There’s good news for Brassica fans, new bourbon to sip from Watershed Distillery and live music spots reopening their doors in Old North. Plus, find out what national chains are eyeing Columbus for expansion, where you can score some cool summer treats and more in the latest Bites & Sips!
Brassica Sets Opening Date for Easton
Brassica will open the doors to its fourth Central Ohio location this Friday, June 25 at 4012 Townsfair Way at Easton.
The fast-casual, build-your-own Mediterranean favorite will celebrate by giving away free Brassica fries with every meal all day long. The eatery will also donate five meals to the Mid Ohio Food Collective for every meal purchased.
Brassica opened its flagship location at 680 N. High St. in the Short North in 2015 and has since expanded to Upper Arlington, 1442 W. Lane Ave. and Bexley, 2212 E. Main St. The eatery also operates a restaurant in Shaker Heights in Cleveland.
Brassica Easton will be open daily from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
For more information, visit brassicas.com.
Rime Time Scores Summer Pop-Up
Ice pop maker Rime Time has secured a seasonal pop-up at North Market Bridge Park, 6750 Longshore St. Guests will find pops in flavors like Blueberry Lemonade, Simple Strawberry, Mango Lime, Cookies & Cream and a variety of specialty and seasonal flavors.
Bridge Park hours will be 12 – 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
Rime Time also operates out of the Center Street Market in Hilliard, and totes its carts to various farmers markets on Saturdays.
Follow Rime Time on Instagram to track down a pop.
Barrel & Boar BBQ Expands to Lancaster
Barrel & Boar BBQ has added a new location to its lineup. The local restaurant chain has acquired The Smoked Food Factory at 1217 S. Broad St. in Lancaster.
Lancaster will be a new setup for the barbecuer, focusing specifically on catering and take-out service under the name Barrel & Boar BBQ Factory.
“We have great customers in Lancaster,” said Stan Riley, Barrel & Boar owner. “We are excited to not only welcome those customers into our newest concept, but also be an important partner in the community that already supports our restaurants. It has exceeded our expectations and excites us even more for what’s to come.”
Barrel & Boar BBQ has five additional locations including the North Market, Gahanna, Westerville, Canal Winchester and Newark.
Barrel & Boar BBQ Factory is open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
For more information, visit barrelboar.com.
National Chains Eye Columbus Expansions
Over the last few years, Columbus has seen its share of national chain restaurants announce their intentions for the region, including Del Taco (which has actually opened locations), Bojangles, The Halal Guys and Dave’s Hot Chicken. Now, Jon Smith Subs and Paris Baguette look to insert themselves onto that list.
Based in southern Florida, Jon Smith Subs is looking for operators to bring up to 20 restaurants to Central Ohio.
“All the development that is going on in Columbus lends itself to a cutting-edge sub shop that matches the city,” said Jim Butler, president of Jon Smith Subs in a press release. “Between our curiosity factor and our fresh, exciting ingredients, we believe the opportunity to own a Jon Smith Subs in the area is a win for everybody.”
The Jon Smith menu includes grilled and hot subs, deli classics and some locally-focused specialities, along with fries and salads. The sub shop currently only has two locations in the Midwest – in Michigan and Minnesota.
Add in another 20 for bakery-cafe franchise Paris Baguette. The 20 regional locations will add to a global roster of 4,000 plus. There’s no spots in Ohio yet, but a Cincinnati eatery is slated to open later this year.
Paris Baguette’s menu includes a wide selection of cakes, breads and pastries, as well as gourmet sandwiches and coffee and espresso drinks.
For more information, visit jonsmithsubs.com and parisbaguette.com.
Watershed Distillery Debuts New Bourbon Portfolio
As if an excuse to pick-up some bourbon from Watershed Distillery was needed, the local spirits maker will be launching two new bourbons.
Up first, Watershed’s Bottled-in-Bond. The 100-proof bourbon is made from a selection of Watershed’s favorite barrels all from a single season, offering the same recipe imbibers know and love at a higher ABV.
Also making its debut is Watershed Distillery Bourbon, a premium, tri-blend bourbon that’s a compilation of Watershed’s standard bourbon plus its six-year apple brandy finished bourbon, along with a sourced bourbon that’s handpicked to meet a specific flavor profile. It’s aged four years and bottled at 90-proof.
The current Watershed Bourbon will phase out by the end of the year, while single barrel bourbon, limited-time releases and the distillery’s other spirits remain unchanged.
The new bourbons will be available to bourbon dinner ticket holders starting on Thursday, July 1, and to the general public at Watershed’s bottle shop beginning on Friday, July 2. The bourbons will hit liquor stores on Monday, July 5.
For more information, visit watersheddistillery.com.
Reopenings
Brioso Coffee
Brioso is once again keeping Downtowners caffeinated as it reopens its High Street coffee shop. Find pour overs, drip coffee, espresso and specialty drinks from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 53 N. High St.
For more information, visit briosocoffee.com.
Rambling House
Rambling House, 310 E. Hudson St., has a full slate of live music lined up for its grand reopening weekend! Shenanigans kick off on Thursday, July 8 with The Relentless Mules, followed by West Taylor on Friday, July 9; Fialla on Saturday, July 10; and Knot Brothers on Sunday, July, 11.
Tickets are on sale now for all the shows – snag one now to make sure they don’t sell out!
For more information, visit theramblinghouse.com.
Rumba Cafe
Also in the land of live music, Rumba Cafe, 2507 Summit St., is making a comeback. Get a little back-in-action sneak peek this weekend with Cory Branan and Caroline Louise (tickets are low!). While the big, official reopening show featuring The Hoodoo Soul Band on Friday, July 2 is already sold out, check out an extensive slate of shows already scheduled throughout the summer and fall.
For more information, visit columbusrumbacafe.com.
