The Sweet Life Savored: Sassafras Bakery

Sassafras has been the source of frequent carbo-loading for the
spouse and I ever since their opening in August of 2013

This review is somewhat overdue, but nevertheless, it's a pretty easy one to do.

This bakery, owned by Northwest Ohio native A.J. Perry (who we found out, in a neat bit of circumstance, grew up in a town within shouting distance of where my spouse was raised) was several years in the making. Perry, who learned the ways of the kitchen early on in her childhood, was forced back to them back in 2007 to earn a living when a downturn in the economy led to her layoff from her regular job. Her baked goods proved to be a hit at area farmers market; her strong relationship to the market in Worthington pretty much made opening up a brick and mortar space in the its downtown area a natural fit.

Sassafras packs a lot of visually pleasing sights in a very small space

Sassafras is definitely not the biggest space in the world; it definitely is a lot easier to grab a seat when the Worthington Farmers Market goes indoors for the colder months of the year, though the flow tends to be nice and steady whenever we've dined in. Dining in is always a visual pleasure, with a wall of pie tins, neatly scripted chalkboard menus, shelves with select local vendors' products (including soon-to-be next door neighbor Igloo Letterpress) and the pleasing view of baked goods neatly displayed just behind or inside glass display cases, of course. Interestingly enough, we've rarely had a problem grabbing a seat when the crowds pile in, which especially is the case when the Farmers Market returns outdoors right outside Sassafras' doors. Most people then tend to buy Perry's sweet treats to grab and go, making people watching an added bonus feature while we enjoy our orders.

As far as our favorites, there really has not been anything that we have tried that we wouldn't order again. Especially excellent are their seasonal savory quiches and galettes, their anchor donut muffin (the perfect blend of textures between both of these sweet treats) and their traditional-style cinnamon rolls. In addition, Sassafras' pies are among the best in the region, not surprising when you consider that Perry's pies have been featured in such publications as Food & Wine Magazine. The cookies are pretty good as well: Sassafras Bakery's unique Cookie & Milk Happy Hour (order a cookie, get either a free glass of milk or cup of coffee brewed with Cafe Brioso beans) has received press as well, courtesy of Country Living Magazine. It is at times a difficult choice to make, but we have found our ultimate decision is always a delicious one at this bakery.

Why can't all difficult decisions end up so delicious?

For awhile, the only thing lacking (so to speak) at Sassafras was that other than the quiche and galettes, there wasn't really a lunch-oriented option for diners. This gap was rectified this year when Sassafras introduced a line of lunchtime salads and sandwiches with the assistance renowned locally-based chef of Matthew Heaggans, who is currently plying his trade at the Flatiron Bar & Diner. Added with a cup of soup, it makes for a nice solid lunch option if you're in the area. I admit my turkey sandwich didn't look like much when I first saw it, but it was actually quite filling with nice flavor twists like the pickled cauliflower bits (their so called Sassafras pickles) and a nice touch of smokiness via the smoked paprika mayo.

Soup and Sandwich? Sassafras now has this combo for the lunchtime crowd

Often times, Sassafras Bakery's sandwich board outside invites customers inside to "savor the sweet life." Suffice it to say, we have taken that invitation plenty of times since my move out here, and this little bakery has easily become one of our most favorite places to visit in the Columbus metro area.

Sassafras Bakery
657 High Street
Worthington, OH 43085
(614) 781-9705
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Franklinton Fun (Pt. 2): Columbus Idea Foundry/Glass Axis/Land-Grant Brewing

Note: Part 1 of this post can be found here at this link 

The Glass Axis: Founded in the late 1980s by Ohio State University students and graduates, The Glass Axis has been a prime force in Central Ohio in promoting and providing support to people who specialize in the glass arts. In addition to this main focus, this non-profit organization offers teaching and education to the public at large, including classes that allow the dabblers (like me, courtesy of a gift certificate given to me by my spouse) to try out their artistic flair.

Decent attempt at exercising my creative side, courtesy of a Glass Axis class

In addition to the class, we had been able to frequent their old Grandview location for their Annual Holiday Sale, where a collection of glass-made gifts, ornaments and other items are available for purchase. This year's edition allowed us to visit their new location in Franklinton after they had announced their move early in 2014.

Based on what we saw, the new facility looks to be a keeper. Much of the space was organized to handle all the sales goods (there were plenty of attractive options available for the Christmas shopper), but was plenty of room to handle the hot glass area as well as what seemed to be a special display and exhibit area. On this day, visitors could mix in their shopping with workshops to make their own glass-made goods while partaking in a good cup of free java via the Cafe Brioso cart.

The Glass Axis' official re-opening at their new Franklinton facility is set to take place January 2015; for information on this event as well as Glass Axis' services and classes, please contact them at:

The Glass Axis
610 West Town St. (Franklinton)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 291-4250
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Columbus Idea Foundry: While members of the Glass Axis specialize in all things glass, the folks associated with the Columbus Idea Foundry (CIF) pretty much take on all fields of art and design. With the wide swath of inventive minds under this roof, one should not be surprised by a slightly mischievous, go big or go home environment.

Founded in 2008, CIF is another organization who relocated within to the Franklinton neighborhood with the assistance of a $350,000 grant from ArtPlace America. Along with offering wide-ranging classes to the public (including blacksmithing, electronics, fashion, and functional arts such as gardening and lockpicking(!)), regularly scheduled Maker Family and Maker Date Night events allow families and couples to explore their creative side while satisfying any built up hunger pangs via an in-house potluck of sorts or a dinner at nearby Strongwater Food and Spirits. Additional fun onsite is available in the form of the team-building Trapped In A Room with a Zombie game, where groups of people can use both mental and physical faculties to avoid a most dastardly attack by the undead.

Similar to the Glass Axis, we had attended their holiday sale/open house at their old Milo-Grogan location and wanted to check out their new facility. Like the previous year, select items were offered for sale, including Magnet Gears, a holiday gift my nieces and nephews enjoyed immensely.

But perhaps the true creative spirit was evident in the demonstrations that day. People could carve out and make their own wooden pen in the wood-making area. In addition, we had on a previous visit performed some pewter casting before with CIF member Terry Griner. Indeed, his enthusiastic self was there again, entertaining the crowds with his tales; he ended up swapping some old-location COSI stories and laughs with our friend we were entertaining from out of town.

For more information about the classes and services provided by the Columbus Idea Foundry, please contact them at:

The Columbus Idea Foundry

421 W. State St (Franklinton)
Columbus, OH 43215
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Land-Grant Brewing Company: I managed to sneak in a quick survey during Land Grant's grand opening back in October, but this visit was really my first where I could sit back and soak in both the atmosphere. Of course, the brewery's Franklinton location made it a perfect stop for all of us on this busy day to relax for a bit and sample some of their offerings.

Starting off as a Kickstarter campaign back in 2011 under its original Oval Brewing name, the building that has now become Land-Grant has a fairly straightforward interior: the bar, television screens, seating area and outdoor patio is setup in a way that allows patrons to not feel too crammed except on the most packed of times. Their take on the sports/university motif (banners for Ohio State University and most of the country's other land-grant universities can be found lining ringing the walls) is novel and shows just a bit more thoughtfulness than your typical average sports bar.

Land-Grant does not have an on-site kitchen similar to many other Columbus brewery locations, but they have adopted a regular rotation of fairly well-known area food trucks to provide visitors with food options. The brewery has a selection of their own beers on tap along with a select number of beers from both Ohio-based and outside-the-state brewers.

As one might expect, their beers have adapted names related to the land-grant/sports theme. On my first visit, I found their 1862 American Kölsch Ale (named for the year when the Land-Grant Act was passed) a nice crisp beer, perfect for a hot summer day.

On this latest visit, we got to sample three more of their offerings, and all three had their good points. Their Stiff Arm West Coast Style IPA didn't have that sticky, bitter punch of some of the more well-known exemplars; however, there was enough there to not only please my spouse (the IPA lover of our group) but also gain an appreciated from her friend and I (who are more into the darker styles of beer.) The Son of a Mudder Brown Ale also was similarly milder only in that we had had Seventh Son's very nice and much more assertive Stone Fort Brown Ale the night before; that fact made it no less enjoyable, however. Perhaps our favorite offering by a nose was their Beard Crumbs Oatmeal Raisin Stout: it turned out to have a pleasant blend of raisin, malt and chocolate flavors with a nice body and mouthfeel all the way to the end.

The owners of Land-Grant have also shown the ability to make lemonade out of lemons, an aspect that would seem to bode well for their future. An act of vandalism on their new building early in December has led to a fundraising effort for Franklinton's Gladden Community House and Harmony Project via the sale of T-shirts which have been redesigned to mirror the results of the vandalism. All proceeds from the sale of the T-shirt (which can be ordered on their website here) will be donated to these two community-oriented organizations.

Land-Grant Brewing Company
424 W. Town Street (Franklinton)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 427-3946
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Sandwiches Around the Statehouse: Cafe Brioso

Cafe Brioso's storefront: the sign points to good things inside

If you are familiar with Cafe Brioso only as a coffee house, this may seem like a bit of an odd header under which to place them. However, this header really shows how diversified this place really is.

Of course, the main calling card for Brioso is its excellent coffee. If you come through the entrance off High Street, the first thing you will probably notice is the buckets of freshly roasted beans off to the left; a quick glance behind will give you a view of the area that houses their roasting equipment and other ancillaries (e.g. their pour-over coffee station.) Numerous restaurants around the Columbus metro area feature Cafe Brioso coffee on their menus.

Breakfast gives the customer several options: for those with modest appetites, freshly-baked scones are available. Those who want something a little more filling can opt for their freshly-baked muffins or the excellent bagels from local bagel maker Sammy's New York Bagels. Other baked goods available for customers include cookies, croissants and, every now and again, pie (and who can argue with pie?) Generally, I've found all their baked goods rating in the good category.

And then there are the sandwiches, which are available in half-order ($4 - $5) or full-order ($6 - $7) sizes. These sandwiches aren't the best or necessarily the largest in the downtown area, but their homemade nature makes them reliably tasty for me. Their tuna salad or fresh mozzarella (or, when available, their special Lily's egg salad) are my standard go-to orders here. Brioso also earns bonus brownie points for the use of wonderful bread of local institution Dan The Baker in their sandwiches. Customers also can choose from a select list of salads; soups can be ordered separately or specially-added to your sandwich or salad order.

We could end it with the food, but that would neglect the atmosphere. Out of all the places I have been to in the Columbus area so far, Cafe Brioso reminds me the most of a place would fit right into San Francisco's coffee scene without any undue notice.

However, no coffee shop I was familiar with there quite matches Brioso's mix of working-class (both white- and blue-collar) hangout; bicyclist-friendly atmosphere; community participation (as exampled in the Pinchflat poster art show and Moonlight Market, where pop-up restaurants from the previously mentioned Dan the Baker and Kolache Republic find a home) and small business support (The Flying Gent Mercantile, which advertises itself as "the only Central Ohio destination for original, classic, and exclusive men's goods from around the world," can be found inside Brioso's shop.)

No, Cafe Brioso is Columbus' own and proud of that aspect. This pride also extends to their coffee as well as their part in the overall local coffee scene that has blossomed since I have been here. It's not surprising that Brioso has emerged as one of the primary destination spots in the downtown area, if not the city as a whole.

2019 Update: Brioso Coffee has opened up a second roastery on Long Street focusing on their roasted coffee beans and coffee drinks. For more information, check out their main website at the link below.

Cafe Brioso

14 E. Gay Street (Downtown - Google Maps)

Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 228-8366
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Tried and True: Kolache Republic

In life, one eventually learns that some things just fall into place by happenstance. In relation to Mrs. 614orty-Niner and I, Kolache Republic has earned a special distinction through that happenstance: they have become our unofficial official starting point for long road trips to the south or multiple-event days around town.

For the uninitiated, kolaches are a pastry made by rimming a dollop of filling (traditionally fruit) with a puffy dough and baking them until golden brown. Imported into this country by Eastern European immigrants, they have become regionally popular in certain regions of the country, including Texas. Coincidentally, it was in Texas (Houston, specifically) where the Mrs. and I first got to sample this toothsome treat, though at vastly different times in our lives.

Kolache Republic has both sweet and savory pastries available for both breakfast and lunch, which includes specials that expand beyond traditional fillings. These daily offerings such as pulled pork, chicken cordon bleu and sloppy joe tend to sell out quickly.

We have always taken a combination of both sweet and savory for our meals there (my spouse's personal favorite is the apricot, while I am a sucker for poppyseed pastries; the sausage and jalapeño kolache is one of the few items we'd both order during the same visit.) Pair that with a coffee (the restaurant uses Cafe Brioso, one of Columbus' best roasters) and you have a pretty nice culinary combination to start your day.

One of our savory/sweet combos...and did I mention I love poppyseeds?

The restaurant itself is a quaint space with limited indoor and outdoor seating that is more suited to takeout orders (large orders and catering are also available with advanced notice); however, we've never had problems getting a seat during our visits. Service has always been top-notch for us, and we've found the restaurant's co-owners (Rick, Dusty and Doug) a pleasure to talk with and get to know a bit whenever we've stopped by.

We recently learned of Kolache Republic's one-year anniversary at their brick and mortar location via a congratulatory Tweet from one of Columbus' pre-eminent bloggers (Nick Dekker of Breakfast with Nick.) The Mrs. and I were a little surprised that they had only been there for a year, but then we realized that Kolache Republic has been plying their trade since 2011 as a food cart at various festivals and community events.

Let us echo those sentiments: happy first year anniversary kudos to you folks at Kolache Republic at your current digs, and we wish you continued success into the future. And yes, we look forward to starting more of our big days down the road with your kolaches.

One of my favorite Cbus restaurant logos

Kolache Republic
730 S. High Street (Brewery District - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH 43206
(614) 928-3151
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Memorial Day Musings (Part 1) - The Angry Baker and The Columbus Asian Festival

Before I start my catching up posts, it's time to go Tarantino on you all and shift to the present.

This Memorial Day weekend was something of a first for me.  Back in California, Asian-themed festivals were somewhat common throughout the year, and many ethnic groups were well represented enough in the region to have their own annual festivals based on various cultural traditions.  The one closest to my home, the Vallejo Pista Sa Nayon, is centered around Filipino independence from Spain and draws close to 40,000 people in one day.

In Columbus, this mass representation of one single ethnic group doesn't really exist, but there are enough people from the Asian continent living here to make the Asian Festival one of the bigger festivals of the year.  Numerous countries are represented at this gathering, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary at its Franklin Park Conservatory just west of Bexley on Broad Street.

Before we hit the festival, my spouse and I stopped by one of the first places I made a point to visit after arriving here in Columbus.  The Olde Towne East neighborhood has been the focus for redevelopment efforts, and The Angry Baker had just established foothold in the community during my first visit in 2012.  I had grabbed only a scone and coffee back then, but was always interested in coming back to see how they evolved.

On this return visit, the space looked a bit more spiffy, but more or less maintained the old brick house, home interior that I had encountered during my first visit.  Behind the glass panes, lots of awfully tasty-looking morsels greeted our eyes and the employees stood plying their baking craft.

Like my first visit we were here to grab a quick bite, so the more hearty additions to the menu that they listed on their chalkboard such as the French Toast Sandwich would have to wait for another visit.  But our selections (the ham, swiss and dijon kolache, and the vegan bourbon-peach donut - we split our selections, as is tradition) along with their coffee from Cafe Brioso provided a tasty start to the day.

From there, we proceeded down to the Asian Festival.  We would only have a couple hours to spend here as we had travels up to northwest Ohio to visit relatives planned, so we wanted to pack as much bang we could in that short time period.

We first wandered over to the food court to see what we might want for lunch.  Along with the festival-specific vendors, a few of the notable Columbus Asian restaurants were represented, including San-Su (Korean), Siem Riep (Cambodian) and Yaourt (excellent frozen yogurt based in Dublin.)  While watching some of the performances, we snacked on a papaya salad from the booth for Erawan Thai, a restaurant located in southeast Columbus.  The salad, packed in ice, had that right combo of tang, spiciness and fishy flavor to satisfy on what was quickly becoming a very warm day.

There aren't too many Filipinos in Central Ohio (according to one of the festival's exhibits, about 2,500 were calculated in the census year 2010), but I was lucky to catch a performance from a Filipino dance group based out of Dayton.  The Pamana Dance Group gave a very spirited performance of Philippine traditional folk dances, including the Tinikling, a favorite of mine.  Here, two people pound and slide bamboo poles in rhythm while the dancers step and whirl about in and out of the space created from the pole movements.  Considering they had only 20 minutes to perform, leaving little to breaks between the four dances, the group did a fine job.

Eventually, lunch time came around.  Both of us were not terribly hungry still between the pastries at the Angry Baker plus the papaya salad, so we decided to grab some snacks from one of the fair-centric vendors (in this case, an Ohio-based Filipino organization.)  With the hot day, we decided halo halo (Tagalog for "mix-mix"), a Filipino shaved ice dessert made of evaporated milk and an assortment of tropical-based fruits, and a couple of lumpia, essentially the Filipino edition of the egg roll, would do the trick.

Both of the varieties of lumpia we sampled (veggie and pork) had very minor issues - the pork was a little bit salty, and the veggie could've used a little more filling - but all in all they were good.  The rendition of halo-halo was heavy on the nata de coco (three different colors of what is essentially coconut water gel cubes), with sweetened kidney beans, ube (purple yam), strips of langka fruit and plantains, and a dash of pinipig (pounded toasted rice kernels.)

The one big thing that seemed to be missing - something of a cardinal sin in my book - was the lack of macapuno, or young coconut sport.  This, along with langka, would be the minimum must-haves for any version I made up as a young child.  Still, we were satisfied with what we had, as the money was going to a good cause and shaved ice desserts are hard to be beat on a warm, sunny day.

The Angry Baker

891 Oak St (Olde Towne East - Google Maps)

Columbus, OH 43205

Phone:(614) 947-0976

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Columbus Asian Festival 

(Held every Memorial Day Weekend)

Franklin Park Conservatory

1777 E. Broad Street,

Columbus, OH  43203

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