A Sampler: Last Bites for The Nearly Departed

I do not have a long history in Central Ohio, but I have come to appreciate many aspects of the area's history. As a food blogger, this appreciation naturally extends to the area's restaurants, and it came to the forefront during a recent visit to the indoor version of the Worthington Farmers Market. Here, I spied a table selling sauces and other products related to the Florentine Restaurant, an eatery whose 70+ year run as an area institution ended somewhat unexpectedly in December 2016.

Sadly, we never did stop by the Florentine before its demise, but the sighting of the table (we did pick up a bottle of salad dressing we're eager to try) did remind me that it was time to clean up my photo holdings to send some eateries I've visited over the years but never blogged about to the "Nearly Departed" category.  As I performed the archiving, I thought it might be fun to take a peek at some of these places.

Bonchon - this Korean-based chain had a bit of a weird history here in Columbus, arriving with some manner of anticipation with their vaunted Korean Fried Chicken in 2015. However, food safety issues plagued the Sawmill area location, and their second Clintonville location (pictured above) never seemed overly packed whenever we visited.

I Could Be Happy The Rest of my Life on a Cinnamon Whirl (Pt. 1)

The Moravian Sugar Cake from Laughlin's Bakery, topped with
cinnamon, one of my most favorite spices ever

When it comes to sweet treats, those that have cinnamon are hard to beat in my book. In fact, one of the first sweet treats I enjoyed here during one of my first visits to Columbus was the rather substantial (and tasty) rendition put out by the North Market's Omega Artisan Bakery. A recent "Best of Columbus" article by Columbus Monthly provided me some inspiration to try something that I hadn't done in awhile in the form of a food crawl. Add in a desire to seek out parts of the metro I hadn't necessarily wandered much into, and you got yourself one sweet journey indeed.

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

Facebook     Instagram     Twitter     Website

Three is a Magic Number: L’appât Patisserie & Café

Like people, restaurants operate at various speeds. Those geared to efficiency (e.g. fast food restaurants) will get your food to you quicker, but the odds that you will receive something distinctive in the food itself or the experience go down. Those factors reverse when you have a restaurant that operates at a slower pace: ideally, you get will get a much more fulfilling and satisfying experience from the longer time spent at the eatery.

L’appât Patisserie & Café falls in that latter category: while their various unique bakery goods (their nicely flaky chausson pastries are a definite treat) are available for those who have to grab and go, we found that there was nothing like hanging out and spending some time at this quaint eatery in Olde Towne East.

It's amazing to think L'appat qualifies as a bit of a veteran in the fast-evolving Columbus restaurant scene. This Olde Towne East location, the third eatery of husband and wife team Didier and Minervia Alapini, has been open since November of 2011, after two other attempts to establish eateries in both south and Downtown Columbus in 2005 and 2008, respectively. The third time appears to be the proverbial charm for the Alapinis, as they have formed a solid cuilinary core of restaurants in the area along with folks like The Angry Baker and Yellow Brick Pizza, among others.

We dropped by on a lazy Saturday morning with a friend to enjoy their breakfast items and were seriously tempted by the visually delectable items in the pastry case. However, we resisted the temptation of these sweet treats and decided we were more in line for a substantial breakfast.

All very difficult to resist: just a few of L’appât's pastries 

L’appât Patisserie & Café's interior offers nothing too extravagant; nevertheless, the space feels cozy and comfortable. I have never been to a formal afternoon tea service, but the service we received that day from Minervia made me think that we'd get similar treatment in such a place. In a polite yet welcoming manner, our hostess meticulously explained our dining options (L’appât offers a select weekly menu covering all meals except for certain special days of the month; more on that later.) This sense of formality was accentuated by the white porcelain service ware which accompanied our coffee and food, and some actual free samples of the cafe's sweet teas on a white dish. We also got the general sense that there was no need to hurry away: we would be more than welcome to sit back and stay awhile.

L’appât's service, menu, and interior were simple,
formal, and welcoming all at once.

Our guest and my spouse ended up choosing the Mexican Potato Platter ($9.50 w/sausage; $9 for the veggie), whereas I exercised my sweet tooth with an order of their Vanilla Beignets with a side of strawberry preserves and cream for $6. The beignets were perfect in their imperfection, coming in a stack of randomly irregular, powdered-sugar-coated nuggets of lip-smacking goodness. The preserves and cream proved to be a perfect complement.

Vanilla Beignets (Top) and Mexican Potato Platter (Bottom)

The Mexican Potato Platter far exceeded its description on the menu. Simply described as "Potato served with omelet (with) sauteed vegetable in tomato sauce," the potatoes were delightfully herb-laden, and the saute infused the vegetables with that redolent and pleasant sweet tomato tinge. And if we could regularly make a simple egg omelet as silky and airy as the ones that we were served, we'd seriously consider opening our own breakfast place.

As we were finishing up, Didier made an appearance at our table. We had read before about his engaging nature, and his loquacious personality came to the fore as he asked us how our meals were and explained a little more about his restaurant's and his own history, A native of the West African nation of Benin, Didier also let us know about his rotating menus, including a Pan-African menu on Thursday, and the fact that he could offer a specially-catered dinner for larger groups. For the latter, all you had to do was give him advance notice.

No need to convince us; regardless if we can scrounge up a dozen or so buddies of ours, a dinner date here is definitely on the docket. And I'm sure many more lazy weekend days are out there for us to drop by their cozy establishment for some morning eats as well.

L’appât Patisserie & Café
1159 Oak Street (Olde Towne East)
Columbus, OH 43205
(614) 252-6822
Facebook     Twitter     Website

Update: L’appât Patisserie & Café closed its doors on its Olde Towne East location in May 2015. Based on my best guesses, Chef Didier is still putting his culinary talents to use on a private scale, with no word on any future reincarnation of his restaurant.

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

Facebook     Instagram      Twitter     Website

Columbus Asian Festival 

(Held every Memorial Day Weekend)

Franklin Park Conservatory

1777 E. Broad Street,

Columbus, OH  43203

Website