Arguably, German Village is one of the friendliest, family-driven neighborhoods throughout Central Ohio. Indeed, meals out at restaurants like Schmidt’s Sausage Haus and Thurman’s Café feel more like visits to close friends’ homes than formal dining experiences.
So when Anne Boninsegna noticed the vacancy at 231, East Livingston Avenue, she immediately had the idea to create something that would reflect the attitude of her community, and the idea for the new Kitchen 231 was born.
“I live around the corner, and I got more interested in what this historic and aesthetic building could add to a food concept,” shares Boninsegna. “We figured that with such fun loving neighbors with such incredible backgrounds, we could definitely count on terrific dinner party conversation.”
The concept is this: diners to the restaurant will help in the preparation of their meals with supervision and assistance from the female chefs behind it all: Boninsegna, and her partner, Chef Jen Lindsay. Several of Columbus’ most prominent chefs will also be invited to guest host on occasion, bringing with them fresh culinary takes, explorations, and flavors.
Most dinners will have a theme, making it easy for groups to decide when they’d like to come in. These range from ethnic cuisines and hangover brunch, to even literary-themed nights. The restaurant will provide everything needed for a memorable dining experience: ingredients, equipment, and know-how. All patrons need to bring are open and, sometimes, adventurous minds, playful demeanors, and, of course, their appetites.
“Our ideal client is someone that loves food, conversation, and celebrating,” says Boninsegna. “Food is the ultimate leveler, and our goal is to get people to see each other in a different way based on the idea that once you ‘break bread’, and in this instance ‘bake bread’, together, you will have a better understanding of the person.”
The Kitchen 231 will open where the old Video Central stood. The building is a beautiful homage to the area, and Boninsegna and Lindsay are currently working to restore some of the former glory to the place. So they’ve exposed the original brick walls and maintained the character of the aged maple floor.
In addition, they removed the old tin roof that’s so much a part of the appeal of the place and brought it up to code. Not an easy job, but the sacrifice and diligence was well worth it as now, The Kitchen 231’s roof is one of the true showstoppers of the interior decor.
The Kitchen 231 aims to open on Friday, July 12th, but is already accepting reservations for groups at [email protected]. It’s the perfect venue for rehearsal dinners, graduation parties, milestone celebrations, or even just ladies’ night out.
You can follow the progress of Kitchen 231 as it moves toward opening day at www.facebook.com/TheKitchen231.
Photo via The Kitchen 231.
