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    Restaurant Review: Factory on 4th

    The scoop on Factory on 4th is pretty well known. It made its debut inside the Wonder Bread building as Cray back in 2014. It struggled. A restaurant television show performed a makeover this spring. Now it’s called Factory on 4th.

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    The post-makeover decor is nicer. Having never been a fan of graffiti art, the quirky-cool wallpaper installations and three-dimensional works of art feel like improvements. The soundtrack these days is mostly country (non-bro variant), that’s a choice that is uncommon Downtown. This is all nice, if not particularly factory-ish.

    The menu isn’t particularly factory-ish either, so we’ll probably have to get past the name. It’s a historical reference; not everything in this world has to have a theme.

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    In the salad department, things are looking up. There’s the addition of Chopped Salad ($10) that is both original and tasty. It’s built on crunchy romaine with chunks of sliced asparagus, avocado, roasted cauliflower, crisped garbanzo beans, big shards of parmesan, cherry tomato halves, capers and some diced egg. Its a glorious assemblage of elements tied together with a vinaigrette that has a sort of mustardy brininess. The only complaint about the salad is that it’s served in paper, and it seems like a ten-dollar salad merits a fancier plate. For those who crave more familiar greens, there’s a caesar option on the menu too.

    Staying in the vegetable zone, there are some new side-options that range from loaded fries to roasted cauliflower. The fries ($4) are terrific; it’s hard to miss with something loaded with bacon, feta and a curry aioli. The roasted Cauliflower ($4) suffers by comparison (as is the fate of many vegetables when pitted against cheese fries) — it’s appropriately caramelized, seasoned and served in bite-size florets. The menu mentioned something about capers and tomatoes as accents in the offering; they were MIA.

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    Gone are the endless arrays of slider options. The sliders are now available in a manageable five variations, all sold in pairs. Actually, the Chicken & Waffle ($8) offering is far too majestic to fall into the slider category. Stacked high is a sweet-smelling tower of waffle quarters that surround a plump piece of crunchy fried boneless chicken. There’s a little slaw and enough syrup to sugar-up the combo, all without yielding sticky fingers. You can also score more traditional slider variations in the form of burgers (beef or veggie) and pulled pork.

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    The menu has a small plate selection too: Chicken Parmesan ($9) offers two palm-sized, flattened pieces of crispy-coated chicken topped with the requisite marinara and melty mozzarella, there’s also a giant dollop of ricotta. No real complaints, except it would be even nicer not-on-a-paper-tray. This is coming from someone who likes disposable, casual things, it just seems like the fancier menu options deserve a little more.

    For the drinking crew, there’s a fully stocked bar at the center of the joint. Cray’s signature Buzz Worthy offering seems to have survived the makeover. For the unfamiliar, it’s a great bang for your entertainment dollar.

    So, cute decor, nothing wrong with the food — Factory on 4th does okay, especially for a building that used to turn out squishy white bread. Still, local diners have unmet big dreams and expectations for the spot. You can’t blame the public, everyone had big dreams for the Wonder Bread Factory. Living up to all those dreams would be a challenge for any operation, with or without the intervention of a television network.

    You can check it out at 697 N.Fourth Street.

    For more information, visit www.crayeateryanddrinkery.com.

    All photos by Lillian Dent. Photos are taken at a different time than review, so discrepancies between photos and review may occur.

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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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