Foodwire
By Amy Fisher |
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First the bad news. With the closing of Handke's Cuisine (520 S Front St.), Columbus just got a little less cool. This restaurant was opened eighteen years ago by venerable chef Hartmut Handke. It traded hands last year in July and closed this past June, taking the brand-new upstairs bar, 'encore,' with it.
A new City Barbeque will be opening up in Westerville (600 S State St.). City Barbeque closed the original restaurant (6199 Cleveland Ave.) to reopen in the heart of Westerville.
Wendy's is trying to get some wind beneath their wings. Not only will there be a new signature burger released this summer, but also keep an eye out for the boneless wings with a choice of sweet and spicy Asian sauce, Bold Buffalo, or Honey Barbeque. The frosty will also get a makeover with new flavors targeted towards the virtually untapped sugary coffee market with a frosty-cino and the coffee toffee twisted frosty (a poem of a drink if ever I have heard one). If this doesn't boost sales, Wendy's plans to sue Oprah for gaining weight while eating their food since this implies that their food is not healthy.
The El Vaquero restaurant in Upper Arlington (2185 Riverside Dr.) plans to expand the restaurant to accommodate its growing number of patrons. Worried about congestion and poached parking places, neighbors brought up complaints (and lawyers). A city council meeting was held to vote on the approval of the building plans and the UA City council unanimously rejected the appeal to curb the expansion.
Edamame Sushi & Grill opened recently in the Easton Town Complex (3946 Morse Crossing). The restaurant will feature an interesting dining model with counter service during lunch and traditional table service at night.
Callahan's (520 Park St.) and Benevolence Cafe (41 W Swan St.) will be showing some neighborly love with a joint rooftop patio that is scheduled to be complete by the time you pick up this magazine.
There is talk of a grand re-opening of Nancy's Home Cooking (3331 N High St.). Ten thousand dollars have been raised to re-open the small diner. If re-opening doesn't turn out to be an option, the family said the money will go to a local charity.
Over 20 local white-tablecloth restaurants will join 614 Magazine for Restaurant Week, July 13 - 17. Participating establishments will offer diners a unique three-course bistro menu at a reduced, fixed price. Proceeds from the event support the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. Make reservations early online (www.restaurantweekcolumbus.com), as many restaurants will book up quickly.
Originally Published: July 1, 2009
