Goetta Gets You Stuff: Return Travels to Cincy (Pt. 1)

Who knew that going down for Goetta would lead to nice surprise

Several months ago, we made a jaunt for the heck of it a couple hours to the south for a quick little weekend in the Cincinnati area. Suffice it to say, we had a pretty lovely time of it, with our first samplings of an area staple Goetta at Goettafest, visits to The Findlay Market and the American Sign Museum, and some Queen City brewery hopping.

We weren't exactly planning on returning this year (as they say, plenty of places to go, so little time), but it turned out (unknowingly) at the time that a friendly little hashtag on one of my social media got the attention of the folks of the Cincinnati Convention and Visitors Bureau, enough so that they picked us for a lovely little travel package back to come back to the Queen City. Suffice it to say, we were very happy to be picked as winners, and we decided the holiday season would be a great time to come back for a quick pre-Christmas vacation.

Cincy Travels Part 1: Lechon with a Double Shot of History

One of the numerous gorgeous murals which dot Cincinnati's Over-The-Rhine neighborhood

In most of our ventures, my spouse and I have found the history behind our destinations to be as fascinating if not more so than the attraction or food and beverages we have the pleasure to experience.  This could not be more so the case with what might be our most extensive exploration of the Greater Cincinnati area itself, especially when it comes to the Findlay Market and the American Sign Museum.

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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Nothing Like Opening Day! (A Farmers Market Pictorial)

For me, the opening of Farmers Market season in Ohio brings me as well as many others a measure of joy. As much as the winter season may try to fight back (as it did during the opening day of the Clintonville Farmers Market this year), the opening of these markets for me means the warmer, sun-laden months will soon be winning out.

While the Worthington Farmers Market is my favorite area market, I enjoy visiting all the markets around the region whenever I can. I was very happy to recently drop by the opening days of two of the area's markets.

First off, an old standby in Downtown Columbus' Pearl Alley Farmers Market:

The San Antonio Stroll (Pt. 2): Serenity from the West Side

Lips so sweet and tender,

Like petals fallin apart,

Speak once again of my love, my own

Broken song,

Empty words I know

Still live in my heart all alone,

For that moonlit pass by the Alamo,

And rose, my rose of San Antone!

Bob Wills - “San Antonio Rose”

A performance by Faisan Folklorico provided a colorful finish to
a fabulous time with friends and the city of San Antonio's charms

“So how are you doing, sir?”  His voice was warm and welcoming, and his hand extended slowly across the counter.  I offered a brief hesitation, but I responded with what came naturally. Our handshake was firm and friendly, as if we had known each other for decades.

Granted, this was not my first handshake from a restaurant representative: a visit to the Short North’s Philco Diner gave me that pleasure after I had had a meal there. However, this was the first time I could ever recall being greeted with such before I even placed an order.

“Doing well, how about you?” He brushed his hand through his pulled-back, gray-streaked hair and leaned back on his seat. “Oh, I’m fine. I’d be better if my hammertoe wasn’t acting up.”

This would not be your typical Sunday morning visit for coffee for certain.

The Kouign of Little Rock: Mylo Coffee

The promenade along Allsopp Park provides a serene, nature-laden backdrop to Little Rock's Pulaski Heights (or The Heights, for the locals) neighborhood. This probably was one of the furthest places in my mind to experience a bit of a phenomenon in the Breton pastry that is the kouign amann. Stateside, the phenomenon started up in the San Francisco Bay Area at eateries like Starter Bakery and B. Patisserie just as I was packing up and leaving for the Buckeye State. But as I and probably millions before me have learned through my travels, good food is where you find it.

First Impressions: Asian Persuasion Food Truck and Companion Bagel

Asian Persuasion offers Filipino and Thai dishes from their food truck

Asian Persuasion: I grew up as a kid with Filipino cuisine as a staple, and I never really had to search too hard or long for it back in the San Francisco Bay Area. Central Ohio has been a whole other story, however, with options few and far between (the Mya's Fried Chicken food truck special Filipino nights and Red Velvet Cafe's Filipino fusion sandwiches being notable exceptions.) So it was only natural to feel excited when I heard a new food truck featuring Filipino staples was launching in the area in the form of Asian Persuasion.

Cleared to launch operations last month, the truck initially put in a few stops in Dayton, but has now set up regularly in the Columbus area the past couple weeks. One of those locations happened to be at the festivities leading up to an event we were attending (the Cleveland Browns Orange-Brown Scrimmage at The Shoe on The Ohio State University campus last Friday.) Obviously, we were both quite happy to see them and couldn't help but stop by to sample their wares.

On this day, Asian Persuasion featured some Thai dishes such as Thai Beef Jerky and a Papaya Salad; however, we were here to test out the Filipino items, which were represented by a select number of basic staples such as Lumpia (egg rolls), Pancit Bihon (the Filipino version of chow mein), and Lechon (spit-roasted pork). While Lechon was also available in an additional "Americano" sandwich form, we went with the more traditional three dishes.

From top left: Asian Persuasion's mascot Lil' Baboy stands guard; chunks
of spit-roasted Lechon, fried Lumpia rolls, Pancit Bihon

For the most part, I'd say these are all well-done and tasty versions of the dishes I grew up with. The Pancit had a nice lightly garlicky flavor and sported a additional vegetables (in the form of chopped bell peppers) along with what I usually expect in the dish such as cabbage, carrots and scallions. The Lumpia was fried up crisp and to the edge of being burnt (the way I prefer it) and sported a very uniquely fine, almost puréed texture with its meat-filling. Meanwhile, the Lechon was for the most part moist and fatty, just like it should be (kinda' wished there was a sarsa dipping sauce to go with it, but the pork by itself was perfectly fine.)

Service was just a touch slow, which seemed to be due to a combo of factors including many diners asking questions about the dishes, the sheer number of diners itself, and a backup of orders for those who went with Pancit (out of the three dishes I had, this one takes the most time to whip up a new batch.)  Also, I imagine that just sheer experience should help the Asian Persuasion crew process their food much more quickly and efficiently in the upcoming months.

Asian Persuasion can be found stationed at various locations and events around the Columbus metro; please consult their Facebook page for the latest updates.

Asian Persuasion Food Truck
614-580-9885
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Companion Bagel is quite happy to be a small local vendor
at the Clintonville Farmers Market

Companion Bagel:  Even in the limited sphere of bagel providers in the Columbus area, bagel bakers can find it tough to break into the local scene, with the presence of local stalwarts like Sammy's and Block's (Toledo-based Barry Bagels has also recently entered the market), and their bigger chain competitors such as Einstein Bros, Panera and  Breugger's. Perhaps Jake and Jess Hollår, brother/sister founders of Companion Bagel, have the right idea by going in something of the opposite direction: stay small, think big (as in a Bagel CSA(!)), and lure the public in with baked goods featuring uniquely novel flavor conversations.

Based on a brief chat with Jake at their stand at the Clintonville Farmers Market, Companion is definitely a labor of love: not many people are willingly rising at 2 AM in the morning to get their baking process going. Jake himself has been involved in numerous other past food-focused efforts, including stints with The Cheesy Truck and Alana's as well as the Gourmet Picnic, a Columbus-area monthly supper club.

Flavor profiles in Companion's Bagels products, from bialy to bagels
to beyond, are both unique and focus on area ingredient providers

The bagels we sampled from Companion may not satisfy the bagel purists from a texture standpoint - they're a bit bready though negligibly so when compared to a similar offering from Einstein Bros. However, those who are seeking unique flavor profiles will be more than satisfied with their creations. From their Serrano and Date combo, to their changing seasonal variety (in our case, it was a Trumpet mushroom baked with Blue Jacket Dairy's wonderful Gretna Cheese) to our favorite of the first three we brought home (the wonderful olive-y Castelvetrano and Cracked Pepper, featuring North Market Spices port-brined smoked peppercorns), we were more than happy to make these typically breakfast-oriented items our dinner for one night.

While the plan is for Companion Bagel to stay small and sustainable, Jake mentioned that growth may be in the works in the form of their Bagel Chips, which he's hoping to have available in a couple of Clintonville-area markets in the near future.

Companion Bagel
Regularly found at the Clintonville and Jefferson Township Farmers Markets
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Footloose and Gluten-Free: Eban's Bakehouse

Adrienne Novak, co-founder and creator of Eban's Bakehouse
and its line of appealing gluten-free goods

While taste may be the dominant consideration behind a particular food's appeal, general mouthfeel is not that far behind. In some instances, that can be the largest consideration. For example, the taste of durian fruit on a personal basis for me isn't nearly as unappealing as its uniquely stringy, cottony and chewy texture.

For gluten-intolerant and Celiac disease sufferers, finding gluten-free bread that not only tastes decent but also has that generally pleasing texture that only bread delivers is something of a challenge. However, this was an issue that we generally had no worries about ourselves since we (thankfully) do not suffer from these issues.

This changed recently when we learned that relatives of ours discovered they had some gluten-consumption health issues; this news has put us on the watch for both gluten-free recipes and food products that they might enjoy. One thing they did echo was the bread conundrum: the few gluten-free options they found at their local grocery store were  not terribly good, especially in light of the cost, and they basically had conceded that bread would probably be just something to go without from here on out.

With some time to kill a couple weeks ago before headed up to a family gathering, we decided to drop by a place that we had not been to in quite awhile in the Worthington Indoor Farmers Market. At this and other farmers markets, Dan The Baker has been our regular go-to for bread at farmers markets, and sure enough they were doing their usual bang-up business (we stopped by and walked away with their intricately designed and very tasty springerle cookies.)

We had known about and seen Eban's Bakehouse's stand at this and other local farmers markets, but since we took care of bread needs elsewhere, we simply never had thought about dropping by to look at their goods. Old habits almost took over and we were ready to just stroll by when we remembered that their products were in fact gluten-free. On this day, the booth was staffed by the very charming Adrienne Novak, co-founder of Eban's Bakehouse, who invited us to try the bread samples. On this morning, we were more than happy to oblige.

We admittedly didn't have terribly high expectations, based on our own prior experiences with other gluten-free breads and the tales of such by our relatives and others we know. I popped a sample into my mouth and, well, surprise, it had the feel of regular bread. I then focused on the taste, which turned out to be equally quite nice. We tried other samples and reached the same conclusion: these breads were all pretty darn good. As we were sampling the bread, Adrienne gave us a brief primer on Eban's business and mentioned that it had taken her and her business partner/boyfriend (both of whom are trained chefs) about nine months to get the bread recipes just right.

Eban's offers a selection of gluten-free breads and other sweet treats

This is where our first encounter with Eban's gets a little footloose and a lot coincidental. Coming from California, I've become acutely aware of connections between there and the Buckeye State. Not only did we learn that Adrienne lived for a time in California in an area I loved to visit as a kid (Santa Cruz), but she also grew up in the very same town my spouse did as a child (in fact, she knew of and graduated in the same class as one of my spouse's sisters.) Another fun fact we learned about is the name itself, which is a combination of the initials of Adrienne and her business partner/boyfriend.

According to Adrienne, news is good on the business front for Eban's, as word has slowly but surely gotten out about their gluten-free products. These products are mainly focused on their bread varieties (including but not exclusive to Oat, Cinnamon Raisin and Cranberry Walnut), but they also sport a select inventory of cookies and other baked goods. Distribution has expanded into several surrounding states, and she has even been receiving online orders from the western part of this country, where she had always figured they had comparable, well-thought-of products readily available.

On this day, we left with a loaf of Eban's bread as well as a bag of gluten-free dinner rolls to take up to our family event. The dinner rolls were all consumed eagerly at dinner, and the loaf of bread has been quite well-received by our relatives. Based on our and our relatives' experience, we would not be surprised at all to see the upswing continue for this unique local bakery.

Eban's Bakehouse
4086 Broadway
Grove City, OH 43123
(513) 409-EBAN (3226)
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Freeway Rescue: The San Francisco Ferry Building and Farmers Market

An earthquake 60 miles away would set this building free

Little did anyone know that when the devastating Loma Prieta Earthquake struck the Bay Area region in October of 1989, it would free an iconic building from a concrete prison.

Opened in 1898, the San Francisco Ferry Building acted as the gateway to the city for those arriving by train and ferry boat well into the 1930s. However, with the opening of the San Francisco Bay Bridge in 1936 and Golden Gate Bridge in 1937, usage of the building eventually dwindled to a minimum by the 1950s. The construction of Interstate 480 over top of The Embarcadero, the roadway next to the Ferry Building, put a cold, double-decked gray facade across the building's beautiful exterior and seemed to complete its journey into obscurity.

The Loma Prieta Earthquake, which took place before a national audience (it struck minutes before Game 3 of the 1989 World Series was due to start,) damaged the Embarcadero Freeway. This, along with its structural similarity to the section of I-880 across the bay in Oakland which tragically pancaked onto itself, crushing the vehicles below and leading to 42 fatalities, caused city officials to condemn the structure.

By 1991, the freeway had been completely torn down, freeing the Ferry Building from its concrete prison. As the Embarcadero roadway itself began its renovation project, city officials began to re-discover the visual splendor and potential of this historic building. Renovation plans were officially approved in 2000 and the building re-opened with its mix of business tenants, ferry terminal facilities, and retail establishments in March 2003.

Perhaps I myself have regained a new appreciation of what had been seemingly always been there; my work in San Francisco began just a few months before the building's reopening, and my foot travels often took me through the building's expanses. Now that I only get to visit it on an infrequent basis now, I count each visit back as a little special, including this latest trip back to California with my spouse.

Fresh produce was in abundant supply at the Ferry Building Farmers Market
and even brought some truly far away "locals" (the dates were brought
courtesy of a vendor from Southern California's Coachella Valley.)

Held at regular intervals throughout the year, the Ferry Building's Farmers Market, started initially as what was intended to be a one-time event September of 1992, has become an attraction in its own right for locals and visitors to the city, with vendors and booths situated outside of the main Ferry Building structure. Obviously, California's large size and varied climates have their advantages, as numerous fruits and vegetables that would never be found in Ohio's winter farmers markets were at ready for purchase. Other products like cheese, honey and prepared food were also present, many familiar to me (Roli Roti and their rotisserie chicken, Point Reyes Farmstead Cheese, and the Mission District's pastry purveyor Craftsman and Wolves, for example) and a few new vendors whose wares looked promising.)

The regular Ferry Building vendors have a lot to offer visitors on a daily basis,
very much like Columbus' North Market tenants.

Then there are the regular daily vendors of the Ferry Building Marketplace itself. Like Columbus' own similar enterprise (The North Market), some of the vendors have changed over time, but the vendors as a whole cover pretty much every food-related item, from the tools of the trade (Sur La Table and Heath Ceramics) to the basics (fish, produce, cheese, meats, mushrooms and even heirloom beans), from little noshes (Pepple's vegan organic donuts, or the gluten-free goods of Mariposa Baking) to the more fancy (Hog Island Oyster Company's seafood offerings, or The Slanted Door, Charles Phan's renowned upscale take on Vietnamese standards.)

In thinking of the two markets, it is almost impossible not to compare and contrast related vendors. How does Columbus' long-time stalwart coffee roaster Stauf's rate versus Blue Bottle? Maybe crunch out the best breads from the Bay Area's Acme Baking and Columbus' Omega Artisan Baking? What about meticulously crafted ice creams of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams versus the even more outlandish creations of Jake Godby and Humphry Slocombe? Miette Patisseries sweet creations against the lavish creations of German Village's Pistacia Vera? Everyone will reach their own opinions, of course (I have my own, naturally.) The real fun part is the fact that this comparison matrix exists and can be undertaken by anyone willing to do so.

Breakfast this day was Cowgirl Creamery Milk Bar's cheesy creations
and a couple cups of Blue Bottle's java

Our breakfast this day was courtesy of the offshoot of preeminent cheese maker Cowgirl Creamery. Originally based in Marin County at Pt. Reyes Station, this artisan cheesemaker setup the Sidekick Cafe and Milk Bar as a way to branch out from its base business with cheese-oriented preparations and a dairy bar featuring a variety of milk-based beverages (milk is provided by the Straus Family Creamery based in Marshall, CA, which is essentially equivalent to local creamery Snowville out of Pomeroy, OH.)

The Cheese Toasties, essentially an open-faced grilled cheese made with cheddar, caramelized onions & maple mustard and the Baked Egg Sandwich (both items $7.95 and featuring the excellent bread of next door neighbor Acme; I added pancetta to mine for $2 extra) were gloriously gooey and cheesy, and a definite tummy filler. We added a couple of typically well-made java beverages from one of the two Blue Bottle Coffee stands at the Farmers Market (Blue Bottle also has a regular space at the Marketplace; this space is due to be renovated starting January 2015) to add some extra caffeination; this visit was just the start of a big day of touring the city.

Ferry Building Marketplace 
One Ferry Building (Embaracadero/Downtown)
San Francisco, California 94111
(415) 983-8030
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Ferry Building Farmers Farmers Market
Operates Year-Round (except major holidays)
Saturday: 8am–2pm
Tuesday: 10am–2pm
Thursday: 10am–2pm
(415) 291-3276
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Cowgirl Creamery's Sidekick Cafe and Milk Bar
1 Ferry Building # 17
San Francisco, California 94111
(415) 362-9354
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Franklinton Fun (Pt. 1): 400 West Rich Winter Market and Festivus! 2014

400 W. Rich Winter Market sandwich board, and all the goodies
we got with our own Festivus Swig Bag

The holiday season here in Columbus is no stranger to community happenings, and the up-and-coming Franklinton neighborhood was home to several of these events this December weekend. Holding the distinction of Central Ohio's oldest established town, Franklinton's fortunes have been historically adversely affected by its location on a floodplain (the area has been derogatorily referred to as "The Bottoms" over the years.) A formal Federal declaration to declare nearly the entire region as such in the early 1980s eventually fixed the recurring flooding problems (the construction of the area floodwall was completed in 2004) but led to a slow decline in population and abandonment of property when a concurrent halt to new construction was put into effect for that time period.

Recent efforts to revitalize the neighborhood have been steadily progressing, enough so to get national attention. The Atlantic, the prominent monthly magazine originally established in 1857 in Boston, featured the Franklinton neighborhood in a series of stories about the Columbus region overall:

Remaking Columbus's Most Downtrodden Neighborhood

How to Attract Artists to a Down-and-Out Neighborhood

Gentrification 'Without the Negative' in Columbus, Ohio

The facility at 400 West Rich is one of the main cogs of this effort to effect positive change to the area. While we had dropped by their Farmers Market before, we had not previously had a full viewing of the property that was provided by the fourth annual Festivus! event provided event-goers this weekend. Accompanied by a friend from out of town with Columbus ties, we were pleased to find a much more vast expanse (the space contains 100,000 square feet of space) than we had ever figured and the bastion of creativity that resides in the studios contained within.

We found the Farmers Market bustling in its space next to Strongwater Food and Spirits

Coffee was in plentiful supply, with the folks from the Short North's
Mission Coffee and Olde Towne East's Upper Cup Coffee in house. 

Aromaku's Indonesian-styled eats, along with many vendors toting
holiday and other baked edibles, were around to feed the masses. Plenty
of human activities to burn off calories were also around in the form of a
kids' area, yoga classes, as well as a performance by Movement Activities

This was a theme of the day: there really was a lot more to be found
simply by wending through the maze of hallways of 400 West Rich

  

Between the regular Market and the Festivus events, there were plenty of
intriguing goods available for event-goers. I ended up with a nice little
leather mini-wallet from the folks at Open Hand Leather Goods.

Art?  Festivus had plenty of examples for sale and display this day. If you couldn't
find something that appealed to your senses, you weren't trying hard enough.

This enthusiastic event volunteer touted to us the benefits of the event Swig Bag.
Besides a natty tote designed by Sarah Pierce, the bag contained products and
discounts from numerous Columbus area businesses. All proceeds from the event
went to Gladden Community House and the Mid-Ohio Foodbank.

All-in-all, it was fun to simply wander about and not only view the numerous
examples of creativity, but also examine the facility's nooks and crannies.
It was quite evident to see how far this space has become simply
by looking at parts of the facility which have not been renovated.

400 West Rich
Farmers Market and Festivus! 2014
400 West Rich (Franklinton)
Columbus, OH 43215

400 West Rich Facility Links
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