We're Going To Give It 101%

The Meat Cut chart at Columbus's The Pearl Restaurant that
started the whole 101% Cow Conundrum

In the big-wide world of sports cliches, the phrase "He/she gave 110 percent" is both overused and rather nonsensical from a mathematical standpoint. I imagine most would feel the same if the cliche used 101% instead.

However, would you look more quizzically at me if I said that it was a cow that was giving you that 101%?

Our encounter with the 101% cow conundrum came, at all places, The Pearl Restaurant. One of several Cameron Mitchell concepts which occupy the southern section of the city’s Short North neighborhood, The Pearl is touted as a seafood-oriented gastropub supplemented with fancy cocktails and a international beer list.

During our meal, my spouse was drawn to a chalkboard drawing of a cow which outlined the traditional primal butcher cuts (round, chuck, sirloin, etc.) and the corresponding percentages. After a long glance, she motioned over my shoulder. “Look behind you...does that all add up to 101%?”

I turned, spotted the cow diagram, and mentally added the numbers. “Yep, that’s 101%. Those are some pretty productive cows,” I chuckled.  Of course, I knew the diagram was wrong, but that brought me to thinking: was there such a thing as a definitive meat cut by percentage chart out there?

Well, I decided to look into that topic and came up with a few surprises.

Two of the Old Guard: Michael's Goody Boy Diner/Chef-O-Nette

Considered the oldest restaurant in Columbus proper, Ringside Cafe has
been serving its burgers and other eats in Pearl Alley since 1897

I've grown fond of history as I've gotten older, with much of that sparked by my move to Columbus and my curiosity about how this area evolved over time. Being a food blogger, that quest to learn a history behind a place has extended to the restaurants and similar destinations I have both visited and written about.

Columbus itself has a fair number of historic restaurants, with two restaurants reaching back to 1900 or before in German Village's Hey Hey Bar & Grill (1900) and the downtown-located Ringside Cafe (1897.)  With that said, even the more recent vintage eateries can be a fun trip back in time, and in two consecutive weekends, we randomly dropped by eateries which have roots to the decade proceeding World War II in Michael's Goody Boy Diner and Chef-O-Nette.

Evolution of a Mission: Mission Coffee

When Mission Coffee opened up in October of 2012 in the Short North, they had joined a coffee scene whose quality and general public awareness was under the radar to most folks outside the immediate area. Things have changed immensely since that debut for Mission and the Columbus coffee scene, however. Slowly but surely, the quality of the Columbus coffee scene has received notice on a national scale, as exampled by this March 2018 article by USA Today

Add in an appealing incentive in the Columbus Coffee Experience, a coffee trail featuring some of the best area coffee purveyors, as well as by an influx of new roasters such as Florin, Ramble and Bacca joining established members like Thunderkiss, Stauf's and Crimson Cup in creating a wealth of beans for the local consumer to sample, and you have the definition of a burgeoning scene. In its own right, Mission has tapped into this momentum to become one of the city's best coffee experiences.

Black Friday Libations Tour: Columbus Edition (Pt. 2)

An older bottle of Scarlet Solstice from Brothers Drake Meadery, which
has been plying its trade in Columbus for nearly a decade.

One of the more unique aspects of our family tours lies in the fact that one of our party members who sports a severe gluten allergy (in fact, we tried to make a quick trip over to Merion Village's Bake Me Happy, but alas they were closed for the entire Thanksgiving Day weekend.)  That very fact makes our touring that much more interesting, as that puts destinations focusing on ciders, meads and spirits on our radar for possible visits. This was definitely the case when it came to Central Ohio's original meadery in the Short North's Brothers Drake.

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.

The Power of Poké: Hai Poké

Are you a jack-of-all-trades or a specialist? You can make it work both ways
in the restaurant world (still from the movie "Five Deadly Venoms" as 
published in the book "Sex & Zen and a Bullet in the Head")

Recently, I was reminded about one of my favorite films from my younger days in the 1970's-era martial arts cult classic movie "Five Deadly Venoms" (highly recommended, especially if you're a martial arts movie fan that appreciates a more sophisticated plot line than typical.).

I won't go too deep into the movie's details, but the movie's base plot involves a dying martial arts master's final student, who was taught to be a jack-of-all-trades (familiar with all, master of none) in regard to his master's various styles. This student is tasked by his master to seek out the masters' prior students, each of whom were taught individually to be experts in one of their master's particular martial arts styles, determine if any had turned to evil and, with the assistance of the good Venoms, vanquish them.

In the restaurant world, either the jack-of-all-trades or singular expert focus can work if done correctly. An eatery that does a bunch of different food items well (we'll example Northstar Cafe here) can be equally as successful as one that does a particular thing expertly (the delicious momos of one of Columbus' most welcome newcomers in Momo Ghar.) Hai Poké, which was essentially this metro's introduction to a centuries-old Hawaiian dish, is another successful (and delicious) example that leans on the latter approach.

Firkin Awesome for 25 Years: Barley's Brewing Ale House

For both my spouse and I, the venerable Barley's Brewing Company, the oldest brewpub in the Columbus area, acted as a gateway into craft beer.  For me, this brewpub, which opened its doors in October of 1992, was my first real introduction to Columbus-area craft beer, when a growler of their Scottish Ale (an unusual beer in that they take pale malt and actually scorch it in the mash tun before brewing the beer to achieve the caramel notes) went up with us to take to my wife's family for Thanksgiving Day libations.

As for my spouse, her brother, who made the brewpub a regular destination when it opened its doors, introduced her to its craft beer charms. That very same Scottish Ale was also her first Barley's brew back in 1994, followed by a brew she thought she would never enjoy in the future in the Alexander's Russian Imperial Stout (this notion was proven to be quite wrong, as we shall detail later.)

Lovin' The Oven: Forno Kitchen & Bar

If Corso Ventures isn't one the hottest restaurant development groups in the Columbus area right now, it certainly ranks in the top tier. Their Short North area ventures such as The Short North Pint House (their first) and Standard Hall (their latest to open) are popular destinations to grab brews and food. Down the road, their Food Hall concept, featuring a full bar and four kitchens meant for rotating culinary experiences, is one that we and other area diners are anticipating.

The funny thing is that despite all the good things we have heard about the previously two mentioned eateries, we find ourselves still working through the menu at their second Short North eatery in Forno, and really there's nothing wrong with that.

Tacos Twos-Days: Hass and Bakersfield

When I think of the concept of the food crawl, the taco is just about the perfect vehicle for an elongated effort. When I first got the foodie bug back in San Francisco, my first such quest was all the local taco trucks I could find within a week's period. Once I moved to Columbus, one of my favorite food related excursions turned out to be Columbus Food Adventures' Taco Truck Tour, which shined a light on something I hadn't expected when I moved over here but found quite exciting in Columbus' plethora of traditional taco trucks.

My first preference is almost always going to be the taco truck street taco, but being a fan of the taco concept in general, I like venturing into pretty much anything taco-related, whether it be traditional, fusion, or homemade (our own Filipino adobo shredded chicken tacos have become some our own dinnertime favorites.) This post covers two places I had been intrigued by for awhile in the northwest-based Hass Taqueria and the Short North's popular hangout Bakersfield.

Ice Cream Chronicles (Yr. 4): The Second Time Around

"But you can't keep runnin' away from love

'Cause the first one let you down, no, no, no

And though others try to satisfy you, baby

With me true love can still be found

Love can still be found

The second time around

Ooh, the second time is so much better, baby"

"The Second Time Around" - Shalamar

An underrated factor in trending food lies in its visual appeal, especially in a world where Instagram continues to entice the eyes of millions of users. One of these foods that has washed ashore in the United States relatively recently is "pan-fried" ice cream, more commonly referred to here as Thai Rolled. Popular in many Asian countries, the basic frozen creation is created when a milk base is poured onto a very cold metal plate. Once solid enough, the ice cream is scraped off the surface into figurative rolls. Enhancements and mix-ins can be added in at various parts of the process.

As one might gather from the lyrics, there is a hint of redemption in this particular Ice Cream Chronicles post, and it comes with a relatively new arrival in Columbus' Simply Rolled.

The Smell of Success: Middle West Spirits

As I wandered deeper into the inner works of Columbus' Middle West Spirits distillery space, I fully expected the sight of shiny tanks and coppery stills, and the taste of sampled spirits, to be my prime attention-grabbers. Those did grab my attention indeed, but it was surprisingly my sense of smell which moved to the forefront of my thoughts.

"Mmmm, so nice....smells like a bakery," I mused, as did many fellow Columbus-area food bloggers who I had joined on this day to take this special tour.  We learned that the flour smell came from the ground wheat from around the town of Fostoria, Ohio, considered some of the finest in the country and just one of many signs of this distillery's local-when-possible focus. It was definitely not an experience I had anticipated for this particular tour, but it is this reaction that helps explain the passion behind and the evolution of the city's first micro-distiller.

The grinding of some of the finest Ohio wheat leads to the smell
of distilling success at Columbus' Middle West Spirits

Belle of the Bowl: Brassica

Back in when I lived in the Bay Area, I always made a point to visit the Liba Falafel food truck whenever it was feasible. As good as the falafel itself was, their unique toppings (all made from scratch by truck owner Gail Lillian) found on their so-called "falafel bar" (including but not exclusive to spiced carrot ribbons, cardamon and dill pickles, and harissa hot sauce) elevated your sandwich or bowl to unexpected heights.

Lillian has retired the truck as of 2016, but her falafel and toppings bar lives on at her brick-and-mortar location in Oakland, CA. I would love to try their brick-and-mortar one of these days for nostalgia's sake, but that pursuit I admit has lessened significantly when Brassica arrived upon the local Columbus scene.

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.

Primos Carnales: Barrio (Cleveland) and Condado (Columbus)

What do you get in Ohio when you blend together fancified, customizable tacos, a good selection of adult beverages, and a restaurant space splashed liberally with Day of the Dead-styled motifs and similar decor?

You get restaurants like Cleveland's Barrio and Columbus' Condado.

The common denominator with these two kissing cousin eateries lies in one Joe Kahn. Kahn started up Cleveland's Barrio in 2012 in the Tremont neighborhood; its ncreasing popularity prompted a second Lakewood location in 2013. As it turned out, Kahn wouldn't be much longer for the Cleveland market after its opening, as he sold the rights to these restaurants to his partners with the intent of bringing the concept down to the Columbus area.

Since Kahn's departure, Barrio has since continued to grow, opening a third location at the 5th Street Arcades in the Gateway area of downtown right around (appropriately enough) Cinco de Mayo of 2014. Two-and-a-half hours southward on I-71, Kahn's Columbus-based Condado was setting up shop in the Short North, already the home of a very well-received and similarly fancy taco and adult beverage oriented Bakersfield.. Kahn opened the doors to Condado just over one year ago in November of 2014.

The interior of Barrio's Gateway location in downtown Cleveland

My first visit of these two eateries took place at Barrio at their newest downtown location. Sporting an outdoor patio area (perfect for casual dining in the warmer months) and a main dining area with a centralized bar area, it was evident that this eatery is a natural draw for some post-work libations for area workers: a steady flow of patrons filtered in after I took my seat at the bar area. Interior decor was dominated here by spiky-star light fixtures and a Day of the Dead mariachi band mural.

Condado sports its own festive interior at its Short North location

In contrast, Condado's interior decor is a bit more varied: what seemed to be a town fiesta mural dominated one side of the room, while the rest of the room was dotted with tilework, animal and human masks and skulls, and a large "Tacos Delicioso" sign. Here, the bar lies to the rear of the space; individual and longer bench-style tables, the latter featuring some neat swing-out stool seats, dominate the central area of the space.

Along with atmospheres geared for socializing, both places are equipped with adult beverage choices to help loosen diners' tongues. Margarita and tequila options as well as a good selection of craft beer on tap are available at both locations, with several handles devoted to local Ohio-breweries.

Like many similar restaurants, its easy to gorge too much on the pre-menu chips and salsa, and these are generally fairly addicting renditions. I also got the chance to try the basic guacamole at Barrio, which is both a notch better than most and a fairly large helping for the price paid.

Obviously, tacos are the main way to go at either of these eateries (though Barrio in Cleveland does now offer a brunch with a couple of non-taco items), and I imagine your decision will really be influenced with how hard you want to think. Both places offer both build-them-yourself or pre-designed varieties which they dub "Taco Suggestions."  With my first visit being to Barrio, I was dead set on mastering the make-it-yourself system, which is done with Scantron-like forms to mark off tortilla types, toppings and proteins.

The ordering forms at both reminded me of the Scantron forms
I used to take a myriad of exams at the college level

Though taco trucks are definitely my preferred source for tacos, I do like the opportunity to experiment with the multiplicity of options at both these eateries. In reality though, you as the diner are at least partially to blame if your combo doesn't quite work out taste-wise. Perhaps the best (and only) way to figure out what works long-term is through multiple visits and narrowing down what's truly appealing and what's merely ancillary.

In contrast, with my chances of dropping of Condado on any given day being a lot greater, I wanted to test out some of their items on their "Taco Suggestions" menu for future "don't want to think about it too hard" days. The pork-based "Poncho's Ghost" (a hard shell with pulled pork, red cabbage, onions and tomatoes, cheese and ghost pepper sauce) was the clearn winner from my batch of tacos, cementing my feeling from Barrio that the pork and flavorful ghost pepper sauce (despite the scary sound, this sauce's heat level is toned down a bit at both locations) are go-to items in future visits.

Experience with the taco ordering process at one of these eateries
will easily prepare you for dining at the other

In terms of other proteins, the chicken featured in tacos at both locations (at Condado, the chicken came with the Herve Villechaize, a soft shell taco featuring lettuce, onions, tomatoes, smoked cheddar, pineapple salsa and habanero mango BBQ sauce) was just a touch dry on its own but otherwise well-grilled. The story was similar with Barrio's chorizo: it sported less kick than I might have liked, but it was otherwise perfectly tasty.

The only quibble I have with Condado's vegetarian El Posada (featuring a flour shell, tofu, chipotle honey, jicama, queso fresco, salsa roja and pineapple salsa) was not so much with the taste (I appreciate that this option is on the menu; Barrio sports a similar item in their Saturday Night Live punnily-named "Curd Ferguson") but the size of the tofu. With the slippery interior, the tofu tended to come out whole from inside before I could bite through these big pieces. Perhaps I'll just have to try to master the art of eating tofu in a tortilla the next visit out, or maybe take a knife to cut those cubes to a more manageable size next time around.

Barrio
503 Prospect Ave (Gateway)
Cleveland, OH 44114
216-862-4652
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Condado
1227 North High Street (Short North)
Columbus, OH 43201
(614) 928-3909
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Breakfast Via The 415: Tasi Cafe

Being nestled off the main traffic pathways of the Short North
hasn't hurt Tasi Cafe's popularity one bit

Living three decades in the San Francisco Bay Area, I've grown attuned to people in this area who have connections to my former stomping grounds. On one of my early visits to the Columbus, a brunch date with my spouse brought me (unknowingly at the time) to a Short North institution whose origins more or less came from the city by the bay..

As detailed in this Short North Gazette article, Anastasia Rigsby (or Tasi for short) spent her childhood years growing up in San Francisco. Her experiences as a youth with her restaurant-owner father gave her a feeling she would go into the restaurant business long before a chance meeting with her future husband Kent at his pioneering Short North restaurant Rigsby's Cafe gave her a channel to bring that notion to life in her namesake cafe, Tasi. The pair has expanded their eateries since the cafe's opening in 2008, adding the Short North-based Eleni-Christina Bakery (which provides all the pastries to the cafe) as well as their newest venture, the Bexley-based Zoe Cafe.

Interestingly enough, this somewhat off-the-main-drag location in the Short North at the corner of Brickel and Pearl gave me the vibe of a neighborhood-type place I might find in San Francisco during my first dining experience there. In terms of a local comparison, I found Tasi eventually reminding me as a slightly less expensive but slightly more conventional take on what Northstar Cafe brings to their diners.

Not much has changed with Tasi's general interior atmosphere,
operations, or popularity since my spouse and I made our first visit here

Despite new eateries arriving in the neighborhood since Tasi's opening and the general increase in brunch/breakfast service by area restaurants in general, Tasi has remained popular with neighborhood denizens. This fact, along with the rather cozy quarters within this brick-lined space (warning: the practice of diners "reserving" seats at empty tables before they place their orders at the counter is really frowned upon) makes having time to burn, a willingness/ability to go during off-peak hours, or a desire to take something to go a must for non-neighborhood visitors.

Not much has changed either with the ordering process: diners queue up at the counter (on our latest visit, staff seemed to be making a conscious effort to take no new orders until seats open up, which wasn't always the case on earlier visits) to place their orders. When things are busy, visitors to Tasi have plenty of time to peruse the length-of-the-room breakfast and lunch chalkboard menu above. Once an order is placed for those dining in-house, Tasi adds a colorful touch by giving you a placard representing a particular dog breed to place on your table instead of the usual numbered tiles.

Along with regular menu items like the Pastrami Hash (upper left), Tasi's
specials like the Chorizo Frittata and Crabcake Benny with Asparagus
have provided us many tasty options to pair with our cup of java

Tasi's entree items for breakfast (which is served all day) and lunch are typically priced at $10 or less and cover the gamut of crowd-pleasing choices from Fish Tacos to Frittatas, Cubano Sandwiches to Challah French Toast, and so forth. We've learned that the specials often are quite good, such as the Crab Cake Benny we ordered on our last visit. Sides to supplement your meal are as varied as the entrees, ranging from the usual (sausage,bacon and fries) to the more novel (Potato Latkes and Zucchini a la Grecque, zucchini slices simmered with various herbs and spices.)

Beverages circulate around the usual coffee variations (Lavazza is Tasi's preferred coffee of choice), as well as pop, tea and water; a small selection of adult beverages (beer, wine and cocktails) is also available to diners. Tasi also makes a point of featuring local vendors, including some from the nearby North Market (North Market Spices and North Market Poultry) and milk shakes featuring Bexley-based Johnson's Ice Cream.

Tasi Cafe

680 N. Pearl Street (Short North)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 222-0788

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Handshakes and Johnnycakes: Philco Bar + Diner

The front of the Short North-based Philco Bar + Diner

Columbus' Short North has a plethora of eateries, many of which are marked by large crowds and much fanfare. Philco had been one of those places, rising up from long-time neighborhood stalwart Phillip's Coney Island and opening up during one of the biggest weekends in the area (ComFest) back in 2013.

Since then, numerous places have earned the "latest and greatest" destination eatery title in this vibrant neighborhood, and Philco, located in a section of the neighborhood with very similar storefronts, is very easy to drive or walk by when you're looking for places to stop for a bite to eat. This effect was quite noticeable to me: not having visited during its initial fanfare, I passed by here numerous times either alone or with my spouse after the hubbub had faded without paying this eatery much mind. It was almost like a revelation that first time I walked by here and finally noticed its presence. "Oh yeah, Philco!" I remember thinking to myself as I spied their sign.

Philco's retro hip feel is matched up with a fancier take
on some traditional greasy spoon diner dishes.

Philco will never remind anyone of the old traditional greasy spoon dine visually; rather, it sports a cool, retro vibe with fashion touches like a subway tiled wall, steel counters and leather-backed booths. While there is a certain hipness to the entire package, the atmosphere is fairly relaxed, and the crowds are rarely loud and they cut across all types. I've seen suit-and-tie clad luncheons with business types, older couples on a date, a couple of dudes who look like they could be truck drivers, and everything in between during my visits.

L-R clockwise: Johnnycake Sliders with fresh-cut fries; Mac-n-Mornay
with a Rockmill Brewery saison; Huevos Rancheros

Food-wise, the items may appear at first glance similar to those of a greasy-spoon, but careful reading of the menu and the ingredients used (many of them locally sourced) show that Philco's takes are modest-sized meal portions with a modest-quality jump over the usual diner fare. All dishes I have there from the Johnnycake sliders (with excellent fresh cut fries), the Mac-n-Mornay, and their Huevos Rancheros (Philco serves breakfast all day long) have been quite flavorful and satisfying. Paired up with a craft beer (Philco features select tap handles from local Ohio craft brewers) or a slice of pie from Just Pies, and you'll have yourself a complete meal.

Philco definitely falls into the neighborhood hangout spot, but one that's worth a visit for those outside the area. One of the more unique endings to a meal happened here at Philco, where my server and I ended up with a short conversation after I had finished my meal, followed with a handshake. I don't think I've ever ended a meal before with a handshake, but it was a pretty nice topper to pretty darn good experience.

Philco Bar + Diner

747 North High St (Short North)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 299-9933
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Riding Into The Sunset: Surly Girl Saloon

The Surly Girl Saloon is riding off into the sunset after it set up
shop ten years ago in what once was an equally surly Short North

For the first couple years after moving to a new locale, pretty much everything for the typical person is bright, shiny and new. Even though the normal course of change is happening around you in terms of places of business opening and closing, you rarely have the attachment needed to feel the loss of that place compared to those who have lived in the area longer.

I started realizing in the last year or two that I've been here long enough to more acutely feel those losses. They are all fairly sad affairs, but they range from mild disappointment (while I got to experience German Village's longstanding Bierberg Bakery's unique European-style cookies and pastries only once, I still feel happy that I did get to sample their wares.) Others are in the more begrudging category - my completed but unpublished review of Mya's Fried Chicken remains in my inventory ready for a quick addendum in the perhaps vain hope that they'll emerge phoenix-like to return to Columbus' food truck scene.

In the case of Short North based Surly Girl Saloon, my spouse and I feel sad, similar to a good friend who is leaving the area for good, and knowing that you will probably never ever meet again.

I had a longer time than most to develop a relationship with this eatery, a longtime component of Elizabeth Lessner's Columbus Food League of restaurants. Opened in 2005 in what was then an equally surly part of the Short North (things have calmed down considerably since then), the restaurant has continued to receive consistent patronage even up to its surprising but perhaps really unsurprising announcement (based on the local media reports) to shut its operations at the end of this month.

My visits to the Surly Girl started during the long-distance dating phase with my spouse; these regular visits continued after my move out here, our marriage, and beyond. We have been here with friends or family in tow or just the two of us for Sunday brunch. Along with Northstar, Surly Girl has been an eatery that we considered almost always an option, especially when it came to breakfast or brunch.

Surly Girl's funky and seemingly slapdash cowgirl and pirate interior decor in some ways reflected the collection of denizens who would seek a meal within its walls. I've seen the straight-laced, goths, nerdy-types, endurance athletes, the fashion-centric, college students, seeming hipsters and any more people within its walls, and often all at the same time. We'd joked often to ourselves that we were too much of the first category to look like we fit in here, but neither of us ever truly felt out of place at the Surly Girl on our visits.

From the menu to the walls and beyond, Surly Girl Saloon's interior is
marked with a kitschy, almost slapdash mix of pirate and cowgirl media.

A general Southwest theme is found throughout Surly's base menu, with items like Frito Pie, Pulled Pork and Black Bean Huevos Surlitos, Posole Stew and a Bandito Burrito blending in with other various sandwiches, salads and sides. A leftover from their initial startup days, personal pizzas also provide an option to hungry diners. Of course, you can't call yourself a saloon and not have adult beverages, and Surly Girl has plenty of liquor-based options as well as a decent-sized selection of draft beer, including several Ohio-based craft brewers such as Barley's, Hoof Hearted and Great Lakes.

Of course, when we heard the news of Surly Girl's imminent closing Monday afternoon, we knew we would have to pay one of our go-to restaurants a final visit, and decided to go that night to pay our last respects. If this night (a typically slow night in the restaurant world) is any indication, Surly Girl will be closing with plenty of fanfare, as a crowd slowly built up and the line to get in had spilled out to the sidewalk by the time we left.

It seemed only appropriate to grab a beer on this last meal in  and were quite happy with our Fat Head's Starlight Helles Lager and Seventh Son Lost Sparrow Black IPA. We decided we would go the pizza route, simply because it had been quite awhile since we had ordered one of their personal pizzas. In the past, we had pretty much surfed their menu and gotten a wide swath of food items. While nothing we've ever had would be considered gourmet or earth-shattering, Surly Girl's items were consistently tasty and the portions were always filling.

Whether it was the sandwiches, quesadillas, specials (as the breakfast
calzone) or the wraps, Surly Girl was a reliably tasty option for us.

In the various local media reports that were released announcing the eatery's closing, the three original "surly girls" (Lessner, Carmen Owens and Marcy Mays) stated that the combination of new interests and projects as well as the feeling that Surly Girl had finished the job it was meant to do. As Owens mentioned on web-based media source Columbus Underground, "It just feels like it’s up to another generation of businesses and residents to keep the ball rolling here.”

While we personally wish the saloon had a few more years left to go, we can definitely understand the sentiment. We truly wish everyone there the very best, and may the last week for the Surly Girl be as sweet as this Red Velvet Cupcake, a restaurant tradition which is at the same time the very first and, alas, the very last time we have this traditional dessert here.

The Surly Girl will be officially closing its doors this weekend on Sunday, April 26th.

Surly Girl Saloon

1126 N. High St (Short North)
Columbus, OH 43201

(614) 294-4900

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The Mitchell Report: Marcella's Ristorante

I found it a little surprising that after nearly ten months of posts, I haven't had the chance to write on a restaurant owned by ubiquitous local restaurant maven Cameron Mitchell.

It's not like I haven't been to any of their locations yet, nor have there been any that I'm not eager or willing to try. I think it's really the sheer number of restaurants under the Cameron Mitchell fold that makes it tough to get a true feel about a place through multiple visits. Suffice it to say, similar Bay Area restaurant mavens like Thomas Keller, Cindy Pawlcyn and Dennis Leary have nothing on Mitchell in regard to raw numbers of restaurants. At last count, there were fourteen locally-based locations under twelve different concepts. And there are more on the way, with the second location of Hudson 29 due to open in New Albany this spring.

Interestingly, my last visit to a Mitchell-owned restaurant told my spouse and I what we needed to know in one single visit. Marcella's Ristorante, which opened up in both Polaris and the Short North areas of the metro in 2007, is geared toward casual Italian eats and small plates. And based on our experience, the latter is a perfect way to experience this eatery, and preferably with a lot of friends in tow.

Marcella's menu (which has more than just the "Small Plates" if you want
to go that route) as well as photos of its interior and bar area.

The place was slammed on our visit, not surprising with its location in the destination neighborhood of the Short North and relative proximity to the Columbus Convention Center. Moving around the space during this time was a bit of a swerve and dive with both patrons and service personnel; it seemed a lot more people can squeeze within Marcella's smartly appointed interior than one would think could fit. With the large number of people and background music, it was fairly loud but not quite to the level of deafening.

From top left: Beef Carpaccio; Parma Prosciutto Bruschetta; Melted
Pecorino with Crostini, Apples and Truffle Honey; the Cheese Plate
and Pepperoni Pizza joined the Arancini (not pictured) for our meal

Our horde grabbed a selection of appetizers and a pepperoni pizza and this proved to be perfect for both filling up our bellies and allowing casual chatting. While wine is the main beverage focus, cocktails and some select craft beer, including Ohio-based Great Lakes and Four String, are available. Everything we had was quite good, with perhaps the group favorites being the Melted Pecorino appetizer with apples and truffle honey and the Arancini.

The staff of Marcella's appeared to be veterans at handling the crowds: food came out in fairly quick order, and beverages and empty plates were tended to as one would expect on a normal day.

Perhaps on a slower day my spouse and I might actually come in for a more relaxed experience to enjoy some of their entree offerings. Or perhaps we will go back and enjoy the small plates/appetizer side of the menu again; after all, we figured out that Marcella's does this quite well.

Marcella's Ristorante

615 N High St (Short North)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 223-2100
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One Line Leads To Another: One Line Coffee/River Road Coffeehouse

The specially-roasted coffees of One Line Coffees provide the uniting factor
for co-founders Mark and Dave Forman's various coffee ventures.

At first glance, a compact, sleek, brick-lined space in Columbus' stylish Short North would not have too much in common with the rustic spaciousness of a former farmhouse in predominantly rural Licking County. But while the spaces may reflect contrasting motifs, the product they sell within it - the carefully sourced and finely roasted coffees of One Line Coffee - unites coffee lovers of the communities that live around these locations.

Father-and-son team Mark and Dave Forman have been grinding in the coffee business in the Central Ohio region for over a decade, and their passion for their craft is undeniable. After opening up their first stores in 2003 and using coffee from various local coffee roasters, the Formans started asking themselves deeper questions about the coffee they were serving, from its origins, the nature of coffee community as a whole, and eventually serving the very best coffee they possibly could.

In 2009, they started roasting their own coffees under the One Line Coffee brand, and they have continued to move forward from there to a growing and increasingly appreciative customer base. My spouse and I have the pleasure of being part of that group, as we have enjoyed their wares from both their River Road Coffeehouse in Granville as well as their shrine-of-sorts to the fine coffee arts at their Short North location (the Formans also operate a second River Road Coffeehouse in Newark as well as Wiggin Street Coffee in Gambier.)

River Road Coffeehouse offers a very homey atmosphere in which
to hang while enjoying your coffee drinks and pastries.

Similar to Worthington, Granville and the surrounding township were built up to resemble a New England town. The River Road Coffeehouse lies on the outskirts of the town, residing close to the intersections of State Routes 16 and 37 in an old farmhouse (ironically enough, the farmhouse was relocated to its current location due to the construction of the State Route 16.)

The farmhouse provides a unique atmosphere which provides a myriad of options to hangout for the customer; part of the joy of stopping by is to simply take a break from the day, whether its plopping out on their couches by the fireplace mantle or grabbing some sun on their three-level deck during warmer months. Artwork from local artists displayed throughout the dining area space adds another folksy touch that we have appreciated during our visits.

River Road has provided a perfectly convenient spot for me and my spouse (and occasionally, some younger relatives of ours) to drop by for a cup of java in addition to a cafe treat or two. Like many of their brethren, this coffeehouse offers all the usual coffee house amenities, from the standard coffee drinks, wi-fi access, and a selection of food. In terms of the latter, River Road offers treats from local purveyors such as Lucky Cat and ToodleSquat Bakery and supplements them with their own homemade baked goods. Bagels and a homemade hummus are also on the menu as well as gluten-free goods. If coffee isn't your drink, River Road offers teas from Granville-based Petali Teas as an option.

One Line Coffee's store in the Short North is a coffee shrine, with
media materials, the best equipment and their amazing Kyoto-drip setup

In contrast to River Road, One Line Coffee's shop in the Short North was initially meant to be something of a polar opposite. Amenities such as free wi-fi, food items and the general ability to hang out for a couple hours were eschewed; coffee and the the various channels to produce the very best of all things coffee-related was the original sole focus of the Formans in opening this storefront.

A few minor concessions have been made since One Line opened its Short North location in July of 2012 - a small area to hangout does exist to the rear of the space, and a select collection of food items from local purveyors like Destination Donuts and Pattycake Bakery are available to customers. But for the most part, One Line Coffee's stated intent still remains intact, and the result has been some of the best coffee that Columbus has to offer.

One Line's standard pour over coffee makes for a great cup of coffee, but their iced coffee creations help fill a personal jonesing for the best iced coffee I can find (coming from generally fair-weather California, iced coffee drinks were my preference.) One Line Coffee definitely ranks in the top three that I have had since moving to the area.

Their standard pour over iced coffee is an mouth-pleasing concoction in itself (let's say I haven't come close to being able to do that here at home); however, it is their Kyoto-drip iced coffee that has taken this beverage to a whole different level for me. I had only learned of this slow and meticulous method of creation after my move here to Columbus and was immediately intrigued.

When One Line announced they had it available, I got down there in fairly short order. this brew's uniquely aromatics and chocolate, fudgy overtones had me dancing this unique liquid deliberately in and around my tongue, something I typically only do with beverages such as beer or wine. Even better, this unique brew is available in growler form for home consumption, especially convenient for those who can't quite make it down to their store front as much as they might like.

As the sign alludes, One Line has some of the best hand poured coffee around

In general, One Line shows their enthusiasm for their craft in many ways, from their regular cupping events, their vast array of coffee equipment, and just plain old conversation with staff members, both engaged in and overheard. A quick chat about the subject can lead to simply something about coffee you never knew before, or perhaps an impromptu sampling of a newly released coffee.

And it appears that their pursuit of coffee excellence will reach even more people now, based on One Line's recent announcement that they will be taking over the former Peet's/Caribou Coffee at the Huntington Center in Downtown, with a target opening date of March 2nd.  With longtime area veterans Cafe Brioso and Cup O' Joe already in the area, and the social-justice-focused Roosevelt Coffeehouse nearing its own opening date, the transformation of Downtown Columbus into a new mini-hotbed of local-coffee excellence appears to be at hand.

River Road Coffeehouse
935 River Road
Granville, OH 43023
(740) 587-7266
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One Line Coffee
745 North High St (Short North)
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 564-9852
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Into The Second Decade: Northstar Cafe

The exterior of the Beechwold location of Northstar Cafe; this mini-chain
has been making its mark in the Columbus dining scene since 2004

One particularly notable detail with any restaurant is their menu prices: is the money that you are paying worth what are you getting in the food, service and atmosphere? Coming from the Bay Area, I became acutely aware of the cost differences between similar restaurant items between the two regions; in general, the lower cost for many products and services here in Central Ohio has become one of the things I have really grown to appreciate.

This is one of the reasons why my first visit to Northstar Cafe stuck in my mind: as I glanced through their menu, I can remember saying to myself, "Wow, these are close to Bay Area-type prices."

If one glances through Northstar Cafe's philosophy on its website, you get a hint of why these price points are high for this area. As co-owner Kevin Malhame himself details in this Columbus Underground interview regarding Northstar's sister restaurant Third and Hollywood, their focus on "values-oriented ingredient purchasing" as well as the sheer number of purveyors they regularly deal with boosts their costs higher than the typical restaurant.

Northstar has signature elements throughout its three locations,
as exampled here in its Beechwold location

Northstar Cafe now sports three locations around the Columbus area, starting with their recently remodeled Short North location in 2004, followed by their Beechwold and Easton Mall locations. Of these three, my spouse and I have dined at the latter two locations.

Certain design and functional elements are commonplace among the three locations: signature-style coffee dispensers to cleanly formatted one-page menus; the racks filled with various magazines, and baked goods near the cash register, typically with their time of baking posted. All locations also offer outdoor seating; Easton adds on a fire pit with their location, while the patio at the Short North location appears to make for an ideal people watching location. Easton also is the largest of the three locations, offering double-decked seating and a nicely-flowing interior space and an opportunity to see their kitchen in action.

Tipping had traditionally never been required at any of the Northstar locations, as the service has always been order-at-the-counter. Technically, it still is not a requirement (the ordering system has not changed) but the option to tip restaurant staff has been opened up to diners. This policy when implemented led to initial confusion and perhaps even a touch of resentment for long-time customers, especially in light of the generally higher menu prices.

Northstar Cafe's Easton location offers double-decked seating
and a much more open view of the kitchen to diners.

Overall, we've found Northstar Cafe has a swath of items that rate between three to four stars on a scale of five. Their flat breads are a favorite of both me and the spouse; I also have been pleased with their Fish Sandwich (a grilled Barramundi filet topped with lettuce, red onion, tomato slices and aioli accompanied by hand-cut fries) and their Chicken and Avocado Sandwich.

We are both somewhat wary of non-authentic takes on ethnic dishes, but my spouse found a winner in their Pad Thai off the dinner menu. And while we are both not a fan of beets, their Northstar Burger (a blend of organic brown rice, black beans and beets, accompanied by white cheddar, kale, pickle and a tomato slice as well as a side salad) is another standard go-to for my spouse.

A collection of Northstar Cafe menu items (clockwise from top left)
The Sweet Potato and Turkey Hash, Pad Thai, Sweet Basil
Burrito, and their Cloud Nine Pancakes.

Breakfast/brunch-wise, their Cloud Nine Pancakes and their Housemade Granola (one of the cheapest options on their menu) are always on my personal consideration list along with their baked goods. But it is their Sweet Potato and Turkey Hash (a blend of Applewood-smoked turkey, red peppers, sweet onions, sunny-side-up eggs) that we agree may be their best dish; it is in fact my spouse's de facto selection for breakfast or brunch nine times out of ten.

With that said, there are a few items that we found just a little lackluster. The lunch/dinner-oriented burritos are not our favorites: their breakfast-oriented Big Burrito with its combo of eggs, sweet potato, black beans and salsa has a zing that I believe their lunchtime Thai and Sweet Basil Burritos could use. Their Square Meal is a healthy mix of black beans over brown rice with sautéed peppers, onions, avocado, cheddar cheese and corn tortillas, but again lacks that zing that the veggie-oriented Northstar Burger gives you.

Beverages are available across the gamut but are targeted to a select few brands for categories such as beer and wine. One notable change has been with the coffee, with the switch from Columbus-based Backroom Roasters to the beans of North Carolina's Coffee Culture a couple years back. Since the change, the coffee has tended toward a subtler-tasting java with more floral and fruity notes.

So that question posed at the beginning of this post still remains: is the money that we are paying at Northstar Cafe worth what we are getting in terms of food, atmosphere and service?

For us, that answer remains yes, though I admit I did a second take on our last visit when I saw certain menu prices had crept toward, if not slightly over that $15 mark. Along with Northstar Cafe's food sourcing philosophy, we appreciate the consistency of their preparations and service: we've never had a dish served to us that was defective (too salty, too cold, etc.) and we've always had friendly service from staff members, including an unexpected comp or two without asking for such.

I can certainly see the other side of the higher-price equation, however, and signs are there that this is becoming an issue for more and more people. Only time will tell whether this particular aspect, a byproduct of Northstar Cafe's food-sourcing philosophies, will prove to be a drag on that formula of success that has fueled this eatery for more than a decade.

Northstar Cafe - Beechwold
4241 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43214
(614)784-2233
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Northstar Cafe - Easton
4015 Townsfair Way
Columbus, OH 43219
614.532.5444
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