Food News: Kintsugi Sushi to Close; Ocean Prime Expands to Vegas

Openings & Announcements 

Grandview distillery Echo Spirits Distilling Co. recently announced its Spirit of Giving campaign, which will support a new charity each month. Members of the public can nominate a charity to receive funds, which will come from sales of Echo Spirits’ House Vodka, on the Echo Spirits website. “We are fortunate enough to be in a good position in our lives and in our business,” said co-founder Joe Bidinger in a press release, “and we’ve always felt it was our responsibility to make the world a better place through our business. We’ve been looking for a long time for the right way to give back.” Bidinger and co-founder Nikhil Sharoff are two of Columbus Monthly’s 2022 Tastemakers, who are featured in our August issue now on newsstands.

In Cameron Mitchell Restaurants news, the restaurant group will soon be trying its luck in Las Vegas. CMR announced plans Wednesday to open an Ocean Prime on the Las Vegas strip as part of a mixed-use development at the intersection of Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue. The 400-seat restaurant will take up more than 14,500 square feet with a nearly 2,500-square-foot rooftop terrace, overlooking the strip. The Ocean Prime brand got its start as Mitchell’s Ocean Club, which opened at Easton Town Center in August 2006. (Ocean Club kept its name.) The Vegas location, which is targeting a spring 2023 opening, will be Ocean Prime's 18th across the country, from New York City to Beverly Hills. In 2018, CMR and Ocean Prime hosted a dinner at the famed James Beard House in New York, which we attended and you can read about here. 

Closings 

Kintsugi Sushi Bar, the sophomore venture from the owners of Satori Ramen Bar, announced Wednesday that its last day of business at North Market Bridge Park will be Sunday, Aug. 28. Kintsugi, which opened in January 2021, brought well-made temaki hand rolls, yakitori skewers and more to the North Market Bridge Park food lineup, and was named one of Columbus Monthly’s Best New Restaurants earlier this year. In a social media announcement, the owners thanked their customers and stated that closing the market stall would free them up to focus on other projects. “We are diligently working behind the scenes on our next culinary endeavor, building upon our success with Kintsugi Sushi Bar,” the post reads. Satori Ramen Bar, located at the original North Market on Spruce Street, will remain open.  

Events 

The Columbus African Festival takes place Saturday, Aug. 20, at Franklin Park (1755 E. Broad St.). The free event celebrates the food, art, fashion and music of the African diaspora in Central Ohio. Register online here. 

The historic North Market (59 Spruce St.) will stretch its hours of operation this Friday, Aug. 19, when it hosts a Night Market, featuring independent makers, live music, adult beverages from The Barrel & Bottle and food from the market’s vendors. The free outdoor event takes place 6 to 9 p.m. 

Hoof Hearted Brewing is hosting its 6th Annual Dragonsaddle Day from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17 at its Marengo, Ohio, taproom. In 2018, the festival was named “One of the 12 Best Beer Festivals In America” by Hop Culture Magazine. General admission ($20) includes access to a concert featuring The Zapp Band and RJD2 as well as the ability to purchase four-packs of Dragonsaddle Triple IPA and three different barrel-aged imperial stouts. Participating food trucks include Fetty’s Street Food, Hai Poke and Hoof Hearted’s new food truck, Polsen Wieners. Dragonsaddle Day tickets are now on sale.