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MAR challenge Food Exploration

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Started 4 years ago by neela
Latest reply from Walker

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neela

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Mar. 1st is this Saturday. And March kicks off the second "Groupsourced Resolution" which is Food Exploration. Given how much talk there is around here about new restaurants or restaurants in general, plus various local bloggers that discuss restaurants and/or cooking, I think we have plenty to work with.
FEB is the Indie Art Capital month. My thinking is that if you get into these challenges, then you will start doing it all year long. If not, then when the next month starts there is a new topic to focus on.
Explore that taco truck you've been eyeing, or the Indian place you keep meaning to try. If you prefer cooking, then try some new ingredients (yams? feta cheese?? pig feet???) in your meals.
Here's an idea, why not have a CU meetup at a taco truck? Please post your ideas for this challenge. Thanks!
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Links:
http://www.restaurantwidow.com/
(I know there's lots of other food bloggers out there - even a Dispatch article on a bunch of them - so if you write about food, please post your blog in this thread.)
The Slow Food Columbus group is scheduled to have their first event sometime in March. If that sounds interesting check out their site.
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Below is the schedule for the rest of 2008. (The original thread is here, if you're curious.)
FEB -
Indie Art Capital Challenge
MAR - Food Exploration Challenge
APRIL - Columbus Clean-up Challenge
MAY - Transit Challenge (no car/car-pooling)
JUNE - Movie Challenge
JULY - Green Challenge (reduce/reuse/recycle/compost)
AUG - Local Politics Challenge
SEPT - Fresh Food Challenge
OCT - Creativity Challenge
NOV - Volunteer Challenge
DEC - Buy Local Challenge[i][/i][u][/u]

Posted 4 years ago #
CMH Gourmand
(King of) the (Clinton)ville
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Based on many posts and conversations over the last two days - the CU group is down with some major food and beer events - the first food event is the Dagwood Challenge this Saturday! The Beer Wench is 2 for 2 on her beer tastings.
Jim
http://www.cmhgourmand.wordpress.com
Can't wait to take you on the Ice Cream Crawl in the Spring and I'll be posting a pub crawl in a week or two.

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Kicking off to a great start on Saturday! Here's two food event's I'll be attending:
Warehouse Cafe Meetup - Try out a new place downtown for breakfast with some other CUers.
Dagwood Challenge - Watching people stuff their faces at 3pm at the Ohio Deli. Oh man. It's going to be wonderful.

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Ok, got a few places under my belt worth mentioning:
Clintonville Pizza - Friday Night, Anne & I decided to get pizza, but instead of going someplace we've already been, we opted for something new. We busted out the "Idea Book" that we keep in the car and flipped through the pizza offerings. We settled on Clintonville Pizza (also called Pizza Primo) and called in our order for pickup. Twenty minutes later, I grabbed it and we made our way back home.
I have to pause for a second to make a quick disclaimer... we got our pizza for free. But this time it wasn't due to our superstar celebrity status... The credit card machine went down, and I didn't have any cash on me. After we tried two different cards three times, the manager just said the pizza was on her due to the problems. Very nice of them.
Anyway, we got home and dug in. We chose pepperoni and mushrooms (canned (Anne's favorite)) as toppings. The pizza was cut into squares (Columbus Style). Uh... now that a few days have passed, I'm struggling to really recall exactly what the sauce and crust tasted like. It was pretty average. Which isn't a bad thing. We typically avoid trying new pizza places because there's a LOT of bad pizza out there. This pizza was very standard. We probably won't make the drive up there again specifically for it (a good 10 mile round trip), but I could see myself ordering one at Studio 35 (this is where their pizza comes from) and eating it in the theater. Alternatively, if we lived in Clintonville, I could see myself getting it from time to time. Worth trying out if you've never had it.
Warehouse Cafe - Saturday Morning, Anne & I finally made it to the Warehouse Cafe, where a group from CU (started by Craig & Roland) have been meeting up every week for breakfast. The place is fairly small. Maybe 8 tables, so it seats around 30 people. The breakfast menu was mostly standard American fare... eggs, toast, meats, pancakes. Their menu option included mostly sandwiches and paninis. I read a review awhile ago that said the owners were Albanian, and heard that their Albanian Panini is very good.
So, Anne ordered pancakes with strawberry topping, while I went for a combo that included two eggs, bacon, and toast. We eat got a drink, and Anne got some oreo pie for dessert. All of this only set us back $13, so it was a nice cheap breakfast. You could easily fill up for under $5 with a water to drink.
We will definitely be back to the Warehouse Cafe. It's just a hair under a mile from our house, and while it wasn't quite warm enough to walk on Saturday, this will be a great place within walking distance for us to hit during the warmer months.
The Ohio Deli - Anne & I ventured down South High to The Ohio Deli to witness "The Dagwood Challenge". I'll let the video itself do all of the explaining. You can watch it here.
While everyone else stuffed themselves ridiculously, I ordered their Monte Cristo, which I've only recently discovered thanks to The Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails. From what I've been told, most places around Columbus have a regional way of serving them, where they're deep-fried, but don't come powered or with jam. And honestly, I think I would probably prefer it without. I think it would make it too sweet for my tastes. Or make it too breakfast-like.
Anyway, I thought the Monte Cristo was ok at the Ohio Deli. Not great, but not bad. A bit smaller than the one at Tip Top, and not quite as flavorful. Plus, the side of chips was very lacking compared to the sweet potato fries you get as a side at the Tip Top. Still, I probably need to try more Monte Cristos before I can really become too much of a critic on them.
That's all for now. More food updates coming soon!

Posted 4 years ago #
neela

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I don't have mini-reviews to give like Walker, but I'll just mention two places from last weekend.
1. Linden Cafe. Not exactly new, but did take some people who hadn't been before. Sit down "soul food" place, they also do take-out. Open 7-3 everyday, I think their hours are different on Sunday. The fried catfish I had there a few weeks ago was terrific.
2. Carfagna's Italian Market. Never been before. Full seafood and butcher counter, plus olive bar and hot food togo. Biscotti, hot sauce, good breads, exotic European (?) chocolates and bottle drinks (some sort of coke?). Tons of pasta. Small veggie section in the front. Wine too.

Posted 4 years ago #
osulew
My house...in the middle of my street
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I am totally behind this resolution.
I love beer Wenching with Ashley and tried a couple tasty offerings last time and will sample many more soon I'm sure.
I also plan to start hitting up the Warehouse breakfasts on Saturdays when I'm not working.
Furthermore, I do believe I will be eating and attempting to help prepare some Moroccan food this weekend...pretty excited about that.
The taco truck meetup sounds like a really fun idea...when it's not constantly raining and 35 degrees. :D

Posted 4 years ago #
HeySquare
German Village
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I did try a new restaurant this weekend-- finally got to Bananna Bean for Sunday brunch. Had the blueberry and corn pancakes. It was brilliant.
I know it's not exactly blazing new trails, but it was my first time there :)
Carfagna's is a good idea too... I've been meaning to get there for AGES!

Posted 4 years ago #
osulew
My house...in the middle of my street
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HeySquare wrote I did try a new restaurant this weekend-- finally got to Bananna Bean for Sunday brunch. Had the blueberry and corn pancakes. It was brilliant.
I know it's not exactly blazing new trails, but it was my first time there :)
Carfagna's is a good idea too... I've been meaning to get there for AGES!
I love the Bean...probably won't be back for a bit though...until my eggs del mar fix needs satisfied.

Posted 4 years ago #
neela

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Saw that the Slow Food group here is having their first event March 20th. $37 per person, RSVP at their site: http://www.slowfoodcolumbus.org/Events.html

Posted 4 years ago #
lisathewaitress
SoHud
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I'm making things with tofu, things that actually taste good:
http://www.restaurantwidow.com/2008/03/letting-go-of-t.html
next up - confronting my fear of pastry cream and sticky buns. (um, making them, not eating them of course)[/url]

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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The Walker Evans Effect wrote North Market Saturday Morning Tradition
March 15th, 2008
As I mentioned last weekend, Anne & I have decided that weÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re going to start patronizing the North Market every Saturday morning to purchase some grocery items for the week. WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re starting out with a $20 bill in hand each week, which may grow over time. But we figure thatÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s reasonable for now, and a target that I think most people interested in becoming North Market shoppers can afford.
After we made it inside, we decided to hit up The Greener Grocer first. TheyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re a new addition to the market who wants to focus on offering local products year round. We picked up some bartlett pears, snowpeas, green beans, cherry tomatoes, an avocado, and a few other things. The only local item we grabbed were some garlic bulbs.
READ MORE

Posted 4 years ago #
neela

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Cool idea Walker!
Well the "Blizzard of 2008" put a dent in my plans last weekend but at least I went to a few new places this weekend...
1. Brown Bag Deli in German Village. I had the mediterranean tuna noodle casserole, different but I really liked it. A friend had a turkey sandwich and liked it, but wasn't raving. I'll definitely go back.
2. That chocolate store off Northwest Blvd. near Grandview. I know there was a thread about this here but I am too lazy to find it now. Got the "Chocolate Explosion for 2" to go. It was OK. Not anything "oh my god" but it was good chocolate cake. The very-lightly drizzled white chocolate (your choice -white, milk, dark, or all 3) on top of it was nice. Will go back if it's convenient.
3. Mi Mi Cafe - the vietnamese place both Lisa the Waitress and Swamp Kitty have raved about, among others on these boards. (Again, I'm lazy or I'd link to that thread) It was very good... I had the pho, my friend had the second item - rice crepes with pork. The pho was great, very good flavor. (Note, I don't claim to be a vietnamese foodie.) The menu said it would have tripe, but I only found one tiny piece. (I was scared and didn't eat it.) Didn't like the little meatballs, but just picked those out. The steak, the noodles, the onions, the bean sprouts (on the side) and the green things (on the side) were all great. Will definitely go back, too bad it is not more convenient for me.
[ technically I went before March, but I also went to that Marino's Fish place in Grandview (CU thread link here - if it weren't for the laziness).... ]
4. Marino's in Grandview. Good stuff. I had the hushpuppies and the fish. This is like the mom-and-pop version of Long John Silver's. I liked it, for what it was. I don't usually crave this stuff, but I'll definitely go back here when I do.

Posted 4 years ago #
KSquared
Literally Hell
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Neela, you owe it to yourself to go just around the corner from MiMi to try the fabulous Nazareth Deli. You won't be sorry.
Also, while Blues Creek Farm may be a bit more expensive, it is worlds apart in quality. Grass fed beef just plain tastes better, as well as being better for you. I consider it money well spent, and unless I am in a pinch, do not buy meat anywhere else.

Posted 4 years ago #
neela

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KSquared, thanks for the tip! They are on my list to try. Just haven't made it back out to that area.
in other news...
1. I tried kumquats last week. Besides being fun to say, they are fun to eat. I love the fact that they don't need to be peeled. I'll admit I looked online to see how to eat them. I was glad because the tip to NOT bite into the skin was important.
Summary: kumquats = very good
2. Went to Flatiron restaurant. I had a catfish po'boy. It was good, not great. Service was good. Will go back some day, but it didn't jump to the top of my favorites list.
Summary: Flatiron = OK
While I didn't try near enough places or things, it was nice having an extra excuse to try out a new place. Like the rest of these challenges, if I think they are a good idea in general, I will keep doing them the rest of the year. Or as a drama queen would say: "for the reeeeeest of my liiiiife". :P

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Oof. I'm trying to recall some of the other places I've tried this month.
We did pick up a few items at the Greener Grocer at the North Market that we've not used before. Got some variety (can't recall the name) of Yellow Tomato which made for a nice salsa (also used fresh cilantro from the NM which was kept for like two weeks now with no signs of wilting). Anne also bought some snow peas there and we tried out a new Stir Fry dish that was pretty kick ass.
Last week at the Capital Area Humane Society's Celebrity Chef Fundraiser event we tried all sorts of new foods from all sorts of restaurants around town.
And at Morton's last week we tried some new vodka as well as some delicious appetizers that we had not had before. The caviar was even good this time around, which I didn't like the first time I tried it several years ago.
All in all a pretty good month for exploring foods and restaurants!

Posted 4 years ago #
Brewmaster
Portland, OR
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I had my first Rossi Burger tonight! Fantastic.
We've been doing quite a bit of shopping at the North Market. Yesterday we bought some chorizo that we're gonna turn into shrimp and chorizo jambalaya tomorrow night. The Greener Grocer has some great stuff too.
I made my first real risotto two weeks ago. It definitely won't be my last. It had white wine, garlic, spinach, and parmesan, but I think the chicken stock is what made the whole thing rich.

Posted 4 years ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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For anyone wanting to expand the food challenge into April:
What's happening in and around the state of Ohio related to local food and farming
April 5-6, 2008
2008 Ohio Community Gardening Conference: Nourishing Neighborhoods presented by Franklin Park Conservatory's community gardening program, Growing to Green. Learn how professional gardening organizations are collaborating on new gardening initiatives. Participate in panel discussions on hot topics such as nutrition, neighborhood leadership, youth gardening, and entrepreneurial activities. Meet other people interested in growing great gardens and making a difference in their neighborhood. Display information about your program and organization, and learn about others. To view program: http://www.fpconservatory.org/documents/programindd.indd.pdf and to register: http://www.fpconservatory.org/documents/registration.indd.pdf
April 5, 2008
Organic Gardening at Stratford Ecological Center from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Learn the basics and be inspired. $15/person or $20/family. Pre-registration required. Contact Christa at 740-363-2548 or treebeing@aol.com or visit Stratford's website at: http://www.stratfordecologicalcenter.org
April 9, 2008
Linking the Local Food Industry in Akron E4S Greater-Akron Event - Kick-off of the 2008 Akron E4S Network in collaboration with the Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy. Come and explore the possibilities for triple bottom line benefits in the local food industry. The event will be held at the Mustard Seed Market and Cafe, Montrose, 3885 W. Market St., Akron, OH from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information and to register, visit: http://www.e4s.org/content/eventdetail.asp?id=248
April 17, 2008
Introduction to being "Truly Cultured" by Nancy Lee Bentley sponsored by Toledo GROWs, the community gardening outreach program of Toledo Botanical Garden. This event is from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public, no reservations required. For more information on this event, visit: http://www.toledogarden.org/content/whatsnew/default.aspx?idx=KRUsJ4knrhDK29Qxp4Y0QQ ==
April 19, 2008
What does it mean to be "Truly Cultured?" with Food Tasting and featuring Nancy Lee Bentley and sponsored by Toledo GROWs, the community gardening outreach program of Toledo Botanical Garden. This program is $40 in advance and $50 at the door. Space is limited and advanced registration is encouraged. To register, call: 419-936-2975 or e-mail: tgrows2@toledogarden.org
April 26, 2008
2008 Mid-Ohio Valley Agriculture Opportunities conference from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Washington State Community College in Marietta, OH. The keynote speaker is Joe Kovach, an OSU ecological pest management expert with the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center will discuss how farmers can achieve high value production. Other sessions include direct marketing meat products, beekeeping, CSA, Meat Goats and much more. For more information on the conference contact Eric Barrett via e-mail: barrett.90@osu.edu or by phone: (740)376-7431 or visit: http://washington.osu.edu/ag/ag-opportunities-conference to register.
Other News/Opportunities
Professional Development Funding Opportunities for OSU Extension educators. OSU's Sustainable Agriculture Team is sponsoring two programs to support travel and educational programming associated with helping farm families in Ohio improve the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of their farming operation. Support for these programs is provided by North Central Region SARE Program. For more information on these opportunities, contact: Mike Hogan (hogan.1@osu.edu) or Alan Sundermeier (sundermeier.5@osu.edu).
Resource for Accessing Local, Fresh Foods Launches - visit Ohio MarketMaker, an interactive mapping system that locates businesses and markets of agricultural products in Ohio and provides an important link between producers and consumers - http://ohiomarketmaker.com
Ohio MarketMaker is supported through the collaboration of Ohio State University Extension, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, the Ohio Department of Agriculture, the Ohio Farm Bureau and the Center for Innovative Food Technology.
Register Now!
May 16 - 17, 2008
Sustainability Now! Strategies for Personal and Community Action, a joint conference presented by Simply Living, the Social Responsibility Initiative, and Columbus Green Building Forum. Evening keynote (May 16) featuring Jim Merkel, author of Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth. Action workshops on being locavore, sustainable food systems, sustainable communities, a youth summit on the environment, alternative transportation, and much more! For more information and to register, visit: http://sri.osu.edu/sustainabilitynow/
OSU Local Foods Project
A Core Project of The Social Responsibility Initiative at The Ohio State University
http://www.sri.osu.edu

Posted 4 years ago #