Opening Volley
By Travis Hoewischer |
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Photo by Chris Casella I was a little confused the first time I heard the term "comfort food."
Once I heard the explanatory list - mac and cheese, hamburgers, ice cream - it cleared things up a little.
Oh, I thought. They mean "food."
Yep, it is comforting. All of it. I like to eat food. A lot. Maybe it's my mom's fault; she was the one who used to bribe me to go to church with the promise of post-worship donuts.
It's just something you have to come to grips with over the years. I still have yet to devise an exercise regimen intense enough to boil off my collateral culinary damage. Maybe I could tether myself to a helicopter and chase it up and down High Street; sounds implausible, but for me, so is buying fruit regularly.
It's kind of an Ohio thing, really. Man, all of us like to eat. It's a good thing there were no Ohioans present at the first Thanksgiving; they would have shown up and thrown ranch dressing on everything.
It doesn't make it any easier that we all live in this city, where our chefs operate like underground artisans, mixing and matching diabolical concoctions that we all can't stop eating. In Columbus, it's about more than just filling yourself - it's about fulfilling yourself. Eating out is as much about entertainment and shared experience as it is about great food.
Half of my favorite dishes in Columbus have been handed over to me like some sort of community heirloom. I can remember former (614) writer Mike Newman's giddiness when he introduced me to the Scotch Egg at Mac's Cafe. It was like he was uncovering a spaceship in his garage.
I see just as much excitement emanating from those that serve us. There's a joy you can see in the city's food industry, which is pretty remarkable, considering all the effort that goes into such a trade.
For our cover photo shoot, Bill Glover, owner and chef at Sage American Bistro, unlocked his doors long before he'd be dealing with that night's dinner rush or any of the other unpredictable situations that crop up in a restaurant.
Then, he rolled up his sleeves and fired up the grill as if he were cooking for Obama. That enthusiasm you see on his face isn't just for the benefit of the camera.
His attitude isn't uncommon; my favorite waitress/cook at the Shrunken Head can't wait to feed me when I come in for breakfast, as though I've just returned from the battlefield.
Hell, we're all pretty excited about this Food Issue, as we dedicate a pretty hefty chunk (family style!) of this month's (614) to:
-the World Cup-like anxiety Dining Editor Eric Pacella experienced as he ordered the lamb curry at Aab India;
-the Carpaccio Crawl traveled by Amy Fisher, which couldn't sound any more inviting for those of us in the carnivorous set;
-and Steve Croyle's Inside Scoop on Jeni Britton, Columbus' own, real-life Queen of Dairy.
Oh and yeah, I'm pretty pumped, too, as you can see by that spread I'm about to devour at the top of the page.
And I didn't even have to go to church.
Cheers,
Travis Hoewischer
Originally Published: July 1, 2010
