Day of Gluttony, Columbus Style (Part 1)

If nothing else, cutting the cable cord and going to streaming has increased our viewing options several dozen times over.  At times, the sheer number of options overwhelms, but at other times, something unexpected gets us both intrigued enough to invest our viewing time, or when we have an unexpected bunch of time to burn on the couch (such as recently, when the cold bug hit us both.)

Admittedly, both of us are well past our prime food gluttony years (our waistlines still seem to think we're being pretty gluttonous, but that's a whole another future blog post.) Thus, a food show like "Day of Gluttony", originally produced by Tastemade and currently showing on Hulu, didn't hold much promise when we clicked it on a couple weeks ago, but it turned out to be a more fun way to blow an hour than we ever figured.

Bruce Aguirre and Harry Yuan, hosts of Tastemade's "Day of Gluttony",
is available for viewing on the Hulu streaming service

First, the hosts were Asian (Harry Yuan and Bruce Aguirre, of Chinese and Filipino descent, respectively) something that I just don't see all that often.  Second, the first episode was shot in a place I know pretty well in San Francisco, where I worked and lived for a number of years before moving to Ohio. Also, the show's concept was pretty simple - finish 24 dishes at 24 different venues in a span of 24 hours or less.

We dove in and found ourselves entertained, with great chemistry between the hosts, rapid-fire coverage of places visited, efforts (intentional? perhaps...) of various venues to derail the hosts with extra dishes, and liberal use of old-school arcade graphics, enough so to put it on our current rotation to get through its ten-episode run (we found no indication of a season two as of now.)

Hedging on the Veggies

Vegetables, exotic and more familiar, at Columbus's Saraga International Market

Kids hate their vegetables, right? At least, the conventional wisdom leans that way, but when you look deeper into the matter, there’s not much defining data. One article in the Mirror UK shows people have a natural aversion to green and other “weird” colors, yet an article in The Daily Meal notes Broccoli as one of the most well liked kids' veggies.  Meanwhile, a report found in HuffPost’s Australia posits a double-whammy: a natural human instinct to avoid off-putting bitter or sour flavors plus a lack of instinct to like veggies in the first place.

However, there are plenty of articles to be had about the strategies and hacks a parent can use to get their youngsters to actually eat these generally nutrition-laden foods.

Would any of those have worked in my case? Who knows, but I could tell you that a vegetable's texture played a bigger role than than the taste, and still does to a certain extent. Mushy vegetables (peas for some reason were a notable exception), especially those used in the traditional soup-based dishes my parents would make, were enjoyed as much as my parents' Andy Williams or Perry Como albums - tolerated, but nothing more. On the other hand, green beans and carrots, like my mom's Tom Jones' albums, offered more snap, so I favored them more. And corn and potatoes, from fries to baked to mashed, proved much like Santana's "Abraxas" (on 8-Track cassette to boot) album - they could be repeated ad infinitum as far as I was concerned.

Playing The Host: A Kid-Friendly Tour of Columbus (Pt. 2)

A bloom hangs on against the impending winter cold at Columbus's Park of Roses

As noted in the last blogpost, we don't get to play host very often to family members, so when we do it becomes a special occasion, especially when there are kids (in this case, a 10- and a 13-year old) involved. This kid-friendly (though, in reality, an all-ages-friendly) excursion continues in this blogpost with another German Village staple.

It's Not The Journey, But The Destination That Matters

The above photo highlights one of the first times I got to sample the creations of Columbus' "Donut Queen" aka Heather Morris, owner and force behind Destination Donuts.

At that time, Columbus (a very under-the-radar donut town, if I do say so myself) had little in the way of more fancy donut creations, and Morris saw the opportunity in the market for her more upscale, gourmet creations. Her pop-up made regular appearances at the North Market, and her creations were just starting to make her way out to local shops like The Hills Market and Luck Brothers Coffee in Grandview Heights. The locations she regularly stopped weren't necessarily easy for us to get to in those days, but we made it a point to grab her inventive flavor creations like Raspberry Hibiscus, Thai Peanut and Caramel Apple. Even better: the simpler flavors like her Dueling Vanilla and her vegan creations are equally as flavorful and addicting as those fancier models.

Black Friday Libations Tour: Columbus Edition (Pt. 1)

Starting in 2015, various members of my family decided to break with the shopping tradition on Black Friday and instead embark on a brewery and spirits tour. With the Detroit and Cleveland (on last year's tour) covered, it seemed only natural to turn our attentions south toward Columbus this year.

In a way, however, this particular tour was 25 years in the making. That’s when my one of my now many brothers-in-law landed a theater assignment in Columbus in the early 1990s. During that stint, he happened to wander into a shiny brand new downtown area brewpub named Barley’s Ale House (easy stumbling distance from his Victorian Village rental) and was almost immediately hooked. From there, he gained a growing appreciation of the still fledgling local beer scene, one which was still dominated by Budweiser but dotted with a blast from the past (Hoster) as well as a few small upstarts like Barley’s and Columbus Brewing.

Also born at this time was his love for homebrewing; in fact, he bought his first homebrewing kit from Barley’s head brewer himself, Angelo Signorino. It is a passion that continues strongly to this day, with a particular interest in the classic German styles of beer and brewing. He eventually moved with his family to parts farther west, but he never lost his love for where it all started.

I Feel Pretty (Hungry) - West Side Market

During my relatively short time as a younger lad when I lived within the boundaries of the city and county of San Francisco, some of my most memorable moments came with spending time with my grandparents. From hours at the Municipal Pier fishing and crabbing, to strolls through Chinatown (if we kids were lucky, we would pick up some pork buns or packages of haw flakes,) or trips to Mitchell's Ice Cream to pick up some tropical-fruit-flavored ice cream, the world grew exponentially large during these times, and my brain would try to absorb all that was whirling about me.

Another fun place for me was the Alemany Farmers Market. Decidedly unfancy, this market, the first-established in the state, was a working family's nirvana, with vendors selling loads of produce from concrete stalls. While I admittedly was a kid who often claimed to be veggie-allergic most days, the bright color vibrancy I spied from tomato red to bok choy green to eggplant purple, the push and pull of the bustling crowd, and the multilingual chatter of vendors and visitors was a sensory extravaganza.

The latter memories had nestled within me in deep dormancy, almost forgotten. But then, nearly unexpectedly, those same cues I had experienced in my younger days sprouted to life again as I strolled the produce arcade of Cleveland's West Side Market in the Ohio City neighborhood.

What catches the eye immediately is the market's main building, a grand neo-classical brick construct with clock tower completed in 1912 (with some refurbishments and upgrades since.) This structure continues to draw your eyes to it as you wander inside upward to its tiled walls and vaulted ceilings. For me, it is not hard to think of the similarities between it and San Francisco's Ferry Building, a place I used to wander through on a regular basis.

Unlike the two other such markets I have had the most recent experience with (Columbus' North Market and San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace), however, the stalls at Cleveland's West Side Market don't generally sport bright signage, hint at hipster cool, or even try to grasp at anything froufrou. Aside from some personal touches from vendor to vendor, the products offered are the main distinguishing feature from one booth from another.

For me, much of what fuels the West Side Market is threefold: first off, its sheer size is mesmerizing - over 180 stalls total (many vendors double up on their spaces) are available within the main building and the outdoor produce arcade combined. The Ferry Building Marketplace comes close to that number when it combines with the Saturday version of their Farmers Market with normal operations, but on a year-round basis, the West Side Market stands alone in comparison

Also striking was the heavy presence of what I'll call "meat and potatoes" - the sheer number of meat and other protein vendors to me was a eye-catching aspect. Combined together, meat and produce sellers make up over half of the 110-plus total vendors doing business at the market.

Finally, the vendors reflect the current and historic cultural diversity found in the Cleveland metro area. From Polish to Hungarian to Middle Eastern and onward, the smorgasbord of goods for sale makes it that much harder to keep your wallet inside your pocket or purse.

Perhaps it speaks to the West Side Market's essence that the item that draws the biggest line isn't some fancy coffee preparation or artisanal ice cream but an everyday sort of item in the gyro sandwich. However, the gyro made by Steve's Gyros, with its homemade tzatziki sauce and lauded nationally in broadcast shows such as Man V. Food and The Best Thing I Ever Ate, is an uncommon creation, and folks hoping to land one this day were in plentiful supply.

It's perhaps a blessing and a curse that we came to the West Side Market this day with full bellies. On the plus side, we weren't tempted to spend more than we should have on various food items. And while we did spend some money on some delicious tasting vegetables from Bacha Produce (yes, chatting up potential customers does work,) fresh-baked pumpernickel bread from Vera's Bakery, and a bouquet of flowers from Ohio City Flowers for a gathering later on that day, the fact that we didn't have that temptation to delve in deeper felt disappointing strictly from an explorer's mindset.

We look forward to soothing that latter disappointment soon.

West Side Market
1979 W 25th St. (Google Maps)
Cleveland, OH 44113
Monday & Wednesday: 7am – 4pm
Friday & Saturday: 7am – 6pm
Sunday: 12pm – 6pm
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The Carnage Plate, Refined: Little Eater

This, my friends, is my version of a carnage plate, Little Eater-styled.

Carnage is a word that generally carries negative connotations. And yes, carnage is not a word generally associated with the well-regarded and beloved Columbus' North Market. In fact, most people would probably dream of the heat of hot chicken, the airy chew of macarons, and the waft of ripe produce, simmering stews. and all manner of bakery goods, rather than anything destructive.

It most definitely isn't pretty, but I dare say carnage has never tasted better.

Fried Chicken Bender (Pt. 5): Hot Chicken Takeover

Hot Chicken Takeover, now occupying the second floor of Columbus'
North Market has become something of a local phenomenon since
it started as a mere idea for a pop-up restaurant in late 2013

Like Northeast Ohio's Barberton Fried Chicken, a Serbian variant on this ubiquitous dish as described in an earlier blog post on White House Chicken, the origin of Nashville's hot variant of this dish has an equally lengthy history dating back to the 1930s. Perhaps reflective of the dish itself, the history is a much more fiery one to boot.

As the legend goes, in the 1930's, notorious ladies' man Thornton Prince was met at home by his woman, who was none too pleased with his evening's female-oriented activities. She doctored up his usual fried chicken meal the next morning with an ungodly amount of spice as an act of revenge; unfortunately for her, Prince actually loved the dish. Shortly thereafter, Prince turned this dish into what would eventually become Prince's Hot Chicken Shack, the original purveyor of what has become Nashville's signature dish and the latest and greatest thing in many cities around the country.

The latter has certainly been the case here in Columbus. In fact, you might even call it a takeover of sorts in this area, as the folks at Hot Chicken Takeover (HCT) have turned this flaming creation into a local phenomenon of long lines, community giving and critical acclaim, including Columbus Alive's designation as Best Restaurant in its 2015 Readers Poll.

In many ways, owner Joe DeLoss' brainstorm of an eatery has led a charmed life. From its origins as a mere idea after a Nashville-area visit in late 2013, DeLoss created a somewhat unconventional weekend pop-up restaurant in one of Columbus' still emerging neighborhoods in Olde Towne East. Hallmarks of this pop-up involved, among other things, a pre-ordering of your meal via event tickets, free beverages (both water and their Ma's Sweet Tea,) community-styled seating that encouraged interaction between strangers, and a community support component (including an emphasis on hiring those who have traditionally had problems getting work and a program where tips are put toward HCT employee benefits.)

The buzz created from their operation led to a temporarily temporary/now permanent second floor space at Columbus' destination North Market, followed by a successful crowdfunding campaign for a food truck. With that truck, HCT has been taking its wares to various local events (including Columbus Crew games) and on a summer "tour" of Columbus' community stops (as determined by a popular vote campaign), including their original "home" neighborhood of Olde Towne East.

While HCT has adapted to its North Market brick-and-mortar location,
the base model that emerged from its pop-up days has stayed in tact

The HCT formula was tweaked over time at their original pop-up (the ticketing system went by the wayside, replaced by a more standard payment system and a social media-based notification system on what chicken was left for ordering) but the eventual end product is more or less what one will find at their North Market brick-and-mortar location. Lines at the usual busy times are commonplace but the queue typically goes fairly fast. Meanwhile, long bench seating duplicates the community-style dine-in experience of the pop-up restaurant, and a chalkboard keeps updated "what's left" chicken piece numbers for visitors. Containers of Ma's Sweet Tea, Water, and a table of various condiments are found just past the ordering area.

HCT's fried chicken mirrors the typical preparation (basically, chicken is brined, double-fried and rubbed with a cayenne-based paste) and service (the chicken comes with pickles and basic white bread) of its Nashville poultry cousin. The ordering has remained much the same as its pop-up location: the diner chooses the type of chicken (wings, drumsticks, white, dark, boneless or a sandwich) and the spice level (cold, warm, hot and holy (aka extremely hot)). All orders come with mac 'n cheese or cole slaw by default, though you can decline the sides and pay less. Extra pieces and/or sides (such as waffles) can also be ordered, and a kid's meal is also available. Banana pudding is available as a sweet treat for the end of the meal, and Boylan's Cola is available for folks who aren't into their sweet tea.

From the Top Left: HCT's base model dark meat combo (holy spice
level); a peek inside their sandwich; free beverages include
water and Ma's Sweet Tea

As spicy food lovers, we had heard about Nashville hot chicken before HCT's establishment, and we were more than eager to try their "holy" level chicken, but for our first visit we wanted to come in at one level below that to get an idea of what we were in for and settled for "hot." My spouse is a dark meat lover and went for their dark thigh and leg combo, while I decided to try out their sandwich.

No complaints from either of us here for either of our dishes: both had a nice kick from the cayenne, and chicken itself had a nicely crunchy exterior and juicy meat interior. As for our sides, the Ma's Mac was appropriately cheesy and gooey (sandwich orderers get double the mac 'n cheese, as the slaw goes onto the sandwich), and we both appreciated the tangy, non-mayo-based slaw. The sweet tea also seems to hit the right spot, coming just underneath a level that would be considered cloying by our standards.

Our later dive into the "holy" level for us was undertaken with the same order for my spouse (the dark thigh and leg combo) while I went with the white bone-in breast chicken. If nothing else, it demonstrated to me two things, one of which I knew and one of which was slightly unexpected. First, our spice tolerances have increased: the heat burn (a warming but not uncomfortable sensation) from the chicken was felt outside on the lips and chin rather than inside our mouths.

Secondly, I figured out I didn't need to the hottest level to enjoy HCT's chicken - this was still as juicy and crispy as the hot level, and I'm sure the "cold" level chicken (which I would not mind trying in the future) will be equally as tasty and juicy despite the lack of spice. My spouse, on the other hand, loved this spice level, and will have no problems keeping the "holy" level as her default on our future visits.

Hot Chicken Takeover

North Market. 2nd Floor
59 Spruce St. (Arena District)

Columbus, OH 43215

(614) 800-4538

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Colorado Road Trip: Just A Little Bit Boulder (Pt. 2)

Part 1 of our Boulder day trip can be read at this blog post link:

Of course, we couldn't not visit Boulder without sampling some of the city's eateries. Our experiences in this mountain town includes an eatery bringing a touch of South America to Colorado and a space that combines coffee, cheese and charcuterie.

Rincon Argentino: Empanadas and all their hand pie cousins are something of an underrated culinary commodity. While the general concept (baked dough with some savory filling) is the same, the slight variations in preparation make cross-cultural and cross-border comparisons viable, not unlike another dough-related construct (the donut...or should that be beignet? Malasalada? Paczki?) Opened in 2012 in The Village shopping center, Rincon Argentino has been providing their country's version of these portable eats as well as other staples of Argentine cuisine to the residents of Boulder to much success.

Two things stood out as we made our way into the eatery and to the front counter to order. The first was a small chalkboard sign outside that invited folks to join them for mate; indeed, Rincon Argentino brings their country's tradition to the forefront, offering a "Mate Power Hour" every afternoon. Diners who partake in this ritual will get their of yerba mate tea served in a traditional gourd. For those not into mate, the usual fizzy beverages are available as well as select Colorado craft beer taps (on our visit, beer selections from Upslope, Odell and Avery were on draft.)

The second was the main chalkboard, detailing not only their numerous empanada varieties but also other Argentine specialties such as their milanesa (basically, a breaded and fried protein of some sort) and lomito (steak) sandwiches.

Top Left to Right: A collection of Rincon Argentino's empanada; a menu
board that makes it hard to decide; a shrine to Argentine sports stars,
including lengendary Maradona; tubs of their "Super Dulce de
Leche" ice cream; and an invitation to diners for Mate time

As tasty as the sandwiches sounded, we were here this day for the empanadas. We decided to order a swath of these pockets of deliciousness and were not disappointed; out of the six, the standouts were the two spicy steak (Carne Picante) and ground beef (Criollo) empanadas as well as their wild mushroom (Hongos). The two accompanying green and red sauces both had a nice kick to them; it was fun figuring out which sauce went best with each empanada variety. For locals, packs of frozen empanadas are available for taking out and preparing in their own home.

We did not indulge in any desserts during our stay, but it wasn't like we weren't tempted. This eatery has tubs of "Super Dulce De Leche" ice cream in the freezer case, as well as a delicious Pasta Frola tart (made with quince paste.)

As we sat down, we noticed a shrine to various Argentine athletes across all sports. Being Boulder, it was cool to see the race bib of an Argentine triathlete on the wall, as well as one of the first names I became familiar with when I started paying attention to the sport of tennis (Guillermo Vilas.) However, it was not surprising to see most of the display devoted to soccer and Argentine legends Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.

Rincon Argentino

2525 Arapahoe Avenue
The Village - A05
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 442-4133
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The entryway to coffee, cheese, charcuterie and a whole lot more

Boxcar Coffee Roasters/Cured: We were here actually to visit Boxcar Coffee, based on a tip from some of the folks who work at Columbus' own One Line Coffee. What we discovered upon arrival was that their Boulder-based space (their home city; they also have a location in Denver proper)  was co-shared with Cured, a local provider of cheese, charcuterie and a lot more.

On one side of the space, Boxcar Coffee brews their coffees. Opened up in 2011, Boxcar specializes in small batch single-origin bean roasting, using a German-manufactured machine built around 1930. They also have adapted their preparation of coffee to account for the lower water boiling temperatures caused by their city's altitude and the requisite lower atmosphere pressures that result. As stated on their website, their "Boilermakr" is inspired by traditional so-called "cowboy coffee" preparation and allows maximum extraction from every brewed cup.

Clockwise from Top Left: A dapperly-dressed Boxcar barista runs their
their "Boilermakr" brewing device; yes, we "heart" cafe au laits;
some of Boxcar's pastry noshes as well as their tea and coffee menus

Boxcar's baristas know how to make a visual impression, attired in a dapper combination of long sleeve shirts, vests and dress pants. The staff was also as accommodating as they were nattily dressed - they were happy to oblige my spouse's off-the-menu request for a cafe au lait, Meanwhile, with the warm day ahead, I was in the mood for something iced and went with their latte. Both drinks were well made and quite tasty.

Similar to One Line Coffee, Boxcar's coffee and tea menu is fairly select, with a selection of single-origin brews, basic espresso drinks and teas along with a selection of pastries and other sweets. They even have a cold brew that they bottle in the form of their "Bottlerocket."

Cured's offerings go beyond just cheese and charcuterie

Meanwhile, it is Cured which occupies most of the interior of this co-shared space (both business share a guest seating area.) Cured's main focus lies in its cheese (I spied a few familiars in their cheese case, including Cowgirl Creamery and Oregon's Rogue Creamery) and charcuterie, with the usuals like coppa, chorizo, pancetta and lardo available for purchase.

However, they also offer a pretty decent selection of gourmet food products, freshly baked breads and pretzels and variety of wines to the visitor. They also provide lunch-time eats, with a daily menu of various sandwiches and a couple of sampler cheese plate options. If you are inclined to grab something for an outdoor outing, Cured offers partially-customizable picnic platters that will feed various-sized groups.

While we did not indulge in any Cured's wares on this visit (lunch today would be at the previously mentioned Rincon Argentino), we liked and were tempted at times by the plentiful culinary eye candy they provided. In a way, the space was something like cramming Columbus' North Market vendors Stauf's, Brezel, Curds & Whey, Omega Artisan Baking and The Barrel & Bottle into a space roughly the size of where Hot Chicken Takeover now resides.

Boxcar Coffee Roasters
1825 Pearl St.
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 527-1300
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Cured Cheese Shop
1825 B Pearl Street
Boulder, CO 80302
(720) 389-8096
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Rise and Shine in the Valley: Oxbow Market (Napa, CA)

The sign for Oxbow Market beckons just beyond the Napa branch
and outdoor Oxbow merchant Gott's Roadside Diner

San Francisco's Ferry Building Marketplace (as detailed in this prior blogpost) is certainly the most well known of the Bay Area's food-oriented market-style buildings, but it certainly is not the only one.

Oxbow Public Market in Napa, California, opened in December of 2007, is a closer match in terms of retail space and general feel with Columbus' North Market than their San Francisco-based cousin. Unlike Columbus' North Market, Oxbow had struggled originally to attract foot traffic due to a combination of unfortunate events: loss of a major anchor partner in the COPIA art/wine/food center, ongoing road construction which limited egress into the area, and a generally suppressed Bay Area economy during its first few years of operation. However, things have swung for the better for this market, which has found itself at at or close to fully leased status in the last couple years with 22 merchants and a couple of kiosks.

The interior of Napa's Oxbow Market, which has seen a turnaround in its fortunes

We dropped by Oxbow twice during our recent California trip to grab some breakfast. Our first visit brought us to one of Oxbow's most successful vendors in combination with a transplant from San Francisco.

In its four years of existence, C Casa has become a hot spot for locals craving their gourmet tacos and other Mexican-inspired dishes as well as baked goods. Along with their focus on using environmentally raised produce and meats and their offering of craft beer and wines, their entire food menu is gluten-free.

Gluten-free baking is something of an art; those purveyors who can make you forget that your baked goods are such are something of a treasure, and C Casa for the most part has reached that level. I had dropped by just a couple months after their opening and scored a coffee cake that could hold its own with most and one of the most delicious brownies I have ever had. On this visit, we couldn't NOT grab another one of those brownies for later (yes, they were still as good as I had remembered) and grabbed two more additional pastries for more immediate consumption.

My spouse chose what turned out to be a wonderful Apple Fritter, with nice big chunks of apple , perfectly airy and donut-like interior, and a sweet but not too sweet glaze. My order of a Sinnamon Bun, on the other hand, did show just a touch of its gluten-free origin: the flavor was perfectly fine, but its texture was dense and a little chewy, in contrast to the more traditional airy and flaky textures of a typical cinnamon pastry. Despite that, I was more than happy to finish off this treat.

C Casa's delicious gluten-free pastries and a couple cups of
Ritual Coffee pour-over java were a great combination

For our java, we stopped next door to the lone location outside of San Francisco for Bay Area roaster Ritual Coffee. I missed seeing their Iced Coffee on their menu (one of my most favorite iced coffee versions ever was an iced coffee using their beans brewed by San Francisco's Salt House when they for a short time served breakfast) but both my spouse and I were quite happy with her cafe au lait (an item that wasn't on the menu but more than happy to oblige in making) and a latte. Similar to One Line Coffee in Columbus, customers can choose from a selection of beans for pour over coffee or a coffee flight for $10; if coffee or espresso style drinks aren't your bag, tea and hot chocolate are also available.

On our next to last day on our trip, we stopped by another Oxbow Market vendor to start our day. St. Helena-based Model Bakery has provided their bread and other bakery goods at their St. Helena location for approximately 90 years. In 2008, they expanded their reach with a location at Oxbow, which has become a steady destination for locals since their arrival.

The place really has not changed much since our last visit last year with one notable (and happy) exception: Blue Bottle has replaced Peet's as their roaster of choice. Otherwise, their usual selection of breads and baked goods along with cafe style offerings such as sandwiches and quiche were available to all.

Model Bakery has their usual assortment of baked goods, an upgraded coffee
roaster in Blue Bottle, and their to-die-for English Muffin

I personally have thought of Model overall as a half-notch below the best of the Bay Area bakeries in terms of everything is good to very good, but not eye-poppingly great...save for one item. The English Muffin, which has received national attention via The Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" show, is a glorious construct, with its crisp golden-brown cornmeal-coated exterior (helped immensely via the use of ghee) and delightfully light, airy interior, this would be my permanent McMuffin-style sandwich bread if I had my druthers. We went for the delayed gratification in our ordering this morning: while a couple of their muffins plus Blue Bottle coffee was a perfectly nice breakfast on this morning, our purchase of a six-pack of English Muffins to-go was the real treasure. We happily savored each one of them on several morning breakfasts back in the Buckeye State upon our return.

Oxbow Public Market
610 & 644 First Street
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 226-6529
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C CASA
610 First Street
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 226-7700
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Model Bakery
644 First Street, Building B
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 259-1128
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Ritual Coffee
610 First Street, Ste. 12
Napa, CA 94559
(707) 253-1190
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Tried & True: CaJohns Fiery Foods

The North Market, which I first visited on my third trip ever to the Columbus-area, has become a beloved Columbus institution. I've come to find the market, which reminds me a bit of the Oxbow Public Market in Napa, California, to be a charming and welcoming place, and my spouse and I have frequented the market for shopping and various special events.

This first visit took place close to the Thanksgiving holiday, when my then-girlfriend needed to stop by the excellent Curds and Whey cheese shop to pick up some tasty contributions to her family's festivities up in Northwest Ohio.  Due to the season, vendors at the market were all pretty busy; while my spouse waited in line to be served, I decided to investigate the nearby area a bit to check out the nearby vendors.

It didn't take me long to find CaJohns, a local company started in 1996, in the neighboring vendor stall. As one who enjoys almost all things spicy, it didn't take me long to join the others gathered there to sample their sampler jars of salsas and sauces, laid out in inviting fashion on their front counters.

Courtesy of events like the North Market's Fiery Foods Festival and simple exploration, I've learned that Ohio overall has some several companies who turn out eminently chow-worthy hot sauces and salsas, with CaJohns proving to be an eminently reliable and tasty option.

I chose CaJohns as my first tried and true recipient not only because of their reliability, but also because I owe them a thank you.  I have heard it said that people are several times more likely to report a negative experience with a business than they are a positive one.  Well, this is my opportunity to report an experience in the latter column.

In the midst of last year's holiday season, we had bought a jar of salsa from one of favorite local product haunts, the Celebrate Local store at the Easton Shopping center to have with our dinner that night. Unfortunately, we noticed that there were signs of a possible contamination problem upon opening of the jar. We didn't know if this was an isolated incident, but we wanted to the folks at CaJohns to know about it just in case there was something more to it.

We shot them a detailed e-mail with a pictures of what were seeing, and asked whether we should go down to Celebrate Local to exchange the jar.  They got back to us promptly and apologetically, confirming that we had ended up with one of a few jars with an overfill issue and stating we could bring back the jar to wherever it was most convenient for exchange. For us, that meant a visit to the North Market.

The clerk was ready for us when we showed up for us the next night and explained the events.  Not only were we able to exchange the original jar (which is all we had really asked for), the folks at CaJohns threw in three more jars of our choice and a bag of tasty Shagbark Seed and Mill Tortilla Chips for our munching pleasure.

Thanks CaJohns - your goodwill has made an impression with us, and may have even reached farther than you think.  We ended up giving some of the jars to a friend of ours who was visiting from the Upper Midwest. I'm betting that you've earned at least one additional new fan from the Land of 10,000 Lakes.


CaJohns Fiery Foods
The North Market
59 Spruce St (Short North - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH
-and-
816 Green Crest Drive (Google Maps)
Westerville, OH
888-703-3473
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