North Market Apron Gala - May 17th (and More Market Mayhem)

The 12th Annual North Market Apron Gala

Saturday, May 17th

Doors open and aprons on at - 7 PM

North Market

59 Spruce Street

Short North

Who: Me plus anyone one else that likes to eat and/or loves the North Market

What: Three course of appetizers, tastes and samples of entrees, desserts, beer from Columbus Brewing Company, Ohio wines, multiple North Market vendors, a silent auction, fortune tellers, raffles, prizes, and a contest to see who has the coolest apron.

When: See Above

Where: North Market – the mecca of foodie goodness

Why: To support the North Market, proceeds go to support our North Market

How: Through the hard work of North Market vendors, staff, local restaurants, and the Friends of North Market

Tickets - $75 (worth every penny); $65 for registered Friends of the North Market

If you have never been to the North Market or have never been to a North Market event, this is the night to go. If anyone wants to meet up and talk food with me send me an e-mail, I will be there all evening.

If you need more encouragement to go, see my photos from the North Market Cinco D’ Ohio Festival below. The photos are a taste of the culinary wonders you can expect at events like this. I was one of the judges for the salsa contest. Nine people pitted their salsas up against the palettes of four lucky judges.

Then, I was also a judge for an array of tacos from for a fiery and heated competition with local professional chefs. Five Top chefs mixed their skill, creativity, and some North Market ingredients for a United Nations of flavors in the Taco Taste Off. The winner – in a tummy pleasing close call contest was Steve Lawrence from Cajohn’s Caboom Chili Company with his Asian Taco (in a soft, yet crunchy Wonton shell). Alana Shook (Alana’s) and John Dornbeck (Basi) were neck and neck in my book for a heartbreaking second place with my palette.

North Market is fun, fun, fun and the people are great so come support our market the night of May 17th.

Finally….If the Apron Gala does not work out for you or the other events seem too large scale, consider a more intimate experience with some of the best chef’s and cooks in Columbus:

To sign up drop by the North Market office or call to register at 614-463-9664.

Shop with the Chef Series, Saturdays, 10AM-1PM

Limit 20 people, cost $45 per person; $225 series

Saturday, June 7 - John Dornback, Basi Italia

Saturday, June 21 - Paul Yow, Barcelona

Saturday, July 5 - David Tetzloff, G. Michael’s Bistro

Saturday, July 19 - Matt Langstaff, Bexley’s Monk

Saturday, August 2 - Alana Shock, Alana’s Food + Wine

Saturday, August 16 - Robin Davis, The Columbus Dispatch

Summer Evening Chef Series, Wednesdays 6:30-8:30PM

Limit 26 people, cost $60 per person; $300 series

Wednesday, June 4 - John Skaggs, Chef at Large

Wednesday, June 18 - Jason Shelley, Mitchell’s Ocean Club

Wednesday, July 2 - Paul Yow, Barcelona

Wednesday, July 16 - Chef Rocco, Pastaria

Wednesday, August 6 - Matt Prokopchak, Trattoria Roma

Wednesday, August 20 - Matt Langstaff, Bexley’s Monk

Fall Evening Chef Series, Wednesdays 6:30-8:30PM

Limit 26 people, cost $60 per person; $300 series

Wednesday, September 3 - Henry Butcher Sr., Creole Kitchen

Wednesday, September 17 - Kevin Jones, The Columbus Fish Market

Wednesday, October 1 - Paul Yow, Barcelona

Wednesday, October 15 - David Tetzloff, G. Michael’s Bistro

Wednesday, November 5 - Matt Prokopchak, Trattoria Roma

Wednesday, November 19 - Matt Langstaff, Bexley’s Monk

Three great evenings of food, fun, wine and good causes

Three events are coming up that allow you to support good causes while sampling wonderful wine and fine food.

Taste of the Independents
Thursday, May 1
Smith Bros. Hardware Building
580 N. 4th. St.
6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.

http://www.dineoriginalscolumbus.com

Features thirty plus local independent restaurants (including Basi, Refectory, CBC…)

In additional to food, the evening includes micro brewed beers, wines from small vineyards and a special Mango Maytini. There will also be a 3 piece band from the Columbus Jazz Arts Group for background music.

Member Restaurants are listed below:
http://www.dineoriginalscolumbus.com/database/restaurants.php

Proceeds go to the Buckeye Ranch

The Grape Event
Friday, May 2nd
COSI
Benefits the ALS Association of Central and Southern Ohio

www.alsohio.org

An evening of fine wines with hors d’oeuvres. The Grape Event also hosts a live and silent auction featuring wines, sports memorabilia, electronics, and other gift packages. Each year local artist Robert Patricy creates a special wine themed painting as the logo for the event. The original canvas oil painting is auctioned off. Prints from prior years are also for sale. Bob is my friend and I have two prints in my house. (This is my disclaimer.)

North Market Apron Gala
Saturday, May 17
7 to 10 PM

http://www.northmarket.com/featured_event.php

The 12th Annual North Market Apron Gala!! Run amuck in the North Market eating, drinking and making merry with your apron on and your mouth open for the goodies galore in store for you. Items come from the North Market merchants. There is also beer from CBC and music from the Eileen Howard Trio. A silent auction for great gift packages is featured as well.

And - another North Market event worth going to…while on the subject.

Cinco D’Ohio
Saturday May 3rd
Not to miss - the salsa, taco, and hot sauce taste offs. Yum.

Worthington Pub Crawl / Stroll

I acknowledge that a pub crawl is a little outside the typical scope of this blog, but with St. Patrick’s Day in view - why not. All of these spots are within the distance you could hurl a beer bottle so the strolling is minimal. This would be a great way to spend a late afternoon with a gang of friends - share a few beers and an appetizer or split a meal at each place. I plotted out the paces, (if you opt to jaywalk) it is 165 steps from door to door.

P.K. O’Ryans Irish Pub

666 High Street

Worthington

614.781.0771

Web Site

Happy hour is Monday - Thursday from 4:00pm until 6:00pm. The place offers a wide range of pub style meals with several beers on tap. Happy Hour gets you: reduced prices on draft and domestic bottled beer plus 1/2 price appetizers. The regular menu item to try here is the Irish Stew - a hearty mix of slow cooked beef, onions, carrots and potatoes with at least a pour of Guinness mixed in - served in a bread bowl. That will keep you warm.

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Old Bag of Nails
663 High Street
Worthington

614.436.5552

Old Bag of Nails Web site

The best menu item is the Famous Fish Sandwich. It easily serves two. My favorite reason to go here is the Fried Snickers (not available at all locations - but you can count on it here.) It is battered and devine, served with ice cream. There are plenty of beers on tap. It feels like a true pub when you walk through the door. Since you just hit O’Ryans you may think you are on the Emerald Isle - until you notice no one has an Irish accent and everyone is talking about the Buckeyes. This is the original Old Bag of Nails and has the best “feel” of any of the locations. There are old beercans and other pub bric a brac lining the walls. Many of the staff have worked at this location for years and they know their regulars by name.

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Worthington Inn

649 High Street

Worthington

614.885.1223

Web Site

Most people do not think Happy Hour when they think of Worthington Inn - but there is room at the Inn within the spacious bar area. Their happy hour is the longest on this stroll - Monday to Saturday, 4 - 7 PM. They offer domestic beer and well drink specials. However the best deal here is the discounted plates to share specials. The Worthington Inn is a very good restaurant and their “bar food” is more than one would expect.

1/2 off “Plates to Share”

Artichoke-Spinach Dip

Grilled Flat Bread Pizza

Provolone, tomato sauce and pepperoni

Seasonal Bruschetta

Our Famous Parmesan-Truffle Fries

House Cheese Plate

Warm Garlic and Herb Potato Chips

Blue cheese dip

Flash-fried calamari

Thai sweet-chili sauce and napa slaw

Roasted Pepper Hummus

Aunti Carol’s Sauerkraut Balls

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La Chatelaine

627 High Street

Worthington

614.848.6711

Web Site

There is a nice selection of French wines along with some hard to find Belgian and Euro beers on tap at the bar. If this is your last stop for the day consider picking up a bakery item as you are walking out the door - for a snack or maybe for breakfast the next day. The wine bar happy hour is from 5 to 7 PM. If owner Val Wielezynski is behind the bar - ask him about anything - he has great stories to share about the restaurant, his family and life in general.

So that is your Pub stroll agenda - a mix of small town and uptown for a Eurotrash style day out in the heart of Worthington.

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.

Hills Market Holiday Wine and Cheese Tasting

The Hills Market
7860 Olentangy River Road
Worthington Hills
(S.R. 315, just North of I-270)
614.846.3220

The Hills Market continues to host great food events. I stumbled into the Holiday Wine and Cheese Tasting on November 29th. Hills does a Thursday wine tasting which is 4 pours for $2 from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM. I thought I had shown up for that but it turned out that I landed into something much better. As luck would have it, there was a cancellation and I was able to slide in.

For $30, this is what I sipped and supped on. The pours were generous and the samples were sized to please.

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J. Laurens Cremant de Limoux (French sparkling wine) - may pre date champagne…

paired with - Brie Le Chatelain (French)

Wolfberger Cremant d’ Alsace Rose (French bubbly)

paired with Wenleydale with Cranberries (British - well liked by Wallace and Gromit)

Elizabeth Spencer Sauvignon Blanc 2006, (California)

paired with Mountain Gorgonzala (Spain)

Clean Slate Riesling 2006, (Germany)

paired with Chevre (goat’s milk cheese) (USA)

Juan Gil Monastrell 2006 (Spain)

paired with Spanish Romano

Galil Mountain Shiraz/Cabernet 2003, (Israel) - Kosher Red Wine…really

paired with Boursin with Cracked Peppercorn (France) - Kosher as well

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As if this was not enough, the staff mixed in some tapa like appetizers. The best of the bunch was a halved fresh fig (received that day) stuffed with gorgonzola and wrapped in prosciutto. This was so good, I groveled for a leftover sample. These two figs were worth at least $5 to me.The event started at 6:30 PM and intended to wrap up at 8:30 PM. We were all having so much fun and good conversation that we lingered past 9 PM. As a bonus we each received a 10% coupon for the market.

The event was created by wine coordinator Constance Begue and cheesemonger Kent Rand. Each offered plenty of commentary on the wine and cheese sampled as well as everything their departments had to offer. Hills plans to host events like this once a month. I’ll be back.

I mentioned Stinking Bishop cheese to Kent. This is a cheese other local cheese shops have told me they could not obtain. Kent called me Saturday (two days later) to let me know he would have some for me by Tuesday. As a bonus he gave me a print out with extra information about the stinky cheese I wanted.

I also stumbled on a good source for cheese and other gourmet information while looking for a Stinking Bishop link. The Reluctant Gourmet has all types of good gastronaut information.

The Hills is worth a visit any time as an alternative retail chains. Sign up on their site with your e-mail to receive updates on special events and an occasional excellent coupon.

Comfest!!!!!

Comfest!!!!!!

Comfest is my favorite festival in Columbus. One of thing I look forward to each year is volunteering at the Wine Booth. Being a wine booth volunteer is the best gig at Comfest. It is a legacy to hold on to once you make it on the wine booth team. I am going to miss my Saturday crew this year - but I will be pouring on Friday at my customer service oriented booth.

More Wine Booth information:

For the last 13 years, Natural State Wines has provided a variety of natural and organic wines to Comfest’s two wine booths (we usually serve 7 ounce cups). The selection of wines this year was: Honeyrun Blackberry (served chilled - a crowd pleaser for 4+ years), Frey Biodynamic Chardonnay, Orleans Hill Syrah, Nuevomundo Cabernet-Malbec, Badger Mountain Riesling (another crowd pleaser), and Bodegas Iranzo Sangria. (Post Post - Thanks to everyone visiting the Park Street Wine Booth from 8 PM to 11:30 PM on Friday - we had a blast, wiped out our stock and earned $150 in tips for charity. I have a new appreciation for bartending Friday nights!)

If you have never attended to Comfest - go. If you have never volunteered for Comfest - do it this year, 4 hours of light labor gets you a T-Shirt as well as food and beverage tokens. And those Comfest T-Shirts come in handy - see below.

Surly Girl Saloon

Open from 11 am-2 am every day. Surly Girl recently expanded their menu as well and kept the Frito Pie.

As a volunteer thank you this weekend - volunteers that wear your COMFEST T-SHIRT (from any year) get you a FREE cupcake with any purchase Friday - Sunday.

A little bonus tease from Surly Girl for volunteers-

“Will it be banana cupcakes with peanut butter icing? Yellow cake with strawberry cream cheese frosting? Double chocolate with a cherry on top? You gotta come in to find out.”

I like Alana’s A Lot

Alana’s (Food and Wine)
2333 North High Street
614 294 6783

Alana’s website

When the local media list the best restaurants in Columbus we always see Handke’s, The Refectory, M and the most recent flavor of the week. A name often falling off the radar is a restaurant that has equal pedigree – Alana’s. Since opening in 1999 it has built a great reputation with local gourmets, gourmands, gastronauts, foodies, and others that have a passion for food.

Alana Shock seems to be an artist at heart and this is reflected in the creativity of the cuisine and in the décor of her restaurant. While her background does include art – it also includes experience as a chef for Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans.

Alana’s is housed in an old house just north of the University District. The outdoor patio is busy in the summertime although the view of COTA buses passing by may be less than ideal. The inside is brightly colored and features art from local artists on display for sale. A small, comfortable wine bar is located in the back. The servers are professionals who care about the food and the service they provide. The atmosphere is informal but you can expect the extras you would find in a fine dining establishment. Diners can usually expect to see Alana popping out of the kitchen to check on guests and she will sometimes offer a small taste of what she is working on.

I wish I could list some suggested dishes however the menu changes constantly since the focus is on fresh seasonal ingredients that are locally obtained when possible. These are the things you can expect everytime: a choice of exceptional soups; new and innovative cocktails; an impressive wine list; an array of tempting selections on the cheese plate (from Curds and Whey) and several entrees that will make it hard to choose just one. Desserts are always exceptional and when paired with ice cream – expect it from Jeni’s. There are always plenty of vegetarian and vegan offerings as well as mouth watering meats for carnivores.

For the sake of example here are a couple selections from a recent menu:

Roasted Ruby Beets and Watercress with a Baklava of Feta, Pistachios and Cashew Drizzled with Fig Balsamic

 

Duck Breast with Kabocha Pumpkin Polenta, Collard Greens and a Bing Cherry Demi Glase

For fun and education – Alana’s offers Degustation Dining . Before you freak out – this is just a fancy term for a sampling menu. Typically, this is presented as several small presentations of favorite dishes paired with specific wines. If this sounds interesting call ahead and see what Alana has in mind.

Alana’s is not cheap, two people can expect to pay about $80 to $100 or more if you pick an expensive wine but it is worth it.

Wine Bar @ Worthington La Chatelaine

La Chatelaine French Bakery & Cafe
627 High St
Worthington

614.848.6711

La Chatelaine Web site

I drive by La Chatelaine on my way home from work.  It was just a place that blurs in with other places on High Street - I know it’s there but it just blends in the background and I forget about it.  But one day, I saw a sign -

It stuck in my mind, registered… and I let it kick around for months.  At the beginning of December after a nice meal at Old Bag of Nails, I dropped into La Chatelaine at 6:50 PM, to take a peek.  I was still there 2 hours later.

It was a slow night.  Val Wielezynski, the owner, noticed my friend and I poking around and invited us to take a seat and sample a beer he liked.  Then, he asked us to sample a great raspberry beer.  Then we ordered a couple beers and spent the next two hours talking with Val about the wine bar, his family’s long route to Columbus via Belgium, France, Africa, Texas, Colorado, Cleveland, etc.; philosophy, American culture, and so many other things.  It is a rare thing now to have that “neighborhood/neighbor” connection with a business and that is what Val is aiming for.

I think he hit it.  

For 2007, the plan is a monthly wine tasting - focusing on a region of France and the wines that are produced there.  Mix in some history, some culture, and some cheese for good measure.  Should be a good time. I am going to make a point to drop in.