CMH Podcast….unleashed!

OK - the new podcasts are a little rough and certainly no Splendid Table or This American Life - but for the sake of learning about technology….. a Podcast was born. I think each one gets better. I finally broke down and bought a nice USB headset to improve my sound quality which I hope you can hear in episode 5 <the Beer Episode>.

Columbus Food

We open to harsh criticism or nice feedback because we aim to improve. The mission of Columbus Food is to learn about podcasting and to have fun. Trust me - I can not stand the sound of my voice so I know this is not a star vehicle for me. Heck, you can hear my dog Toby barking in episode 4. If you want to be a guest star or contributor - let me know - the more - the merrier. If you have an idea about a topic for an upcoming foodcast - e-mail away!

Episode 4 is the best of the bunch, my friend Kevin Cordi, a professional storyteller tells a tale of a restaurant we hit very late at night in his hometown of Akron, intertwined with our collective memories of food. Kind of a “This American….Lunch”.

We are listed in iTunes. Search for Columbus Foodcast in the iTunes music store or follow this link:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=274971060

North Market - good to me and great for Columbus

North Market

59 Spruce Street
Short North
614.463.9664

This is what 12 samples of chili look like….

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I survived the Fiery Foods Festival at the North Market on February 16th. I had the opportunity to be a judge for the Chili Competition. I sampled 12 chilis in the professional category (with offerings from Alana’s, L’Antibes, Basi Italia and others.) One of the offerings had Mako shark in it…..yep, shark. There was a brief moment of terror on my part. As I was taking my first spoonful, the ingredients were being listed off. Shark was not the the first item mentioned. I am allergic to fish - but maybe not shark as it turns out. After a short pause, it was back to work for the amateur competition and another 12 chilis. Other judges included G.A. Benton from Columbus Alive, Miriam Bowers Abbott from the Other Paper, Lisa - the Restaurant Widow and other local notables. I was in great company. Special thanks to Mary Martineau (marketing director) and David Wible (executive director) for having me there and listening to me ramble on about food. Their continued hard work keeps the market vibrant and appealing to Columbus natives and visitors. Sopressata - did a superb summary of the festival and she (Heather) was able to cover the wing eating contest which I missed out on.

The next day I was at the North American Pizza and Ice Cream Show across the street at the Columbus Convention Center. Many of the people in line to pick up passes were asking me about what to do in our fair city. I had a lot to tell them with North Market on top of my list. Several attendees waiting in line overhead my comments and mentioned their own visits to the market the day before and how impressed they were with what we have here in Columbus.

North Market is a treat for those of us that live here - offering a home to Jeni’s Ice Cream, Curds and Whey, and so many other great independent vendors. The market also supports incredible food events - the Ohio Wine Festival, the Saturday Farmers Market, and the Fall Harvest Festival. All of these North Market endevours put Columbus on the culinary map and keeps it there.

At the Fiery Foods Festival, I spoke with some of the volunteers that do so much to support the market by helping with events….I may have to get my ass in gear and pitch in as well.

Anyway, if you have never been to the North Market, now is the time to support this community asset. I usually go early in the morning on a Saturday to scoop up some farmers market specials, then I pop inside to stock up on cheese, free samples and usually a Jeni’s Ice Cream sandwich for later. On Sundays, I like parking for free near Goodale Park, then walking over for lunch which I take upstairs so I can watch the market in action below.

A Short North Sunday - L’Antibes

L’Antibes

772 N. High St.

Short North

614.291.1666

Brunch at L’Antibes is reasonably priced, relaxed and feels really European… a great way to start a lazy Sunday. The price is fixed at $15. Here is a sample of what to expect.

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First Course

Crème fraiche with warm lingonberry jam
and brioche toast
Assorted cheese plate

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Second Course
Poached Eggs Normandy, spinach and hollandaise
Quiche with boar bacon and asiago with young greens
Lobster Potato Gratin with “sunnyside up” egg
French Toast with fig jam and vanilla bean syrup

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Brunch is Sunday only from 11AM to 3PM. This is a fine introduction to this restaurant and should be enticing enough for you to want to come back for a special lunch or dinner. The servers are well versed in the menu. They are more than happy to guide you through the menu or go in to detail on an item. L’Antibes puts the fun in French.

A Short North Saturday - Rigsby’s Kitchen

Rigsby’s Cuisine Volatile

698 North High Street

Short North

614.461.7888

Rigsby’s Website

Saturday afternoon is a great time to explore the Short North. I like to experience Rigsbys when the restaurant is a little less crowded and more laid back. My new discovery (of something not so new) is the Cichetti Menu (venetian style small plates). There are some change ups to the menu but what is listed below is what you could / should expect to see:

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Devilled Eggs with Shallots and White Truffle Oil
Greek Meat Balls with Tzadziki
Fried Picholine Olives
Empanadas Ernesto
Arancine with Prosciutto and Mozzarella
Prosciutto di Parma with Fig Jam and Fett’unta
Smoked Salmon Crostini with Horseradish-Chive Cream
Spicy Shrimp Bruschetta with Garlic and Raddichio
Steamed Mussels with Spicy Garlic Tomato Broth
Calamari Fritto

Baked Oysters with Parmigiana and Crisp Breadcrumbs
Pizza Quattro Formaggi with White Truffle Oil

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The twelve items on the menu add up to just over $100. Seems possible for two motivated people with a bottle of wine.

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An asian mother and daughter duo come in at least once per month to share this menu with two ceasar salads at the same corner table by the window - what a great idea! I have not attempted this yet - but throw in two glasses of wine and this experience sounds like a perfect afternoon to me.

My favorite on the menu is the Steamed Mussels in Spicy Garlic Tomato Broth for $11. The friendly servers know the menu and have the expertise to help you scale down your choices if you can not decide what you want to order.

Some Things to Chew On….

File under events a food lover should know about:

North Market Fiery Foods Festival - Saturday February 16th

North Market Chef Series Cooking Classes

• February 13 Chef Rick Lopez - Trattoria La Tavola
• February 27 Chef John Skaggs - L’Antibes
• March 12 Chef Matt Prokopchak -Trattoria Roma
• March 26 Chef Matt Langstaff - Bexley’s Monk

Hills Market Cooking Classes

Passport to Puglia (The Heel of Italy) with Chef Emma Minoli

February 19, 2008 | 6.30 p.m.

Chef Michael Frame, Bon Vie (formerly of Spagio, Worthington Inn, and Lindey’s)

February 26, 2008 | 6.30 p.m.

Passport to Venice with Chef Emma Minoli

March 13, 2008 | 6.30 p.m.

Classes are $45 and include food with wine pairings.

Slow Food Columbus

Colleen Braumoeller, the Slow Food Columbus Convivium Leader has announced this new group will be hosting an event in the near future to promote the slow food movement. Another person involved in this group is Lisa - of the Restaurant Widow.

A contest to be Barista for a day at Crimson Cup

One winner will be randomly selected to spend a day with Chief Espresso Officer at Crimson Cup, Armando Escobar in learning the true art of being a “Barista”. The winner will shadow Armando in the Crimson Cup coffee shop located in Clintonville, Ohio and at the headquarters where the coffee is made bean to cup.

Registration for the contest closes February 29, 2008.

Up for a NYC field trip? George Motz sent me notice of the NYC Food Film Festival. This will be June 14th to 20th.

Small Byte and Short Hike; Cafe Shish Kebab and Hayden Falls

Cafe Shish Kebab

1450 Bethel Road

(Bethel Centre)

614.273.4444

www.cafeshishkebab.com

M-F 11 AM to 10 PM

Sat 12 AM to 10 PM

Sun 12 AM to 9 PM

If you take a peek inside the Bethel Centre you will find an unexpected diversity of good food finds - Flying Pizza, an Indian restaurant, Morone’s, Nanak Bakery, several other spots and a terrific Turkish Restaurant - Cafe Shish Kebab.

The exterior looks drab and generic. Inside, it is obvious the ownership spent a lot of time, energy and thought to create an authentic and comfortable dining environment. The interior is delightfully Turkish - paneled wooden walls, artwork and plenty of small touches to transport you to Istanbul or Constantinople….

The best way to sample the cuisine is to share the appetizer sampler with a friend or two while splitting the mixed grill kebab (shish kebab, chicken kebab, adana/ground beef kebab, and doner/lamb kebab).

Finish things off with the Keskul (almond pudding) topped with chopped almonds and pistachios. A great lunch or dinner.

If you feel bit bloated, less than three miles down the road is Hayden Falls (SR 33 and Bethel Road) A short and scenic hike leads to a waterfall hidden away in the burbs. The park has finally added a sign, stairs and a walkway to make this mini natural nook more accessible to non-rappelers.

Buckeye Donuts: an OSU Late, Late Night Tradition

Buckeye Donuts

1998 North High Street

Corner of 18th and High Street

OSU Campus

614.293.3923

Web Site

Most of OSU is new now. One exception is Buckeye Donuts. This small nook of a corner donut shop has been serving up donuts and coffee since 1969. I do not know how long it has been 24 hours a day service but based on my own trips and drive by’s - my guess would be at least a decade. Gyro’s were added into the list of offerings sometime in the 1990’s… it all kind of blurs together sometimes. For quite some time, the Gyro’s were made by Souvlaki George from (closed) Souvlaki Palace but he is no longer with us at BD.

One of the most memorable nights at the shop was when it was a featured destination on Insomniac with Dave Attell.

My favorite Buckeye donut would be a tie between an old fashioned and a chocolate covered crueller.

The Barouxis family has owned BD since day one. The Buckeye Donuts in the German Village area is no longer affiliated with the campus location but I hear the donuts are still good. There are many great BD stories and you can find some of them on Columbus Underground as comments to the Buckeye Donut review I posted on CU in January.

MACA January Wine Dinner - A Field Correspondents report

MACA
5 South Liberty
Powell
614.436.1212

www.macahome.com

I meet Orv and Gloria at the Hills Market Wine and Cheese event in December. They are a great couple with great food experiences to share. We ran into each other again when the Hills Market was hosting a special event for a cable television show in mid January. They mentioned they were going to a wine dinner at Maca in Powell. I had not had an opportunity to go to Maca yet so I was anxious to hear all about it. They sent me a great report and were nice enough to let me post a version here. Thanks Orv and Gloria.

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Gloria and I attended MACA’s intimate dinner a couple evenings ago. Norman and Susan Carmichael are the owners and the primary MACA team. Norman chefs and picks the wines. Susan runs the front (there really is no front differentiated from the rest of the restaurant space which seats 30 to 35 including seats at the bar). The Carmichaels were assisted by 3 associates. Maca has a very laid back feel and atmosphere.

The toasts included diced eggplant and capers. Fresh artichoke hearts were battered & fried. Anything fried is tasty but there was not a lot of flavor. The Cream Sherry, served in a small liqueur glass, was an excellent accompaniment.

The layered puff pastry tort was very good and held together well. The pastry where the cheese melted and crusted was especially good. And, the Sancerre La Crele 2006, served in stemless ware was mildly acidic with fresh citrus flavors and just the slightest whiff of grassiness. I found the wine on Winesearcher and the lowest 375ML bottle price was $13.95. The Carmichaels do retail their wines at state minimum so I guess I need to find out how much they are charging. (Note: Maca does sell wine to go - often by the case and they have some good distributors to work with C.M.H.G.)

After trimming the excess fat and crisping the duck, it was finished using indirect heat so that the duck stayed tender and moist. The breast was sliced and presented with the mixture of chopped/diced winter root vegetables. After tasting the caramelized vegetables, Gloria commented “I could easily become a vegetarian”. The wine was full flavored with soft tannins which stood up to the richness of the duck.

The finely diced apple & nut tart had just a hint of Rosemary. Again, the tart crust was outstanding. And the Moscatel was somewhat restrained without the cloying sweetness you sometimes find with Muscat grape wines. The Moscatel was served in liqueur glasses.

The Winter Dinner menu may appear to be a limited amount of food but believe us, we were more than satisfied. The servings were very appropriate.

Overall, we were impressed with this husband and wife team who work long hours and who both spend time with their guests and make each guest feel at home.

We had been to MACA twice, impromptu both times, in January 2008 after driving by the restaurant numerous times without stopping. The Saturday when we first stopped was 4 wine pours (approximately 2 oz each?) for $5.00 plus Tapas could be ordered off the menu at a very reasonable price. Norman came around and poured the wines intermixed with his cooking duties. He gave a detailed description of the wine region, grapes and characteristics of each wine. An unbelievable bargain.

We also stopped with two other couples a couple Friday nights ago about 9:20PM and had desserts with port.

We plan to go back.

Gourmand update: I went to Maca on January 25th and had a great experience. I spoke with both owners as well as their bartender. Everything sampled was really good. The red peppers stuffed with goat cheese were my favorite. The menu does change from time to time, especially in the dessert category. Another wine dinner is in the works for February.

Columbus Monthly recently listed Maca as one of the 10 best new restaurants in town - they earned it (Marcellas did not - sorry Cameron). This is a small place so to limit your wait time try to visit during the week.