While I still love food and will continue to chronicle some of my favorite eateries, I wanted to step back and revisit my earlier idea of a more photo-driven blog. As I take a hiatus from food posts, I would like to invite readers to visit and follow my new Tumblr photoblog.

Saint Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, Lincoln Village; Columbus, Ohio

At the helm was the proprietor, whom I always assumed to be (and referred to as) Pepe. While often assisted by his son, he sometimes worked the restaurant alone, especially in the evenings when I tended to visit. I initially tried different menu items including the spaghetti, but my true love was unequivocally the Italian sausage sandwich, spicy (opposed to the mild variant).

The sandwich itself was nothing fancy. It consisted of an exceptionally long, but thin link of Italian sausage smothered in home-made marinara sauce and served on a hoagie roll. The length of the sausage was such that it overhung the bun at both ends. The plate was garnished with pickled peperoncini—the first hot pepper I summoned enough courage to eat. The spice and saltiness of the peperoncini was the perfect accompaniment to my little feast. As if the spicy sausage and peperoncini weren’t enough, I always sprinkled a liberal dose of red pepper flake atop the sandwich. Enduring the heat imparted by the capsaicin not only appealed to my teenage bravado, it helped develop my penchant for spicy food.

I attempted to bring friends along from time to time and although they always seemed to enjoy the sandwich, they were much less enthusiastic than I. Secretly (and jealously), I was relieved—Pepe’s was my hang-out, my sanctuary. During my senior year, visits became more than regular; they became a ritual. Every other Friday I would cash my paycheck and head directly to Dimond Center, the cathedral in which to partake of my gastronomical sacrament. Pepe began to recognize me and, before long, knew my standard order of an Italian sausage sandwich, spicy, and medium Coke before I even had a chance to utter a greeting. I had become a regular.

Over twenty years have passed since my last visit to Pepe’s. Feeling a bit curious about my old crush, I did what the wistful are apt to do: I turned to the Internet to conduct a Google search. My cursory attempts to discover any information on Pepe’s revealed that the small restaurant appears to be gone. It’s not listed in the directory at Dimond Center and the only reference I managed to find (aside from a Yelp-like directory listing from several years ago) was a coupon for Pepe’s printed in a 1988 edition of the Anchorage Daily News. Regardless of its fate, Pepe’s Kitchen has come to represent the type of restaurant I am most fond of and want to patronize.

First crushes are magical. For food lovers, that first food crush is a revelation: eating can be more than a necessity; it can be an experience that transcends a mere physiological routine. More importantly, first crushes teach us how much our past has influenced what we do and who we are today.

When trying out a new pizza place, my wife likes to use the Margherita as a litmus test: a good Margherita—a pizza stripped down to its most basic components—is indicative of a restaurant that knows how to make a good pizza and ensures a return visit. Unfortunately, trips to several restaurants over the past few years have yielded pizzas that haven’t quite passed the test. Some had decent flavor, though many ran the gamut from bland to disappointing. The underlying problem with most seemed to be a poor crust: floppy, soggy, flavorless crusts that couldn’t stand up to the bare minimum of toppings. One crust, however, was exceptional and the pizza it capably supported passed the Margherita test with flying colors. Natalie’s Coal-Fired Pizza in Worthington had earned a return visit.

Natalie’s is a cozy little restaurant that sits slightly off High Street and doubles as a music venue, booking folk/blues/jazz/bluegrass/country acts. While our early dining habits have prevented us from experiencing the live music firsthand, they have allowed us to benefit from the happy hour specials. Running from 4pm–6pm, Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays), Natalie’s happy hour highlights Ohio businesses by offering locally produced craft beer and liquor at some of the best prices we’ve encountered. One-topping pizzas are featured on the food portion of the happy hour menu as are appetizers, including my favorite, the meatball. Made with the traditional trio of veal, beef, and pork (all Ohio-raised), the full-flavored meatball is topped with marinara and is an excellent value at its happy hour price of $5.00.

The centerpiece of Natalie’s is, of course, the coal-fired oven. Placed strategically between the kitchen and serving area, the oven is viewable from the dining room, which not only adds to the ambiance of the restaurant, but affords diners the opportunity to witness their pizza come to life. Fueled by anthracite coal (which Natalie’s notes is cleaner burning than most fuels, including wood), the internal temperature of the oven rises to over 1000˚ F. This high, intense heat is responsible for creating the beautiful char on the crust while leaving the inside chewy, yet firm enough to support toppings. On our recent visit, we ordered the Funky Funghi (assortment of wild mushrooms, gorgonzola, roasted garlic, truffle oil), the Mt. Etna (prosciutto, topped with fresh arugula), and a Create-Your-Own, which we added both hot and sweet sopressata. All were topped with fresh mozzarella that left melted pools of creamy, stringy cheese in each bite, and all had that perfect, coal-fired crust. In addition to their menu of specialty pizzas, Natalie’s offers a list of high-quality ingredients (including free-range chicken, applewood bacon, goat cheese, ricotta, and asparagus) from which you can choose your own topping combinations.

My wife’s litmus test proved accurate; subsequent pizzas from Natalie’s have not disappointed. The coal-fired oven produces the perfect crust—a solid foundation for any combination of quality ingredients Natalie’s offers. My only regret is that I have yet to catch a show here, though hope to rectify this soon. After all, they passed the Margherita test and are guaranteed a return visit.

Shred the cabbage. I initially shredded the cabbage using a knife but the end result turned out a little too chunky for my liking. I have since used a mandoline which makes a preferable shred and produces wonderful results—the perfect kraut to top hot dogs.

Salt the cabbage. I use a sea salt blend my mother-in-law picked up in Germany specifically made for sauerkraut, though any salt will do. I don’t measure but ensure the cabbage is liberally salted, as the salt draws out the moisture, making a crisp kraut, and creates an environment hostile to both bad bacteria and molds. I let the salted cabbage sit in a strainer with a bowl placed underneath to collect the moisture. After about three hours, I squeeze the cabbage with my (clean) hands to break down the cell walls of the cabbage and extract as much water from the shredded leaves as possible.

Let the cabbage ferment. The shredded, salted cabbage is then packed tightly into a container (I use a bail-top jar) and cover with the juices from collection bowl and non-chlorinated water. (Chlorine, often added to city/tap water, has the potential of killing the lactic acid bacteria responsible for the fermentation process. Adding water without chlorine eliminates this risk.) After the water is added, I’ll taste the brine to ensure it’s salty enough; if not, I’ll add more salt.

Since lactic acid fermentation requires an anaerobic environment, you’ll want to make sure the cabbage isn’t exposed to air. If you’re using an open container, you can place a clean plate (smaller than the opening of your container) on top of the cabbage, weighted down to keep covered in the liquid. You can also sit a sealable plastic bag full of brine (in case the bag breaks, it won’t dilute the fermenting liquid) on top of the cabbage to keep it submerged. If you’re using a bail-top jar, the rubber seal should keep air out while letting gas escape (though as I tend to use cheaper containers, I keep an eye on the jar daily to make sure no mold is growing, and to make sure that gas isn’t building up inside, which could potentially cause the jar to explode).

I let the kraut sit on the counter for several days (less in hotter weather, longer for colder weather) at room temperature. Once the sauerkraut has a nice bite and the traditional sour taste, I place in the refrigerator, where it will last several weeks, if not longer.

Making sauerkraut is an unbelievably easy process and the end result eclipses anything that can be bought at the grocery store. And unlike the pasteurized store-bought product, naturally fermented sauerkraut is a living food that is rich with probiotic microbes. The only effort involved in making a delicious, homemade sauerkraut is providing the proper materials and environment; nature takes care of the rest.

This week I have a guest post on Drink Up Columbus talking about The Tavern in Olde Towne East. Photography is courtesy of guest photographer Claire Jennings. The full post can be found here:

New Tavern, Olde Towne

The concept behind the fried bologna sandwich is a fairly simple one: bologna is caramelized on the grill and placed on a toasted bun. Frying the bologna not only turns a traditionally cold sandwich into a hot meal, it develops the flavor of the bologna, transforming a somewhat bland piece of inexpensive meat into a delectable and savory treat.

To explore this often-overlooked sandwich in more depth, I embarked on a fried bologna tour of Columbus this summer. While my tour was far from comprehensive, it allowed me to sample a portion of sandwiches spanning the bologna spectrum. Visiting food establishments throughout the city, I was able to categorize the sandwiches into four groups: thin sliced, medium cut, and two types of thick cut. The odyssey has predictably left me (as many have always believed) full of baloney.

Brazenhead

The thin sliced variant (or as I like to refer to it, the gateway bologna) is the perfect introduction for the uninitiated into the world of fried bologna. Less intimidating than a slab of thick cut bologna, the pile of thin slices offer a milder version of the sandwich. Brazenhead’s interpretation is topped with American cheese, grilled onions, and grilled jalepeños. The sweetness of the onions help balance the saltiness of the bologna, while the jalepeños give the sandwich a little heat.

Blue Danube

The Best Breakfast and Sandwiches

The next category I unofficially call the medium cut. Sliced thinner than the thick cut, it includes sandwiches from the Blue Danube and The Best Breakfast and Sandwiches. The Blue Danube’s version comes with pepper jack cheese and grilled onions. The Best Breakfast offering is served on grilled, house-made rye bread which provides a nice flavor and stands up well to the bologna.

Village Coney

Dan’s Drive In

Village Coney and Dan’s Drive In offer my favorites in the thick cut regular bologna category. The milder bologna flavor is perfect for the mayonnaise and yellow mustard found topping these two examples. Both have cheese—the Village Coney version comes with pepper jack, sliced onions, and pickles; while Dan’s has a cheddar/mozzarella mix and grilled onions. I prefer the pepper jack as the heat and spiciness add another layer of flavor to the bologna.

Otie Baloney from Otie’s

Sally’s Hillbilly Cheeseburger from the Red Door Tavern

The last group consists of thick cut German bologna. Otie’s Otie Baloney, the Red Door Tavern’s Sally’s Hillbilly Cheeseburger, and the offerings from Johnnie’s Tavern and German Village Coffee Shop are the heavyweights in the fried bologna world. Heartier than regular bologna, German (or garlic) bologna can be identified by its dark color and stronger taste. Spicy mustard is the perfect accent to these full-flavored sandwiches, and a slice or two of tomato provide a nice fresh note. Most of these come with the full complement of toppings, though I like to add hot sauce as the heat and acidity provide a nice foil to the denseness of the meat.

Johnnie’s Tavern

German Village Coffee Shop

There is no shortage of this ubiquitous sandwich in central Ohio; a visit to almost any Columbus diner or bar will reveal fried bologna on the menu. While the sandwiches profiled here are representative of only a small percentage of options available in our city, they offer a cross section of fried bologna choices to those unfamiliar with this American classic.

This post is running in conjunction with Local Foods Week, a series of events presented by Local Matters to celebrate locally-sourced food in Central Ohio. Events include tastings, special restaurant menus, cooking classes, farmers markets, food tours, and an Eat Local challenge. For a complete schedule of events and to learn more about Local Matters, click here.

Earlier this year, Clintonville residents watched their flagship food truck, Ray Ray’s Hog Pit, pull up anchor and move down High Street to the parking lot at Ace of Cups bar. While its new home in Old North Columbus is less than a mile away from its original location, there was a noticeable void left in the Clintonville mobile food scene with its departure.

Enter Mya’s Fried Chicken. Named after owners Mark and Rachel Tolentino’s daughter, Mya’s moved into the spot formerly occupied by Ray Ray’s and couldn’t have had a more dramatic opening weekend. The Friday night prior, Ohio was hit with a massive windstorm (the infamous derecho) that left millions without power. Unrelenting temperatures reaching into the high 90s compounded the misery of those left without electricity and Clintonville was one of the hardest hit neighborhoods, suffering wide-spread outages that would last over a week. In an extraordinary show of community support, Mark went ahead with the opening of Mya’s and gave away chicken meals to residents on a donation-only basis. With the opening of Mya’s, Clintonville had not only found its newest food truck, it had welcomed its newest neighbor.

Mark’s strong sense of community is further evident in his decision to source all of Mya’s chicken locally. Using Ohio-raised, hormone-free chickens fed an all-vegetable diet with no antibiotics, Mya’s suppliers process the birds in Clintonville. By choosing to source Ohio poultry, Mark not only supports the local economy, the minimal travel time from farm to table ensures he’s supplied with the freshest possible chickens. And a fresh bird is the foundation of great fried chicken.

Drawing on his experience and food knowledge, Mark (a veteran of the food industry with 17 years in the business) has developed his own method for preparing and frying his chickens. His process involves soaking them in a buttermilk brine, then dredging the meat through a flour-based mixture (both of which contain a proprietary blend of seasonings). It is then fried on location and finished with either a spiced vinegar or herbed honey drizzle (your choice) prior to serving. The result is a crispy, full-flavored and golden-brown coating surrounding a succulent, moist piece of chicken—some of the best I’ve had the pleasure eating.

Mya’s menu also includes craft versions of the obligatory sides: biscuits, potatoes and gravy, mac and cheese, green beans, and coleslaw. While all play a solid supporting role to the chicken, the two standouts for me are the biscuits and the potatoes/gravy. The buttermilk biscuits are made daily and are light and fluffy. They also contain a sweet note, reminiscent of cornbread. Mya’s smashed potatoes and pan gravy are exactly what the name implies: coarsely mashed potatoes topped with a rich gravy made from the pan drippings of the chicken. Were it available, I would gladly order a side of just gravy.

The brief vacancy left by Ray Ray’s at Pacemont and High has been filled by the more-than-capable team at Mya’s Fried Chicken, securing Clintonville residents’ easy access to mobile comfort food. Mya’s is located at 3166 N. High Street (adjacent to the Super Food Mart) and is open Friday through Sunday, noon to 8pm (or until they run out of chicken). You can check their current status and updates on their Facebook page.

Photography is courtesy of guest photographer Lauren Ewart of Barefeet Studio.

I was wrong… on all accounts.

The Ajumama truck launched onto the streets of Columbus in late April of this year to much anticipation. The opening marked the culmination of over three years’ planning and preparation by owner Laura Lee. A trained chef and Central Ohio native, Laura has paid her dues in restaurant kitchens in Columbus and San Diego for 12 years. Her culinary background gives her a solid foundation on which to build her menu. Using memories of dishes from her youth, Laura has gone to great lengths to research and learn the intricacies and nuance of Korean cuisine, including a stint at the O’ngo Culinary School in Seoul. (You can follow Laura’s odyssey in bringing Ajumama to Columbus on the Seoul Eats blog.) The result is a well-crafted menu that is authentic and quite delicious.

Ajumama’s core repertoire includes pajeon and hodduk. Pajeon is a savory Korean pancake filled with soy bean sprouts, garlic chives, and zucchini. Specific choices include the Dak (sesame grilled chicken and mushrooms), the Twe (spicy pork and kimchi), and the Hae (shrimp, surimi, and green chili). There’s also the option to customize your own pajeon using any of the available ingredients. Hodduk, by contrast, is sweet and has a brown sugar, walnut, and cinnamon filling that melts into a sticky syrup-like texture—think of it as the cinnamon bun’s Korean cousin.

The Twe Pajeon

Hodduck

Laura also features daily specials, which on my most recent visit (much to my delight) was a sampler of four kimchis. (For those unfamiliar with kimchi, it’s a Korean staple consisting of fermented vegetables, flavored with garlic, ginger, and red pepper. More information can be found on my kimchi post.) The quartet of kimchi consisted of napa cabbage, radish (mu), perilla leaf, and cucumber. The napa cabbage and radish kimchi both had the classic spicy/briny kimchi taste, while the cucumber brought a bright note and more sweetness to the spicy mixture. The big surprise was the perilla leaf kimchi, which I had never had. It had a distinctly sweet pungency, reminiscent of mint, and was a nice contrast to the other kimchi.

I used to lament the lack of a Korean option in the ever-growing Columbus food truck scene; I pined for our very own version of the Kogi truck (the Los Angeles vendor offering a fusion of Korean, American, and Mexican fare). With the arrival of Ajumama, my wait has finally ended. Offering a traditional approach to Korean street food, Chef Laura Lee has brought a unique and tasty new alternative to the streets of Columbus.

Ajumama is currently at Dinin’ Hall on Tuesdays and Thursdays this month, while they plan to be there on Wednesdays in June. To keep up with their most current schedule and location, follow them on Twitter or Facebook.

This week I had the pleasure of writing a guest post for Drink Up Columbus in which I pay tribute to one of my favorite bars in Columbus, the Short North Tavern. The full post can be found here:

Short North Tavern

The 90s saw a resurgence of new stadiums that paid homage to the ballparks of old—there was actually character to each new stadium and yes, even real grass. Domes were replaced with open-air parks and the grey concrete disappeared in favor of brick walls and exposed steel. Both Major League and Minor League teams were getting new parks as the trend spread across the country, and Columbus was no exception.

Completed in 2009, Huntington Park accommodates a cozy capacity of 10,000. The smaller crowd, coupled with the well-planned layout of the stadium, ensures that every seat has a great view of the game. Having visited the ballpark on several occasions, I’ve had the opportunity to sit everywhere from Box Seats to General Admission, including Lawn Seating and the Standing Room Only area, and can attest that there really is not a bad seat in the house. While I enjoy visiting the larger stadiums, I’ve come to appreciate the Minor League parks as they offer a more intimate feel, and Huntington Park has easily become my favorite ballpark.

The park is home to the Columbus Clippers, the back-to-back Triple-A National Champions (2010, 2011)—a feat which unfortunately loses some of its impact in this football town. Prior to moving into the new ballpark, the Clippers were affiliated with the New York Yankees for whom they produced such notable stars as Don Mattingly, Derek Jeter, and Mariano Rivera, among numerous others. As the Clippers/Yankees era came to a close, the Clippers served a brief stint as the Minor League team for the Washington Nationals—a move that was, more or less, meant to wait out the contract between the Indians and their then-Triple-A team, the Buffalo Bisons. Coinciding with the opening of Huntington Park in 2009, the Clippers became the Cleveland Indians Triple-A affiliate. The transition to the Indians organization has given this home-town team even more local flavor now that their parent team is just up the road.

When I was in middle school, my brother and I visited our sister and her soon-to-be husband here in Columbus. While we were introduced to many things that would come to define Columbus for us, the highlight for me was our trip to Cooper Stadium to watch a Clippers game. Almost 30 years later, I find myself back in Columbus and still can’t think of a better way to spend a summer day than at Huntington Park, watching a Clippers game with a cold Columbus Brewing Company India Pale Ale in hand.

Whether played in front of a crowd of 50,000 or a bleacher filled with a couple hundred, fans come to watch the game. Ultimately it doesn’t matter what kind of stadium baseball is played in; it’s the game that’s important. It’s just a little more enjoyable to experience when played in open air and on real grass.