The 614ortyPlatter: Top Chef Top Songs

Avishar "Danny" Barua creating some magic on the
cocktail end of things at Columbus's Service Bar

Those in the know in the Columbus area are distinctly aware of Avishar Barua, of Service Bar Kitchen, and his way with mixing the "mundane" with the magical.  Those who have seen his creative takes with lCheesy Brisket Crunch , Po' Boy, the (Not) Pad Thai, or Fish Fillet know that his creations reach levels of flavor never hinted at by their original format. 

But he shows he's not a one trick pony by any means either, delving into creations like a Burmese Tea Salad, Bucatini Carbonara, or their "Very Southeast Asian Meal Kit" (featuring things like Shaking Ribeye Steak, Vietnamese Street Corn Salad, and Grilled French Onion Potato Gratin) have helped guide Service Bar through the often rough waters of the Pandemic for restaurants in general.

Plus, he's just a cool guy to talk to in general. So when it was announced that he was a contestant on the new season of Bravo's "Top Chef" (filmed in Portland during the Pandemic months), there were quite a few people, including us, that were incredibly excited to hear the news.

Thus, a playlist, dedicated to Avishar and his fellow "Top Chef" contestants, Padma, Tom, and the all the rest. Eighteen songs representing the filming locations of the show, all food related, which we hope enhances the anticipation of the first show's broadcast, set to premiere on Thursday, April 1st.

The 614ortyPlatter: Know Sap on Tap

Maple Syrup and French Toast is a lovely pairing indeed - just
ask the folks at Upper Arlington's South of Lane

Many food traditions have made their way across the oceans to the Americas over the vast expanses of time and been adapted to the local climate, but there are a few distinct things that remain almost exclusively from this region. 

One of those traditions derives from the Acer Saccharum tree, more commonly known as the Sugar Maple. Found exclusively in Midwest and Northeast portions of the United States and the Southeast portions of Canada, the sap from this tree has been tapped and refined to create maple syrup.

I had been one who never knew the pleasures of genuine maple syrup as a kid - my pancakes were often accompanied by the artificial stuff (Golden Griddle was a common sight in my refrigerator.)  I had heard so much about the genuine stuff, and figured my first trip into Canada (the largest exporter of maple syrup to the world at large) would be my first purchase of what was for me something of a luxury.

Returning from that trip, the first pairing with some of my Dad's basic Bisquick-created pancakes was beyond heavenly.  Maple syrup is now almost a must now when it comes to things like pancakes and waffles, and my spouse and I have used it in a number of baking recipes to give them a nice maple-tinge.

So with sugaring season in full effect at this moment, we here decided a playlist dedicated to this golden elixir was pretty much a natural.

The 614ortyPlatter: Kitchen Island Discs Vol. 2 (Lara Pipia)

My first encounters with our Kitchen Island Discs guest Lara Pipia
were through events like the Columbus Knife Fights
at the former The Commissary in Marble Cliff

Our guest this month for our Kitchen Island Discs segment is someone who has been behind and around many of the most promising and prominent names around the Columbus dining scene. My first encounter with Lara Pipia came at the former The Commissary in Marble Cliff, during a number of their dining events. I've also enjoyed sweet treats from the Northside Library location of Freedom A La Cart, an organization she co-founded dedicated to giving victims of sex trafficking and exploitation practical job skills to help with their community reintegration. Lastly but surely not least, I've been enjoying going through the delicious dishes at Emmett's Cafe, whose menu Pipia had a big hand in developing.

But frankly, enough of me typing away - Lara was more than eager and gracious enough to send us a little bit of her story, and what follows in this blogpost was created by her own hand. She also gave us an amazing playlist, so be sure to take a listen to it.

The 614ortyPlatter: Food Holiday Road

If you're keenly interested in food, the modern day calendar has transformed into a source of inspiration.  Every month, and increasingly, more weeks and individual days, have been dedicated to enjoying some sort of food or beverage, from the familiar (National Pancake Day, on February 16) to the novel (National Coffee Milkshake Day, on July 26.) Even newer food trends have their days, from National Keto Day on January 5 and World Plant Milk Day on August 22.

Unsurprisingly, these days have been used by those in the restaurant and food business around the world to help drive customers to them; local ice cream maker Jeni's Ice Cream encouraged everyone to break from tradition and eat one of their pints for "National Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day" a few weeks back on February 6. 

With that in mind, we thought we would pick out a few days throughout the calendar year, and link them both to a song as well as a few local establishments where you can find the particular treat in mind.