There’s oh so much to eat (and drink!) in Columbus! The dining scene welcomes back some big names, Dublin gets its own food tour, Land-Grant and Columbus Crew continue their partnership and much, much more! Read on to find out what’s happening in the drinking and dining scene in Central Ohio!
Hot Chicken Takeover Debuts Vegan Nuggets (And Ranch!)
Good news, vegans! You can score vegan nuggets and vegan house-made ranch all day, everyday at all of Hot Chicken Takeover’s locations.
HCT’s Instagram boasts that they are the first restaurant chain in the Midwest to feature Simulate’s plant-based Nuggs.
Find HCT and its vegan nuggets at North Market Downtown, Easton, Clintonville and Westerville.
For more information, visit hotchickentakeover.com.
Columbus Food Adventures Adds New Tour
Columbus Food Adventures is dishing up a new culinary tour. Kicking off June 19, the Dublin Walking Tour features six stops spanning Old Dublin to Bridge Park.
Tour-goers will visit Tucci’s, Our Cupcakery, Fado, North High Brewing, North Market Bridge Park and Frank & Carl’s. Adventures kick off at 2 p.m. on Saturdays with a three-and-a-half hour exploration of the growing city. Fill up on enough eats for a meal and be prepared to walk a mile!
For more information, visit columbusfoodadventures.com.
Too Good Eats Sets Up at The Hills Market Downtown
There’s a new spot to get your Too Good Eats Fix! Score a cooling, and healthy, frozen fruit and veggie pop from 12 – 6 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays at The Hills Market Downtown, 95 N. Grant Ave. Too Good Eats is also expanding their offerings with a lineup of artisan drinks like pineapple blackberry hibiscus punch and blueberry lavender punch.
For more information, visit toogoodeats.com.
Weekends Start Early at Budd Dairy
Budd Dairy Food Hall in Italian Village is getting the weekend started a little early, debuting Friday lunch hours. As of June 4, Budd Dairy opens at 11 a.m. on Fridays.
The Food Hall features nine chef partners whipping up a variety of cuisines, and a rotating vendor in its Hatch space, which is currently occupied by The Cheesecake Girl.
Budd Dairy Food Hall opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. Friday through Sunday.
For more information, visit budddairyfoodhall.com.
Columbus’ Top Chef Teams up with ClusterTruck
Dubliners can score a taste of some special dishes from local Chef Avishar Barua. Barua, executive chef and GM of Short North’s Service Bar, recently competed on season 18 of Bravo’s Top Chef.
Exclusive to the ClusterTruck Dublin delivery zone, Barua imagined three dishes for the delivery-only restaurant concept:
- Sichuan Hot Chicken Sandwich
- Sesame Broccoli Salad with Bacon
- Pimento Cheese and Veggie Poofs
“ClusterTruck is one of the few start-ups that has addressed two of the biggest challenges in food delivery operations; consistency and efficiency,” said Barua. “In a time when the restaurant industry is shifting to the delivery model, it is amazing to see that ClusterTruck takes both quality of food and logistics seriously. I am excited at a chance to collaborate and share food that I love with a larger audience with the same attention to detail and consistency we strive for at Service Bar.”
Order online at clustertruck.com.
Wings Over Adds Location in Worthington
Wings Over has added its second location in Central Ohio, debuting at 7170 N. High St. in Worthington. The pickup and delivery focused restaurant slings its namesake wings as well as tenders, sandwiches & wraps, fries and more.
Wings Over Worthington is open from 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sunday to Tuesday and 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. Wednesday to Saturday.
For more information, visit wingsover.com.
Land Grant & Columbus Crew Continue Partnership
Franklinton’s Land-Grant Brewing Co. is heading into its sixth season as a partner to the Columbus Crew.
The partnership means the brewery will keep on keeping on when it comes to brewing a Columbus Crew SC Supporter Beer and will also score a standalone Land-Grant Brewing Company bar at the New Crew Stadium.
“We can’t wait to be part of the New Crew Stadium experience; as Columbus Crew SC’s first local brewery partner, our roots in this relationship run deep,” said Land-Grant President and co-founder, Adam Benner. “Our brewery has grown alongside the Crew’s success over the past six years, and we are thrilled to be a part of the direction that the leadership is taking the club.”
The New Crew Stadium’s opening date is rapidly approaching, with the first game scheduled for July 3. Land-Grant will be one of a number of local drinking and dining options at the new stadium.
For more information, visit landgrantbrewing.com.
Restaurant Reopenings
More and more restaurants continue to make their way back to the Columbus dining scene. Read on to find out who’s rejoining the party, if you need reservations and more.
Watershed Kitchen + Bar
After fourteen plus long months, Watershed Kitchen + Bar, 1145 Chesapeake Ave, Suite D, is back! Closing at the onset of the pandemic, Watershed welcomed its first dine-in guests back as of June 3.
It’s a compilation of greatest hits for the restaurant’s return. The opening menu features favorite dishes from the past four years of service and a cocktail menu of top sippers from menus past.
“The common thread with our comeback is nostalgia,” says Executive Chef Jack Moore. “All the favorites that have been on the menu since we first opened back in 2017—the brussels, the fried chicken and the short rib—will be back.”
During the shutdown, the distillery largely turned to hand sanitizer production, but is now ready to go back to the booze.
“With warm weather months approaching and more Ohioans getting vaccinated, it feels like the right time to reopen our tables and barstools to our community,” shares Watershed Founder & CEO Greg Lehman. “While we were closed, we expanded the restaurant to add an additional 24 seats to the dining room. I’m confident in the team’s plan to bring the kitchen and bar experience back in a way that keeps our staff and community safe. We can’t wait to welcome everyone back in.”
Initially reservations will be required and can be made through the Watershed website. The restaurant + bar are open from 5- 10 p.m. Thursday,5 – 11 p.m. Friday, 4 – 11 p.m. Saturday and 4 – 9 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, visit watersheddistillery.com.
Chapman’s Eat Market
It’s a grand re-opening for Chapman’s Eat Market, 739 S. Third St. in German Village. Initially opening during the pandemic, the restaurant from Chef BJ Lieberman made a splash on the Columbus dining scene without really getting a proper introduction.
As of late May, the eatery has expanded its seating capacity, including allowing guests to drink and dine at the bar for the first time, and is now accepting reservations and walk-ins.
The tasting menu has been dropped in favor of an a la carte format featuring some favorites from past tasting menus as well as some seasonal summer eats.
Chapman’s is open from 5 – 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
For more information, visit eatchapmans.com.
Comune
South Side’s vegan and vegetarian eatery Comune, 677 Parsons Ave. reopened for dine-in in late May.
For now, it’s a dinner-only affair with service from 5 – 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Diners will find a menu of past favorites, as well as a selection of new dishes, complete with dessert and a list of natural wines.
Reservations are highly recommended. If you’re craving Comune, grab a table as the restaurant is currently not offering take-out.
For more information, visit comune-restaurant.com.
The Market Italian Village
There’s much new to discover at The Market Italian Village, 1022 Summit St., as the restaurant reopens for dine-in.
The dining room is sporting some major upgrades, while in the kitchen the restaurant has welcomed a new chef. With a new chef comes a new menu divided by cooking style: garde manger (cold prepared dishes), sauté and oven. Pair dinner with cocktails and extensive selection of wines.
The Market is open from 5 – 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, visit themarketiv.com.
Denmark on High
Denmark on High is once again slinging drinks. The Short North cocktail bar has reopened its doors at 463 N. High St.
Sip on a wide and ever-rotating selection of cocktails from 5 – 11 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 5 p.m. – 1 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, visit denmarkonhigh.com.
