Good Eats: Columbus Restaurants Opened in 2009

Photo by RestaurantWidow.com

As we mentioned on Sunday, the dining scene in Columbus is one that is constantly evolving. While some great restaurants were closed for good in 2009, many new favorites burst onto the scene throughout the past year, quickly filling the void in our hearts and stomachs.

Below are thirty-five (yes, thirty-five) of our favorite new restaurants that opened in 2009.

Loads of new Downtown Options:

The Downtown dining scene exploded this year with at least 10 new restaurants opening up, mostly in the area surrounding the Statehouse. Dunkin Donuts kicked the year off in February with a new store right on the corner of Broad & High. Barrio, opened up on March 4th at the corner of Spring & High, serving a variety of Spanish and Latin-influenced tapas and entrees. Cook Shack BBQ made the jump from the Pearl Market on April 20th when they opened their Downtown location at the corner of Long Street and Pearl Alley. Casa Sason also opened in April, and serves up Venezuelan offerings at 49 N. High Street. After over a year of delays and setbacks, Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace (pictured) officially opened on July 1st. J. Gumbo’s opened their doors two weeks later on July 14th at 31 E. Gay Street and start serving up a variety of Cajun and Creole dishes. The C-Town Market & Deli opened on August 5th to serve as both a delicatessen as well as a grocery and convenience store for the Downtown community. Joe and Mary Jo Milano opened Caffe Daniela, a casual contemporary Italian restaurant concept in August at 17 S. High Street. Burgers Dogs & Fries is the latest restaurant from Kevin and Lori Ames, owners of Lola’s Cafe and Cinco, which opened September at 20 N. High Street. Last but not least, the Plantain Cafe is the latest business to set up shop along the blossoming stretch of Gay Street as they opened their doors on December 1st. The new restaurant offers traditional Cuban fare in the form of sandwiches, entrees, and sides.

Pizza, pizza, pizza – You can never get enough:

2009 was a fairly significant year for pizza aficionados, as many new options made their way onto the competitive pizza playing field. Mellow Mushroom, an Atlanta-based chain, opened their first Columbus location near Polaris in February. Just a few weeks later Dewey’s Pizza, a Cincinnati-based chain, followed suite and opened their first Columbus location in Grandview. Late Night Slice appeared out of nowhere one warm weekend evening this summer, and started serving up individual slices for Short North night owls in their shack next to Bodega. Throughout 2009, fans yearned for the return of Bono Pizza (pictured), which after many delays finally occurred in early November at a new spot north of Grandview. Yellow Brick Pizza held their soft opening a few weeks later, as they put the final touches on their new Olde Towne East space. And last but not least, Clever Crow Pizza began operating out of the kitchen at Circus and has quickly won the hearts of many CUers. Stay tuned for details on our next Pizza Grand Prix event planned for March 2010.

Food Cart Updates:

Sometimes a food entrepreneur starts with a cart and moves to a kitchen, and sometimes it happens the other way around. Rad Dog!, the popular gourmet meatless hot dog cart made the jump into the kitchen at Hal & Al’s bar on Parsons in October. Smackies BBQ (pictured) moved in the opposite direction, and closed up their restaurant to return to their roots and started serving street-side food from a Clintonville Cart in November.

The Great Burger Battle of 2009:

It might seem like a strange trend, but giant hamburgers were certainly IN this year. DC-based Five Guys moved into the Columbus market in January with a location near Polaris, and have rapidly expanded to a total of five locations that also include Grandview, South Campus, Easton, and Stringtown Road. They’re being met head-on with some fierce local competition in the form of Graffiti Burger, a similar burger concept that opened their first store in May in Dublin and have already got a second store open close to the Five Guys near Grandview and talk of a third restaurant coming soon to the OSU area. Both establishments already have entrenched fanbases, so this battle is far from over.

New Spaces at the North Market:

The always-evolving North Market saw a few vendors open, close, and change locations in 2009. Taste of Belgium, a Cincinnati-based-but-Belgium-born concept opened a location in the market in May, and have been serving up their famous waffles, crepes, and espresso drinks. In November, Hania’s Old World Cuisine opened their new business to serve as a Polish and Central European kitchen and deli. Their offerings include pierogies, kielbasa and borscht.

Just a Few Changes in German Village:

German Village may not have seen a whole lot of overall change in the dining scene in 2009, which could be a signal that residents of the neighborhood are content with the fine selection of eateries that current exist in their area. One significant new addition this year was Skillet (pictured), a “Rustic Urban Food” concept that set up in the former Banana Bean location on Whittier. The other big news was the opening of Bakery Gingham, which relocated from a tiny side-room at the Brown Bag Deli, and into a larger individual space next to the Thurman Cafe.

Welcome to the Short North Restaurant District:

The Short North Arts District has also become known as a highly-regarded restaurant district in the past few years, and 2009 saw the addition of several new offerings to this area. Sushi Rock, a Cleveland-based restaurant, took over the former Liu Pon-Xi space on the 670 Cap. Level Dining Lounge opened in the former R.J. Snapper’s space this summer, after undergoing a major reconstruction. Bakery Gingham (pictured) pleasantly surprised everyone with a second 2009 expansion into a new retail space near Victorian Gate Condos where they’re serving up cupcakes, cookies, and other sweets. Basil Thai just opened this past week in the spot next door to The Surly Girl Saloon on the northern end of the district. And while technically located more in Victorian Village, it’s worth noting that Victorian’s Midnight Cafe completed their revamp and reopened earlier this year in April.

Newcomers to Grandview Avenue:

The main drag through Grandview Heights saw a few new eateries open up in 2009. Mazzah Mediterranean Cafe opened in October, adding an new affordable lunch option to the area. Long time neighborhood coffee shop staple Stauf’s went through a kitchen expansion and added a full food menu to their offerings. And last but not least, Third & Hollywood (pictured) was quietly opened just off the Grandview Avenue strip by Northstar-owners Kevin and Katy Malhame. Their new formal concept quickly stirred up some heated debate and critical reviews on CU.

Miscellaneous Restaurant Openings:

The Hilliard location of Pita Hut was closed and reopened in May with a similar Mediterranean-style concept called The Olive Tree. Local ice-cream-darlings Jeni’s (pictured) opened their fifth Central Ohio location in Dublin on April 1st. Tim Horton’s and Cold Stone Creamery partnered up to launch new co-branded stores around the country, and they picked the South Campus Gateway for their first location. And Eggfast (formerly known as Eggs Breakfast Delivery) opened their second location near the South Campus Gateway, and have announced plans to franchise and grow their concept all across the US.

Honorable Mention – Taco Trucks of Columbus:

While not technically a “restaurant opening”, the Taco Trucks of Columbus crew deserve a very special mention for their work in 2009. What started as a classroom project quickly turned into an invaluable resource that allowed diners throughout Columbus to find information about the somewhat-elusive authentic Mexican and Latin cuisines found at road-side trucks and stands throughout the city. TacoTrucksColumbus.com lists and reviews dozens of trucks around the city, and their events have been warmly received and well attended all year long. Many of the business owners who operate these eateries have seen their sales drastically spike in 2009 due to the huge amount of attention they have received thanks to the efforts of these foodies, bloggers, and lovers of all things taco-related.