Cameron Mitchell Planning Downtown Steakhouse, New Easton Restaurant

Openings & Announcements 

Developer Jeff Edwards has been promising to transform Downtown Columbus into a lively neighborhood full of restaurants, nightlife, public art and greenspace. Now, Edwards has the city’s biggest restaurateur on board with his vision. Cameron Mitchell Restaurants confirmed this week that it plans to open a yet-to-be named steakhouse at 155 E. Broad St. as part of the extensive renovation of PNC Plaza by Edwards Cos. Previous plans for the development have outlined a lower-level restaurant connected to an outdoor plaza. It’s notable that CMR is planning a Downtown steakhouse. Cameron Mitchell originally founded Cameron Mitchell Steakhouse (now named Mitchell’s) in 1998, just a block north from the PNC building on Third Street. In 2008, CMR famously sold three Cameron Mitchell Steakhouse locations and 19 Mitchell's Fish Market restaurants to Ruth’s Chris Steak House Inc. for $92 million. The two CMR-founded chains were then sold in 2015 to their current owner, Houston-based Landry's Inc., for $10 million. CMR’s new steakhouse may soon have company, as Smith & Wollensky, which recently departed Easton after 25 years, is eyeing a Downtown location. 

CMR also shared this week that the restaurant group is planning to introduce a “fine-dining Mediterranean” restaurant to Easton Town Center. The restaurant will be a new concept for Columbus, according to CMR, and will sit just south of the shopping center’s Central Park Fountain, taking over the former Bon Vie Bistro & Wine Bar space. “Any day that you can confirm a Cameron Mitchell restaurant is coming to Easton Town Center is a terrific day,” said Beau Arnason of Steiner + Associates, Easton Town Center's co-developer, in an emailed statement. “Easton has been home to Mitchell’s Ocean Club for 20 years, and it continues to be a favorite of our customers. We cannot wait to add another Cameron Mitchell restaurant at this very high-profile location overlooking the fountain.” CMR has two other Central Ohio ventures in the works, Cento in German Village and Valentina's in Bridge Park. Both are Italian restaurants slated to open this year. 

There’s even more going on at Easton of late. On the heels of the opening of Cut 132 steakhouse and the return of Kona Grill, Easton announced this week that McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood & Steaks (3965 New Bond St.) will be converted into Mastro’s, a high-end steakhouse with cuts ranging from a $53 petit fillet to a 40-ounce tomahawk wagyu for $250. Both McCormick & Schmick’s and Mastro’s are owned by the Houston-based restaurant group Landry’s. Some of Mastro’s other locations are in Beverly Hills, Chicago, New York, Scottsdale and Washington, D.C. Look for a late 2023 opening. 

In case you missed yesterday's big news, the James Beard Foundation announced its annual restaurant and chef awards semifinalists, and a local chef made the cut. Chapman’s Eat Market chef and co-owner BJ Lieberman, was named a James Beard Award semifinalist in the Best Chef: Great Lakes category. The James Beard Awards are the restaurant industry equivalent to the Oscars, with restaurant and chef semifinalists recognized across 23 categories. Read more here. 

Closings

The aviation-themed restaurant 94th Aero Squadron, which overlooks the runways at John Glenn International Airport, is heading off into the sunset after more than a 40-year run. In an announcement on social media, the owners stated that 94th Aero Squadron’s lease is up in June, and they “have decided to explore other options." Housed in an old farmhouse filled with military memorabilia and aviation relics, the restaurant’s last day will be Sunday, June 18. The restaurant’s last hurrah will kick off Friday when it reopens after having been closed for repairs. Its pipes burst in late December. The restaurant first opened in 1980 and is owned by California-based Specialty Restaurants Corp. 

You can email restaurant-related news to eedwards@columbusmonthly.com.