Columbus Monthly / February 2011 / The new place in the old Rosendales spot

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The new place in the old Rosendales spot

Tapas & drinks

Eleven, 569 N. High St., a tapas-and-wine place located next door to its sister establishment, Hyde Park, offers a dish with an unusual alcohol pairing.

The tuna carpaccio comes with Lucid absinthe, which just became legal again in 2008 after being outlawed in 1915 due to purportedly having hallucinogenic effects. “The coriander crust on the tuna and the sweetness of the absinthe go well together,” says executive chef Seanne Myers.

Before Eleven opened in 2008, general manager Chad Allard says the bar at Hyde Park was so crowded with guests drinking and mingling that people who wanted to dine at the bar weren’t able to find seats. Now, he says, guests can eat at Hyde Park and then stroll next door to Eleven for a nightcap. Or, they can spend the evening at Eleven, sharing tapas-style dishes with dining companions. (Allard says Hyde Park steaks are available at Eleven.)

“We want to capture the audience that likes to stay up until 2 am,” he says.

Openings

Babuskha’s Kitchen, 4675 N. High St., is expected to open by early February, says owner Dennis Bennett. (His wife is the daughter of the founder of the original location in northeast Ohio.) Menu items include “Polish heritage foods from my wife’s family growing up,” Bennett says, which includes stuffed cabbage and roasted pork with sauerkraut. He adds that the company has wanted to expand to Columbus for a while and Clintonville was the perfect fit. “You can go in there with something a little off the beaten path, and as long as quality and service are good, people will support it. That’s one of the great things about Columbus,” he says.

Cumin, 1025 Polaris Pkwy., opened in late December in the former Bayleaf India Bistro location, says owner Vince Prakash, who also owns Cuisine of India. The space, which seats 145, underwent a renovation before opening to serve traditional Indian cuisine. Cumin is open Monday through Friday from 11 am to 2 pm (till 3 pm on weekends) and 5 to 10 pm daily. “I feel a comfort that Polaris will keep growing and bringing more people,” says Prakash of his prime location near Polaris Fashion Place.

If you’ve ordered a sandwich at Hal & Al’s or Tip Top Kitchen and Cocktails recently, there’s a chance you’ve been served something from BrÄ“zel, which specializes in locally made, hand-rolled, Bavarian-style pretzels, rolls and buns. Owners Brittany Baum and Maria Gentile started the company nearly two years ago, simply because they both enjoy cooking. Their first shop, which was expected to open in late January in the North Market, is located between Omega Artisan Bakery and Clever Crow Pizza. (Before the shop, the duo prepared the baked goods in their homes.) The basics—pretzels, rolls and buns—are available at the North Market shop, but Baum says she and Gentile hope to start serving sandwiches, calzones and turnovers later this year. “We love tasting products and coming up with unique flavor combinations,” she adds.

News bites

After participating in Columbus Vegan Week last fall, Columbus Brewing Company, 535 Short St., now offers a “Meatless Monday” option, says general manager Doug Griggs. The special changes weekly, but past dishes include vegan coneys and chili pot pie. “My son is vegan, my chef and a manager are vegetarians, and I’m the odd man out, but they assured me this is a great thing. We did it, and they were right,” Griggs says.

The Short Story Brasserie in Granville is now open for breakfast on the weekend from 8 am to noon, says owner James Housteau. Menu items—priced below $15—include classic pancakes and French toast, as well as items to “kick it up a bit,” Housteau says. There’s a wild mushroom and truffle with crème fraîche omelet, as well as a cheddar cheese and chive waffle. “Serving both traditional and kind of different offerings is in the vein of what we do,” he says.

Replacing Rosendales

Although the space looks swanky, don’t assume the attitude is, too, when you stop in for lunch or dinner at Hubbard Grille, 793 N. High St., in the former Rosendales location. The restaurant, which opened in early January, is “about unscripted discovery. We never want to be perceived as upscale or snooty. We want to be approachable,” says general manager Dan Morris. Menu items include barbecue ribs, fried chicken with truffle oil and short ribs served on white cheddar grits. There’s also a bar menu available after regular dining hours, and items include sweet potato chips with a maple syrup drizzle, graham cracker crusted calamari and housemade popcorn. “The flavor profiles are just outrageous. The food is a bit whimsical and playful, but it’s serious,” says Morris.

The restaurant is owned by Taste of Hospitality, which also owns Mezzo Italian Kitchen & Wine in Gahanna. (A second location of Mezzo is expected to open this year in Dublin, Morris says.) Moving downtown was a natural evolution for the group, he adds. “When this space became available, we were chomping at the bit to be part of this great community.”