Food Wire
By Amy Fisher and Michael Riches |
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Chef Rosendale is leaving Columbus and returning to West Virginia. The official word is that his restaurant, Rosendale's, and its sibling, Details, (Both at 793 N High St.) will remain open. The talk around town, however, is that both are prepping to close soon. First Handke, and now Rosendale; if all the big hitters leave Columbus it's going to be like a restaurant ghost town - or one of Cleveland's professional sports teams.
Morton's Steak House (280 N High St.) closed its Columbus branch of the chain's locations. Also closing this past month was Spice Gastro Lounge and Club (491 N Park St.).
Sushi Rock (570 N High St.)is the Cap's new destination restaurant, boasting sushi, steaks, and an awesome atmosphere. With an array of cocktails and a respectable wine collection, the restaurant hopes to come out swinging, featuring Lobster Cigars (lobster, cream cheese, scallions, and sweet curry served in a crispy egg roll with plum sauce) and 'beef sushi,' (beef tenderloin medallions, sweet rice, sake soy reduction, wild mushroom chopstick), both $12 a pop.
Rise and Dine (277 W Nationwide Blvd.) changed their name recently to Sunny Street Cafe. The change was made to indicate that the restaurant has both breakfast and lunch, as well as an indication that they can brand more than one cliche phrase about the sun.
Latitude 41 (50 N Third St.) is coming out. The new outside seating area opened this past month. Now that there are so many new additions to the Gay Street district restaurant crowd, and the street traffic now goes both ways, it is officially the pride of downtown.
After a year of business, Cafe Daniella, a small Italian country style eatery located in Worthington (652 N High St.), is getting into the downtown boom by opening another restaurant at the intersection of Broad and High Streets. The restaurant should be open by September.
Cantina Laredo just opened an Ohio location (8791 Lyra Dr.) at the Lifestyle Center at Polaris Mall. The new restaurant will be serving what it calls "gourmet Mexican food." Another Mexican fusion restaurant, Cabo Cantina, is now up and running in the former La Tavola spot (6125 Riverside Dr.).
Mark Pi, Jr. has stepped out of the shadow of his father and opened a new more formal restaurant, Kogens Far East (9711 Sawmill Pkwy.) in Powell. The menu is less vanilla than Mark Pi's, but heavy on the fusion.
Five Guys Burger and Fries has opened a location in Easton Town Center's main building. At least two more Five Guys are expected to open within a year. Soon they will choke out all of Columbus in some Risk style take over and then everyone will have only burgers to eat, but all the toppings they want for the same price.
Also on the burger front, Burger Boys (3650 E Main St.), closed its doors last month. The Five Guys chain obviously didn't have anything to do with the closing, but it seems very convenient for their plans of world domination.
After a long battle with their landlord, Spiro's Scioto Inn (3140 Riverside Dr.) is closed. The family will take over the operations at Spiro's Restaurant (2958 McKinley Ave.). The switch should be complete by October.
Ali Baba opened recently in the Campus Area (1980 N High St.). The restaurant was opened by a former Pita Hut owner, and he promises more of the same quality falafel and hummus fare but in a sit-down style restaurant.
Simple Sweets opened up recently in Clintonville (2991 N High St.). This would make it the tenth bakery in a two-mile radius. All Clintonville needs now is a large glass tobacco water-pipe seller.
The old Banana Bean Cafe has apparently found a new tenant, Skillet (410 E Whittier St.). The restaurateurs were spotted at night moving all-new furniture into the small location. Chef Patrick Caskey said the menu would feature "rustic, urban food." Caskey plans to open by October 1st.
Originally Published: September 1, 2009
