Restaurant Widow

Bulk Club Pickup

Thanks to everyone who partcipated in this month's bulk club! Pick up will take place this Wednesday, February 10th at Wild Goose Creative (2491 Summit St in SoHud), from 4pm to 6pm. If you won't be able to make it, please let me know as soon as possible!

Do Something Unique this Valentine's Day::Passionate Pairings

 

If you are tired of doing the same old thing for Valentine's Day, how about changing things up and going to a great event for a good cause?

This Saturday is Montaña de Luz's Passionate Pairings Party in the Dispatch Kitchen at the North Market.  Chef Zachary Salapak will prepare a multicourse meal with competing wine pairings.  Three local sommeliers, Catherine Morel from Deepwood (go Skittles!), Chris Dillman from Sage (go Husband!), and Matt Citriglia of Wine Mentor (Go Mentor!) have each chosen wine to accompany each course.  I have seen the menu and it looks amazing.

All proceeds from the event go to Montaña de Luz, a non-profit organization which helps children affected by HIV/AIDS in Honduras.

So. Avoid the cliches and the crowds and the bitter waitresses and do something very romantic for a good cause.

*Montaña de Luz is a paying advertiser on Restaurant Widow. But I still think it's a great event!!

Remember Weekend Cat Blogging?

It's winter. It's snowy. To be perfectly honest, all I want to do is huddle under my down comforters with a good book and a few cats. *sigh*

It's a rough time of year to be a foodblogger. Weekend Cat Blogging used to be the perfect way for uninspired food bloggers to not feel burdened with the crushing guilt of not writing as much or as well as they should be.

So, here's a picture of Skittles. Isn't he cute?

  
 

Field & Screen this Month at the Wexner Center

During the month of February, the Wexner Center will present a series of films and panel discussions entitled Field & Screen: Films About our Food.

This series gathers together some of the best films about food - from the gleaning culture in France to the worldwide coffee industry - along with education from Local Matters and tastings of fair trade coffee from Global Gallery.  

The event kicks off tonight, when a panel will discuss the "many connections between food, art, and culture and how those connections have impacted the local food movement in Ohio and elsewhere."  The panel is fantastic, and sure to be full of insight into all facets of the local food movement.  It includes Jaime Moore from Wayward Seed, Jeni Britton-Bauer of Jeni's Ice Creams, Amy Bodiker of the Chef's Collaborative, and Michael Mercil, and OSU art professor who has created many installations exploring the relationship between food and art (such as the virtual pasture). Following the panel will be a reception featuring Ohio-made snacks.

The series continues with lots of great food-related films.

One thing that really interests me about this series is that the films chosen aren't all preachy documentaries.  I suppose some people might interpret them in that way, but the truth is that the food industry is pretty frightening.  Even if you are a hardcore carnivore, it is hard to look at images of assembly (or rather de-assembly) line factories slaughtering animals without feeling that something needs to change. 

You can see the full schedule of films and events here.

Potluck. Last reminder, I promise!

Don't worry, if you haven't RSVPd, you can still come! I have plenty of utensils!! See you tomorrow!

Last Update for Potluck!

I am expecting around 40ish ppl for the potluck. You do not have to prepare food for that many!

I will bring some chafing stands and there is an oven there.

I will be making some sort of braised meat product, and a giant tub of mashed potatoes. I'm hoping other sides and desserts will be taken care of...

I'll probably make a salad or something, depending in what I find at the market.

Wines will ne provided by Columbus' own Signature Wines, beer will be from the Elevator Brewing Company!! I will add links when I am at the computer (I'm in my iPhone, so I'm sure there are tons of typos).

Please let me know if you have any questions!

If not, I'll see you Sunday! Woohoo!

Last call for bulk club

Orders must be placed by Friday! Pickup will be Wednesday, February 10th. Location tbd. If you were counting in having things faster, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Countdown to Potluck!

Okay, kitties.  I am trying to get a feel for how many people are coming and what you are bringing.  I hope everyone is excited!  I know I am!

If you are new here and have no idea what I'm talking about, here are the details: I will be hosting a free potluck at Wild Goose Creative this Sunday, January 31st, at 7pm. Wild Goose is an open creative space (think blank store front) in SoHud - that's my 'hood!! (map) (read about last year's dinner)

Who can come: Absolutely anyone. Doesn't matter if you don't know anyone. For my first few dinners, I didn't know anyone who was coming and I am very shy and it was just fine.  Lots of single people come, and there is always lots of diversity, so you can come no matter who you are, who you bring with you, or if you come solo.  I think you will be surprised to find how awesome everyone is.

There are lots of people coming who I don't know, so don't think this is just something for my friends!

What should I wear: whatever you want. I'm super casual.

Can kids come? If they are cute. (just kidding, all kids are cute). I do believe there are some toys and the like at Wild Goose, so if you can't find a babysitter, don't let that stop you from coming.

What if I can't cook? No worries! You can bring your favorite beverage or a favorite carryout item from a grocery (the Hills, Carfagna's & Weilands are both good for this sort of thing), whatever. 

What if I can't cook "gourmet?" will people be snobby? Let's face it - 7 layer salad and buckets of chicken are delicious. They might not be gourmet, but they're potluck staples for a reason.

What are we going to do? um, eat! and talk. that's it. no agenda.

Does this cost? Nope! Although it would be nice if you brought some cash to donate to Wild Goose, because they are super awesome and need to put in a cushioned wood floor so they can host dance parties and yoga classes.

What if I can't bring anything? Then don't! Just come. I don't mind

What should I bring? Whatever you would like.  If it is your signature dish, and you would like to tell the world about it, please feel free to bring the recipe with you.  

I just took a tour of the Elevator Brewing Company and they are donating beer! How awesome is that?! I am pretty sure I have some wine lined up as well!

So, what now? 

Please let me know if you plan to come. I will be buying plates and the like and would love to have a good idea of how many to buy!  If you don't plan to come, no need to reply.

Please let me know also what style of dish you are planning to bring - you don't have to tell me what it is if you don't want to, but I'd love to know if you consider it a main, side, salad, or dessert.  This will help me inform my decisions on what to make big enough for everyone.

Okay! So, your assignment, should you accept it:
Leave a comment or email me with:
your number of people
what you are bringing.
If you don't drink alcohol, what non-alcoholic drinks should I supply?

Yay! I'm so excited for the potluck!

Smackies BBQ Pit

clockwise from to: pulled pork sandwich, collard greens, rib tips.
 

It's a great time to be a meat lover in Columbus.  And for all of you who became vegetarians for the New Year, well, you made your bed.

My Twitter followers already know my strong feelings for Smackies BBQ.  My bbq sauce stained fingers are compelled to share my love every time I find myself cramming my kisser full of their glorious porky goodness.

Last week Husband brought some pork sandwiches for lunch on Saturday.  Sunday, when it was my turn to procure lunch, I rather sheepishly admitted that I wanted more Smackies.  He just laughed and said he'd been thinking the same thing. 

So let's start with the basics.  James Anderson, aka Smackie, sets up a trailer in the parking lot of a carryout at the corner of High & Pacemont in Clintonville Thursdays - Sundays at noon.  The smoke was rolling this Thursday when I drove past at 11 in the morning and my car began turning on its own.  Alas, some of you might remember that I am in the process of losing weight (6 pounds down!) and I can't be running around eating ribs and mac and cheese and the like without consequences. *sigh*

I knew there was going to be a long love between Smackies and me the first bite I took of the pulled pork sandwich.  The buns are of the nice, soft, white variety; typically I am not a fan of soggy bread, but when you start to get towards the end of the sandwich (which is messy, and must be eaten still wrapped in the foil), the whole thing has turned into this glorious bbq-y, porky, soft bready mound of deliciousness. Hm. Have I used the word deliciousness twice already? Well no matter. It's good stuff.  The pit boss chops the pork all together so you have a great ratio of fat to meat without getting any undesirable fatty hunks. Oh drool.

A tweep had suggested getting the ribs dry with sauce on the side, advice I took. The ribs really are amazing.  I mean seriously, the best I've ever had by far.  The dry rub is perfection, and you have to keep eating them, because they are so good the way they are, but the homemade sauce is so great that you have to keep alternating between dry and dipping.

My mouth is watering as I write this, and I just ate dinner.

The collard greens (sometimes kale, and sometimes a blend) are of the smoky variety - I believe they are only meat, onions, and greens; they don't seem to have either sugar or vinegar added (I know there are many different positions on this topic).  Some have told me they find the greens undersalted, but every time I have had them, I ponder drinking the pot likker directly from the little styrofoam cup.  With a pinch of tabasco, the only thing these greens are missing is some cornbread.

Lest you think I'm just slobbering and drooling all over this place, delirious with my love for fatty porky smoky spicy yumminess, I am not super excited about the mac n cheese.  This might be a personal thing; this is the bechamel based soft baked kind of mac and cheese, and I kinda prefer a gooier mac and cheese with lots of salt and sharp cheese.

The first time I had the brisket, I wasn't completely sold that it outweighed Weiland's on their best day (the brisket at Weiland's runs the gamut from glorious to meh, with most times settling on very good), but I must have had a rare misfire because I just received this tweet from Armando the Crimson Cup coffee roaster: "@lisathewaitress Raised on Texas Pit BBQ. I know good brisket. Smackies is the best i've ever eaten. Need to try the ribs next."  Yeah, that's some pretty serious praise, just in case you don't want to take my word for it.

The less expensive rib tips are pretty tasty, too - they have a chewier texture, but are still tasty, and you burn more calories chewing them. So, there's that.

Sauces are homemade - there's sweet and tangy sauce (awesome), a spicy sauce (awesome), and a habenero sauce, which is delicious and has a very slow, creeping heat that you don't notice until you're halfway through your sandwich and find yourself guzzling beer to cut through the heat.

So, what have we learned today? Smackies is worth abandoning your silly vegetarian resolutions.*  I promise its worth the guilt.

Hm. If I were really mean I would post this review Sunday night at 9pm, just when Smackies had closed up for the week, and make everyone wait until Thursday. But I'm not mean. I love you, and I want you to enjoy the best BBQ our fair city has to offer.

Info: Smackies Pit BBQ, corner of Pacemont & High in Clintonville

*dear vegetarians, I love you. I don't understand you, but I love you. So please, spare me the lecture.  You can take my pork when you pry it from my cold, dead, cholesterol-riddled fingertips. Along with beer, pork is proof that god loves us and wants us to be blissfully happy all the days of our lives. Amen.

Bulk Club Extended

Hi everyone! I am going to extend bulk club an extra week, and I might add a fee things since some have expressed interest in dried fruits and the like.

Orders will be taken until Friday, January 29th. If you need your items sooner, please let me know and I'll get it to you.

Cheers!

U hope you're enjoying restaurant week.