The 614ortyPlatter: Kitchen Island Discs Vol. 2 (Lara Pipia)

My first encounters with our Kitchen Island Discs guest Lara Pipia
were through events like the Columbus Knife Fights
at the former The Commissary in Marble Cliff

Our guest this month for our Kitchen Island Discs segment is someone who has been behind and around many of the most promising and prominent names around the Columbus dining scene. My first encounter with Lara Pipia came at the former The Commissary in Marble Cliff, during a number of their dining events. I've also enjoyed sweet treats from the Northside Library location of Freedom A La Cart, an organization she co-founded dedicated to giving victims of sex trafficking and exploitation practical job skills to help with their community reintegration. Lastly but surely not least, I've been enjoying going through the delicious dishes at Emmett's Cafe, whose menu Pipia had a big hand in developing.

But frankly, enough of me typing away - Lara was more than eager and gracious enough to send us a little bit of her story, and what follows in this blogpost was created by her own hand. She also gave us an amazing playlist, so be sure to take a listen to it.

The 614ortyPlatter - Free Music!...and a little Samin

Along with music, Samin Nosrat was a constant companion
while working from home during 2020

For those of you who have followed along since I have posted my playlists, the amount of music I was listening to while working from home proved to be the inspiration for these food-meets-music explorations. Like many, I definitely miss live music and concerts; frankly, if it's been hard for the consumers like us, it's been multiple times harder for the musicians who make at least a part of their living from their musical pursuits.

As a result, I've been making sure to supplement my Spotify listening (which as everyone knows, pays a pittance to artists for their streamed songs) with actual purchases of merch and music.  I've encouraged those of you who have read and listened along to do so too, and I figure a way I can do that even more is to provide a little bit of a carrot.  Thus, I'm giving away up a $20 gift card to Bandcamp, home of many independent music artists towards that effort.  If you came here first, check out my Instagram page (@CAlipinOH) to get the details on how you can enter the giveaway.

The 614ortyPlatter - Laissez Le Bon Temps Rouler

Even the local supermarkets like Kroger have gotten into
the Fat Tuesday groove of late...

Fat Tuesday (or, depending on where you are in the world, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, or Carnival/Carnaval) has become essentially a day of excess pleasures for the public at large.  Historically, it marks the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Lenten period for a number of religions, including Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians and Anglicans. Typically, for those who observe this period, Lent involves 40 days of self-reflection and -denial, moderation, and reflection on the life, sacrifice, and rising from the dead of Jesus Christ.

In that light, Fat Tuesday essentially is the last day to let out all your excesses, and observing Lent is not required to join in the festivities.  On the food side of the equation, many regional specialties are typically in plentiful supply, and in terms of Columbus, some of these treats have slowly but surely gained shelf space in a number of eateries, bakeries and supermarkets in the area in the past decade.

So in that spirit, we share with you a nice dozen's worth of songs that hint at some of the food traditions found around the world on this decidedly unique tradition celebrated (and ingested) by millions of people.

The 614ortyPlatter - Rhythm Kitchen 1811

The sign outside Columbus's Ace of Cups, one of the many music
venues/bars which has managed to eke by during the pandemic

I must say, these food-meets-music playlist have all played off the various food themes from last week's chocolate to holidays to "dumpster fire" foods to local neighborhoods have been very fun for me, and in many ways it's the perfect intersection of two things that have been my main pathways of exploration the past several years. 

However, one theme that hadn't occurred to me until it was pointed out to me (and I thank Bethia of Columbus Food Adventures for doing so) was the very obvious intersection of music business and food ventures.  Some of the ventures familiar to many include Sammy Hagar and his Cabo Wabo Cantina, Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville, and the Wahlberg Brothers and their Wahlburger fast food chain. 

In many ways, this diversification works on both the celebrity and the local level.  For the celebrity (musician or otherwise) restaurant owner, it offers exposure to the public in another multi-billion dollar industry. For those whose fame is more locally based, there's a sense of community ties as well as an added source of income (this article from Inside Hook has a nice perspective on this side of things.)

Interestingly, if I had just known a little more about the local music scene, I could've had even had a Columbus-based band represent in the Italian Village playlist I released not too long ago. So I figured this would be the perfect week for hitting on that theme for this week's playlist, with a perfect split of local Columbus flair blended with some familiar (but not TOO familiar) musicians and their ties to this intersection of food and music.

The 614ortyPlatter: It's Never Too Late For Chocolate

What can't you do with chocolate?  These chocolate-coated strawberries
from Clintonville's Eagle Family Candies were divine

While most people really don't need a reason to enjoy chocolate, the national holiday calendar gives us multiple days to at least give an excuse for indulging.  National Chocolate Cake Day just passed us by, and National Hot Chocolate Day comes at the end of the month. Other days that await chocolate lovers throughout the year include (but are not exclusive to) National Chocolate Chip Day (May 15th), National Fudge Day (June 16th), National Chocolate Milkshake Day (Sept. 12), and the all encompassing National Chocolate Day (Oct. 28th.)

Ohio itself has its fair share of chocolate makers, from the old-school producers (Canton's Ben Heggy's, Dayton's Esther Price and Winan's, Cincinnati's Fawn Candy, Findlay's Dietsch Brothers, Cleveland's Malley's, and Columbus's Eagle Candy and Anthony Thomas, among others) to newer purveyors like Maverick, Coblentz, Michael's Artisan, Coco Cat, Pure Imagination, and many many more.

So yeah, this playlist is a pretty sweet one, so to speak, one that you should let melt in your ears and not in your hands.