Sandwiches Around The Statehouse: The Carvery

The Carvery, the latest restaurant addition to the bustling Gay Street District, brings a gourmet touch into the crowded downtown sandwich scene. Their base menu centers on five sandwiches, anchored by their signature Porchetta, plus two special-of-the-day offerings (one meat- and one veggie-based), all served on their house-baked bread rolls. In fact, pretty much everything from their meats to their salad dressings are prepared from scratch and in-house.

I had prior sampling of their signature roast porchetta (quite good indeed) at a couple of Moonlight Markets held earlier this year, so I focused in on some of their other offerings on my first visits. Out of these, their roast turkey is my favorite so far: a dry-brine process leaves their turkey quite tender. Supplemented by two slices of their house-cured bacon with lettuce and tomato, it makes for a satisfying lunch. The meatball sandwich was also solid, with a slightly crumbly but tender mix of prosciutto, pork and beef, enveloped in a tomato sauce that played a middle ground between sweet and spicy.

Particularly popular sandwiches can be sold out for later arrivals (their special roast beef sandwich disappeared from the menu before I reached the cash register on one day), but The Carvery offers call-in service for those who don't want to miss out on a particular daily offering.

Clockwise from top: The turkey sandwich and slaw; the
Daily Specials banner; their signature porchetta, and
all manner of baked goods.

A salad option ($6; $2 with an additional protein) is available, along with various sides ($2 - $3) such as pasta salads, slaw and soup. It's hard to imagine anyone but the biggest eaters not feeling stuffed with a side and sandwich combo. Variations on sides tend to change with the day; a standard slaw (pleasant enough, with crisp veggie shards and a not-too creamy base) one day was a spicy poblano slaw (something that sounds more to my particular tastes) on another visit. On another visit, I had a roasted potato side that, while a touch oily, had a nice herb-filled flavor.

They also have a collection of baked goods (typically $1 to $3) at the front consisting of essentially whatever strikes the fancy of the staff that particular day. Their Coconut Surprise cookie was a tasty variation on the Girl Scouts' Samoa/Caramel Delite cookie. Also, those seeking a loaf of bread to take home have extra incentive to grab one from here based on what seem to be some really nice prices

The restaurant did a nice job of creating a fashionable interior, and putting in more seating than one might think would fit comfortably within this generally narrow space. However, their current setup has people backing onto the sidewalk during busy times; this isn't much of an issue in warmer weather, but may need to be looked at when the weather trends to the colder months.

Based on these first visits, The Carvery has sliced out its own distinct sector on the world of downtown sandwich purveyors by focusing on a select collection of quality-laden offerings and supplemental items. You may spend a bit more here than at most neighboring eateries, but you will be rewarded with fare that is a notch above the usual.

2019 Update: The Carvery closed for business in December 2017 due to a building plumbing issue. The owners of Lynn Alley's Si Senor have since taken over the space in October 2018 with their Peruvian fast-casual concept Criollo.

The Carvery
51 E. Gay Street (Downtown - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH  43215
(614) 221-2522
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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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