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PrintPistacia Vera's breakfast treats
A Pistacia Vera, clockwise from front: smoked salmon served with arugula, red onion, cracked pepper, capers, crème fraiche and toasted rye croissants, various croissants with preserves and a bacon, onion and spinach quiche.
Michael A. Foley/MAF Photography
Most city dwellers know they can find decadent desserts at Pistacia Vera, 541 S. Third St., in German Village. However, you may not know that about a year ago, the bakery quietly rolled out a small breakfast menu, says co-owner Anne Fletcher. Items include mushroom quiche, smoked salmon, tomato Provencal baked eggs and cottage ham and Brie served on a whole-wheat croissant. Fletcher says all jams are housemade, and the menu is available daily from 7 am to 2 pm.
“It’s been a really fun addition for us,” she adds. “As much as people like dessert, it’s always nice to have another excuse to visit a place you like.”
Openings
Another burger joint has arrived. Inferno Burger, 10503 Blacklick Eastern Rd., opened in early February, says owner Sean Brauser, who also owns Romeo’s Pizza, which operates in several spots around the city. The New Orleans burger—a beef patty topped with grilled shrimp, pepper jack cheese, chipotle ranch and Cajun seasoning—has become popular, says Brauser. He adds that guests also enjoy the Inferno Burger, which features a fried egg, bacon, grilled onions and cheese, for “breakfast or hangovers.” The restaurant, which has a rock-and-roll theme, is open from 11 am to 11 pm and till midnight on weekends.
El Arepazo fans on the east side have reason to celebrate. The popular downtown spot with a tiny location on Pearl Alley is expanding, says co-owner Carolina Gutierrez. She and her husband, Carlos, who also operate the Yerba Buena food truck, are opening an El Arepazo in Gahanna at 93 N. High St. (It was expected to have debuted in late March.) Carolina says the menu will be similar to the Pearl Alley location’s, except for tapas selections and an array of beer and wine. The new spot is open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday.
Cheap eats
Loops, 1629 Northwest Blvd., is offering “2 Dog Tuesday” every week, says co-owner Dimitri Constantinides. For $5, guests can order two of any style of Vienna beef hot dogs, including sauerkraut or chili cheese. The Grandview-area restaurant, which also serves traditional Greek food, is open for lunch and dinner daily.
News bites
If you’re looking for a fine-dining bargain for lunch, you might try Rigsby’s Kitchen, 698 N. High St., in the Short North. Executive chef and owner Kent Rigsby says most lunch prices are now $15 and less because “lunches have been slow. We’re just trying to change the perception and build up the crowd.”
Menu items include an Italian chopped salad, crab cake, gnocchi and a smoked salmon club. Lunch is served Monday through Saturday.
Meet me at: Hubert's Polish Kitchen
Hubert Wilamowski has been a fixture in the North Market for the past seven years, which is when he first arrived in the United States. "I worked in the market, washed dishes, didn't speak English," he says. He gradually started to cook and when tragedy struck three years ago, he decided to run his own shop. Wilamowski's 14-year-old daughter died and, he says, "It was her dream for me to open a Polish kitchen." In her memory and with a bit of financial help from his mother, he introduced the small shop.
Alongside his brother, Wilamowski serves traditional Polish favorites from scratch, such as pierogis, cabbage rolls and kielbasa. (He says his favorite dish to make is sauerkraut stew.) And although Wilamowski says English classes he took at the Jewish Community Center were helpful, "the best school is the market, when you have to speak to customers." He adds there is much to love about owning his own shop at the North Market, but his favorite part is when "people love the food and then they come back."
