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Tower Records, one of my favorite haunts as a teenager (Photo from The Outline.com) |
The 614orty-Niner
An ex-pat Northern Californian having fun in Buckeye land
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Ice Cream Chronicles - New Interactive Map
As you may have noticed, a new interactive Google Map containing all the location and links to all my Ice Cream Chronicles posts is now acce...

The 614ortyPlatter - Kitchen Island Discs (Laura Lee, Ajumama)
The 614ortyPlatter - Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler
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Even the local supermarkets like Kroger have gotten into the Fat Tuesday groove of late... |
Fat Tuesday (or, depending on where you are in the world, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, or Carnival/Carnaval) has become essentially a day of excess pleasures for the public at large. Historically, it marks the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten period for a number of religions, including Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Anglicans. Typically, for those who observe this period, Lent involves 40 days of self-reflection and -denial, moderation, and reflection on the life, sacrifice, and rising from the dead of Jesus Christ.
In that light, Fat Tuesday essentially is the last day to let out all your excesses, and observing Lent is not required to join in the festivities. On the food side of the equation, many regional specialties are typically in plentiful supply, and in terms of Columbus, some of these treats have slowly but surely gained shelf space in a number of eateries, bakeries and supermarkets in the area in the past decade.
So in that spirit, we share with you a nice dozen's worth of songs that hint at some of the food traditions found around the world on this decidedly unique tradition celebrated (and ingested) by millions of people.
The 614ortyPlatter - Rhythm Kitchen 1811
The sign outside Columbus's Ace of Cups, one of the many music venues/bars which has managed to eke by during the pandemic |
The 614ortyPlatter: It's Never Too Late For Chocolate
What can't you do with chocolate? These chocolate-coated strawberries from Clintonville's Eagle Family Candies were divine |
The 614orty Platter: Invested in Italian Village
Cosecha Cocina, one of the culinary bright spots in Columbus's Italian Village before the COVID pandemic forced it close in 2020. |
I've always thought Columbus's Italian Village neighborhood was older than it was; in reality, the truth is it is and it isn't. The Italian Village moniker isn't even 50 years old, but the area dates back to the 19th century. And contrary to its current moniker, the area, just outside of downtown proper and bordered by High Street on the west, the railroad tracks on the east, East Fifth Avenue to the north, and I-670 to the south, has been home to a number of ethnic groups over its lifespan, including Italians, obviously.
Back in the old days, Italian Village was home to a wide variety of industries, including Wonder Bread, The Clark Grave Vault & Auto Equipment Company, Smith Brothers Hardware, and the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company. Remnants of that industrial past still remain (namely, the Smith Brothers and the Wonder Bread buildings), but the focus of the neighborhood nowadays has changed, become both a residential and culinary destination area for locals and visitors alike.
For this week's 614ortyplatter, I thought I'd give a bit of a musical guided tour what exists culinarily in this up-and-coming Columbus neighborhood. As Italian Village overlaps with Columbus's Short North neighborhood, I will focus mainly on the more exclusively Italian Village eateries with this list, and I promise it will be more than a tasty-enough list.