Columbus Monthly / November 2011 / Campfire delight

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Campfire delight

Few would argue that one of the best parts of fall is eating s’mores by a campfire on a crisp evening. If you would like to enjoy this treat, but don’t want to sit outside, you might consider heading to Due Amici, 67 E. Gay St., to try the S’more Napoleon.

“We were searching for something everybody would like and, with s’mores, that’s a favorite childhood thing,” says general manager Chris Hull. The base layer is a graham cracker blondie—a sweet dessert bar—and a layer of chocolate ganache added on top. To finish the dessert, a housemade marshmallow layer is created.  The chef takes a torch to the dessert—similar to crème brûlée—so the dish has a charred look and “really smells like a s’more,” says Hull.

 

Openings

Cibo Restaurant + Bar, 4740 Reed Rd., has new owners and a different name: Nicola Restaurant and Bar. Nick Bedalli, who worked for Cibo’s owners Carla and Tommy Piolata at their former Da Vinci Italian Ristorante, recently bought the restaurant and is the executive chef, says his wife and co-owner, Speranza Bedalli. She adds that the menu focuses on northern Italian cuisine, and the restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on Sunday.

A new restaurant is coming to the Arena District to fill the former O’Shaughnessy’s Public House space, 401 N. Front St., says R Bar owner Natalie Darr. She will open the Three Legged Mare, along with her husband, Michael, and business partner Danny Capoccia, in late November, she says. The space will serve as a traditional Irish pub with darts, live music, trivia contests and menu items such as fish and chips, shepherd’s pie and bangers and mash. The restaurant and bar will be open 10:30 am to 2:30 am daily.

Dempsey’s, 346 S. High St., is expected to open by the end of the year, says owner Mark Dempsey, who worked in the restaurant industry years ago before taking a government job more recently. He says the space will have a political theme, and guests should see historical photos of former mayors Buck Rinehart and Jack Sensenbrenner adorning the walls. The restaurant will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, says Dempsey, who adds that opening the restaurant has made him feel as if he’s “coming back to my roots.”

Zpizza has arrived in Clintonville, says general manager Chris Milliron. The shop, 5060 N. High St., is similar to its Short North location, and there are lunch deals available for $5.95 and $7.95, he says. Beer is available, and the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner daily.

Time & Change Restaurant and Sports Bar, 1186 County Line Rd., opened in Westerville in early August, says general manager Amy Castle. The space has an Ohio State sports theme and got its name from a line in “Carmen Ohio.” The menu includes traditional bar food, such as burgers, sandwiches, pizza and subs. (The Archie burger is named for Archie Griffin, OSU’s two-time Heisman Trophy winner.) There’s a full bar with plenty of Buckeye-themed drinks, such as the buckeye shot, which consists of peanut butter, vodka and chocolate.

 

Meet me at:

Whole World Bakery & Restaurant

More than 30 years ago, Dan Otanicar and his wife, Kim, saw a need in Columbus. There was virtually nowhere for vegetarians to go for a good meal, and even though they occasionally ate meat, they wanted to fill the void. So they opened Whole World Bakery & Restaurant, 3269 N. High St. in Clintonville, in 1978. 

It was a risky move. “Vegetarianism wasn’t as accepted as it is now,” Dan says. “Back then, and I hate to use this word, but it was like a hippie thing. Now, it’s not so much that perspective.”

Although today there are more vegetarian options on menus throughout Columbus, Otanicar says no one matches what he and his wife try to do at Whole World. “I’ve always referred to us as the truck stop of vegetarian food,” he says, laughing. “We try to make comfort food and food that is familiar to people, and if you want a recipe, I’ll give it to you. It’s no big secret to me.”