champagne and desserts, opened last week at 114 N. 3rd Street.  It is open 4 to 11 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, and 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.

Columbus Underground had more about their grand opening:

Champagne & Dessert Bar Opens Downtown Tonight
By Walker | March 11, 2011 11:30am



The latest entry into the Columbus nightlife scene is a departure from your traditional offering.  Fleur, located at 114 North Third Street, is solely focused on champagne, vodka, cocktails and desserts.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/champagne-dessert-bar-opens-downtown-tonight

[Columbo]

Dispatch article about a new restaurant in an old nightclub spot at the corner of S. Front and W. Main (remember the Red Zone, among others here?):

Quarthouse summons county courthouse crowd
Ringside owner hopes venture benefits from sparse competition
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 
By Denise Trowbridge
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH


The burgers are practically criminal, at least in theme.  The Quarthouse Bar & Grill, which opened in mid-February at 303 S. Front St., offers appetizers, burgers and a variety of other sandwich-like creations.  But like some of the folks that can be found around the nearby courthouse, they use aliases.

Sandwich wraps on the Quarthouse menu can be found under "wrap sheets," and sandwiches are referred to as "parole violators."  "I just felt like I had to do a courthouse theme," said owner Adrian Rosu.  Its proximity to the Franklin County Courthouse clearly set the tone.  The location also was a draw businesswise.  "It's a part of Downtown that really needed something, Rosu said."

Rosu, who also owns the Ringside - a boxing-themed burger restaurant and bar in Pearl Alley - thinks the Quarthouse and its menu of hearty fare can fill that need.
. . .

The Quarthouse, despite its rich red and black 150-seat interior and plush lounge feel, was a rush job.  "On Jan. 10, Sam asked me if I wanted to lease the space, and by Feb. 14, we were open," Rosu said.  "I think it might be a record."  Sam is Sam Shalash, owner of the C-town Market and Deli, 152 E. State St., as well as the Mansion, a private party space adjoining the Quarthouse.  Rosu said Shalash had planned to open a restaurant in the Quarthouse space, but instead asked Rosu if he'd be interested. 

The Quarthouse is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Friday.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/03/08/quarthouse-summons-county-courthouse-crowd.html?sid=101

[GCrites80s]

It was convenient that the Red Zone was located next to the jail, so it will be good for Quarthouse as well but for different reasons.

[Columbo]

From Columbus Underground:

Jeni’s Walk-up Coming Soon to German Village
By Anne | March 1, 2011 - 7:48pm
Columbus Underground

The “World’s Tiniest Ice Cream Shop” is opening late spring in German Village.  The new seasonal, walk-up service Jeni’s will occupy the 40 square foot space at 900 Mohawk Street.  Jeni Britton Bauer is excited to finally see this project happening and happy to be next to Molly Pesich at the Brown Bag Deli.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/jenis-walk-up-coming-soon-to-german-village

[Columbo]

From Columbus Underground:

Brezel Opens at The North Market
By Walker | March 15, 2011 - 2:45pm
Columbus Underground

The local pretzel-making team of Brittany Baum and Maria Battaglia-Gentile have officially opened their first brick-and-mortar location today inside the North Market.  Their company Brezel has accumulated a following through local farmers markets and area events.

Brezel is located on the south end of the North Market, in between Clever Crow Pizza and Omega Artisan Baking.  More information can be found online at www.BrezelPower.com and www.northmarket.com.  They will be closed on Mondays.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/brezel-opens-at-the-north-market

Columbus Underground also had a Q&A with Brezel co-owners Brittany Baum and Maria Battaglia-Gentile, which can be found HERE.

[Columbo]

New addition in the southern reaches of OSU next to the The Village Idiot bar. Very nice brick interior.

The owners of the Commonwealth Sandwich Bar posted this over at Columbus Underground:

Commonwealth Sandwich Bar is Officially OPEN!!
1437 N. High Street

Mon-Wed 11AM-10PM
Thur-Fri 11AM-12AM
Sat 5PM-12AM
Sunday Closed

We also have a order/pick up window connected to the Village Idiot -everyday starting at 5PM

Check us out on Facebook: www.facebook.com/commonwealthsandwich

[Columbo]

Sugardaddy’s is Expanding to Easton
By Walker | March 22, 2011 - 2:30pm
Columbus Underground

Three stores in three years.  That’s the current rate of expansion for Sugardaddy’s Sumptuous Sweeties as they announce their latest store opening this summer at Easton Town Center.

“Easton is an exciting shopping destination with 21 million annual visitors and a plethora of great brands,” said Mark Ballard, Co-Founder & Co-CEO at Sugardaddy’s.  “It’s the right next step for our brand.”

Sales have rapidly grown at Sugardaddy’s existing retail stores located Downtown on Gay Street and near Polaris Parkway, as well as online at www.sugardaddys.com. 
. . .

Sugardaddy’s Sumptuous Sweeties is planned for opening at Easton Town Center in July 2011.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/sugardaddys-is-expanding-to-easton

[Columbo]

Matt the Miller's latest addition to Grandview Avenue
Tuesday, March 22, 2011 - 10:13 AM
By GARY SEMAN JR.
ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Undaunted by an uncertain economy, Craig Barnum has chosen the crowded Grandview Avenue market as the location for his new restaurant.  Matt the Miller's, a casual brand he wants to expand regionally, opens March 28 in a new building along the popular commercial corridor.  Barnum's restaurant is part of a new mixed-use development that replaces a building badly damaged by a fire in 2009.

He said the menu is identical to the original Matt the Miller's, which opened in October 2008 in Dublin.  The floor plan is slightly smaller -- 500 square feet smaller than the 5,000-square-foot Dublin space -- and there are a few different design elements, such as retractable windows in the bar area and a semi-open kitchen.
. . .

Grandview Avenue is home to several high-profile restaurants, including Z Cucina, Spagio and Shoku, not to mention Third & Hollywood, which is right around the corner.  Plus, there are a number of casual spots -- such as Mazah, Aladdin's Eatery, Grandview Cafe, Figlio and Vino Vino -- in a relatively short stretch of roadway.

READ MORE: http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/food/stories/2011/03/23/tabletalk.html?sid=104

[CMH_Downtown]

In addition to The Angry Baker opening up in OTE is a new cafe, Portico, right on Parsons near Franklin Ave. The broccoli cheddar quiche was very nice.

After checking out Yellow Brick Pizza and the Angry Baker a few weeks ago, I am completely infatuated with OTE and it's blossoming retail business. I will certainly have to patronize this latest entrant.

[Keith M.]

Denise's closed, but there's going to be another ice cream shop, Vienna Ice Cafe (or "Caf" according to This Week News).

[WalkerEvans]

Sidebar Restaurant Coming Soon to Downtown Columbus
By Walker | June 9, 2011



According to a blog update at DaytonDailyNews.com, the Sidebar restaurant located in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District will be expanding to Downtown Columbus this summer and opening a second location in the former Brownstone space at 122 E. Main Street.

According to their website, Sidebar serves “Mediterranean-style small plate tapas, with a South American influence”. They also feature unique and classic cocktails.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/sidebar-restaurant-coming-soon-to-downtown-columbus

[WalkerEvans]

Harvest Pizzeria Coming Soon to German Village
By Walker | June 15, 2011 4:45pm



German Village is about to get tastier in a few weeks when the latest addition to their restaurant scene opens to the public. Harvest Pizzeria is the brainchild of Chris Crader and his fiance Bethany Lovell, and it combines old school Italian traditions with the new wave of farm-to-table cooking.

“The concept for Harvest was born from a love of pizza and a desire to find top quality pizza in Columbus,” said Crader. “I felt there was a serious void in this area in German Village and Bethany and I decided that it was time to open a place of our own.”

Customers at Harvest might find that Chris is a familiar face in the local restaurant community. He got his start as a server and bartender at the Elevator Brewery and Draught Haus, and has worked as General Manager at Due Amici, Barrio and The Rossi.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/harvest-pizzaria-coming-soon-to-german-village

[Columbo]

A little late on posting this - the deli is now open and doing a brisk lunch business.  They are locating in the ground floor of the Chase skyscraper at Third and Broad.  They've also got a great outdoor dining spot on the plaza.

Next: a new deli
Couple's new restaurant Downtown to feature variety of soups, sandwiches, salads
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
By Denise Trowbridge
FOR THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Danny and Nicki Georges, the couple behind Danny’s Deli at 37 W. Broad Street, are opening a restaurant at 100 E. Broad Street, just off the lobby of the office building at the northeast corner of Broad and 3rd streets.
 
Lexi’s on Third, which will open late (April), will serve some of the same favorites that have made Danny’s a go-to spot.  It also will have a signature lineup of salads, sandwiches and soups that are built for taste, as well as speed.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2011/04/12/next-a-new-deli.html?sid=101

[Columbo]

Sidebar Restaurant Coming Soon to Downtown Columbus
By Walker | June 9, 2011



According to a blog update at DaytonDailyNews.com, the Sidebar restaurant located in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District will be expanding to Downtown Columbus this summer and opening a second location in the former Brownstone space at 122 E. Main Street.

According to their website, Sidebar serves “Mediterranean-style small plate tapas, with a South American influence”. They also feature unique and classic cocktails.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/sidebar-restaurant-coming-soon-to-downtown-columbus

Good to hear a new restaurant going into the former Brownstone space at 122 E. Main Street.  Great building in a great location downtown.  And before the Brownstone, the building housed Out On Main, an early pioneer in the downtown fine dining scene.  Here's a photo of the building from the Auditor's website:

[Columbo]

614 Media swallows dining discounter Fudha.com, combines with Faveroo
Business First - by Matt Burns
Wednesday, June 1, 2011, 3:15pm EDT

Two fish in Central Ohio’s deal-of-the-day sea are swimming as one.
 
614 Media Group on Wednesday said it acquired food discount deal purveyor Fudha.com for an undisclosed sum and combined it with its Faveroo.com deal site.  Email accounts along with credits and vouchers for Fudha were merged into Faveroo, with the website redirecting to its new owner. 

Faveroo now claims a combined 40,000 email subscribers.

READ MORE: http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2011/06/01/614-media-swallows-dining-discounter.html

[Columbo]

Two articles looking at the new restaurant - Milestone 229 - going into the revamped Bicentennial Park.  The new restaurant and the revamped riverfront park are part of The Scioto Mile, which is having its grand opening today:

Scioto Mile: Location everything for restaurant

Scioto Mile: Milestone 229: A sampling of menu offerings

[WalkerEvans]

Review: Aloha Hawaiian BBQ & Asian Bistro
By: Morgan Kelley



First, a little background. Aloha Hawaiian BBQ & Asian Bistro is a family business. Restaurant Manager Sammi Tsai explained that her father-in-law runs the kitchen and has a background in the restaurant business. Originally from Thailand, the inspiration for the restaurant comes from the many types of Hawaiian BBQ restaurants in the Los Angeles area. The owners of ‘Aloha’ wanted to bring this type of cuisine to Central Ohio, where it currently doesn’t exist.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/review-aloha-hawaiian-bbq-asian-bistro

[WalkerEvans]

zpizza Expanding to Clintonville, Planning Five Additional Locations
By: Walker



zpizza is about to get much larger in Columbus. While the company is based in Southern California, local entrepreneur Steve Curtis is putting his back into turning his regional franchise operation into something the community can be proud of. After piloting his single store in the Short North for the past three years, Steve and his wife and business partner Erin are working on developing additional locations throughout Central Ohio, starting with Clintonville, the neighborhood that they also call home.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/zpizza-expanding-to-clintonville-planning-five-additional-locations

[surfohio]

Sidebar Restaurant Coming Soon to Downtown Columbus
By Walker | June 9, 2011



According to a blog update at DaytonDailyNews.com, the Sidebar restaurant located in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District will be expanding to Downtown Columbus this summer and opening a second location in the former Brownstone space at 122 E. Main Street.

According to their website, Sidebar serves “Mediterranean-style small plate tapas, with a South American influence”. They also feature unique and classic cocktails.

READ MORE: http://www.columbusunderground.com/sidebar-restaurant-coming-soon-to-downtown-columbus

That's a nice looking locale!

What is it about brick streets that make them so awesome?