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On the menu
The Dutch Harbor Alaskan King Crab is not your typical appetizer. Offered at Cameron Mitchell’s M, located inside the Miranova building downtown, it costs $25. Then there’s the preparation and presentation. The crab legs are cut and placed inside a canning jar with a lid that can be flipped open. The jar is then filled with clarified butter and a bay leaf. Executive chef Jay Cottrell says when it’s time for service, the crab is poached, heated in warm water and accompanied by a bâtard, a French loaf. The crab is served inside the canning jar.
“It’s an interesting look, especially in our restaurant, which is otherwise so modern,” he adds. And as far as being seasonal, while the crab is good year-round, Cottrell says the butter adds a little more richness and depth to the dish during cooler months.
—Taylor Swope
News bites
Every Tuesday night at Tyfoon, 106 Vine St., there’s a $30 dinner special, says owner Dae Oh. Guests can choose an appetizer, salad or soup, five sushi rolls and a house red or white wine. Oh says he expects the deal to run through January.
Rigsby’s Kitchen, 698 N. High St., which has a five-star rating from Columbus Monthly, offers a Sunday brunch from 11 am to 2:30 pm, says co-owner Tasi Rigsby. Brunch meals include duck prosciutto, French scrambled eggs, braised veal tartine and duck confit. (She also mentions bougatsa, a Greek phyllo pie with cheese custard and truffle honey that she says is great for hangovers.) Rigsby, who with her husband, Kent, also owns Tasi in the Short North, says, “It’s a win-win for us. If we’re jammed at Tasi, people can go to Rigsby’s for brunch. We’re going all out."
Openings
The folks at Columbus Brewing Company announced in early December plans to open a new concept this summer as part of the Scioto Mile project. The restaurant, overlooking the revamped Bicentennial Park and the Scioto River, will feature an “eclectic approach to chef-prepared comfort foods,” says general manager Doug Griggs. An interesting side note: Griggs says the building will have a green design, featuring, among other things, solar panels on the roof.
The Loving Hut, an all-vegan restaurant, is expected to open by February at 6569 Livingston Ave. in Reynoldsburg, says manager David McDorman. Menu items include “buffalo” wings, Pho soup, an American panini and a barbecue teriyaki sandwich. Most ingredients are organic and free of GMOs, or genetically modified organisms. The restaurant seats 50, and there will be coffee and juice options, but no alcohol. “This gives people an opportunity to benefit themselves, animals and the planet,” McDorman says.
Pastimes Pub & Grill, 1333 Worthington-Center Dr., opened in late November, says owner Wes Appell. Menu items include a triple grilled cheese, Philly cheese steak, a classic Italian sub and steak bites. The restaurant seats more than 90 and there is a full bar. “We want to be a neighborhood bar, and this seemed like a great place to open,” says Appell.
Happy hours
You can enjoy half-priced appetizers at the Refectory, 1092 Bethel Rd., Monday through Friday from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the bar, says owner Kamal Boulos. Options include a salmon duet, roasted goat cheese and a marble of escargot.
Another appetizing happy hour is at the Burgundy Room, 641 N. High St., from 4 to 7 pm throughout the restaurant Monday through Friday. Deals include a beet dip and goat cheese crostini ($4), truffle fries with sea salt and garlic aioli ($3), PEI mussels with chorizo in a paprika broth ($5) and a short rib slider with waffle chips ($5).
Update
There have been several rumors flying around about Chris Doody possibly opening additional locations of Piada Italian Street Food, 1315 W. Lane Ave. Cheryl Pentella, who handles marketing for Piada, confirms the restaurant group is looking at possibly expanding to Bexley. She adds, “We are very pleased with the initial response to Piada in Upper Arlington. We are evaluating all our growth opportunities and continue to fine-tune the concept.”
On the go
David Morrison, executive chef at Black Creek Bistro, 51 Parsons Ave., has a new day job that’s a bit different from cooking at the restaurant. A few months ago, after auditioning at a Jimmy Buffett concert in Chicago, he accepted a chef position with Luna Catering, which provides food services for traveling performance groups. Morrison took on a hectic schedule, touring with country artists George Strait, Reba McEntire and Lee Ann Womack this fall. Currently, he’s on the road with more than 200 people as part of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra production. He’ll have a month off in the spring before he hits the road again with Kenny Chesney until early fall. (Fun side note: At the close of the tour, Chesney is planning to take all of the staff to the Virgin Islands for an all-expenses-paid vacation, Morrison says.)
While he’s still considered the executive chef at Black Creek Bistro, his role obviously has changed since hitting the road with Luna. When he’s in Columbus, he works special events with owner Kent Peters and runs the weekend specials at the restaurant. Morrison says cooking on tour is demanding, but he loves the challenge. “It’s really rewarding. I see these people not like in a restaurant, but I see them doing their jobs.” And he’s hung out with some of the stars. “Reba McEntire is the sweetest person I’ve ever met in my life.”
—Taylor Swope
