Bakery 'Round The Corner: Laughlin's Bakery

I've learned that traveling down High Street in the Short North area often gives me a bit of tunnel vision. When I'm in a car, the traffic during the most traveled times slows down to a trudge, caused by a combination of COTA city buses and bicyclists being squeezed along car-lined sidewalks, keeping my focus mainly on the road around me.

When I ride the bus or walk through the area, other distractions predominate. The streams of people traversing this once sketchy neighborhood are natural attention grabbers, not to mention the surrounding buildings, which like a chameleon change over time due either to constant construction or the latest business venture hoping to strike success in one of the metro's most attractive neighborhoods.

These aspects make it easy to lose track of what might lie in the areas block or two over on either side of High, and is certainly a big factor for me personally as to why it took me so long to get over to the very compact space that is Laughlin's Bakery, just a couple dozen steps off the main strip on East 2nd Avenue.

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.

Columbus Coffee Chronicles (Vol. 5): Fox In The Snow

One aspect of a recent Men's Journal article touting Columbus' Fox in the Snow Cafe as one of the nation's "Best Coffee Shops to Unplug" struck a funny geographical chord for me.  According to the article, one regularly can "Picture metal smiths and glass blowers from the nearby Columbus Ideas Foundry mingling with fashion designers from Victoria's Secret (who has its headquarters just miles away)" in this Italian Village gathering place.

While the just over two-and-a-half miles from the Foundry to the cafe may be somewhat nearby, the 20 miles from this cafe to Victoria's Secret Headquarters (located in Reynoldsburg) make it just as likely you'll find this trifecta of groups at any of Columbus' more stylish coffee establishments (Cafe Brioso, One Line Coffee and so forth) as much as Fox in the Snow.

However, the main point of the article cannot be denied: there's no reason to be plugged in when hanging out at Fox in the Snow.

Columbus Coffee Chronicles (Vol. 4): Grandview Grind

It may not have been perceived as such at the time, but the closure of Caribou Coffee outlet in April of 2012 near Grandview Heights may have been a precursor to the (botched) conversion of all of the Buckeye State's Caribou Coffee locations into Peet's Coffee & Tea stores. While some people may say a chain restaurant is a chain restaurant is a chain restaurant, I knew there were enough differences in both the atmosphere and coffee drinks between Caribou and Peet's to distinguish the two in most people's minds. Also, you cannot discount brand loyalty, so it was no surprise to me that Peet's (a chain I had much experience with back in the Bay Area) didn't last too long after its somewhat forced entry into this market.

Caribou Coffee's Grandview-area fans, like other Ohio-located fans of the chain, may rue these events even now. But some solace exists in the coffee cafe which followed in the Grandview location's footsteps, the brainchild of none other than that store's displaced barista, Samantha DeMint.

Columbus Coffee Chronicles (Vol. 3): Highline Coffee

The buildings which make up downtown Worthington, otherwise known as Old or Olde Worthington to the locals, are a reflection of the town's founding; Thomas Kilbourne, the man who purchased the land that would become Worthington, platted the land to be a New England-styled village (indeed, one of the main east-west thoroughfares here is New England Avenue.)

One probably would expect an area like this to have a little neighborhood, locally-oriented coffee cafe of some sort. However, that hasn't been the case pretty much since I moved to the area more than four years ago. There is a nice little triangle in this area of brick-and-mortar eateries where you can grab a cup of coffee brewed from locally-based coffee sources like Stauf's (the French bistro/bakery Le Chatelaine), downtown's Cafe Brioso (courtesy of Sassafras Bakery, one of my local favorites for baked goods), and duo of Roaming Goat and Crimson Cup (the bicycle store/coffee bar mashup Ride Home.)  The outdoor edition of the town's popular Farmers Market also offers its Saturday morning visitors the beans and brews of southern-Ohio based Silver Bridge Coffee out of Gallipolis. 

This situation has changed recently, however, with the arrival of Highline Coffee.

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 and True: Mozart's Cafe

Mozart's has settled in nicely after their 2013 move to North Clintonville

Mozart's Cafe holds a very special place in the hearts of me and my spouse. At their old location in Clintonville (now occupied by Harvest Pizzeria and Kitchen - see my recent post here) and being official long-distance daters for just months, we fell into a fairly deep conversation about the type of house and neighborhood in which we wanted to eventually settle down (definitely not the type of talk you have for a passing fling of a just-because affair.) At our wedding ceremony, we bought one of their delicious carrot cakes to serve as our celebratory dessert. And there was (and still is) something simply relaxing about dropping by on a lazy weekend to grab one of their pastries with a cup of coffee accompanied by strains of music from a live pianist.

The pianist still remains, but the menu and interior
have expanded for the better

Founded in 1995 by Anand and Doris Saha (who met in Switzerland and brought the European theme to Columbus), Mozart's announced they were moving to expanded space in the more northern reaches of Clintonville that originally held the Beechwold Tavern and, more recently, a Cord Camera. This also would allow them to bring their offshoot Vienna Ice, specializing in European-styled gelato and ice cream (and definitely worth a sampling, if you're in the mood), under the same space. After a few delays, the space opened up in August 2013 and, based on our experiences, Mozart's has definitely made the most of their move.

The increased space has allowed Mozart's to expand their horizons on several fronts. Larger events can easily be handled in private dining areas; in general, larger groups can be handled a lot more easily in the common area. For warmer days, patrons can grab a seat in the patio outdoor patio area in front of the restaurant to enjoy the warmer temperatures. In addition to their traditional pianist, Mozart's now holds a wider variety of live music events. And of course, the afternoon tea tradition continues as strong as ever.

Menu options have been broadened for the better as well. Thanks to an approved voter initiative, Mozart's has acquired a liquor license which has allowed the restaurant to offer a variety of wines and beer; mead from Columbus favorite Brothers Drake is also available.

From pastries to breakfast and onward, Mozart's
expanded menu remains satisfying

Their hearty European-fare menu (most breakfast and brunch items are hover around $10; dinner-oriented items are in the $13 - $16 range) remains solidly satisfying, and has been enhanced with the addition of some select well-received items and more American-styled offerings such as Angus burgers. In addition, meal portion sizes may have actually increased a bit with no loss in tastiness: on my parents' recent visit to Ohio, we found that the breakfast sandwiches were more than enough for a meal and made for some good leftovers. Their quiches are almost always on the consideration lists of my spouse and I whenever we visit, and their schnitzel seems to have been improved compared to the past.

Of course, I can't possibly not talk about their European-style pastries. It's hard to pick a favorite, but their Plunder (especially their poppyseed variety) is one of my all-time favorite sweet treats in the area, flaky and sweet without being too cloying. They have expanded their other offerings as well, adding tortes and other delectable-looking treats to their daily display cases. It would seem almost impossible to not find anything at Mozart's that wouldn't satisfy your sweet tooth.

Perhaps the most satisfying thing I have come to know, both pre- and post-move, is the love and support that the Sahas and the Clintonville community mutually share for one another. Their annual birthday party, which corresponds with the founding of their business as well as the birthday of their namesake classical composer, now draws thousands of people and is perhaps the most definitive expression of how Mozart's has become a true local treasure.

Mozart's
4784 North High Street (Clintonville/Old Beechwold - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH 43214
(614) 268-3687
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Biking and Brunching: Pistacia Vera

Biking to your brunch destination has its benefits other than the added fitness aspect. It allows you to slow down and appreciate the surroundings of the neighborhoods you pedal through. It helps when the neighborhood is one like German Village, a place for which both local residents of and visitors to the metro area generally have a fondness. The area's charm is multi-faceted, from its history, its architecture, the residents who live there and the businesses which lay within its borders.

One of those businesses, Pistacia Vera, quickly became a favorite of my spouse and I. Their signature gluten-free macarons are still some of the most divine things I have tasted since coming here to Columbus, and their offerings have expanded greatly since they opened their doors in their current location on September, 2007 (they have since opened up a location inside the North Market this year.) 

A visit inside their kitchen during a German Village Food Tour put on by Columbus Food Adventures back in 2012 proved to be an additional treat for the both of us, as we got some behind the scenes info about their restaurant operations as well as sample their macarons to boot.

Just some of Pistacia Vera's tempting pastries

Generally speaking, Pistacia Vera's interior space has always had an inviting, relaxing vibe to me; it feels like a lazy Sunday morning no matter what day I drop by for a visit. Also, the pastries they display not only look gorgeous, but they are displayed in a gorgeous manner. Some non-food items they offer for sale also accentuate this feel, such as the simple but elegant greeting cards they sell from Igloo Letterpress.

That interior lazy Sunday vibe was fine, but with the crowd inside, we were more than happy to take our sweaty selves to the outdoor seating and enjoy the neighborhood views. We were doubly looking forward to this visit because, up until this ride, we had never sampled the brunch menu for Pistacia Vera. After a good solid ride, we were eager to ease back and spend some time savoring our selections. 

After perusing the menu, the Mrs. and I ended up at opposite ends of the spectrum meal-wise. She went for something lighter by choosing their Smoked Salmon Tartare whereas I opted for their Emmentaler Croque (both dishes were $11.)

The excellent Smoked Salmon Tartare with greens and croissant

My croque, which consisted of a brioche with smoked ham, emmentaler and a mornay sauce (a side of greens and dijon was also included) was very well done, quite savory, and pretty darn filling (I was definitely glad that we did not need to speed off anywhere right away to allow me some digestion time.)

However, the winner of the two dishes in our minds though was my spouse's salmon tartare, which is saying something for me in that I generally am not all that much into seafood. All the ingredients (crème fraîche, cucumber, tarragon, lime, lemon and cracked pepper) worked wondefully with the salmon and was the perfect spread for a freshly baked croissant. I would order it myself on next visit should they still have this item on their brunch menu.

The addition of a couple of iced coffees (Pistacia Vera uses their own signature blend created by pre-eminent area roaster Cafe Brioso) on this bike and brunch was the perfect topper on our latest visit to one of Columbus' finest institutions.

2019 Update: Pistacia Vera has expanded beyond their original German Village location, setting up a branch at the North Market in the Arena District.

Pistacia Vera
541 S. 3rd Street (German Village - Google Maps)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 220-9070
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