Looking for something that will warm your soul on a chilly, wet day? You’ll love the hearty stews, chilies and ragouts featured on chefs’ autumn menus. Here are 10 favorites from Columbus restaurants.
Chile Verde Cafe
4852 Sawmill Rd.; 1522 Gemini Place
Chile Verde serves a regional favorite from New Mexico, an authentic Roasted New Mexican Green Chile that’s very different from your traditional tomatoey chili. Or go for the Green Chile Stew, a spicy combination of hand-cut tender sirloin, fresh chiles, carrots and potatoes.
Copious
520 S. High St.
New to the Downtown restaurant’s fall dinner menu is the Gnocchi & Short Rib Ragout. This rich entrée features potato gnocchi, red wine-braised short rib, fresh ricotta and a chive pistou.
Da Levee
765 N. High St.
Traditional New Orleans creole fare tastes great on cold days. Go for a bowl of the Crawfish Etoufee, a rich gold roux smothered with “the holy trinity of onions, bell pepper and celery, plenty of spices, plus crawfish tails and sautéed garlic. It’s served with steamed rice and chef Justin Boehme’s “magic bread.”
G. Michael’s Bistro & Bar
595 S. Third St.
Chef David Tetzloff has a standout comfort food entrée on his new fall menu: Bacon-Braised Rabbit Ragout. That hearty stew is served over a square of rich duck liver stuffing and crowned with sautéed spinach and a dollop of cranberry compound butter.
Local Roots
15 E. Olentangy St.
Local Roots updates its menu each season to incorporate the harvest from the owners’ family farm. This fall, they’re serving a Sweet Potato Chipotle Chili and a Butternut Squash Soup with Candied Bacon.
Shaw’s Restaurant
123 N. Broad St., Lancaster
Since reopening Shaw’s in October after extensive renovations, owner and chef Susie Cork has been experimenting in the kitchen with daily specials and menu additions. Her beer braised beef stew with chestnuts, with big hunks of Ohio beef and roasted chestnuts, is perfect for the winter months.
The Table
21 E. Fifth Ave.
The Table’s Chicken Stew, available to order as an individual entrée or a family-style feast, gets a sweet-tart kick with plum vinegar-braised chicken legs along with peas, leeks and carrot straws.
Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails
73 E. Gay St.
Beef Stroganoff is basically like a beef stew served over noodles, and of course Tip Top’s version is fantastic. The restaurant’s famous pot roast is paired with a red wine mushroom sauce and served with sour cream and green onions.
Vino Vino
1371 Grandview Ave.
The Grandview tapas spot’s Crab & Corn Chowder has been a favorite soup option for years. It’s a rich and creamy yet slightly spicy, made with crab, shrimp, corn and Yukon Gold potatoes.
Worthington Inn
649 High St.
Salty house-smoked salmon complements the sweetness of a traditional corn chowder in the Inn’s Smoked Salmon Chowder, loaded with sweet corn and potatoes and garnished with an Old Bay crouton.
Dine Originals Columbus celebrates, supports and promotes the culinary diversity that locally owned and operated member restaurants contribute to the identity and culture of our city. The nonprofit group is committed to strengthening the local economy and enriching the community through education and charitable partnerships.
A limited quantity of Dine Originals restaurant gift certificates is sold at 30 percent off face value each quarter. They can be purchased at doc.instagift.com/discount-sale.
For more information, visit dineoriginalscolumbus.com.