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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus Tastemakers: The Coop's Angie Theado]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 21:07:44 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[ANGIE THEADO Owner/chef, The Coop Story by Jill Moorhead // Photo by Alysia Burton Angie Theado spends her days cooped up--literally--in The Coop, perched in a parking lot adjacent to Glen Echo Ravine. Her daily offerings featuring a variation of poultry or egg stretch the definition of food truck fare in Columbus. With a culinary degree from Columbus State and nearly three years at Alana's Food and Wine on her CV, Theado dishes out meals that rival those found within the city's best restaurants. You'll find duck breast with shiitakes, bok choy and udon; a French omelette sandwich; and chorizo hash topped with fried duck egg. She cooks her Japanese- and French-technique fare just two feet away from her customers and without the luxuries that other chefs enjoy. (A grill. A freezer. A dishwasher. A toilet.) Limited in kitchen resources but not in aspirations, Theado has several goals. The first is to get a variance so her 1984 circus trailer can roost in its spot overnight. Next up, a restaurant, with the same farm-to-table ethos found at The Coop. Expect dinner entrees and more local sourcing. (Even her celebrated Colorado-sourced yak burgers have a Columbus connection: The proprietors of the Hey Hey Yak Ranch are the kids of the infamous German Village dive of the same name.) Former boss Alana Shock does not doubt Theado's ability to follow through on these dreams. "It's one of those things that it's clear whether you have it or you don't, and she does," Shock said. "There are plenty of creative people. But if you can execute great food and manage the financial goals and you are a people person and can coordinate all that, you've got it. Angie has it." BIO Age: 31 Neighborhood: Campus Previous gigs: Sous chef at Alanas, Elevator, Bravo! THE COOP 2701 Indianola Ave.,  Clintonville 614-581-9353]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58634545-Columbus Tastemakers: The Coop's Angie Theado]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[First Look: Curio at Harvest]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 17 May 2012 20:59:43 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[On a recent trip to NYC, I went to a speakeasy that serves cocktails so amazing, people are willing to do crazy things to drink them. Like knocking on a door and putting their name on a list and then waiting for hours for a text that may or may not ever come just to get inside the door. And after getting inside, being ushered straight into the kitchen to hang out for a while and watch the bartenders create simply remarkable cocktails before finally being ushered to a cozy, secluded couch to sip in wonderment.   I never thought I'd experience anything even remotely similar back home in Columbus. Until I stepped foot in Curio at Harvest. The new bar attached to the German Village pizzeria doesn't have any of the silliness of special knocks and never-ending waiting lists, but it sure does have the same speakeasy vibe and mindblowing cocktails. Curio technically is doubling as a spillover waiting room for the teensy Harvest Pizzeria, but it's neat enough to also be successful as a stand-alone bar and a place for bartender/owner Travis Owens (formerly of Giuseppe's) to grow. If you didn't catch our writeup on Travis in the May issue of Crave, read it here.    Here's the first one I tried, the Waylon Margarita. It starts with Milagro Silver Tequila then gets its shocking neon-green hue from a delicious ginger-kale juice, rounded out by lime, orange liqueur and agave nectar. It's rimmed in a remarkable smoked salt that infuses each sip with the scent of campfire. It's nothing short of magical.    Glance down the bartop and you'll see all the fresh citrus fruits used to make this cocktail and others like it, plus a collection of bitters and syrups and everything else that makes them special. I love all of the little decor details, like water glasses etched with wheat (fitting with the "harvest" theme) and a fantastic antique cash register.    Here's a peek at the cocktail list. I also tried sips of the smoke-infused Hickory Stick (a manly drink if I've ever had one--certainly not a bad thing) and the Room with a Grand View, the awesomely named Watershed Gin cocktail with a citrusy kick. Can't wait to make my way through the whole list.   Curio at Harvest 495 S. Fourth St., German Village 614-824-1769 harvestpizzeria.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58634544-First Look: Curio at Harvest]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Surf & Truck Tuesdays at The Hills]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 15 May 2012 14:21:56 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Love, love, love this new summer promotion at The Hills Market. The deal is every Tuesday all summer long, you can feast on buckets full of peel-and-eat shrimp out on the Veranda. Pair your seafood with a cheap, cold beer and some grub from a rotating cast of mobile food vendors stationed in the parking lot and you've got yourself a perfect summer meal. These shrimp buckets are super-cheap, too--$8 for a half-pound of fresh seafood. I stopped out Tuesday for the inaugural night and really dug the laid-back vibe. Just close your eyes and pretend you're on some faraway beach as you suck down Columbus Brewing Company Pale Ales and dunk your shrimp in cocktail sauce. Oh yes.    Pitabilities was on hand for the first installment (I enjoyed my Veggie Pita), Ajumama, the new Korean street food truck, is slated for Tuesday, May 8, followed by Street Thyme on May 15.   Surf &#38; Truck Tuesdays The Hills Market 7860 Olentangy River Rd., Worthington thehillsmarket.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58366709-Surf & Truck Tuesdays at The Hills]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus Tastemakers: Sage American Bistro's Mike Gadd]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 19:09:12 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[MIKE GADD Cook, Sage American Bistro Story by Shelley Mann // Photo by Jodi Miller Toward the end of a three-and-a-half-year stint as sous chef at L'Antibes--an unusually long tenure in the restaurant business--Mike Gadd was creating his own multicourse tasting menus and pulling off entire wine dinners. Gadd has big ambitions that include eventually opening his own restaurant, but he isn't above the dirty work--he even washes dishes. It's that mix of talent, big ideas and humility that was attractive to Chef Bill Glover, Gadd's new boss at Sage. "I see a lot of myself in him," Glover said. "He has the ambition to do what I'm doing." What attracted Gadd to Sage was its intimate feel. "I like that it's a small kitchen," he said. "You're not serving 200 people a night, so you can really showcase delicate, intricate food." Gadd's classically French cooking style was honed while working alongside Chef Matthew Litzinger at L'Antibes. He also picked up lots of inspiration during a week spent in Manhattan as a guest chef at culinary master Thomas Keller's Per Se. "I completely changed my plating style after working with Per Se's chef de cuisine Eli Kaimeh," Gadd said. "It's much tighter, I'm playing around with different colors, elevations. It's all about playing with your senses." BIO Age: 24 Neighborhood: North Campus Previous gigs: Sous chef at L'Antibes; cook at Rigsby's and Rosendales SAGE  2653 N. High St., North Campus 614-267-7243 sageamericanbistro.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58575924-Columbus Tastemakers: Sage American Bistro's Mike Gadd]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Bodega's new menu highlights]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 2012 19:07:37 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[You caught our Columbus Tastemakers feature on Bodega's new chef Marcus Meacham, right? Well, go read it and then make plans to go try some of his inventive dishes. The Short North bar gets super packed by happy hour and remains so well into the evening, but I find Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons are the perfect times to go in and feast.   The small plates section of the revamped menu has been particularly fun to check out. One of my favorite dishes is the rich and flavorful Shrimp 'n' Grits ($7). It's buttery cheddar grits topped with several big pieces of shrimp, crumbled bacon, crispy shallots and roma tomatoes.    Tacos! These are light and fruity fish tacos ($9) topped with spice-rubbed grilled tilapia, jicama slaw and an orange-cilantro sauce. They're double-wrapped in warm corn tortillas, and they're an awesome summer snack.     I also really dig these Samosas ($6). The Bodega menu has always had slight Indian leanings reflecting co-owner Sangeeta Lakhani's heritage, and these are my favorite of those dishes. Three deep-fried empanadas are stuffed with a spicy peas-and-potatoes puree and served with a great spicy-sweet date chutney and a super spicy cilantro chutney for dipping. Oh, and be sure to have a beer handy while eating.   Bodega 1044 N. High St., Short North 614-299-9399 columbusbodega.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58575925-Bodega's new menu highlights]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Last-minute Mother's Day brunch ideas]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 18:50:58 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[It's blessedly not too late to make brunch plans for Mother's Day, provided you pounce, like, now. So, slackers, we're making it easy for you: we checked, and as of this (Thursday) morning, all five of these places have tables open for sometime Sunday morning.   Be aware you'll probably have to settle for a spendy fixed-price menu (sorry, we are in the throes of prime brunch season, and hey--you did wait until the last minute), but moms are the best, right? And maybe don't forget to buy a card and some flowers to give her before brunch. She did raise you, after all.   Cap City Diner 1301 Stoneridge Dr. Gahanna You can still get pot roast at brunch! They make a short rib hash! Everybody's happy. But make this reservation quick. Their Grandview location is already booked, and tables are going fast at this suburban outpost. They're serving a la carte off of their normal brunch menu.   De-NoVo Bistro &#38; Bar 201 S. High St., Downtown Style-conscious moms will love the chic, big-city feel of De-NoVo's space. Their $35 per person menu ($16 for kids under 12) is heavy on brunch-station staples like pancakes, omelets and bacon, but adds roasted truffle chicken and mini-crab cakes to keep things interesting.   Latitude 41 50 N. Third St., Downtown   The swank downtown hotel restaurant's $35 ($25 for kids 5-12), three-course menu is filled with vegetarian and gluten-free options that aren't throwaways: think heirloom beet salad, shrimp and grits or peach creme brulee.   Luce Enoteca 3499 Market St., Powell The haul to Delaware County may be worth it for Luce's $26.95 menu ($12.95 for kids under 12, a relative bargain.) Check out the mascarpone-topped French toast, pictured above, or other Italian-flecked brunch favorites, like eggs Benedict with pancetta.   Barrel 44 2232 E. Main St., Bexley If drinks are top priorities for her (and you), Barrel 44 has you covered with a $6 mimosa and Bloody Mary special. A caricaturist will be making the rounds all afternoon as you sample small plates off of their regular menu.]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58501155-Last-minute Mother's Day brunch ideas]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus Tastemakers: Pattycake Bakery's Jennie Scheinbach and Sarah Bryant]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 May 2012 02:01:04 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[JENNIE SCHEINBACH &#38; SARAH BRYANT Pattycake Bakery Story by Robin Davis // Photo by Alysia Burton Jennie Scheinbach has been the public face of Pattycake Bakery, the cutting-edge vegan bakery she launched in 2005. But all that will change when she turns the whole business into a worker-owned cooperative in anticipation of the opening of a full-service restaurant. City Beet is slated to open in spring 2013 in the realty office adjacent to Pattycake, serving a vegan menu of breakfast all day and lunch. Scheinbach will get some help running things from a collective of equal partners--as many as 20 once all is said and done--including Sarah Bryant, who currently does marketing for Pattycake. "It takes the pressure off Jennie," Bryant said. "Opening a restaurant is a huge endeavor." Not that Scheinbach is afraid of huge endeavors. She started Pattycake out of her home nine years ago to provide vegan baked goods, which were hard to come by in Columbus. Business grew so quickly, she moved it into its current High Street space. Now City Beet will fill a similar void, offering vegan dishes with a twist. "We want to have accessible, nourishing, local food," Scheinbach said. "It's going to be vegan, but we're not pushing that. We want anyone to be able to enjoy it." Expect super-healthy salads, smoothies, nut butters and fresh-baked breads and a fast-casual vibe that'll lend itself to everyday dining. BIOS Ages: Scheinbach, 37; Bryant, 30 Neighborhood: Clintonville Future gig: Owners, City Beet Cafe PATTYCAKE BAKERY 3009 N. High St., Clintonville 614-784-2253 pattycakebakery.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58481116-Columbus Tastemakers: Pattycake Bakery's Jennie Scheinbach and Sarah Bryant]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Q&A: Jeni Britton Bauer on the James Beard awards]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 9 May 2012 22:10:13 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[We checked in with Jeni Britton Bauer, our very own ice cream rock star, who won a coveted James Beard Foundation award on Friday for her book, "Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home." She dished about her experience in NYC for the awards ceremony, including all the amazing things she got to eat.   Q: So in the food world, winning a James Beard is kind of like winning an Oscar. Was this award in the back of your mind at all as you were writing the book? A: The James Beard Award exists to inspire people like me to do the best work we possibly can. So, yes, I did think about it--about living up to the highest standards, those of the James Beard Foundation. However, those thoughts were few and far between because ultimately you can't write a book for someone else. We focused on getting the recipes right, on making the promise of beautiful ice cream and delivering. Writing this book was the hardest thing I've ever done--and if you saw my acknowledgements, then you know, it took a lot of people. None of us focused on winning an award. In fact, it is around my neck right now, but I will soon take it off for good. This is an amazing award that I am unbelievably proud of, and we celebrated it fully, but it represents something we did yesterday. It does not represent who we are today or what we will do tomorrow. That's why we never put awards or press up in our stores--because all that matters is what we are doing right now, not what has already been done.   Q: Did you have an acceptance speech written out ahead of time?  A: I kept it very short. I had a small opening line and I thanked my publisher, my awesome editor, my agent, my team and my amazing husband, Charly. I will tell you that I honestly and completely did not think we would win. I was not worried about an acceptance speech. When they called the book, I lost my mind. Somehow, I pulled it together for the speech, but it was pretty animated.   Q: Tell us about what you were wearing. A: I had a very cool outfit picked out. It was going to be a black pencil skirt, an electric/neon blue Diane Von Furstenberg shirt and super neon pink patent leather shoes with awesome stacked wooden heels. But I felt strange in the outfit and changed at the last minute to parachute pants with zippers, a slouchy linen blazer with big shoulder pads and leather sandals. I am glad I did it because I felt more comfortable and more myself.   Q: Which other James Beard winners were you excited to see prevail? A: Gabrielle Hamilton for "Blood, Bones &#38; Butter." She gave me a very big enthusiastic hug after the event (she has the book!) and I loved her book. Brad Thomas Parsons for his book "Bitters." He wrote about us for Serious Eats and has been to Columbus. His book is amazing. I was also very excited for Christina Tosi, who won for Rising Star Chef of the Year. I don't know her, but she is the kind of person who, if you read her book, you feel like you know. I admire her work ethic and her creativity. And it's good to see women win because the food world is, frankly, a bit long on dudes. It feels conspicuously out of balance.   Q: Which three people were you most excited to meet at the ceremony? A: Gabrielle Hamilton. Marcus Samuelsson. Meredith Erickson (she wrote the Joe Beef book). All three were exceptionally warm people.   Q: What great things did you eat while in New York? A: MEATBALLS! I have to go to The Meatball Shop now whenever I'm in town. We were there at 4 a.m. after the awards. I also love this restaurant called Parm, so we ate meatballs there too and their amazing broccoli rabe (seated next to Jay-Z!). We also ate at Mas La Grillade, where we had grill-warmed oysters with thyme butter (we had way too many of those). And at Parish Hall in Williamsburg, we had a four-hour dinner with about 20 people, one of whom was Harold McGee. The dinner was inspired by Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." One of the courses included beef heart tartare, which threw me. I didn't think I'd like it. I LOVED it. We had amazing cocktails and wines during that dinner (and too much Pernod). Charly and I also snuck up to the roof of our hotel and drank wine a few times. We had an excellent view of the new Freedom Tower (it's under construction, but they light all the lights every night. It's quite a sight). It was our quiet place during a very hectic, heavily scheduled five days.   Q: Have you eaten at either of this year's big JBF winning restaurants, Next in Chicago or Daniel Humm's Eleven Madison Park? A: I have eaten at Eleven Madison Park. Not at Next, but I'd give my kingdom to do so.   Q: Any plans to write another book? A: If I fall in love with an idea for another ice cream book, I'll write it. If not, I won't. I put everything I had into the first one, so the idea was not to have to write a second. But I have an idea that I'm working through and it will be very fun if it works.    Click here for a full list of James Beard Foundation winners!   Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams jenisicecreams.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58481117-Q&A: Jeni Britton Bauer on the James Beard awards]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Q&A: Cris Dehlavi talks rum]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 9 May 2012 20:38:52 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Story by Faith Durand // Photo by Jodi Miller   Rum plays a starring role in tiki drinks--with an array of dark, light and flavored rums each taking a turn. We checked in with mixologist extraordinaire Cris Dehlavi of M, who won a recent Don Q Rum Competition with her original concoction the Refresco, on all things rum.     What's your favorite rum drink?  My favorite rum drink is a classic Mai Tai. Most people don't know the original recipe but it is really a delicious cocktail when made properly.   Do you have a favorite rum?  It's tough because one rum to the next is so different. One of the beautiful things about rum is that you can use two or even three rums in one cocktail; you don't see that with other spirits. I really like Mt. Gay Eclipse, Cruzan Blackstrap and Appleton.   Are there other mixers that work particularly well with rum?  Rum works really well with juices of any kind--tropical like guava or pineapple--but also with things like ginger beer, which you would use in a Dark and Stormy. I also like to use rum in hot drinks like a Hot Buttered Rum or a Tom and Jerry.    MAKE A REFRESCO 1.5 oz. Don Q Anejo rum 1 oz. fresh pineapple juice 1 oz. fresh guava juice .5 oz. Luxardo Maraschino cherry liqueur Mix ingredients together and stir. Pour over ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge and leaf, fresh sugar cane and Luxardo cherry.   M at Miranova 2 Miranova Pl., Downtown 614-629-0000 matmiranova.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58481115-Q&A: Cris Dehlavi talks rum]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus Tastemakers: Ella's Alexis Randolph]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 7 May 2012 20:59:20 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[ALEXIS RANDOLPH Sous chef, Ella Story by Beth Stallings // Photo by Alysia Burton Alexis Randolph never thought she could make a career out of cooking--an odd statement for the sous chef at Ella, who has only ever worked in a kitchen. In her first job, at 15, she made breakfast at Thurn's Bakery and Deli in German Village. In college, she enrolled in the Culinary Apprenticeship program at Columbus State. But all the while, she thought about maybe becoming an athletic trainer or mixed-media artist. "It took me a while to realize this was my calling," she said. But she did, in the kitchen at G. Michael's. Here, one of the only notable female chefs in the city (a thought she'd never really considered) was pushed for the first time. At first, Randolph  could barely make a butter sauce. Soon, she was breaking down whole pigs and half cows, learning the ins and outs of lowcountry cuisine from Chef David Tetzloff. "Her work ethic was the first thing I noticed, and her willingness to do whatever was required to get the job done," Tetzloff said. "She's a hard worker and really detailed." Now, she's applying her love for layering flavors using local ingredients into the artfully inspired dishes at New Albany's Ella. Here, she's hoping to learn new flavor profiles, a little molecular gastronomy from Chef Travis Hyde, and more about the business side of a restaurant. Why? Because she hopes she'll be running her own someday, preferably a gourmet soup-and-sandwich joint with her chef husband. BIO Age: 28 Neighborhood: New Albany Previous gig: Sous chef at G. Michaels ELLA  266 E. Main St., New Albany 614-855-4600]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58442564-Columbus Tastemakers: Ella's Alexis Randolph]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus Tastemakers: Curio at Harvest's Travis Owens]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 7 May 2012 16:37:22 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[TRAVIS OWENS Owner/bartender, Curio at Harvest Story by Shelley Mann // Photos by Jodi Miller During Travis Owens' four-year tenure behind the bar, Giuseppe's Ritrovo went from being a popular neighborhood spot with above-average Italian fare to a destination for well-crafted cocktails. It's a remarkable thing to build buzz around a 16-year-old restaurant in the suburbs, and Owens deserves much of the credit. Needless to say, we can't wait to see what he does with a place of his own. Owens will head up Curio at Harvest, a cocktail lounge attached to the city's hippest new pizza place. After more than a decade spent bartending, Owens finally got the freedom at Giuseppe's to create the kinds of drinks he loves--Southern-influenced concoctions made with unusual liquors, housemade syrups and neat bitters. At Curio, he plans to take a culinary approach to the drinks, using many of the same fresh herbs and locally grown produce found on Harvest's pizzas. Harvest owner Chris Crader has worked with Owens in the past, and he's stoked to have snagged him to run Curio. "No one has been more passionate about cocktails in the city. In the country, really," Crader said. "He follows the same mantra we do with our pizzas--there's only a few ingredients in a pizza, so they have to be great." Meanwhile, Owens' legacy will live on at Giuseppe's, where the crop of young bartenders he assembled, including rising star Kendyl Meadows, continues on. BIO Age: 37 Neighborhood: German Village Previous gigs: Bartender at Giuseppe's, Eleven, Elevator CURIO AT HARVEST 495 S. Fourth St., German Village 614-824-1769 harvestpizzeria.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58442563-Columbus Tastemakers: Curio at Harvest's Travis Owens]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus Tastemakers: Harvest Pizzeria's Chris Crader and Bethany Lovell]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 3 May 2012 19:32:57 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[CHRIS CRADER &#38; BETHANY LOVELL Owners, Harvest Pizzeria By Shelley Mann // Photo by Jodi Miller Harvest is a pizzeria, yes, but it's much more than that. It's locally sourced ingredients, many grown at the owners' small Canal Winchester farm. It's a menu that changes every few months to reflect the season. It's craft beers and fun cocktails. It's a perfectly curated selection of small-plate appetizers and desserts. That this charming German Village spot feels more like a fine-dining restaurant than a pizza joint isn't surprising, seeing as owners Chris Crader and fiancee Bethany Lovell learned every aspect of the dining business while helping to open some of the city's best-known restaurantsElevator, Barrio, Due Amici. Crader is a self-defined pizza junkie who spent years perfecting his pies, dating back to when he lived with Elevator Manager Will Triplett. "It's funny," Triplett said. "He used to always make pizzas, experimenting with doughs and ingredients at the house." Harvest's executive chef Matt Owens has helped bring Crader's dream pizzas to realitywood-fired pies with bubbly, charred crusts, the perfect ratio of sauce to cheese and tantalizing topping combinations. That keen eye to detail is what's made Harvest successful. So successful, in fact, that expansion plans began almost immediately after the pizzeria opened in July. Curio at Harvest, a bar that'll double as a spillover waiting area, will serve handcrafted cocktails and bar snacks to customers who happily endure hour-plus waits for tables in the tiny dining room. BIO Ages: Crader, 33; Lovell, 32 Neighborhood: German Village Previous gigs: General manager at Barrio, Due Amici, The Rossi (Crader); Bartender at Elevator, Press Grill (Lovell) HARVEST PIZZERIA 495 S. Fourth St.,German Village 614-824-1769 harvestpizzeria.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58366708-Columbus Tastemakers: Harvest Pizzeria's Chris Crader and Bethany Lovell]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Cinco de Mayo margaritas]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 3 May 2012 18:41:38 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[No, Cinco de Mayo is not really a big-deal holiday in Mexico. But when it conveniently falls on a Saturday and when temperatures are conveniently forecasted to be in the summery 80s, it's nearly impossible to resist the pull of a celebratory margarita.   To help, we've put together a handy guide so you can choose your own margarita adventure this weekend. And we take no responsibility for any hangover symptoms you may wake up with on the Seis de Mayo should you follow our recommendations:   IF YOU LIKE YOUR DRINK TO COME WITH A PEDIGREE Try: Tapatio Margarita at Knead 505 N. High St., Downtown So, you'll have to resign yourself to a less-Latin-inspired meal to go along with your drink (there are worse things, especially when you happen to be at Knead). But the margarita here (pictured above) has been one of the city's most beloved drinks since its origins at the now-defunct Tapatio, and with good reason: it's balanced, easy to drink and a steal at $5.   IF YOU'RE READY TO START DRINKING AT 9 AM Try: Champagne Margaritas at Explorers Club 1586 S. High St., South Side This is the universe telling you to go to Explorers Club: the restaurant doesn't have a Sunday liquor license, so they only offer their combo of freshly squeezed fruit juice, tequila and Champagne for Saturday brunch. Pair it with the Relleno Omelet for a Crave-approved morning meal and sustenance for a tequila-soaked day ahead.   IF A PATIO IS YOUR TOP PRIORITY Try: Any margarita at La Fogata Grill 790 N. High St., Short North Sure, you may be dodging scattered thunderstorms, but what could be better than sunning yourself on one of the Short North's best patios, drink in hand? A hint: arrive early. If the weather holds up, expect crowds to nab tables quickly and linger as long as possible.   IF YOU'RE TOWING YOUR KIDS ALONG TOO Try: Cinco de Mayo Parking Lot Fiesta at Chile Verde Cafe 4852 Sawmill Rd., Dublin Your kids will be distracted by Chile Verde's local-star-studded outdoor celebration, with former OSU athletes like JJ Sullinger and Scoonie Penn and pets from PetLand. Slip inside to get your margarita served in a commemorative cup.   IF YOU'D LIKE THEM BY THE PITCHER, PLEASE Try: Barrio 185 N. High St., Downtown Margarita pitchers. Half-price all day. How much more convincing do you need?   Did we miss your favorite? Let us know by tweeting @ColumbusCrave with your picks.]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58366707-Cinco de Mayo margaritas]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus Tastemakers: Seventh Son Brewing's Colin Vent]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 2 May 2012 18:50:24 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[COLIN VENT Sous chef, Deepwood &#38; Brewer, Seventh Son Brewing Co. Story by G.A.Benton // Photo by Jodi Miller Colin Vent is always looking ahead. So, having determined food would soon be in his future, as part of Vent's final thesis show to attain a fine arts degree from OSU he not only produced beautiful ceramic pieces, but also cooked artful amuse-bouches to be eaten from them. Later, after a stint as sous chef at Z Cucina, Vent ventured forward with Z's head chef, Brian Pawlak, to help launch the innovative DeepWood. Now Vent, along with likeminded friends Collin Castore, Jen Burton and Travis Spencer, is primed to start production at Seventh Son Brewing Co. (known as Born Brewing before they ran into trademark troubles with Budweiser, whose Rolling Rock uses the tagline "Born small town"). "Brewing is a lot like cooking, where you have a dream idea of how something should taste that you try to reach through constant tweaking," Vent said. Using sharp culinary skills to build flavors and develop recipes, Vent and his team have devised two signature brews they hope will kick-start their new enterprise. They're called Black Sheep ("not quite a porter, not quite a stout") and Seventh Son--an American Strong Ale that's "not quite a barley wine, not quite an IPA." Similar to the food at DeepWood, these first beers were designed to be familiar yet distinct. Looking ahead--as always--Vent sees potential Seventh Son dinners at DeepWood. He'd also love food trucks to visit the Italian Village brewery so customers could enjoy their hot grub with cold beers while seated inside the cozy new space. BIO Age: 29 Neighborhood: Italian Village Previous gig: Sous chef at Z Cucina SEVENTH SON BREWING CO. 1101 N. Fourth St., Italian Village DEEPWOOD 511 N. High St., Short North 614-221-5602 deepwoodrestaurant.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58345945-Columbus Tastemakers: Seventh Son Brewing's Colin Vent]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus Tastemakers: Bodega's Marcus Meacham]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 1 May 2012 20:01:07 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[MARCUS MEACHAM Executive chef, Bodega Story by G.A. Benton // Photo by Jodi Miller Hip-hop deejay. Graffiti artist. Physical trainer. Empanada roller at the famous Casa Nueva in Athens. These were enlightening stops along Marcus Meacham's winding path to becoming a transformative chef at Bodega. Brainy, brawny, creative and deliberate, Meacham explained that he arrived at Bodega early this year with the goal that "the food would move to the forefront" at a place previously better known for its good times and great beer. Leaning over a thick black folder kept close by to capture bursts of inspiration, Meacham pointed to his original outline for the delicious snack that sat before us. It was that Belgian classic of mussels &#38; fries, but enriched with a twist. Meacham described it thusly: "Everyone loves blue cheese with bacon; [chuckling] I call these Midwestern Moules et Frites." A fan of molecular gastronomy guru Ferran Adria, Meacham has assembled "cold-smoked Lobster Rolls" as a special and plans to introduce Bodega's diners to more of the ultra-modernist cuisine's high-tech delights, such as "balsamic pearls" in salads and "gellified sangria" in desserts. "I have full creative control in the kitchen and I like pushing boundaries," he said. What else new and exciting might we soon taste? An intriguing Sunday brunch is taking shape, and the seafood-loving Meacham said he'd love to play around with sea urchin, plus he's already been working up "weekly cuisine theme specials" with playful titles like "upscale Mexican fusion." BIO Age: 31 Neighborhood: Short North Previous gigs: Executive chef at Barrio, Vonn Jazz, J. Liu BODEGA 1044 N. High St., Short North 614-299-9399  columbusbodega.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58325868-Columbus Tastemakers: Bodega's Marcus Meacham]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Dinin' Hall at 400 West Rich]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 1 May 2012 14:53:51 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Dinin' Hall, a new street food hub in Franklinton, officially opened for business on Monday. It's a 1,300-square-foot communal dining space (think summer camp cafeteria) where you can enjoy food truck fare at a table, under a roof.   I stopped by for lunch yesterday, and while there are still a few opening-week kinks to work out, it was indeed pretty cool to be served food truck fare restaurant-style.      The idea is you order from one of two rotating trucks outside, then take your number inside and pay for your food and drinks (they take credit cards!). Then grab a seat and your food will be delivered shortly.   Dinin' Hall is located inside a former loading dock at 400 West Rich, an artists' studio space in Franklinton. The vibe is industrial but comfortable--a coat of white paint does a lot to make the space feel light and airy. Garage doors that can be opened up during hot summer months will contribute to that feeling, too.   The food hub is open for lunch 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday.          I tried a veggie sandwich from Nicolasa's for lunch yesterday. It had a fried slice of eggplant, sauteed peppers and onions, and a good spicy sauce.   Here's the Dinin' Hall lineup for the rest of the week: Tuesday: Ajumama &#38; Street Thyme Wednesday: Pitabilities &#38; Spinelli's Deli Thursday: Ajumama &#38; Freedom a la Cart Friday: Earth's Crust &#38; Market District Saturday: CU Meetup: Ajumama, Pitabilities &#38; Street Thyme     Dinin' Hall 400 West Rich St., Franklinton dininhall.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58325867-Dinin' Hall at 400 West Rich]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus Tastemakers: Freshstreet's Kenny Kim & Misako Ohba]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:00:32 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[KENNY KIM &#38; MISAKO OHBA Owners/chefs, Freshstreet   Story by Shelley Mann // Photos by Jodi Miller   From the back of a street food hut attached to a Short North art gallery, Misako Ohba makes bulgogi cheesesteak crepes that will change your life.       If we're talking raw talent, the Freshstreet duo of Ohba and her boisterous husband, Kenny Kim, are among the most exciting new players on Columbus' constantly evolving food scene.        Consider this: They've gotten national attention for their crepes and takoyaki, prepared from recipes made up on the fly, first from a tiny cart and then from a cramped hut. They use ingredients sourced from the same places Kihachi uses, yet they're committed to keeping prices at street-food levels. And that means they're not making a cent.       Just imagine what they could do with a real kitchen, with a staff, with some money.       Kim and Ohba are hampered only by their own impetuousness--a sense of spontaneity that makes for mindblowing food but also frustrations like erratic hours and some ill-advised business decisions. But in the last few months, they've shown signs of growing up.        As of May 1, they'll move all operations from the Late Night Slice hut to the kitchen at Double Happiness, a Brewery District bar with an Asia-via-NYC vibe that suits them perfectly.        They'll do lunch there Monday through Friday, dishing out crepes plus quick-serve bento boxes and rice bowls, and continuing with their late-night yakitori menu Thursday through Saturday (now simply called Freshstreet after Ohba and Kim split ways with their Section 8 Yakitorium business partner).        Double Happiness owner Yalan Papillons says she loves the energy the couple brings to the bar. "Whatever they do, they perfect it," she said. "Misako is an artist."         BIO Ages: 30 Neighborhood: Dublin Previous gigs: Head kitchen chef at Moshi Sushi, sushi chef at Haiku, line cook at Shoku (Kim); Pastry chef at Sushi Bistro Masa (Ohba)     DOUBLE HAPPINESS  482 S. Front St., Brewery District 614-220-5558 doublehappinessohio.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58306767-Columbus Tastemakers: Freshstreet's Kenny Kim & Misako Ohba]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Margarita brunch at Explorers Club]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:17:07 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Guess what? I have a new favorite brunch. (Yes, I know I have a new favorite brunch almost every week. Sue me.)   For now, my flavor of the week is what I'm dubbing Margarita Brunch at Explorers Club. One important note: While Explorers Club serves a brunch menu both Saturday and Sunday, Margarita Brunch is Saturday only because they don't have a Sunday liquor license.   But on Saturdays, the South High Street spot is a wonderland filled with Latin-tinged breakfast foods and Mexico's answer to the mimosa, the Champagne Margaritas. First let's talk about this dish, the Relleno Omelet with grilled red skin potatoes. It's basically a Chile Relleno (a long green chile stuffed with melted cheese then battered and deep-fried) wrapped in an eggy blanket and drizzled in salsa. This thing is beautiful to look at and tastes fantastic. I love the crunch from that fried coating, something you don't often find in an omelet.    And, of course, that Champagne Margarita. It's got fresh-squeezed fruit juice paired with the usual tequila and orange liqueur but with bubbly champagne subbed for the triple sec. Oh, it's so good, and juicy and boozy and immediately buzz-inducing.   Explorers Club 1586 S. High St., South Side 614-725-0155 explorersclubmv.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58250914-Margarita brunch at Explorers Club]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Green Eggs and Ham sushi at Kikyo]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:18:45 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Gotta love the sense of humor on Kikyo's menu. Among the awesomely named items is this, the Green Eggs and Ham sushi roll, featuring hamachi (the "ham," which is yellowtail) and all sorts of green-colored goodies, including cucumber, avocado, wasabi tobiko (the green eggs) and wasabi mayo.   A few more of my favorite Kikyo sushi roll names: Captain Crunch: shrimp tempura, avocado, masago, crunchy topping, eel sauce, spicy mayo Holy Crab: Soft shell crab, cucumber, cream cheese, spicy mayo, red tobiko, chili powder Hot Mess: Salmon, avocado, cream cheese, spicy crab, masago, tobiko, tempura crunchies and ALL the sauces    Kikyo is also the only place in town where you can feast on Japanese-style tater tots. They're sprinkled with Yukari, a zesty Japanese seasoning that's usually used to flavor rice, and served with a spicy mayo dipping sauce. And they're pretty addictive.   They're served as an appetizer or alongside a variet of Asian-inflected burgers (like a Bulgogi Burger with Korean barbecue sauce and Asian slaw).   Kikyo 3706 Riverside Dr., Upper Arlington 614-457-5277 thekikyo.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58230172-Green Eggs and Ham sushi at Kikyo]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Crave giveaways!]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:51:32 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Home cooks, take note! We'll be giving away items previously featured in our Craveworthy shopping section over the next few weeks. If you're not already signed up for our weekly e-newsletter, you'll need to do so to get details on how to enter to win.   Shelley's Picks newsletter is sent out each Friday and is a great way to get restaurant recommendations delivered straight to your inbox as well as find out about restaurant openings, closings and other news. To get it, just look for the newsletter signup box on the right-hand side of the Crave homepage.]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58209252-Crave giveaways!]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Plantain Cafe's new menu]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 20:17:55 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Plantain Cafe on Gay Street Downtown has an expanded menu and a new liquor license, wich means they're now serving beer (marked half-off during happy hour from 3-6 p.m.!) These cute little Plantain Rolls ($2.75) are a fun new appetizer. It's basically mounds of rice and beans wrapped up with a crunchy plantain then topped with your choice of meat: chicken, pork or ropa vieja (shredded beef). I tried the pork and was charmed by the crunchy little treat.    Among the other new offerings are these decent Fish Tacos ($9.25), filled with grilled tilapia and diced tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, black beans and cabbage. I prefer my fish tacos a little more scaled-down (just fish, cabbage, cilantro, lime and white sauce), but the fish is great and the beans and cheese make them really filling. Tacos are discounted to $2 apiece during happy hour.   A few other tilapia dishes have been added to the menu, too. Pan con Pescado ($8.45) is a fried tilapia sandwich topped with caramelized onions and tomatoes, while a Pescado y Camarones seafood plate comes with grilled tilapia and fried shrimp. Here are the other new menu options:   Masitas de Pollo (Fried Chicken): Chicken breast marinated in garlic and lime then deep fried and garnished with cilantro ($10.25) Vaca Frita (Pan-Seared Beef): Beef marinated in citrus juice and garlic then pan-seared with onions ($10.95) Taco Plate: Choice of three tacos (chicken, pork or beef) with diced tomatoes, cheese, sour cream and cabbage ($8.25)   Plantain Cafe 77 E. Gay St., Downtown 614-464-2822 plantaincafe.com Hours: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58189112-Plantain Cafe's new menu]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Frittate at Tasi Cafe]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:49:43 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Everybody has their stress food of choice. Mine happens to be breakfast food. Specifically, omelets or frittatas or anything else egg-based. This week, with magazine deadlines and tax filing dates and a severe sleep deficiency to deal with, I sought out a lunch place that serves breakfast all day.   Tasi Cafe is one of a handful of fancy-ish places that serve breakfast all day (other favorites are Skillet, Katalina's and Pistacia Vera). Tasi does a fantastic lox bagel with house-smoked salmon on a bagel with red onion and sliced tomato, and their Cinnamon French Toast is also pretty great.   But as I mentioned, I'm an eggs person, so I went for the Cafe Frittate with mesclun salad and a croissant on the side. There are three fillings options (Chorizo, Potatoes, Onions, Peppers; Mozzarella, Spinach, Roasted Tomato; and Smoked Salmon, Red Onions, Sour Cream) and I like the vegetarian tomato-and-mozzarella one quite a lot.   Throw in a mug of Crimson Cup coffee and a nice, sunny window, and this lunch did the de-stressing trick.   Tasi is open 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday.   Tasi Cafe 680 N. Pearl St., Short North 614-222-0788 tasicafe.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58094845-Frittate at Tasi Cafe]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Matt the Miller's Beer Dinner Series]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:49:17 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[In preparation for our May issue, I brunched at Matt the Miller's Tavern a few times doing research for our feature on build-your-own Bloody Marys. The menu there is good but fairfly straightforward, so I was intrigued and impressed to learn about their new series of beer dinners, where specially created multicourse menus are paired with interesting craft brews.   Each rather ambitious monthly menu is inspired by a different type of beer, and April's is centered around beers from Norwegian brewery Nogne O. It sounds pretty neat:   APPETIZER Housemade Pretzell Bites with a Nogne O Imperial Brown Mustard sauce. Paired with Nogne O Imperial Brown   FIRST COURSE Salmon Gravlax Flatbread: Potato lefse flatbread topped with creamy apple mousse, Scandinavian-style cured salmon gravlax, candied lemon peel and baby watercress. Paired with Nogne O Saison.   MAIN COURSE Braised Lamb Pot Roast: Lamb osso bucco slow braised with onions, potatoes and juniper, served with natural jus, Scandinavian-style red cabbage and lingonberry sauce. Paired with Nogne O Sunternbrew.   DESSERT Nogne O Chocolate Tiramisu: Norwegian-style waffles dipped in Nogne O Porter syrup, layered between dark chocolate and vanilla marscapone mousses. Paired with Nogne O Porter.   Matt the Miller's Nogne O Beer Dinner is on Monday, April 23. Tickets are $50 per person, call 614-754-1026.   Matt the Miller's Tavern 1400 Grandview Ave., Grandview 614-754-1026]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58115211-Matt the Miller's Beer Dinner Series]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Element Pizza Bar's bar]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:09:15 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[It had been a while since I'd made it over to Element, and so I was happy last night to swing by and discover they're now finally able to offer the fully stocked bar their name promises.   A cocktail list of well-mixed classics (Whiskey Sour, Gin &#38; Tonic, Dark N Stormy, Old-Fashioned, etc.) is now joined by a lineup of craft beers on draft. The offerings include Ohio brews (Elevator's XTRA Later and Brew Kettle's 4 C's Pale Ale were among the recent specials) plus favorites from Midwestern breweries like Bells and Founders.   Also, Element is set to debut a new cocktail list featuring local liquors like Middle West Spirits' Oyo Stone Fruit vodka and Oyo Honey-Vanilla Bean vodka.   I believe any of those aforementioned beverages would pair beautifully with my Arugula pizza, with house-cured bacon, fresh arugula and a balsamic-olive-oil sauce on a thick, housemade crust.   Element Pizza Bar 250 N. Third St., Downtown 614-232-8871 elementpizzabar.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/58054056-Element Pizza Bar's bar]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Lobster Eclairs at Sage]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 13 Apr 2012 15:53:44 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[We've had a bit of a cold snap, but spring and summer are in sight. I got a taste of the future last night with Sage's new spring/summer menu. From the Starters menu, the Lobster Eclairs are a summery standout.   It's like a lobster roll morphed into dessert form. A lobster salad with big chunks of sweet lobster meat matches brilliantly with the flaky pastry of the eclairs. On top is a fennel-celery slaw and a citrus aioli.   A look at a few of the new menu additions: Summer House Salad: arugula, blue cheese, grape tomatoes, asparagus, crispy salami, pepperoncini vinaigrette Ohio Pork: Tomato-braised pork cheek, crispy risotto, fried pork belly, twice-fried plantain, saffron-bell pepper sofrito, avocado mousse Ohio Chicken: Crawfish-stuffed chicken, andouille sausage-cheddar Johnny cakes, asparagus, spicy hot sauce-leek fondue Lamb Loin: Seared lamb loin, duck confit bread pudding, shaved fennel slaw, orange emulsion Skate Wing: Pan-fried skate wing, pickled shiitakes, cauliflower puree, grean beans, curry-vanilla emulsion   Sage American Bistro 2653 N. High St., North Campus 614-267-7243 sageamericanbistro.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57979890-Lobster Eclairs at Sage]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Cafe Lola's new look]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:10:28 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[If you work Downtown, you've probably grabbed lunch at Cafe Lola at the corner of High and Broad. The always-hopping sandwich spot got a revamp recently, and now has a streamlined, assembly-line-style setup and a tweaked menu.   The menu still has the familiar panini sandwiches, wraps, salads and quesadillas. The biggest change is no more flatbread pizzas, and I think I can guess why. The new setup seems focused on getting people in and out even more quickly than before to avoid that pesky buildup of people waiting for their to-go orders by the cash register. Everything on the new menu can be thrown together quickly and cooked in minutes on a panini press, so it's ready by the time you've paid. The pizzas required a longer stay in the oven, and so they've been replaced by quick-assemble rice bowls.    Build-your-own options are available, but there are a bunch of recommended combinations too. I tried a Thai Veggie Wrap with fried rice, marinated veggies, roasted mushrooms, black beans, shredded carrots and spicy Thai peanut dressing. It's still plenty cheap ($5.49) and tasted pretty decent, but I wish I'd gone for the option of adding chicken for an extra 50 cents.      A couple other new items that sound good: Turkey, Bacon &#38; Roasted Red Pepper Quesadilla with avocado ranch Black Bean, Sweet Corn Salsa &#38; Sauteed Onion Quesadilla Asian Chicken Wrap with roasted chicken, shredded carrots, sriracha slaw and spicy Thai peanut dressing Santa Fe Rice Bowl   Cafe Lola 12 E. Broad St., Downtown 614-754-8804]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57959881-Cafe Lola's new look]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Soba at Tensuke Express]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:54:36 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[For a while now, I've been a fan of the super-cheap and super-tasty sushi rolls sold in the back of Tensuke Market, a great little Asian grocery in the same shopping center as Akai Hana. But I'd never tried out the actual restaurant attached to the store, Tensuke Express, which specializes in noodle soups.   Turns out, it's just as great. Giant bowls of steaming soupm are anchored by earthy broth flavored with shitaki mushrooms and kelp. You can pick your noodle variety--I went for the thin soba variety, but can't wait to got back and try thick udon noodles.    From there, you can add on a protein, like huge tempura-battered shrimp, barbecued eel, teriyaki chicken or fried pork cutlets. Or, order a combination meal with one of those proteins served in a mini bowl of rice. I chose the combo route with the shrimp and loved it.    We also tried out Tensuke's take on takoyaki, the Japanese octopus balls. I first got hooked on Freshstreet's version of these griddled street treats, and these are the first others I've tried that stand up to those. A great little appetizer.    As the name indicates, Tensuke Express is a casual, counter-order spot, but attention is paid to all the little details. I loved this fancy presentation of soup spoons and chopsticks.     Tensuke Express 1167 Old Henderson Rd., Upper Arlington 614-451-4010 tensukemarket.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57920178-Soba at Tensuke Express]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Thurber's Bar new gastropub menu]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 5 Apr 2012 21:21:20 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[These lovely and delish tacos can be found on the menu at Thurber's Bar, a quaint spot found in the Westin Hotel that's just rolled out a new gastropub-style menu filled with such treats. Specifically, they're Duck Confit Tacos ($12) topped with both a sweet-and-sour glaze and basil-cilantro cream sauce. Squeeze on some lime and it's the tastiest couple of bites you'll have this year.    We also tried the unusual Calamari Fries ($12), thick blocks of deep-fried squid served with a fig &#38; marsala wine sauce.    And this great Short Rib Sloppy "James." The sloppy joe riff is topped with fontina, sweet onion jam, roasted tomatoes and something called peppered wild lettuce, on a terrific buttery bun. It's an ambitious take on a childhood favorite, and it works. Great signature dish for this place.    Swing by during happy hour to try some of these snacks, when a bunch of them are discounted to $5 apiece, and draft beers are $3.    The Westin used to serve lunch and dinner out of High Street Grill, but that area has been transformed into a special events space and dine-in service is now available only at Thurber's. The space itself is nice (decor includes some of namesake James Thurber's sketches) but could use a facelift too. Luckily, it sounds like one is coming. Our waiter informed us they're getting ready to knock out the exterior wall and open up the space with some sidewalk seating.   Things I'd like to go back and sample: --Housemade Potato Chips with sriracha aioli --PEI Mussels with green curry broth and grilled baguette --Mac &#38; Cheese with fontina, gruyere and parmesan --Mini Samon Burgers with spinach, feta, roasted tomato and garlic aioli --Thurber's Burger with arugula, grilled red onion, roasted red peppers, sharp cheddar and an herb aioli   Thurber's Bar at the Westin 310 S. High St., Downtown 614-228-3800 westincolumbus.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57827415-Thurber's Bar new gastropub menu]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Fire Dragon roll at Sushi Bistro]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 5 Apr 2012 20:13:03 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Normally, I'm a sushi roll purist who tries to avoid ordering rolls with cooked fish, or deep-fried anything, or cream cheese, etc. But something about the Fire Dragon roll at Sushi Bistro (a newly revampled Sushi Bistro Masa) piqued my interest, despite it having seared tuna as a main ingredient. I'm so glad I ordered it anyway.    I've never seen a sushi roll finished off by blowtorch, but that's how the pink chunks of ahi tuna on top of my roll got "seared." The fish was just barely charred, and some of the rice took on the magical crispiness you find on the bottom of Korean hot pot dishes. The slightly smoky flavor was unexpected and delicious. Underneath that tuna is a fairly straightforward roll with spicy crab and avocado, and on top are bonito flakes and a terrific garlic-ponzu sauce.   Sushi Bistro Masa was a longtime favorite destination for Honda employees transplanted from Japan. The old owners sold the restaurant to sushi chef Scott Kim, who has kept a lot of the old Masa menu items but added a bunch more, including some dishes that will seem more familiar to Western palates.   Anyway, I've been trying to identify some of the best sushi rolls in the city, and I'm pretty sure this one will make the list. Do you have any favorite rolls? E-mail em to me at smann@columbuscrave.com.   Sushi Bistro 6395 Perimeter Dr., Dublin 614-336-8855]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57827414-Fire Dragon roll at Sushi Bistro]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Nordstrom's Cafe Bistro at Easton]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 4 Apr 2012 20:11:35 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Of all the restaurants at Easton Town Center, one of my favorites is one of the least visible. Cafe Bistro is generically named and hidden away on the second floor of Nordstrom. But it's well worth seeking out during a day of shopping. A nod back to the time when all high-end department stores had fancy tea rooms, this place is suitably swanky and serves some great sandwiches, salads and pizzas.   You'll notice the flames from inside a wood-fire oven as soon as you walk in, and the chewy New York-style pizzas that come out of it taste just as great as they smell. I tried the Wild Mushroom &#38; Herb Ricotta, which has seared shiitakes, creamy ricotta in place of sauce, and also caramelized onions, roasted garlic, mozzarella and provolone. All topped off with fresh chopped basil.    Also great are the salads, like this Chicken, Artichoke &#38; Goast Cheese salad with spicy roasted peppadew peppers.   Cafe Bistro 4000 Worth Ave., Easton 614-416-7111 eastontowncenter.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57807681-Nordstrom's Cafe Bistro at Easton]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Shepherd's Pie at Barrel 44]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 3 Apr 2012 15:25:36 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I'm always on the lookout for some good Shepherd's Pie, that ultimate comfort food dish, and so I was happy to find that the new Barrel 44 in Bexley (in the old Bexley Monk space) has a great rendition on their menu. This new location has a bigger food menu than the Short North original, and this dish is a noteworthy addition.   Barrel's Shepherd's Pie is made with ground lamb and wine-braised root vegetables, topped with a pillow of buttery mashed potatoes. It's broiled until those whipped potatoes are nicely browned and just a bit charred. The flavors are layered and rich--pair it with a glass of red wine and you'll feel all warm and tingly.     On the opposite end of the spectrum but just as tasty is Barrel's 44 Salad, aslo found on the Short North menu and one of my favorite house salads in town. It's got spring greens with dried cherries, candied pecans, hearts of palm, goat cheese and beet curls. A burgundy vinaigrette ties this sweet-tart salad all together.   Barrel 44 2232 E. Main St., Bexley 614-824-1058 barrel44.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57788519-Shepherd's Pie at Barrel 44]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Freedom a la Cart at Double Happiness]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:23:21 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Ever since I first learned about Freedom a la Cart, a Latin-leaning food cart helmed by local musician/chef Lara Yazvac, I've been a fan. See, proceeds from the Doma International-run cart go toward supporting victims of human trafficking--how cool is that? I'd tried the food at festivals and during Mobile Mondays at St. James Tavern, where the offerings are typically limited pre-made empenadas.    But I was still surprised as anyone to be completely blown away by everything I ordered Wednesday night during Freedom's regularly scheduled Wednesday-night gig at Double Happiness. Which, by the way, is in contention for my favorite Columbus bar. I love this red-lantern-filled place so much I'm tempted to move to Brewery District just so I can go there more often. I happened to have my daughter with me that night, so I grabbed this meal to go.   Lara is serving her ambitious menu of empenadas, sandwiches, salads and croquettes out of the bar's kitchen space on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, i.e. the nights that Freshstreet guys aren't serving up their awesome yakitori. I'm really loving this whole food-truck-bar-food concept, by the way.   Anyway, this was the best vegetarian food I've had in recent memory, and honestly probably the best food period, vegetarian or not. Here's what I tried: --Half a Papa sandwich, a vegan delight made with lemon potatoes, white bean relish, roasted red pepper sauce and a vegan garlic-almond aioli. --A crazy sounding Salad of the Day that I savored every last bite of had: a smoky hibiscus slaw topped with citrus-marinated jicama, roasted jalapenos and tomatillos, plus ripe mango, grapefruit pulp, fresh mint and candied hibiscus flowers. --Sweet Potato and Masa Croquette stuffed with fresh mango.   I happened to choose all vegetarian dishes, but there are meat options too, like bacon-and-egg empenadas or roast beef and chimichurri sandwiches.     Freedom a la Cart at Double Happiness 482 S. Front St., Brewery District doublehappinessohio.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57696726-Freedom a la Cart at Double Happiness]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Kangaroo at De Novo Bistro]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 29 Mar 2012 15:17:31 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Wild game is all the rage right now, with local restaurants cooking everyting from bison to rabbit to boar. I've tried and enjoyed many of them, but until yesterday had never had the pleasure of eating Australia's game-y specialty, kangaroo. So when I spotted it on De-Novo's small plates menu yesterday, I ordered it immediately.   Specifically, this is a hazelnut-crusted kangaroo filet served in a port-cherry demi glaze with a pile of micro greens. Our waiter explained that kangaroo gets tough if overcooked, so I ordered it at the recommended medium-rare.   The meat was tender and juicy, but honestly didn't have much flavor on its own. Luckily the hazelnuts and cherries added plenty of rich, sweet flavor. Definitely worth ordering for the novelty factor.   De Novo 201 S. High St., Downtown 614-222-8830 denovobistro.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57696725-Kangaroo at De Novo Bistro]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Street art at Jury Room]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:04:43 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I visit Jury Room fairly often, but somehow I've never noticed the paintings in the three windows on the building's east side. I love finding little hidden treasures like these, and I'd love to learn more about them.   By the looks of these paintings, they probably predate the Liz-Lessner takeover of Columbus' oldest continually operated bar. This second one, in fact, looks a lot like the Jury Room in its previous incarnation:     And I only wish there were still comfy chairs for curling up with a newspaper (and cigar!) in front of the fire.    Not that I don't enjoy curling up with a frosty beer on the Jury Room's sunny patio. Tip: This creamy Texas ale tastes just like summer.   Jury Room 22 E. Mound St., Downtown 614-220-0964 juryroomcolumbus.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57639243-Street art at Jury Room]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Brunch at ZenCha Tea Salon]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:43:23 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I don't hear ZenCha Tea Salon get mentioned very often among the best brunch spots in Columbus, but it should. The menu is filled with tantalizing dishes, most of them incorporating tea as an ingredient--think chai-infused waffles, pancakes with Earl Grey syrup and tea-smoked salmon. Even better is the tea, served in pots designed for lingering. Everything I tried during a recent Sunday visit to the Bexley location was fantastic.   I ordered (and adored) the Spinach Parmesan Quiche, a rich dish made with baby spinach and parmesan cheese. On the side are hash browns and a simple salad.    Some of the best Shrimp and Grits I've had, smoky and bacony and amazing.    And then, because we were so enamored with our first two dishes, we decided to split a waffle as dessert. A waffle infused with traditional Masala Chai spices, in fact, and topped with caramelized bananas and whipped cream. I mean, come on. It was so good.    Tea! Seeing as how it's been pretty hot recently, I went with iced tea, namely the Fresh Fruit Tea Spring Blend, which is green tea served with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.   I sometimes forget about ZenCha, but that meal has me anxiously awaiting the new Downtown location on Gay Street.   ZenCha Tea Salon 2396 E. Main St., Bexley 982 N. High St., Short North zen-cha.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57564109-Brunch at ZenCha Tea Salon]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[First Look: Dempsey's]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:50:00 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Dempsey's, a new Downtown restaurant located across the street fromt he courthouse, officially opened its doors just before St. Patrick's Day. I stopped in for lunch today and had a very tasty Chipotle Steak Salad ($10.95), with perfectly cooked, Southwest-seasoned steak tenderloin on baby spinach with caramelized onions, chili-rubbed roma tomatoes and roasted corn. A honey-chipotle vinaigrette tied everything together nicely.    It's owned by Mark Dempsey, a restaurateur who used to be a deputy in the Franklin County Clerk of Courts office. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and Dempsey hopes its proximity to the courthouse and setup (complete with a private back dining room) will help it supplant the Clarmont as a gathering place for Columbus polititicans.    Inside, Dempsey's is handsome and comfortable, with dark wood floors, exposed brick walls, a long bar and plenty of seating. Lots of historic photos of Downtown Columbus hang on the walls.   At dinner, the menu consists of steaks and seafood (like pan-seared salmon, crab cakes and sea scallops) plus salads and small plates. At lunch, the focus is on salads and sandwiches, including a few burgers and several grilled melts served on Texas toast. An extensive breakfast menu is highlighted by several types of French toast, omelets and loaded home fries.      Dempsey's Restaurant 346 S. High St., Downtown 614-586-0511 dempseysdowntown.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57564108-First Look: Dempsey's]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Jeni's Super Pop Cakes!]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:17:27 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[There's all kinds of cakey goodness going on at Jeni's right now. They recently unveiled a fantastically fun new line of ice creams revolving around syrup-soaked cakes, and there's also a seasonal sundae that shouldn't be missed.   The Pineapple Upside-Down Parfait is a beautiful layered sundae made with Gooey Butter Cake ice cream, Lime Cardamom yogurt, scratch-made Pineapple-Caramel Sauce (yum), buttery sponge cake, Snowville whipped cream and toasted pecans. Tropical and summery.   I've tried samples of most of the new cake ice creams, called the Super Pop Cakes (so much better than cake pops) collection. My favorite has been the Icelandic Happy Marriage Cake, made with an Icelandic cheese called skyr, a roasted rhubarb compote and a homemade, syrup-soaked toasted oat cake. It's catapaulted into favorite-Jeni's-flavor-ever contention, which is saying something. Go try it.   Here's the rest of the lineup: Tres Leches with Here-N-There Cherries: Coconut milk-soaked cake, meringe, toasted coconut and red cherries in coconut-and-vanilla ice cream. Hummingbird Cake: The classic Southern cake, made with pineapple, banana, cinnamon and pecans, is soaked in pineapple syrup and served in banana ice cream. Mango Kiwi Special Cake: Mango lassi frozen yogurt and kiwi sorbet with pieces of angel food cake Magnolia Mochi: Pink magnolia-scented ice cream with honey-soaked mochi     Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams jenisicecreams.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57543572-Jeni's Super Pop Cakes!]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Childhood Favorites: Skyline Chili]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:00:43 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Growing up in Cincinnati, I ate a lot of Skyline Chili. But my very favorite visits took place after Cincinnati Reds games, when we'd join the stream of fans who made a beeline for the Skyline a few blocks from the stadium and feast on post-game Coneys. Since we do have access to Skyline here in Columbus (there are 13 locations in Central Ohio), I never feel the need to track it down during trips back home, and so I hadn't been in quite a while.    For my return visit, I stopped into the Pickerington location. Not quite as cosmopolitan as that downtown-Cincy chili parlor, but no matter. The straightforward comfort food was just exactly as I remembered.    Skyline specializes in Cincinnati-style chili, a cinnamon-spiked, bean-less version with Greek roots. I usually go for a three-way, which is just chili over spaghetti noodles and under a heap of shredded cheese. The menu seemed much bigger than I remembered, with a bunch of salads and veggie-filled burritos, but I don't see any reason to move beyond the traditional favorites.   Cincinnati chili is definitely more of a love-it or hate-it type of thing, especially for people who didn't grow up on it. I can't even really put into words why I like it so much, but there's just something perfect about the thin layer of chili/melted cheesy goodness that forms where the cheddar comes in contact with the hot chili. And the chili itself has enough going on flavorwise that I don't even notice the lack of beans, etc. (If you do miss them, though, you can order a four-way topped with grated onions or a five-way topped with onions and beans.    Another Skyline classic is the Cheese Coney, a hot dog topped with mustard, chili, onions and a whole bunch of cheddar. One of them makes a good appetizer/snack.    Chili juice! Looks gross, but goes great with the little bowl of oyster crackers served with every meal here.   Skyline Chili Multiple locations skylinechili.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57504471-Childhood Favorites: Skyline Chili]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Day Trip: The Winds in Yellow Springs]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:08:59 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Looks like the weather's going to be downright springlike over the next few weekends, and I'd highly recommend spending the next warm, sunny day the same way I spent last Sunday: exploring Yellow Springs. Less than an hour drive from Columbus, this tiny college town has a tiny downtown filled with hippie-friendly shops and a great hippie-friendly restaurant, The Winds Cafe and Bakery. I lingered over brunch there before taking a hike in nearby John Bryan State Park.   The Winds is a relaxed and charming place that opened back in 1977 as a collectively owned and operated cafe that grew its own sprouts and baked its own bread. Nowadays, the European-inspired menu changes monthly to reflect the season. Brunch is served from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sundays only, and they also serve lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday.   I had a hard time deciding what to order, but in the end went for my usual, an omelet. The Roma Omelette comes with marinated artichoke hearts, fresh basil, parsley and parmesan, plus a squeeze of lemon. The egg dish is prepared in a French iron pan and is as fluffy and delicious as the biscuit served with it. A side of home fries is spiked with caraway seeds. The menu shares anecdotes about ingredients. The eggs used in this omelet, for example, are organic ones raised by Dale Filbrun in West Alexandria.    Can't have brunch without coffee, and I loved that it came with a bowl of sugar cubes.    Another dish, the Corned Beef Hash, features that same onion-and-pepper hash topped with hand-chopped, from-Cleveland beef and some housemade Worcestershire.   Oh, and if you're not in the mood for a hike, check out The Winds' meal-and-movie deal: buy a brunch dish for $15 and get a ticket to whatever indie film is playing at Yellow Springs' arthouse, Little Art Theater, that day.     The Winds Cafe and Bakery 215 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs 937-767-1144 windscafe.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57427483-Day Trip: The Winds in Yellow Springs]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[First Look: Flip Side at Easton]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:10:35 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[The newest restaurant at Easton, Flip Side, is a nifty, chef-driven burger joint imported from Hudson, Ohio. A burger and shake place that emphasizes local ingredients and also serves great cocktails and craft beers? Sign me up. For my first Flip Side visit. I went for the One Red Door Burger (dubbed on the menu as "The one that started it all!"), $10. One Red Door is Flip Side's sister restaurant in Hudson. Anyway, this fantastic burger is topped with lots of melty brie, crispy shallots (kinda like onion straws) and an amazing date-applewood-bacon aioli. Like all of Flip Side's burgers, it's got seven ounces of Ohio-raised, grass-fed beef prepared medium and served on brioche sesame seed buns.    Also tried a bite of the fungi-filled Forester Burger ($9), topped with wild mushrooms, crispy fried shiitakes, caramelized onions and truffle aioli.    And for an appetizer, we got these fun Mini Kobe Beef Corn Dogs ($7 for four), served with a spicy mustard sauce and ketchup. A thick coat of sweet cornmeal batter surrounds one of the best hot dogs I've ever eaten. Definitely recommended.   I'd like to go back sometime in the evening and try one of their booze-spiked shakes -- I've got my eye on the Chef's Shake, made with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, peanut butter and pretzels, plus Jamaican dark rum.   Flip Side 3945 Easton Station, Easton 614-472-3547 flipsideburger.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57406638-First Look: Flip Side at Easton]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Lunch at Rigsby's]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Mar 2012 14:52:56 -0500</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Dine Originals Week is over, but I wanted to share one last dish that I tried last week. Rigsby's Pappardelle with Rabbit Sugo was the best thing I ate last week, and it's available on the Short North restaurant's regular lunch and dinner menus.   This dish is a perfect example of Rigsby's simple but luxurious approach to cooking. Amazing wide pasta noodles are topped with a thick tomatoe-heavy sauce -- more like a fragrant stew, actually, with tender pulled rabbit, porcini, rosemary and tarragon, with just a bit of salty parmesan on top. So good.    It got me thinking about another Rigsby's lunch I enjoyed recently, the Cacciucco, again on both the lunch and dinner menus. Its menu description, "Italian fish stew in a spicy tomato broth," does little to prepare you for this beautiful bowl of seafood. There's a remarkable variety of creatures swimming in the great, garlicky broth -- shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, octopus, squid and white fish. And be sure to sop up all that briny broth with the buttery garlic toast.     Rigsby's Kitchen 698 N. High St., Short North 614-461-7888 rigsbyskitchen.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57386354-Lunch at Rigsby's]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Dine Originals Week: What I ate]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 8 Mar 2012 21:58:54 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Ah, the DeepWood sandwich. This riff on a classic Dagwood is one of the most impressive dishes I've encountered thus far on my dining adventures this week. We're in the midst of the March installment of Dine Originals Week, a biannual event offering special menus at the city's independent restaurants, and I've been checking out as many menus as I can. Specials run through Sunday at most Dine Originals restaurants, so there's still plenty of time to get out and take advantage of some amazing deals.    DeepWood's sandwich, offered at lunch, is an epic tower of meats and cheeses, including: housemake corned beef, tasso ham and mortadella schmear, roasted turkey, mozzarella and gouda. Beyond that is a bevy of veggie-based goodness, like roasted tomatoes, pickled peppers and red onion jam. It's all on housemade pepper jack bread, and it's pretty fantastic.   Here's a look at what other Dine Originals dishes I've sampled so far:  DeepWood's second lunch special is a Tasting of Petite Sandwiches, including a New England Lobster Roll, Housemade Pastrami on rye and a Lentil Patty with a great aioli on top.     Both DeepWood's lunch specials come with a Lemon Meringue Pie Pop, which was pure sugary goodness even if it fell right off the stick.   BLACK CREEK BISTRO  Next up, the four-course dinner at Black Creek Bistro ($30). For my first course, I went with the Creamy Black Bean Dip in Wonton Cup.    My dining companions, meanwhile, both chose the Steamed Mussels in Lemongrass Broth    Second course: we all went for the Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad tossed in Bacon Vinaigrette. So good.    For my third course, the Lamb Pot Pie. Under a great puff pastry crust is lots of tender lamb, celery, carrots, winter squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and garlic.    I also tried a bite of one of the other entree options, the Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Maple &#38; Sherry Vinegar Gastrique.    Fourth course, dessert. Option one that night was an Orange White Chocolate Tart.    Option two: Buckeye Bread Pudding   TASI CAFE  Tasi is offering a three-course lunch for $10. First course: Caldo Verde, a Portuguese green soup with ground pork, potatoes, onions and kale.    Second course: Chicken Taquitos with a roasted tomato and lemon salsa.    Third course: Tres Leches Bites (more accurately, two pieces of Tres Leches cake).   So what are you waiting for? Go support our great local restaurant scene! Here's a link to all the special Dine Originals Week menus.     Dine Originals Week - March 2012 March 5-11 50 locally owned, independent Columbus restaurants dineoriginalscolumbus.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57289766-Dine Originals Week: What I ate]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[New Starbucks drinks, treats]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 7 Mar 2012 21:29:58 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I got a chance today to sample a few new goodies just added to the Starbucks menu. Columbus is actually a test market for a couple of new drinks, including the one pictured above, the Tazo Shaken Iced Peach Green Tea Lemonade. It's also available sans the lemonade (called, naturally, the Tazo Shaken Iced Peach Green Tea).   Both were perfectly refreshing cool drinks perfect for warm afternoons. If you've had the Tazo green tea, you know it's got a little hint of mint flavor, and that pairs great with the sweetness of the peach. The drinks are flavored with peach syrup and little bits of peach fruit. I slightly preferred the non-lemonade version myself.    The new spring drinks coincide with the unveiling of a few new treats across the country. Starbucks Petites line of pastries are all 200 calories or less. The Petite Cherry Pie, pictured above, was a favorite--nice and crusty with a surprisingly authentic tasting cherry pie center.    The filling in the Petite Apple Pie tasted a little too similar to the McDonald's apple pies for me, but again the crust was great.      This Chocolate Hazelnut Tart is a shortbread cookie filled with a great Nutella-like filling.    And the Brown Sugar Walnut Tart was another winner, tasting like a gourmet Maple Brown Sugar Pop-Tart (and I mean that as a compliment).   Starbucks starbucks.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57268646-New Starbucks drinks, treats]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Dine Originals Week]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 5 Mar 2012 21:57:49 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Dine Originals Week is back! To kick off a week of eating at local, independent restaurants around town, I grabbed today at Jury Room.   Their lunch special is a Philly-style steak sandwich (with good cheese and lots of grilled onions and green peppers) topped with fried egg. It's huge, and very good. For $10, you get the sandwich with chips, but I recommend the $1 upgrade to fries -- Jury Room's hand-cut fries are some of my favorites in town.   Here are a few of the other Dine Originals Week specials I'm itching to try: --Heading to Black Creek Bistro for dinner tonight, and I think I'm going to get the Lamb Pot Pie. --Bodega has two specials for lunch and dinner and they both sound great: a Smoked Lobster Roll and Crawfish and Cheddar-Grits Fritters. --DeepWood's menus are always fun. For lunch, their Deepwood sandwich is a riff on the Dagwood, with tons of meats and cheeses layered between housemade pepper jack bread. --Rigsby's is doing a lunch special this time around! It's a true three-courser, with Pasta e Fagioli, choice of Eggplant alla Parmigiana, Grilled Arctic Charor Pappardelle with Braised Rabbit Sugo, and Cappuccino Granita. --From Skillet's menu, the first-course Crispy Pig Ear Salad with Arugula and Watermelon Radishes sounds mighty intriguing...   The full list of menus is posted on the Dine Originals Columbus site.]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57231456-Dine Originals Week]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Dolsot bibimbap at Diaspora]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 1 Mar 2012 21:52:34 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[So I had Diaspora's Dolsot Bibimbap for lunch on Wednesday, and I cannot stop thinking about it.   If you've never had the pleasure, bibimbap is a Korean rice dish with seasoned sauteed veggies as well as, usually, ground beef and an egg. The Dolsot means it's served in a heated stone pot. Diaspora, a chic and cheerful place on High Street on the north end of Campus, does a great job with it.   For me, the appeal of bibimbap is twofold. First, it's simply stunning when served. Second, its looks are deceiving. What appears to be a big pile of vegetables is transformed into something more delicious than you can imagine after you finish with the final prep step of stirring everything together.     So pretty! Diaspora's version comes with slightly sweet bulgogi-style ground beef, an egg, thinly sliced marinated cucumber, meaty slices of mushroom, ribbons of carrot, sprouts, leafy greens and a bit of seaweed. After you're done admiring the gorgeous composition, it's time to mix everything together. Squirt on a bunch of the provided red chili sauce and start stirring, until the sauce and the raw egg have melded together in a rich and creamy sauce.     Here's what it looks like post-stir. Now, the neatest thing about the hot stone serving dish is it transforms the bottom layer of rice into crispy, fried chunks of deliciousness.    Like most Korean restaurants, Diaspora serves an assortment of Banchan, or small dishes of food, alongside entrees. These are meant to be shared and snacked on throughout the meal. My faves are the spicy kimchi and the vinegary seaweed.      Watch for my full review in the Dispatch's Weekend section next week, but just know that eating at this place makes me super happy.   Diaspora 2118 N. High St., Campus 614-458-1141 eatatdiaspora.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57154774-Dolsot bibimbap at Diaspora]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Bloody Mary Bar at Pub Polaris]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 1 Mar 2012 16:13:46 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Pub Polaris has the best approach to build-your-own Bloody Marys I've found yet. After a disastrous attempt at mixing my own at Matt the Miller's (I'm already making plans to go back and try again), I was relieved to find the Pub offers a sushi-type checkbox menu and then lets a pro do the actual measuring and mixing. Here's how it works:    Make your choices from an extensive list of options, specifying vodka type, tomato juice or Bloody Mary mix, hot sauces, and garnishes (all the usual suspects plus a nice selection of proteins like shrimp, pepperoni and several cheeses).    Garnishes come out first on skewers.    Then your perfectly mixed Bloody Mary arrives and you can garnish to your liking! Fun.    I'd not eaten brunch at Pub Polaris, either, but I highly recommend their build-your-own breakfast sandwiches (good match for the BYO Bloody Marys). They all start with a fantastic, buttery pretzel roll and a fried egg, and your choice of meat and cheese. I picked sausages (aka bangers) and cheddar.   A potato-onion-and-cheese casserole on the side is more greasy goodness.   Pub Polaris 1554 Polaris Pkwy., Polaris 614-781-7829 experiencethepub.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57154772-Bloody Mary Bar at Pub Polaris]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Childhood favorites: Olive Garden]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:23:27 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[True story: when I was growing up, my parents would let me pick where I wanted to eat every year on my birthday. And every year for many years in a row, I picked Olive Garden.   As a person who consciously avoids chain restaurants these days, I'm a little embarrassed of this. I wish I was the kind of kid who grew up loving sushi or something like that, but instead I really loved lasagna, breadsticks and tons of salad. I decided to go back on a recent Saturday night and see if that lasagna is still worth all the fuss...or if my tastes really had changed that drastically in the past couple decades.     First up, the breadsticks. They were kind of soft, and very buttery, and salty. Really really salty. I could barely finish a second, it was so salty.    Salad. Make that unlimited salad! The salad was actually just about as I remembered, standard iceberg glammed up a bit with banana peppers and nice big olives. Drenched, of course, in vinegary Italian dressing.    And the lasagna. Guess what? It was actually pretty good. Way better than the frozen Stouffer's lasagna my mom still occasionally feeds me. Better even, I would say, than the lasagna at Spaghetti Warehouse. The pasta was properly cooked, the meat sauce wasn't too salty or too sweet, and there was just enough cheese. It was basically tailor-made to satisfy my carb-y comfort food cravings.   While I was kinda bummed I couldn't really find anything to ridicule, I was also secretly relieved to learn I didn't spend my childhood lusting after some awful excuse for a pasta dish.    Also had a bite of this Chicken Parmigiana, and it was pretty good too.   But. Not good enough to counteract the stress of eating at Olive Garden. We made the mistake of thinking the Polaris location wouldn't be too crowded at 4:45 p.m. on a Saturday. We were wrong...there was already an hour wait at that point. We hightailed it to another Olive Garden, where I had to stalk down a parking spot all mall-at-Christmastime style. By the time we were seated, I felt fairly frazzled.   I can honestly say that I don't understand why hordes of people will stand around and wait for hours for the pleasure of eating at a chain restaurant in the suburbs when plenty of tables await at our locally owned independent places. Hey, whatever floats your boat.]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57094215-Childhood favorites: Olive Garden]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[First Look: Till]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 28 Feb 2012 20:15:01 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Till, the revamped restaurant formerly known as Dragonfly, has been on my must-try list ever since it opened last month. I finally made it there for lunch today, and I'm already planning return visits for happy hours and dinners and brunches.   I'm pleased with all the changes owners Magdiale Wolmark and Cristin Austin have made, from incorporating meat onto the menu (Dragonfly was 100% vegan, while just about half the items on the Till menu are vegetarian or vegan) to extending the hours to include lunch service and late-night eats.   To start at lunch, we tried the Cheese Puffs appetizer with melty brie and beets, pictured up top. Cristin shared her favorite way of eating these, which is sticking a hunk of cheese and some of the beets inside the airy puffs, making a mini sandwich of sorts. A delicious little treat.    I ordered the Tempeh Meatball Smash, a small sandwich with fresh tomato sauce. On the side, a potato croquette and some pickled carrots were both fantastic. A very filling veggie-based meal.    Love the presentation, with meals served on little wooden planks.    And here's the BD Burger, which has been getting universally rave reviews from those who've tried it. Based on the few bites I tried, it lives up to the hype. Great, great flavors.    And here's a look at the space, which has been redecorated a bit--the new vibe feels airy and modern and spare. I dig it.      Till Dynamic Fare 247 King Ave., Victorian Village 614-298-9986 tillfare.com Hours: 11 a.m.-12 a.m. Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Thursday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57113573-First Look: Till]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Muffaletta at Flatiron]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:08:40 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[After an extensive search to find a Muffaletta sandwich in Columbus that measured up to the amazing one I enjoyed on a recent trip to New Orleans, I believe I've found the winner. Behold the Traditional Muffaletta at Flatiron, a place I always forget about and then vow to eat there more often every time I visit. The problem with most muffalettas around town isn't the meats, it's the bread. This is the first I've found served on the traditional muffaletta loaf, a round, flat focaccia-like bread with sesame seeds on top.    Flatiron's sandwich ($11) comes with salami, mortadella, ham, provolone and the spicy olive salad that make muffalettas so special. Yum. I split mine with my lunch date and ordered a side of Flatiron's fabulous Sweet and Hot fries. They're drizzled in balsamic vinegar and topped with shredded Vermont cheddar and red pepper flakes, and they're highly recommended.    And here's the sandwich that inspired the hunt, from Butcher in New Orleans. It's a beautiful sandwich bun filled with house-cured meats, cheese, and a great housemade olive salad. Well worth tracking down if you're ever in NOLA.   Flatiron Bar and Diner 129 E. Nationwide Blvd., Downtown 614-461-0033 flatironcolumbus.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57019199-Muffaletta at Flatiron]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Street Eats: Red Hot Food Truck]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:45:31 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Red Hot's a solid contender for best-looking food truck in Columbus, don't you think? The vintage 1971 Airstream trailer has been repurposed into a mobile kitchen, and emblazoned with flames to convey its fiery Tex-Mex fusion theme.     Here's the truck in all its glory parked outside St. James Tavern for this week's installment of Mobile Mondays.    And here's an up-close look at their logo. Now if only those flames were translated directly onto the menu. While Red Hot's selection of tacos and quesadillas sounded so delicious I could hardly choose, the ones I tried could've benefitted from a bit more heat.     I had the Korean BBQ Shrimp tacos with cabbage slaw (the sauce was good, but more sweet than spicy)    And the Pumpkin Quesadilla, with asparagus, blue cheese and onions. Again, the concept here is great but the pumpkin puree was too sweet and distracted from the other elements. Next time I think I'll stick with one of the more straightforward options, like carnitas or steak tacos.   Red Hot Food Truck redhotfoodtruck.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/57019198-Street Eats: Red Hot Food Truck]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Childhood Favorites: Friendly's]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:57:01 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[This sundae was a beloved part of my childhood, and it seems I'm not the only one. I wrote about my experience revisiting Friendly's for the first time in decades for last week's Alive (you can read it here), and was pleasantly surprised by how much feedback I've gotten from other people who loved ordering the Cone Head as a kid. Ã?  I was happy to learn that, despite not being quite as delicious as I remembered it being, the Cone Head still brought me just as much joy as an adult as it did as a kid. I'm planning to revisit some other places I loved as a child (think Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel, Skyline Chili, etc.) to see how the food compares to my memories of it, and also to see just how far my own tastes have evolved over the years. Teaser: they don't all fare as well as the Cone Head. Ã?   Oh, and in case you're wondering, I didn't just have an ice cream sundae for lunch. Even though that would've been awesome. I went with my typical childhood order and got the All-American Burger and fries. Ã?  Friendly's 2345 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., North Side 614-882-0610 friendlys.com Ã?]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56961978-Childhood Favorites: Friendly's]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Due Amici's Bloody Mary Brunch]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:04:24 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Know what's better than a Bloody Mary brunch? A build-your-own Bloody Mary brunch. I'm embarking on a tour of the city's Bloody Mary bar scene, starting with what is probably the most famous: Due Amici's. At Due Amici, not only do you get a fabulous deal (one brunch entree and one Bloody Mary for $15), but you get a tableside bartender who whips up a custom-made cocktail from her traveling cart. It's pretty darn fun. Ã?   I asked our mixologist to make me a slightly spicy Bloody Mary, with pepper-infused vodka and all her preferred add-ons, plus a squeeze of lime. She obliged. Ã?   My drink it all its delicious glory. It was great, and now I can't wait to play around with different ingredient combinations and figure out my ultimate Bloody Mary recipe. Ã?   And to eat, I had the Asparagus &#38; Mushroom Frittata, a baked omelet topped with parmesan and mozzarella, and quite enjoyed it. Ã?  So which Bloody Mary bar should I try next? Ã?  Due Amici 67 E. Gay St., Downtown 614-224-9373 due-amici.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56885052-Due Amici's Bloody Mary Brunch]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[First Look: 89 Fish & Grill]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:52:41 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Did you know the Convention Center-adjacent space that used to be Michael O'Toole's is now an upscale seafood spot called 89 Fish &#38; Grill? The new restaurant has been open for two weeks now, and I checked it out for lunch today.    The space is open and airy, with lots of polished wood and a big, center-of-attention bar. The menu is slightly different at lunch than dinner, but both mostly focus on simply prepared seafood with a smattering of (mostly local) meat dishes. I split an entree and a couple of appetizers with my lunch buddy.   Our entree, pictured at top, was the Cioppino, available at lunch and dinner. It's a seafood stew with scallops, shrimp, salmon, calamari and mussels in a tomato, bell pepper and seafood broth with orzo and garlic crostini. At $10, the lunch portion was priced low, but unfortanately sized to match.    We also split two appetizers off the Raw Bar menu. Above is the Scallop Ceviche, below is the House Cured Salmon on pumpernickel toasts with an apple slaw. Both were fine, though I'd like to come back and try some of the fresh-shucked oysters and clams.      It'll be interesting to see how this place fares. Columbus doesn't have many seafood restaurants so it's nice to add one to the roster. The location is difficult, though...lots of convention traffic, but not a part of town locals tend to think of when heading out to dinner.   89 Fish &#38; Grill 89 E. Nationwide Blvd., Arena District 614-586-4585 89fish.com Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56864480-First Look: 89 Fish & Grill]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: 12 iconic dishes]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:22:37 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away. They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball). Consider this your checklist to the city's Iconic Eats.   1. The Thurmanator at Thurman's Cafe 2. PastaSalvi at Salvi's Bistro 3. Bahama Mama at Schmidt's  4. Hangover sandwich at Chef-O-Nette 5. Braised Veal Meatball at Marcella's 6. The Village Addiction at Brown Bag Deli 7. Whoa Nellie! dog at Dirty Frank's 8. 55 Salad at Polaris Grill 9. Buckeye sandwich at Krema Nut Company 10. Mother Mohawk at The Old Mohawk 11. Tapatio Margarita at Knead 12. One Night in Bangkok sundae at Jeni's]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56825398-Only in Columbus: 12 iconic dishes]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Ode to the Thurmanator]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:16:40 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[In our quest to make the meat-tastic Thurmanator attractive enough to be a cover model, Crave's Will Shilling photographed the massive sandwich from every possible angle. The winning image is above, but check out some runners-up from our Thurman Cafe photo shoot below:                I'm honestly shocked by how stunning this ridiculously meaty, cheesy burger turned out. My favorite cover model yet.    Oh, and if you want to show your love for Columbus' most famous burgers, check out this sweet T-shirt from Stay Gra, who has a whole line of Columbus-centric tees.   Thurman Cafe 183 Thurman Ave., German Village 614-443-1570 thethurmancafe.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56825397-Ode to the Thurmanator]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: The Thurmanator]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:20:21 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  THE THURMANATOR  Thurman's man-vs.-food masterpiece is probably the city's most famous dish. That's not to say it's our most beloved--there are just as many detractors as there are fans of this massive burger, with its 24 ounces of ground beef, bacon, ham, three kinds of cheese, etc., etc. But the enduring legacy of the dare-you-to-eat-it-all Thurmanator Challenge will ensure the pub's lines stay perpetually long.  Thurman Cafe 183 Thurman Ave., German Village 614-443-1570 thethurmancafe.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56769238-Only in Columbus: The Thurmanator]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Schmidt's Bahama Mama]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:12:13 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  BAHAMA MAMA  Tourists love this family-owned German Village spot, and they also love the Bahama Mama. The spicy smoked sausage is a heavily seasoned combo of beef and pork stuffed into natural casing. Fun fact: A Schmidt's family member named these guys after a particularly lovely trip to the Bahamas in the 1960s. The grilled links taste best on a toasted split-top sandwich bun dressed with some spicy mustard and horseradish.   Schmidt's Restaurant und Sausage Haus 240 E. Kossuth St., German Village 614-444-6808 schmidthaus.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56769239-Only in Columbus: Schmidt's Bahama Mama]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Happy Hour at Deepwood]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:41:00 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Ever have the urge to order one of everything on the menu? Well, last week, I did it. OK, so it was everything off DeepWood's short and sweet Tavern Small Plates menu. And it was split between four people. And one item, the Pork Osso Buco Cake with pear-mostarda was sadly sold out. And we opted not to get an oyster due to inability to split it four ways. But it still counts! Here's what we did get: Ã?  House-Made Ramen with noodles, snow pea, carrot, mushroom, soft-cooked egg, bean sprouts, vegetable broth ($8). Ramen has been HOT for a while now in bigger cities like NYC. The Asian noodle dish is just starting to pop up on menus around Columbus, and DeepWood does two excellent versions. This smaller happy hour take is filled with vegetables, while the dinner menu has a great Duck Ramen. Both feature house-made ramen noodles. Ã?   Duck Wings &#38; Fries: mustard-glazed wings with duck fat fries ($6). The wings are great, but the real scene stealer is the duck fat fries. Yeah, you heard that right.  Angus Burger stuffed with foie gras and smoked gouda on a toasted bun with date-ancho sauce ($8). This was my favorite of the bunch. The perfectly cooked burger was loaded with decadent foie gras and gooey cheese. So, so good. I only wish the bun matched the greatness of the burger.  Egg, sunny-side-up, with kimchi &#38; pork pancake ($5). I think this was the unanimous favorite dish for the other three people in my party. Love the concept, and it was very tasty.  Skate, fried, with tartar sauce ($6). I've written before about my love for skate wing, and in particular DeepWood's dinner-menu take. These skate tenders (skate fingers?) were fun, though the delicate flavor of the sea ray gets a little lost under the crunchy coating.  Sweet Potato, loaded with house-made bacon, onion &#38; mushroom, goat cheese and scallions ($5). Our table was divided on this dish. A couple of us loved its over-the-topness, while the others felt the toppings didn't quite pair well with the sweet potato.  Spatzle, a gratin ($4). This is basically a glorified block of mac-n-cheese. Not that I'm complaining, because who doesn't love a block of mac-n-cheese? Ã?  The Tavern Small Plates menu is served from 3-7 p.m. Monday through Friday at the DW Tavern Bar. Ã?  DeepWood 511 N. High St., Short North 614-221-5602 deepwoodrestaurant.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56769237-Happy Hour at Deepwood]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Salvi's Bistro's PastaSalvi]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 9 Feb 2012 20:08:41 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  PASTA SALVI  Almost every dish at Salvi's Italian bistro comes with a side of the deep-fried pasta treat, and you can also order it as an appetizer. It's basically a brick of breaded and deep-fried cheesy egg noodles. The creamy-inside-crunchy-outside specialty can be ordered plain, but we highly recommend asking for it topped with chunky tomato sauce and melted provolone.   Salvi's Bistro 5000 Upper Metro Pl., Dublin 614-874-0466 salvisbistro.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56748412-Only in Columbus: Salvi's Bistro's PastaSalvi]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Chef-O-Nette's Hangover sandwich]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 9 Feb 2012 17:39:23 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  Ã?  HANGOVER SANDWICH  This genuine retro diner's Hangover sandwich is more fun to order than it is effective at curing hangovers. And that's exactly why it made our list: What Upper Arlington kid didn't grow up ordering this riff on a bacon cheeseburger (it's basically a deluxe cheeseburger topped with a thick slice of griddled ham)? Ask for it with crinkle-cut fries and an ice-cold Cherry Coke in the case of an actual hangover emergency.   Chef-O-Nette 2090 Tremont Ctr., Upper Arlington 614-488-8444 chefonette.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56748411-Only in Columbus: Chef-O-Nette's Hangover sandwich]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Marcella's Veal Meatball]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:11:39 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  BRAISED VEAL MEATBALL  Famed restaurateur Cameron Mitchell proved he knows his way around ground beef with the Cap City Diner Meatloaf, topped with onion rings and sitting atop a cloud of mashed potatoes. He upped the ante at Marcella's. To hell with ground beef or pork--this thing is 100 percent tender, luscious veal. You can order it on top of pasta, but it's best in its unadulterated appetizer form, served in a mini crock and dressed in tomato sauce.   Marcella's 615 N. High St., Short North 1319 Polaris Pkwy., Polaris marcellasristorante.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56748406-Only in Columbus: Marcella's Veal Meatball]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Brown Bag Deli's Village Addiction]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 8 Feb 2012 20:02:33 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  VILLAGE ADDICTION  Get your turkey-and-cranberries fix year-round thanks to this bohemian deli's brilliant cranberry mayo, the starring ingredient on their No. 7 sandwich, the Village Addiction. That sweet sauce is spread thick on grilled sourdough, and it pairs beautifully with slices of smoked turkey (way better than your average deli meat) and Havarti.  Brown Bag Deli 898 Mohawk St., German Village 614-443-4214 thebrownbaggv.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56727391-Only in Columbus: Brown Bag Deli's Village Addiction]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Dirty Frank's Whoa Nellie!]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 8 Feb 2012 18:04:52 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  WHOA NELLIE!  All the novelty dogs at this hipster hangout have clever monikers, but only one is named after a Columbus rock band. The Whoa Nellie's topped with pulled beef brisket and drizzled in barbecue sauce and got its name from restaurateur Elizabeth Lessner, who calls herself a "huge fan" of frontman Bob Ray Starker. The shout-out is especially fitting at Dirty Frank's, where the jukebox is filled entirely with songs from local bands.  Dirty Frank's Hot Dog Palace 248 S. Fourth St., Downtown 614-824-4673 dirtyfrankscolumbus.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56727390-Only in Columbus: Dirty Frank's Whoa Nellie!]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Polaris Grill's 55 Salad]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 7 Feb 2012 20:14:22 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  55 SALAD  The secret to this salad's in the sweet-tart dressing. Polaris Grill's house salad is a holdover from the now defunct 55 Restaurant Group (where Cameron Mitchell earned his chops). The 55 dressing is nice and garlicky, but a hefty hit of sugar is what makes it especially devourable when poured over baby greens, bacon, blue cheese, red onions and tomatoes.  Polaris Grill 1835 Polaris Pkwy., Polaris 614-431-5598 polarisgrill.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56706835-Only in Columbus: Polaris Grill's 55 Salad]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Krema's Buckeye sandwich]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 7 Feb 2012 20:13:39 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  BUCKEYE SANDWICH  Columbus is the epicenter of Buckeye Nation, which explains our collective fondness for buckeye candies--and tendency to tack the name Buckeye onto anything with that familiar chocolate-peanut butter combo. One of our favorites is Krema Nut Company's Buckeye sandwich. Krema's been making all-natural nut butters since 1898, and they serve gourmet PB&#38;Js from behind a retro sandwich counter at their Grandview factory. The Buckeye pairs Krema's incomparable peanut butter with a layer of Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread.  Krema Nut Company 1000 W. Goodale Blvd., Grandview 614-299-4131 krema.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56706834-Only in Columbus: Krema's Buckeye sandwich]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Old Mohawk's Mother Mohawk]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 7 Feb 2012 19:44:15 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  MOTHER MOHAWK  This sandwich starts with a fairly standard deli order--roast beef and Swiss on marble rye. Then things get kinda crazy with the addition of a scoop of Old Mohawk's housemade chicken salad (a refreshingly old-school mayo-heavy version with just a bit of celery) and a zesty caraway horseradish sauce for dipping. It's one of those great "who ever thought that would taste good together" sandwiches, with an end result that's similar to a kicked-up tuna melt.   The Old Mohawk 819 Mohawk St., German Village 614-444-7204 theoldmohawk.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56706833-Only in Columbus: Old Mohawk's Mother Mohawk]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Knead's Tapatio Margarita]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 7 Feb 2012 19:43:52 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  TAPATIO MARGARITA  Give it a few years and Knead's crazy-good fried chicken sandwich, The Motherclucker, will earn its rightful spot on this list (the diner's signs already urge "try our famous Motherclucker"). In the meantime, we toast a more seasoned Knead offering, the Tapatio Margarita. It's a boozy relic hailing from the beloved Latin-fusion spot where chef/owner Rick Lopez once worked.  Knead 505 N. High St., Short North 614-228-6323 kneadonhigh.com]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Only in Columbus: Jeni's One Night in Bangkok]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 7 Feb 2012 19:43:26 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Crave celebrates our city's signature dishes Columbus isn't synonymous with one particular dish the way Cincinnati is with chili, or Chicago is with deep-dish, or Philly is with cheesesteak. But that doesn't mean we're lacking dishes that scream Columbus. They're the plates you can't order anywhere else in the country. The sandwiches you grew up eating. The bites you show off to out-of-town visitors. The stuff you'd pine after if you ever moved away.Ã? They're what restaurants brag about via menu declarations: "Home of the World Famous PastaSalvi!" "Enjoy the legendary Mother Mohawk!"   We whittled the list of only-in-Columbus dishes down to our favorite dozen. Finalists made the cut for numerous reasons, from having a fantastic name (like the Village Addiction) to being downright addictive (Marcella's veal meatball).  Ã?  ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK  There's lots to love about ice cream queen Jeni Britton Bauer. What we love most is how she dreams up the kinds of flavors nobody would ever expect to come out of Columbus, Ohio. Her playful and often exotic approach to dessert is embodied in this sundae, a staple at Jeni's shops. Scoops of coconut-and-cayenne-spiked Bangkok Peanut ice cream are garnished with banana spears and Spanish peanuts, covered in caramel sauce and hand-whipped cream, and embellished with an actual waffle-cone fortune cookie.  Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams Multiple locations jenisicecreams.com]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Fresh Street pop-up in Cleveland]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 3 Feb 2012 22:44:43 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Cleveland (well, one big storefront in it) felt very much like Columbus on Thursday night for the popup adventure collaboration between Fresh Street and Cleveland chef Jonathon Sawyer at his Noodlecat restaurant. Sawyer is enjoying much deserved buzz at the moment. His Greenhouse Tavern has received plenty of glossy-mag love. Food and Wine magazine named him a Best New Chef in 2010. And he just fought an admirable fight on "Iron Chef: America" (Battle: Mint. Iron Chef: Geoffrey Zakarian. Winner: Zakarian.) When Sawyer met Kenny Kim and Misako Ohba from Fresh Street a couple of months ago, it was mutual admiration at first sight. And that showed Thursday night. The cooks and chefs were frenzied, yes, but also gleeful. Slinging skewer after skewer of tasty grilled meat never looked so fun. For three hours, the supply of skewers, crepes, octopus balls, and dessert and coffee grew, was depleted and was refreshed again. Guests bought tickets that gained them access to an entire night of food, games, toys and merriment.   The theme of the evening was Japanese carnival. And, boy, did they run with it. We were greeted with children's masks at our communal table and encouraged to take a toy from a pile strewn across the restaurant bar. (Giant eyeglasses with blinking noses, check!) Anime played all night on the television screens to a background of Beck, classic rock and the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" soundtrack. We darted from station to station like kids (at a carnival, yes) ready to try new things and satisfy hungry eyes. The fact is, our stomachs weren't hungry after the first couple of rounds, but the look and smell of everything in Noodlecat drove us onward.    I had seconds of the takoyaki, savory cooked balls of batter with a bit of tender octopus hidden inside. The beef tongue yakitori swept away all previous thoughts I had about tongue -- it was like any other slice of beef in texture, only more rich and satisfying. And the tuna yakitori, swathed in a tangy orange glaze, was a perfect pair for my glass of floral sake.   We saved room (willed room to be available?) for dessert, a very Japanese combination of flavors and textures. Little cubes of gelee thickened with agar (a seaweed that can act like gelatin), chopped strawberries, a spoonful of red-bean paste and mini mochi balls were tumbled together in a cup topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of brown-sugar syrup. It was a welcome far cry from the sickly sweet desserts I usually confront. And it was a nice foil to the fatty, savory meat we'd been gnawing happily for a couple of hours. Columbus' Jason Valentine, who is Thunderkiss Coffee, was stationed right next to the parfaits, making pour-over coffee and talking shop with some of the coffee enthusiasts in the room. Ã?   Among plenty of moments in the evening when I had to remind myself I wasn't in Columbus, one stuck out in particular: As we left Greenhouse Tavern, I spotted a few copies of Crave near a small-scale model of Sawyer. Had to snap a shot and share it with everyone at home. This is the part where you swell with pride, too.   On the menu Yakitori (Pork belly, pork cheek, beef tongue, beef shortrib, chicken thigh with scallion, okra, tuna) Ramen Crepes (Salmon cream cheese, bacon okonomiyaki, bulgogi cheesesteak, chicken karage) Takoyaki Japanese parfait (Red-bean paste, agar gelee, mini mochi balls, strawberries, whipped cream, brown-sugar syrup) Thunderkiss coffee  Ã?]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56634444-Fresh Street pop-up in Cleveland]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Crave party at Fisherman's Wharf]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 2 Feb 2012 22:54:10 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[We're throwing a party at Fisherman's Wharf to celebrate our February issue, and we'd love for you to come! Our latest issue includes a profile the family that runs the Polaris restaurant--Niki Chalkias, his wife Gina and his children Maria and John have opened three Fisherman's Wharf locations in Columbus and also own Feta Greek Kuzina and the Big Fat Greek Kuzina. We'll toast the Chalkias family's contributions to Columbus' dining scene from 6-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15. Expect a sampling from Fisherman's Wharf's Greek-tinged seafood menu (Shrimp Santorini, calamari, chicken kabobs and more) plus beer specials from Harpoon Brewery. Want to join us? Email smann@columbuscrave.com to enter for a chance to win tickets. Please use Crave Party in the subject line.  Ã?]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Freshstreet pop-up & cooking with Magdiale Wolmark]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 2 Feb 2012 17:37:31 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Wanted to spotlight a couple of great foodie events happening in the next few days. First up, Freshstreet's Kenny Kim and Misako Ohno are taking their Japanese street food on the road to do a pop-up restaurant at Noodlecat in Cleveland. Ã?  The event is being billed as Freshstreet's Japanese Carnival, and for a $42 ticket price, diners can feast on favorite dishes like: bacon okonomiyaki crepes, bulgogi cheesesteak crepes, octopus takoyaki and pork cheek yakitori. Ã?  It's not to late to plan a quick day trip to Cleveland to be a part of all the fun! The event runs from 6:30-10:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, at Noodlecat, 234 Euclid Ave. in Clevelend. Click here for all the info. And check back here for day-after coverage from Alive editor Kristen Schmidt, who's lucky enough to be tagging along with the Columbus Food Adventures folks to experience this firsthand. Ã?   If you'd rather not do the two-hour drive to Cleveland, the Hills Market is offering another chance to see one of the city's most exciting chefs in action. On Monday, the Worthington grocery store will host a cooking class led by Magdiale Wolmark, chef/owner of the former Dragonfly, now Till. Ã?  Monday's class will be a great opportunity to learn more about the ambitious new Till concept, which Wolmark has described as a more accessible take on his brand of biodynamic cooking. Notably, the new restaurant will serve meat (Dragonfly was stricly vegan). Ã?  The $35 class includes a one-hour cooking demo and then a three-course meal with wine pairings. Here's the menu (all dishes from Till's February menu): --Potted Shiitake with Aspic --Beef Tongue and Taleggio -- Pudding Parfait Ã?  To reserve a spot, call 614-846-3220.]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Searching for the best burgers in Columbus]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:53:22 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I'm on an ongoing quest to find the very best burgers in Columbus, and I've had a few great ones recently. Over the weekend I made it out to Jury Room's brunch for the first time and was wowed by the Breakfast Burger. It's the Jury Burger (all-beef burger with provolone, arugula, tomato, onions) with the addition of a fried egg, bacon and a spicy aioli. Fantastic.    One of the many great things about Latitude 41 is they put just as much effort in their sandwiches as they do in their high-end entrees. They've got a couple of great burgers on the menu--this one is the Latitude Burger, with Oakvale gouda, lettuce, tomato, onion and a horseradish aioli. Also great is the 41 Juicy Lucy, with a Kobe beef patty, Blue Jacket cheddar curds and white truffle aioli on brioche toast.  De-Novo's Kobe Chorizo burger is a newcomer to the burger scene, and I hope it sticks around. The fantastic burger is paired with Carr Valley Menage cheese, arugula, roasted tomato and triple-smoked ketchup on a pretzel bun.    And then there's this Bluescreek Farm Lamb Chorizo Burger from Skillet. It's served on a brioche roll with a sunny-side-up egg, Laurel Valley Jersey Drover cheese and a grainy aioli.   So, please, add to my list: Which burgers around town do I need to try?]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Chickens and eggs at The Coop]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:29:41 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I wrote about The Coop, the newish food truck in Clintonville, for today's Dispatch, but I can't say enough good things about it. So I'm going to say some more. For starters, just look at how pretty that egg is in the photo above. There's an egg incorporated in just about every dish at The Coop (this is a great ham and black-eyed-pea stew topped with a fried egg) and they're some of the best-quality eggs you'll find anywhere, much less from a food truck. That level of quality is the same in every dish I've tried.    And The Coop just gets more impressive from there. An ever changing menu shows off chef Angela Theado's creativity and skill, and she whips up each dish to order inside the truck (even during the winter!). The concept for this truck is dishes involving poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, etc.) and eggs. It could easily feel gimmicky, but it doesn't. In fact, if it weren't for the name and the chicken-coop-evoking yellow lights, I probably would't have even noticed the theme. Here's a look at some of the other dishes I've loved:    Duck Confit with Simple Salad. I actually gasped when I opened this one up, it was so pretty, and the flavor (incredibly rich and tender dark meat) was just amazing.     French Omelette Sandwich with bacon, cheddar, lettuce and sun-dried tomatoes on Texas Toast. A sandwich with soul. Yesterday my foodie friends were going crazy over a new Yak Burger with bacon, arugula, cheddar and a fried egg. You can bet I'll be heading over soon to check that out.   The Coop 2701 Indianola Ave., Clintonville coopontherun.com]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Vegetarian-friendly dining in Columbus]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:55:24 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[While labeling a bunch of food photos today, I realized an awful lot of them were "veggie" such and such. I'm not a vegetarian by any means, not even close, but I've just been in a meat-free mood lately it seems. Here's a look at some of the veggie-heavy meals I've enjoyed in the past few weeks. Up top is a yummy dish from the lunch and dinner menus at Explorers Club: Pan Seared Vegetables with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce and Cornbread Crust. It was actually sort of like a casserole with cornbread chunks instead of noodles, and it was filled with bright, fresh seared veggies.    This is the Vegetarian Stromboli from Little Palace. It's got roasted tomatoes, cremini mushrooms, green olives, onions and fresh chilies. Oh, and cheese.    I was sharing food with a vegetarian friend that night, so we also ordered the Brussels Sprouts pizza sans the usual pancetta. Some garlic, mozzarella and parmesan added plenty of flavor, though.    And here's a Vegetable Sandwich from Block's Bagels on Broad Street. It's lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, banana pepper, sprouts, Muenster cheese and sun-dried tomato dressing on your choice of bagel. I picked sesame and also got a little cup of plain cream cheese to add a little something extra, and was glad I did.     Next up, the Vegetarian Quesadilla from Blue Danube. It's a grilled flour tortilla with cheddar and monterey jack plus grilled peppers, onions and tomatoes. On the side, there's rice and refried beans.    And finally, a not so great picture of a terrific salad, the Vegetarian Sweet Corn Cake salad from El Arepazo. On the bottom are two served-warm cornbread-like pancakes, topped with lettuce, hot peppers, tomatoes, cheese and a bunch of Arepazo's amazing creamy cilantro sauce.]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56451806-Vegetarian-friendly dining in Columbus]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Yellow Brick's wine list]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:29:00 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Yellow Brick Pizza is well known for its vast beer selection (100 bottles and cans plus a rotating selection of great draft options), and now the cozy Olde Towne East spot has added a short and sweet wine list to the mix. I'm usually a pizza-and-beer person, but I stopped in recently to try out a few of the new wines. (Watch for my story in this week's Alive on which of these wines pair best with which of Yellow Brick's specialty pizzas!)    My first wine-and-pizza pairing went swimmingly: A glass of Gnarly Head Zinfandel with the Big O (far and away my favorite Yellow Brick pie). The fruity red goes great with this pizza, topped with red sauce and feta, artichoke hearts, tomato, garlic, red onions, fresh spinach and a bit of pesto.    Plan a visit during happy hour, 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, and sample a few glasses--all wines are $1 off.    Oh, and when I stopped by today to pick up a copy of the wine list, I spotted this special, which I hope to try on my next visit: The Best Pizza in the Multiverse! Can't argue with that logic.   Yellow Brick Pizza 892 Oak St., Olde Towne East 614-725-5482 yellowbrickpizza.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56431158-Yellow Brick's wine list]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Ultimate Mac & Cheese at the Dube]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:17:49 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I've mentioned before that when a menu describes something as "the ultimate," I pretty much have to order it. So on a recent trip to my beloved college hangout the Blue Danube, I was obligated to try the Ultimate Mac &#38; Cheese Dinner, $8.49. (Side note, it's part of the amusing "Dinners from Around the World" section of the menu, under the "From the States" header. The Dube menu hasn't always had that, right?)   Here's the menu description: "Unlike any you have ever had: bacon snow, crunchy topping, and finished with a flourish of molten cheese." Well. If "Ultimate" hadn't already reeled me in, bacon snow sure would have.      And while this isn't the very best mac &#38; cheese I've ever had, it was surprisingly tasty. Noodles in a creamy white cheese sauce were topped with toasted bread crumbs (aka crunchy topping) and bacon bits (aka bacon snow). But real crumbled-up bacon, not fake-meat Bac-Os. I couldn't really detect a "flourish of molten cheese," but this stuff was plenty cheesy without it.   Blue Danube 2439 N. High St., North Campus 614-261-9308]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Back in time at the Florentine]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:55:00 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[What a sign, huh? They don't make signs like that anymore, and they don't make places like the Florentine either. I can't believe I'd never eaten here before this year, but luckily Franklinton Restaurant Week was the motivation I needed to motor over and check this place out. What I discovered is a restaurant so charming and worn-in you fall in love the minute you walk in the door.   Click here to read my review from today's Dispatch, and check out photos from my first visit below.    The Florentine has three dining rooms, and on the day of my visit the place was so busy we were ushered straight back to the third. And I'm glad, because it turns out the back dining room is the best of the three, with a bunch of great vintage paintings and murals, like this awesome one, which we named "A Girl and her Pigeons."  Faux stone arches and the remains of a large group of very old men celebrating a birthday.  So all meals come with complimentary Olive Garden-style breadsticks, but you should definitely upgrade to the Cheese Bread, a half loaf of crusty, buttery Italian bread topped with garlic and melted provolone.    All meals also come with an Olive Garden-style side salad. And I'm not saying that in a disrespectful way.  My lunch: Veal Parmigiana with a side of housemade spaghetti. A great lunch in that reminds-me-of-my-childhood kind of way. Here's what the rest of my table ordered:  Eggplant Parmigiana  Manicotti: noodles stuffed with ricotta, baked in marinara sauce and topped with provolone. Mmm, cheesy.    And then this craziness: Stuffed pepper, with a side of mashed potatoes topped with marinara sauce. I honestly was skeptical about the mashed potatoes and marinara, but one bite and I was sold.   The Florentine 907 W. Broad St., Franklinton 614-228-2262 florentinerestaurant.com]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Comfort food at Skillet]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 17:20:52 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Sometimes we ask food to do more than just fill us up until the next meal. Sometimes we need it to warm our souls, lift our spirits, make our hearts feel whole again. That's what we mean when we say comfort food. And no, any old cheesy fried thing isn't going to cut it. Comfort food has to have heart. And in Columbus, nobody does comfort food better than chef Kevin Caskey at Skillet.   And so on a recent afternoon when I needed my food to do just that, I headed straight to Skillet. And it did not disappoint. There's always going to be mac &#38; cheese on the menu, fancied up with various vegetables and meats. On that particular day, I ordered the Mac &#38; Duck ($13). It was spiral-shaped cavatappi noodles in a creamy cheese sauce made with Laurel Valley havarti and ricotta, made even more delicious with a roasted squash bechamel made from local Hubbard squashes. On top of all that was a mound of pulled duck leg confit and then a lightly dressed arugula salad. Immediately after digging in, I felt happier and more at ease. By the time I left the restaurant, I could hardly remember why I was so upset before.    As much as I loved my mac-n-cheese, I was still jealous of this burger, which I considered but didn't order. Look at that gorgeous egg! Luckily, I got to try a bite. Here's the kind of crazy menu description: Bluescreek Farm Lamb Chorizo Burger, $12: Housemade chorizo from all-natural Ohio group raised tether-free lamb. Served on a brioche roll with grainy aioli, Laurel Valley Jersey Drover, and a sunny King's Farm egg.    A longtime favorite comfort-food-day option is Skillet's Grilled Cheese on Brioche ($10). The fillings change occasionally (that day's sandwich has Laurel Valley Country Jack with roasted Fuji apple-onion compote), but it always comes with a little salad and a cup of soup. I did not snag a bite of this amazing-sounding soup (black bean and beer soup made with sheep's-milk cheese!), but it certainly sounded and looked fantastic.   Skillet 410 E. Whittier St., German Village 614-443-2266 skilletruf.com]]></description>
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			<title><![CDATA[Mobile Mondays at St. James Tavern]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:52:44 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[My favorite trend to come out of the street food revolution in Columbus? Food carts setting up outside bars that don't serve food. I could stay at a place like St. James, a comfy neighborhood tavern with a fantastic draft beer list, all night long. But I'd get pretty hungry.   So I'm psyched about Mobile Mondays, a new promotion that'll bring a food cart to the parking lot outside St. James on Monday evenings.    Mobile Mondays is an initiative of the Food Fort, an incubator of sorts for mobile food vendors, and Michelle Hill at St. James. The Fort is an Economic and Community Development Institute The program recently added Jim Ellison, who you may know better as local food blogger CMH Gourmand, to spearhead marketing and event coordination for their mobile food operation.   The first Mobile Monday happened earlier this week, and a bunch of notable foodies came out to feast on pita sandwiches from Pitabilities over a few beers at the Italian Village bar.  I tried the Fish Pita, which is a fried fish filet topped with grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella and the house sauce (it's called bella sauce, and it's got a nice kick).   All that comes wrapped in a pita. And on this particular night, for this particular sandwich, the Pitabilities guys were offering an option of a fried pita. I certainly couldn't turn THAT down, and it was indeed quite delicious in a greasy-good way.   On the side, I ordered some of the pita chips (more deep-fried pita bread, this time cut into triangles) and garlic hummus. Yum.    Now, on Mobile Mondays, St. James is also doing a beer special: mystery cans for $1. As tempted as I was by this great bargain (the inaugural mystery beer was Busch Light!), I went for a craft brew instead. Mmm, Fish Pita and Bell's Winter White at the bar at St. James. Can't think of a better Monday-night combo.   For the second installment, Tatoheads will set up outside from 6-9 p.m. Jan. 16.   St. James Tavern 1057 N. Fourth St., Italian Village 614-294-0064 stjamestavern.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56203271-Mobile Mondays at St. James Tavern]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Pretzel roll sandwiches]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:44:41 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Research for my Columbus Alive roundup of the city's best sandwiches served on pretzel rolls (check it out here) was long and exhaustive. Here's a look at some of the pretzel roll sandwiches I tried. Pictured above is the Pretzel Reuben at Liberty Tavern in Powell. Mine's turkey but you can also get it with corned beef. And it usually comes with fries, but I'm trying to be healthy!   I really loved the Kobe Chorizo Burger on a pretzel bun from De-Novo Bistro.  Lexi's Hungry Bavarian isn't nearly as jaw-dropping as their corned beef specialties, but this tasty sandwich combines a satisfyingly thick stack of Bavarian ham with melted Swiss and spicy mustard on a thin, buttery pretzel roll.    On my first trip to the new Arena District pub Three Legged Mare, I ordered a half-sandwich-half-soup lunch combo. My corned beef sandwich came on an attractive pretzel roll, and my soup (a seafood chowder) was pretty tasty.    This guy came off a seasonal menu at the Winking Lizard: a Bratwurst Burger served on pretzel bun with potato pancakes on the side. Pretty great paired with a Great Lakes Christmas Ale.  And here's my photo of the Smoke House BBQ Luna Burger on Brezel pretzel bun at Hal &#38; Al's. Not nearly as nice-looking at Alysia Burton's pretty photo that ran with my Alive story, but very tasty.  And, of course, you can't talk about pretzel rolls in Columbus without talking about Tip Top's Pot Roast Sandwich. But you also can't come close to taking as great a picture of it as this one by Will Shilling, so I didn't even try.]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56200475-Pretzel roll sandwiches]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Mofongo Omelet at Starliner Diner]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:42:41 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I'm an admitted omelet addict. If the egg dish is offered on a menu, I'll almost always order it. And I have found my new favorite: Starliner Diner's Mofongo Omelet, a frequent breakfast special. It's got ham, bacon, pepper jack and fried plantains. That's right, plantains in an omelet! If anyone can find novel uses for that caramelized treat, it's this Cuban-leaning spot. The sweet-salty combination works beautifully here. And the two sauces on top, a smoked chile sauce and a green onion dressing, are just icing on the cake. Like all of Starliner's omelets, this one comes with home fries and Cuban toast.      I also recently got to try Starliner's Chile Relleno appetizer for the first time. Sort of like a gourmet jalapeno popper, it's a breaded, roasted poblano pepper that's stuffed with cheese, cilantro and green onions, served with smoked chile sauce. Very tasty.   Starliner Diner 5240 Cemetery Rd., Hilliard 614-529-1198 starlinerdiner.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56161286-Mofongo Omelet at Starliner Diner]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Section 8 Yakitorium]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 9 Jan 2012 14:58:43 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I've been obsessed with everything street-food provocateurs Kenny Kim and Misako Ohba have done so far (namely Foodie Cart and Freshstreet), so I was geeked to hear the husband-and-wife team has a new project. They've paired up with Bret Lewis, formerly of the Cheesy Truck, to start serving late-night Japanese street food out of the Double Happiness bar. And when I made it over to check the new place out, I was delighted to find that their brand of comfort food (previously available only during the daylight hours) tastes even better a few beers in. Oh yeah, I'm gonna like this place.    The main specialty here is yakitori, Japanese-style grilled chicken served on skewers. Section 8 goes beyond just chicken. You can order pork belly, miso-marinated beef cheek, beef ribeye, chicken wings, beef tongue and lots more. I tried the pork cheek and found it to be pure salty-greasy deliciousness.   The menu includes other rotating specialties, too, like the Okonomiyaki scallion pancakes you may have tried at Freshstreet, steaming mugs of ramen, and fresh-cut french fries topped with bonito flakes. It all makes for terrific, cheap drunk food.     Okonomiyaki with pork belly. Cameo by Kenny Kim.   Cup O' Chicken Ramen   Fries (regular and sweet potato!). I washed mine down with an IPA from the Double Happiness bar.   If you haven't checked out Double Happiness, by the way, the newish Brewery District bar is definitely worth getting to know. It's a dark, narrow space with a stage, bar and now the yakitori grill, and it's got a fun vibe. Tip: Double Happiness sometimes charges a cover if there's a band playing, but if you're only coming for yakitori you can use the second door and avoid paying. I'd not been in before Section 8 opened, but I anticipate I'll become a regular.          Section 8 Yakitorium at Double Happiness 482 Front St., Brewery District 614-220-5558 s8yakitorium.tumblr.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56066580-Section 8 Yakitorium]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Foie Gras dessert at Sage]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 5 Jan 2012 21:12:23 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Everything Sage Chef Bill Glover makes is great, but he has a few go-to specialties. His scallops, for example, are terrific both in appetizer form (topped with foie gras and a red pepper marmalade) and as an entree (paired with housemade blackberry ketchup). And his Creme Brulee French Toast topped with fresh fruit is a beloved dish on the brunch menu. So imagine my delight when I discovered there's a dessert that combines all of those elements into one transcendent treat.   It's the Foie Gras dessert, and it's ginger french toast topped with rich, buttery seared foie gras, spoonfuls of blackberry jam, dollops of caramel sauce and, the kicker, toasted mini marshmallows. It's a twist on a classic combination, foie gras and brioche, and man is it good. If only there was a way to work scallops in there somehow...   Sage 2653 N. High St., North Campus 614-267-7243 sageamericanbistro.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56066579-Foie Gras dessert at Sage]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Dreaming of summer: BLT at Latitude 41]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 3 Jan 2012 22:05:22 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Well, we had a good run. All through all those balmy November and December days, everybody kept asking when winter was going to get here. And when we hit 2012, suddenly, it was here. And I, for one, am already daydreaming about summertime after one day of walking around outside in the snow.   On days like today, I sometimes like to order summery dishes to convince myself that warm weather will eventually return. One of my favorites is a terrific version of that ultimate summertime sandwich, the BLT, offered year-round at Latitude 41.   The Bentons BLT ($6) is a simple collection of highest-quality ingredients, starting with thick, smoky bacon from Tennessee's Bentons Smoky Mountain Country Hams. Buzz about Bentons bacon in the culinary world hit near hysteria levels a few years back, and the stuff is still worth the hype. Along with the bacon, you get toasted bread slathered in a truffle aioli, crisp romaine and a juicy tomato slice (tomatoes in the winter is sacrilidge, I KNOW, but desperate times call for desperate measures).    I played a similar game of pretend over the long weekend at Katalina's Cafe Corner, downing a Mason jar full of their house-brewed raspberry ice tea even though there was snow on the ground outside. What are some of the foods that remind you of summertime?   Latitude 41 50 N. Third St., Downtown 614-233-7541 latitude41restaurant.com   Katalina's Cafe Corner 1105 Pennsylvania Ave., Victorian Village 614-294-2233 cafecornercolumbus.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/56027362-Dreaming of summer: BLT at Latitude 41]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Franklinton Restaurant Week]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:56:00 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[We're already halfway through the second-annual Franklinton Restaurant Week, a neat fundraiser for the United Way of Central Ohio. But there's still time to support United Way and the Franklinton Development Association. The revitalizing neighborhood's restaurants are offering a lunch special each day. Tuesday featured Tommy's Diner, and Wednesday was Phillip's Coney Island.   On Thursday, head to The Florentine, a vintage Italian spot at 907 W. Broad, for all-you-can-eat spaghetti. Proceeds from all spaghetti orders benefit the campaign, or if you're not in the mood for pasta, just make a donation at the front counter.   And on Friday, Milo's Deli (980 W. Broad) will offer up their excellent Milo's Famous Reubens as a daily special, sending a portion of the sandwich proceeds to United Way. Milo's makes its Reubens with corned beef, pastrami, turkey, Swiss and sauerkraut, served with Thousand Island on earthy toasted rye. Yum.   For more info, visit franklinton.org.     (Jodi Miller photo)]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55914356-Franklinton Restaurant Week]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Tackling the Thurmanator]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 16:29:03 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Well, I crossed big item off my Columbus-dishes-I-still-need-to-try list this week: The Thurmanator. I'll just go ahead and admit up front that I didn't even get close to completing the Thurmanator Challenge, aka eating the whole thing plus fries. I split the burger in half with a very hungry friend and even then had a bunch left over. I'd say I managed to eat maybe one-fifth?   Here's the menu description: The THURMANATOR: Bottom bun, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, banana peppers, 12-ounce burger, bacon, cheddar, another 12-ounce burger, sauteed mushrooms and onions, ham, mozzarella &#38; American cheese, top bun. Served with fries. $16.49.   Our waiter grinned when we ordered the Thurmanator to share, and asked if we wanted them to cut it in half in the kitchen. I wanted to take a picture of the sandwich in all its towering glory, so we said no. But now I'm wondering, what in the heck is the best way to tackle this thing?    A few tables away, a kid of about 10 years old ordered the Thurmanator too. When it came out, his eyes sparkled with glee but the first words out of his mouth were "how do I eat it?" And honestly, that was my reaction too. It's probably close to a foot tall, and just look at all this meat. There's literally no way you can bite into the thing like a normal burger. So how do most people go about eating it?    Here's what I did: First, we cut it in half down the middle. See, doesn't it look more manageable already? But from there, I dug in with a fork, trying to spear a bit of burger, bacon, ham, cheese, bun and tomato on each forkful. It worked pretty well, but I'm thinking there must be a better way. Anybody have a good strategy for tackling this thing?   Thurman Cafe 183 Thurman Ave., German Village 614-443-1570 thethurmancafe.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55785509-Tackling the Thurmanator]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Columbus restaurants open Christmas Day]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:11:00 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[A quick roundup of Columbus restaurants that will be open on Christmas Day 2011, organized by category. This list is not exhaustive (if you know of any additions, email 'em to smann@columbuscrave.com), and we also recommend you call ahead before heading out to eat. many of these restaurants tend to book up completely well before Christmas.   BETTY'S FAMILY OF RESTAURANTS Tip Top Kitchen &#38; Cocktails, 73 E. Gay St., will be open 4-10 p.m. Christmas Day. Christmas Pot Roast Sandwich sounds pretty awesome, actually. The Jury Room, 22 E. Mound St., will be open 6 p.m. to midnight Christmas Day Surly Girl Saloon, 1126 N. High St., will be open 6 p.m. to midnight Christmas Day with a limited menu     STEAKHOUSES The Clarmont, 684 S. High St., is open noon to 6:30 p.m. Christmas Day serving a special menu (honey-glazed double pork chops, mushroom-risotto stuffed chicken, bacon-wrapped salmon and Muscovy duck breast with lingonberry sauce. Reservations required. McCormick &#38; Schmick's, 3965 New Bond St., is open 12-8 p.m. on Christmas Day Smith &#38; Wollensky, 4145 The Strand West, will be open noon to 8 p.m. on Christmas Day. A special holiday menu includes Chateaubriand For Two ($92), with a traditional sliced filet mignon, roasted fingerling potatoes, baby carrots, haricot vert and a foie gras creamed mushroom sauce. Ruth's Chris Steak House, 7550 High Cross Blvd., will be open 5-9 p.m. Christmas Day The River Club at Confluence Park will be serving a buffet featuring prime rib and ham, filet and lobster tail and much more, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Christmas Day. Reservations required.     HOTEL DINING Bar 41, the bar area of Latitude 41 at the Renaissance, 50 N. Third St., will be open 12-8 p.m. Christmas Day with a limited menu High Street Grill, 310 S. High St., will be open 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Christmas Day, and the Westin's Thurber's Bar serves until 11 p.m.     CHINESE China Dynasty, 1689 W. Lane Ave., will be serving a Christmas Day Chinese Buffet from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Christmas Day China Dynasty, 1930 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., will be open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Christmas Day Peking Dynasty, 1773 W. Fifth Ave., will be open 4-10 p.m. Christmas Day Peking Dynasty, 2210 E. Livingston Ave., is open 5-10 p.m. Christmas Day       PASTRIES &#38; BAGELS Pattycake Bakery, 3009 N. High St., is a great place to pick up last-second holiday gifts. They'll be open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Christmas Day Block's Bagels, 3415 E. Broad, will be open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Christmas Day]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55785508-Columbus restaurants open Christmas Day]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[In love with: Warm ricotta appetizers]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:49:33 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I've professed my love for Harvest Pizzeria's adorable little Warm Ricotta with Crostini appetizer, which is drizzled in lavender honey and balsamic vinegar and served in a tiny Mason jar, on here before. It's an absolute delight to eat. But I'm becoming positively obsessed with warm ricotta after having a fantastic version at Third &#38; Hollywood over the weekend.    3&#38;H's Housemade Hand Ladled Ricotta ($13) is served in little Staub crocks--even more fun than Mason jars. One of the crocks is filled with truffle-oil-laced warm cheese while the other has garlicky braised Swiss chard. Layer the ricotta and greens on the provided buttery toasts and you've got quite a fabulous little snack. It's so good, I didn't even miss my usual iron skillet full of cheddar-herb biscuits. (Full disclosure: I actually did order the three-biscuit starter plate. I mean, you can't go to Third &#38; Hollywood and not have a biscuit.)   Third &#38; Hollywood 1433 W. Third Ave., Grandview thirdandhollywood.com   Harvest Pizzeria 495 S. Fourth St., German Village 614-824-1769 harvestpizzeria.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55748567-In love with: Warm ricotta appetizers]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[New Orleans eats in Columbus]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:48:57 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I took a little trip to New Orleans at the beginning of the month. It was my first time visiting the Southern mecca of food and drink, and I was duly impressed by the city's culinary scene. As a first-timer, I went ahead and indulged in some of the touristy-type famous dishes, like fried oyster po'boys and muffaletta sandwiches and beignets at Cafe du Monde.   Funny enough, the morning after I got back in town, a coworker brought in a bunch of beignets from Creole Kitchen, an Olde Towne East hole-in-the-wall serving what's widely acknowledged to be some of the best New Orleans-style comfort food you can get in Columbus.   Impressed by the warm, powdered-sugary goodness of the beignets, I planned a lunch trip to Creole Kitchen to see if their sandwich offerings stacked up to the stuff I tried down South. Now, to be fair, I sought out the very best po'boys and muffalettas I could find in a city full of them, so putting them up against the only ones available in Columbus isn't exactly a fair comparison. For example, this Muffaletta came from Butcher, a real-deal butcher shop specializing in housemade meats that's attached to Cochon, one of the swankiest spots in NOLA.  The Muffaletta is named after the bread it's served on, a large round loaf that's kind of like foccaccia. It's typically filled with cured meats (capicola, salami, pepperoni, ham, etc.) and cheese as well as a marinated olive salad. Butcher's was, honestly, one of the top sandwiches I've eaten in my life. Terrific bread, interesting meats and a great housemade olive salad.  But Creole Kitchen's Muffaletta held up well. Their take on the Muffaletta is kinda like a hybrid between a traditional muffaletta (the meats and cheeses are all there and taste great) and a po'boy, which is traditionally served on a baguette-like French bun. The bread here is great but definitely more sub-like, and the addition of a bunch of shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes unfortunately leads to some sogginess. But the sandwich is a winner overall.   Especially since the demise of the great little Johnny Oak's Po'Boy Shack on Campus, I'd say it's fair to declare Creole Kitchen the place to head when you're in the mood for Big Easy-style sandwich or breakfast pastry. For Cajun/Creole stewy stuff like etouffee and gumbo, Creole Kitchen fares well too but has some tough competition from Da Levee in the Short North. Where else in town does New Orleans food justice?   Creole Kitchen 1052 Mount Vernon Ave., Olde Towne East 614-372-3333 creolekitchen.biz]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55676963-New Orleans eats in Columbus]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Pig Sticks at Easy Street]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:43:55 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[My three-year-old's adorable mispronunciation of the Christmas carol line "bring us some figgy pudding" as "piggy pudding" has me craving Easy Street Cafe's awesome Pig Sticks this morning. I first ordered them because of the amusing name, but these sweet and savory treats are so much better than they sound. Basically, they're links of breakfast sausage dipped in cinnamony pancake batter and deep-fried--so, the a.m. version of corndogs. They're sprinkled in powdered sugar and come with a bowl of maple syrup for dipping. An order of three costs $4, and works great as a brunch appetizer for the table.   Easy Street Cafe 197 Thurman Ave., German Village 614-929-3141 easystreetcafecolumbus.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55676962-Pig Sticks at Easy Street]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Gift idea: Breakfast with Nick book]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:18:00 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Know what would make a great Christmas gift for any Columbus foodie on your list? A copy of local blogger Nick Dekker's new book, "Breakfast With Nick: Columbus." While Dekker's blog typically offers food reviews, the book delves into the stories behind some of the city's best breakfast destinations, organized by neighborhood. Writeups are accompanied by mouthwatering photos of breakfast food favorites shot by local photographer Robin Oatts.   Dekker goes beyond the typical diners, too, offering off-the-beaten-path breakfast picks like a Mexican desayunos buffet at la Plaza Tapatia, dim sum brunch at Sunflower Chinese Restaurant and a Somali breakfast at African Paradise.   The cover price is $20 and the book is available at the Book Loft, the Celebrate Local store at Easton, Hills Market, Beehive Books, Cover to Cover, Whole Foods and Wholly Craft, as well as a handful of restaurants and coffee shops around town.   Breakfast With Nick breakfastwithnick.wordpress.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55657391-Gift idea: Breakfast with Nick book]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Trend: Chipotle-style]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:46:04 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Restaurants borrowing Chipotle's assembly-line setup are nothing new, but all of the sudden there seems to be an incredible number of locally owned Chipotle-style spots opening in Columbus. First there was Piada, Chris Doody's Italian fast-casual chain with five locations and a sixth coming soon. And now we have:   // Fresh 50, a soon-to-open Asian Chipotle-style restaurant, with rice bowls, noodle bowls, salads and wraps (50 N. High St.) // Streetfare by Lola, where favorites from the Downtown Cafe Lola are served Chipotle-style--think wraps, salads or subs filled with chicken, beef or veggies (21 E. State St.) // Papaya Street Grill, a tropical Chipotle-style restaurant with noodle bowls, rice bowls, sandwiches and burgers (3512 W. Dublin-Granville Rd.) // Tava, a Turkish Chipotle-style restaurant with lavash wraps, salads and bowls (4782 Morse Rd.) // Mezze Middle'Terranean, a Greek Chipotle-style restaurant with pitas, bowls and hummus plates (5326 N. Hamilton Rd.)   Whew. I'm sure there are more, too, that I'm not aware of yet. I checked out a sneak preview of Fresh 50, pictured up top, on Friday. The Asian restaurant is located in the former Spinelli's Deli location on High Street Downtown. I arrived toward the end of their free sneak preview and a lot of the things I was hoping to try were already gone, but the menu sounds promising. For my next lunch there, I'm planning on trying the Korean-style Bulgogi steak in a sesame noodle bowl.]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55638013-Trend: Chipotle-style]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Sushi Lovers special at AOI]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 9 Dec 2011 19:44:35 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Sitting down to a particularly late dinner on a particularly ravenous day, we were lured in by the glorious excess of the new AOI Blue Bar's Sushi Lovers for 2 special. Our server described it (quite enthusiastically) as being a fantastic overview to the sushi offerings for first-timers to AOI (AIO = "ow-wee" by the way.) At $53, it seems pricy, but the server insisted it was a huge bargain if you add up the actual prices of each of the individual rolls and sashimi pieces. At that point, honestly, my brain was so scattered from lack of food I couldn't even begin to try to pick my own combination of sushi rolls, and so we went for it. We plowed our way through every last roll and bit of sashimi, but just barely. This is a LOT of sushi.   Served on an impressive wooden bridge, this stunner comes with AOI's signature Volcano Roll as the centerpiece. Avocado-wrapped California rolls are drizzled in a mayo-y sauce and arranged in a circle around a pile of cooked fish topped with bright red roe. The fish was actually my least favorite part of this roll, only because the cooked-fish texture threw me off while eating the rest of the velvety raw sushi.    Above is my up-close photo of the Volcano Roll, and below is the restaurant's prettier depiction, displayed on their nifty iPad menu. Diners can flip through photos of every item on the menu, which is a novel idea and quite helpful when trying to decide between similar-sounding rolls.  Next is a Philly-type roll with salmon and cream cheese, then a California roll and two more salmon rolls, one of them spicy. On the sashimi side is an assortment of gorgeous, bright raw fish chosen by the chef. We got nigiri (sashimi served on a small ball of rice) with tuna, salmon and yellow tail, plus a bit more excellent tuna sashimi.   Besides all that sushi and sashimi, the Sushi Lovers special also came with miso soup and a salad! Wow. A bargain indeed if you're hungry enough to finish.     AOI Blue Bar 878 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side 614-824-2664 aoibluebar.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55564305-Sushi Lovers special at AOI]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[In Season: Brussels sprouts]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 9 Dec 2011 19:43:57 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I've been really into Brussels sprouts recently and am thrilled that they are popping up on menus all around town this time of year. I snagged this lovely little salad ($5) at lunch today at Skillet. It's shaved Brussels tossed in olive oil, lemon and bits of ricotta salata, a dried and aged ricotta. It's a refreshing little salad best suited for people who really love Brussels sprouts (uncooked sprouts are a lot more cabbage-y than their caramelized counterparts).    Knead makes some of the most delicious roasted Brussels sprouts in town. As a starter ($7), they're shaved and fried up in peanut oil with some bacon and garlic, then tossed in honey and golden balsamic. (So, in case you were wondering, the way to make a good-for-you vegetable taste really, really good is frying it in oil and drizzling it with honey.) Fried Brussels sprouts are featured prominently on Knead's Ohioan Pizza ($14), topped with mashed potatoes, bacon, chicken and white cheddar. I haven't tried it yet but have heard lots of raves.  G. Michael's Brussels sprouts small plate ($8) has a sweet element too, thanks to a dijon-maple cream sauce. The halved sprouts are sauteed and served with toasted almonds, candied onions and melted gruyere. You can also add some braised ham hock for an extra $2, and you'd have a great mini meal.   Know of any other great dishes with Brussels sprouts in Columbus? Email me at smann@columbuscrave.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55544103-In Season: Brussels sprouts]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Plantains at Explorers Club]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 9 Dec 2011 18:44:22 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Super-ripe, super-sweet, fried-til-caramelized plantains: plenty of places around Columbus serve them. But there was a time when the only place you could find this addictive appetizer was the Galaxy Cafe, a pioneering Latin-tinged restaurant run by Ricky Barnes. This was during the 1990s, when I was living in Cincinnati, and so I never had the pleasure of dining there. But I'd heard lots of fond memories of the place, almost always mentioning those plantains.   So when I finally made it out to check out Explorers Club, Barnes' new Merion Village spot, the first thing I ordered was the plantains. And yes, they were as great as everyone made them out to be. Perfectly cooked, with a few bits so charred they take on the chewy texture of soft caramel. And served with a fantastic salsa yogurt dipping sauce--plenty creamy with just a small hit of spice.    Here's what else I tried that first visit. I'm eagerly awaiting more chances to try out more of the menu.  Ropa Vieja sandwich with muenster cheese on a housemade ciabatta bun, $8.This was fantastic, starting with the great housemade bun. It sopped up all the juices from the tender, tomatoey beef. And the side of spicy coleslaw tasted great scooped on top of the sandwich.    Galaxy Original with chicken, roasted veggies and greens in a balsamic olive oil dressing, wrapped in a grilled pizza crust, $8.50. I liked this, but not quite as much as that Ropa Vieja. The veggies were great and the pizza crust wrap was interesting, but with all that bread this sandwich could've used some sauce. In fact, immediately wished I'd saved some of that salsa yogurt from the plantains. Next time!     Explorers Club 1586 S. High St., South Side 614-725-0155 explorersclubmv.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55503756-Plantains at Explorers Club]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Street Eats: Yellow Boy's Polish Boys]]></title>
			<pubDate>Thu, 8 Dec 2011 21:25:00 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Story by Bethia Woolf // Photos by Jodi Miller The Polish Boy is beloved in its hometown of Cleveland. The sandwich has such a cult following there that "Iron Chef's" Michael Symon, a Cleveland native, picked a Polish Boy as his choice for the Food Network show "The Best Thing I Ever Ate."  But despite its popularity two hours to the north, Columbus didn't have a reliable source for the sausage sandwich until this year.  Marcus Spivey, owner of the new Yellow Boy's food cart, is a Clevelander who spent much of his time at Ohio State wishing he could find a decent Polish Boy in Columbus. After years of hoping someone else would open a Polish Boy restaurant, Spivey decided to take the plunge himself earlier this year.  Now, thanks to Spivey, transplanted Clevelanders (and anyone else) craving kielbasa can get their fix on the streets of Columbus.    WHERE TO FIND IT Yellow Boy's moves around town and can be found on Campus, in the Short North and at special events and festivals. Keep track of Spivey on Twitter or Facebook--these sandwiches are worth hunting down.     WHEN TO GO Yellow Boy's is usually out and about on weekends and late nights. This is great after-the-bar--or between-rounds-of-beer--food, and it's not surprising that Spivey regularly sells out of sausages.     WHAT TO GET A Polish Boy, of course! Here's what it is: a juicy grilled kielbasa sausage served in a hot dog bun topped with french fries, coleslaw and barbecue or hot sauce. They're $5 apiece.  Spivey drives up to Cleveland to get his kielbasas, and splits and grills them himself. He makes his own sweet coleslaw and uses pre-cooked oven fries.  The soft bun and thick-cut fries soak up the juices from that coleslaw and--the highlight of the sandwich--Spivey's secret-recipe barbecue sauce. We wish we could tell you what's in it, but Spivey's not spilling. It's tangy, a little vinegary and packs some heat, and it pulls the sandwich together quite nicely.     ON THE SIDE No side orders here unless you want a soda. This is a compact, all-in-one sandwich--the fries are served on top rather than on the side.     DON'T FORGET TO Grab some napkins. Youll need them. It's good--but it's very messy.  And spend some time chatting with Spivey. This friendly and charming guy has managed to perfect the difficult art of conversing with drunken customers.    Bethia Woolf, owner of the tour company Columbus Food Adventures, blogs at streeteatscolumbus.com.   Yellow Boys Polish Boys Twitter: @yellowpolishboy yellowpolishboy.blogspot.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55617586-Street Eats: Yellow Boy's Polish Boys]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Winter dishes at The Rossi]]></title>
			<pubDate>Fri, 2 Dec 2011 16:45:00 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[Something about cold weather makes me crave meat. And so on a recent blustery evening at The Rossi, my friend and I were drawn to course after course of meat. Our waitress even tried to steer us into more healthful territory by suggesting we get salads. We politely declined. Needed to save room for more lamb, chicken and steak. Here's what we tried: Winter Roasted Chicken: Winter-brined Gerber chicken with chorizo-sweet potato bread pudding, braised greens and pan drippings. I'd sampled this bread pudding at a Crave party earlier in the summer, and it was as amazing as I remembered. The spicy-sweet stuff delivered a flavor punch that chicken dishes are often lacking. This chicken, too, was far superior to most restaurant takes. The brining yields super-juicy, succulent meat.    Pastrami-Cured New York Strip with charred tomato vinaigrette, wagyu bone marrow and a root vegetable hash. You won't see the bone marrow anywhere on this plate--you'll just taste its soul-warming meatiness soaked into each and every bite.    Grilled Lamb Lollipops with bacon jam and a parsley puree. These guys are tender and well-seasoned enough to appeal to even those who don't usually like lamb. (i.e. I usually like my lamb a little lamb-ier, but still quite enjoyed these.)   The Rossi 895 N. High St., Short North 614-299-2810 rossibarandkitchen.com]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55430167-Winter dishes at The Rossi]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Bacon bar snacks at Sidebar]]></title>
			<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:19:04 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[I happy-houred last week at SideBar, the Dayton import that just opened on Main Street Downtown. SideBar's sister restaurant is known for its classic handcrafted 1920s cocktails, and the new Columbus incarnation is touting those drinks as well. I was duly impressed by the cocktails (my Dark &#38; Stormy was pretty fantastic -- a layered concoction of ginger beer, lime and Cruzan Blackstrap rum).   But I was also enamored with SideBar's bar snacks: pint glasses filled with four strips of crispy fried bacon. Not maple bacon, or spicy bacon, or candied bacon. Just straight-up greasy, salty bacon. It's such a simple concept, I can't believe more places haven't tried it. It's a snap to prepare, but seems much fancier than peanuts. Only wish it came with some napkins.   SideBar   Normal 0     false false false  EN-US X-NONE X-NONE              MicrosoftInternetExplorer4                                                                                                                                                            /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}   122 E. Main St., Downtown 614-228-9041]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55389653-Bacon bar snacks at Sidebar]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Mason jars at Harvest Pizzeria]]></title>
			<pubDate>Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:53:42 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[The newest craze in glassware has, in fact, been around for generations. More and more restaurants are serving drinks in Mason jars, glass containers whose original use was to preserve food. Harvest Pizzeria uses them for beer and cocktails, like this Moscow Mule made with Oyo Vodka and ginger beer.   Drinks at Element Pizza come out in the jars, too. But they're not just for beverages--Mason jars get filled with gorgeous sundaes at Jeni's, and with banana pudding and other desserts at Milestone 229.     Harvest Pizzeria 495 S. Fourth St., German Village 614-824-1769 harvestpizzeria.com     (Photo by Jodi Miller)]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55369806-Mason jars at Harvest Pizzeria]]></link>
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			<title><![CDATA[Put an egg on it]]></title>
			<pubDate>Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:02:09 -0600</pubDate>
			<description><![CDATA[My new favorite thing is ordering dishes that come with an over-easy egg on top, then cracking the yolk and letting the eggy deliciousness ooze down into whatever's below it. Everything's better with egg or two. Exhibit A: The Hangover at Easy Street Cafe. This is a bowl of home fries topped with chili, shredded cheese and two eggs. This was good, but not quite as good as a similar but superior dish at Paul's Fifth Avenue.  This is the Paul's Special Callahan. Basically, you can order any of the omelets at Paul's "Callahan-style," meaning the same ingredients come on top of a plate of home fries rather than wrapped up in eggs. My waitress recommended adding an egg on top, and it was a brilliant suggestion. This whopper of a meal is sausage, bacon, ham, onions, peppers and tomatoes all melded together with melted American cheese. It's greasy-spoon diner fare at its very best.  Or, for a far more refined take, try this neat little appetizer from Sushi.com in Dublin. Ika Uni Masago is shredded squid and sea urchin topped with masago (roe) and a quail egg. If you've never tried uni (sea urchin), this dish is a great introduction to its peculiar (but tasty) creamy texture.    Finally, you can't really see the egg in this photo, but the Element Salad at Element Pizza Bar comes with arugula and Bibb lettuce topped with housemade bacon, fresh mozzarella, a poached egg and Caesar dressing. Yum.]]></description>
			<link><![CDATA[http://columbuscrave.com/crave/blog/1/55350953-Put an egg on it]]></link>
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