Restaurant Widow

A Few Events

I am about to head out to the country for a few days of peace, quiet, and family. And maybe the occasional political debate.  Oh! and of course, emus.I will be completely disconnected from the Intertubes (yes, if I think about that too closely I do start to feel panicky).  But I wanted to let you know about a few great things going on this weekend.

Fist up, tonight OEFFA will be hosting the Columbus premier of Food, Inc. (click on the link to see a preview of the film); there will be a reception featuring local foods (and Jeni's Ice cream!).  The 7:30 showing filled up so fast they've added a 9:30 seating.  The event will take place at the Drexel East.  You should go, because I can't. I'll be making beef and fish tacos for my whole family tonight.

Saturday at noon, I will briefly emerge from the cornfields to partake in a panel discussion on eating local foods.  This WCBE Coffee Klatch session will take place in the Dispatch kitchen at the North Market (2nd floor).  I will be joining other locavores to discuss the state of food in Central Ohio.  The others include:
Maureen Metcalf of the EarthTouch Giving Garden
*Michael Jones, Local Matters
*Nick Dekker, Wild Goose Creative
*Jaime Moore, Wayward Seed Farm
*Gabe Sturgess, Clintonville Community Market
*Lisa Dillman, RestaurantWidow food blogger
*Jen Bhaerman, Snowville Creamery

Get Ready for Bacon Camp

On August 1st, Wild Goose Creative will be hosting Bacon Camp, a national event which celebrates all things bacon.

Test your own bacon prowess by submitting a bacon-based dish or crafting a bacon-related item!  You can find more information on their website.

May Sunday Supper!!

Our next Sunday Supper will be Sunday, May 17th on the Veranda at the Hill's Market! We will finally have a few more local produce by then!! Well, at least lettuce. . .

Click below to reserve your spot (you will be able to adjust quantities on the next page), the dinner is $55, all-inclusive, and don't forget to let me know about any concerns you have, or anything you'd especially enjoy!

I can't wait to see you there!

Announcing Husband's Wine School

Husband is starting a new series of wine classes.  There will be a series of classes where you will learn progressively more about wine, regions, and tastings.  This first set of classes will focus on the fundamentals of tasting.

I you have never had the pleasure of having Husband teach you about wine, I can assure you he is really great at it (I will admit to being biased, but I am sure his guests can vouch for him).  He has a seemingly endless capacity for holding information and he is really great at educating.

Classes are a mere $25!!  Click over to his site for more information and to pay!!

Things to Do in Columbus::March 4th Edition

Well, it looks as though after today, the cold snap is going to be over for awhile, so it's time to start thinking about planting seedlings inside, maybe getting a little spring cleaning done, or whatever you're going to do this spring.

• If home improvements are on the agenda, you might want to get some ideas flowing at the Home & Garden Show, which continues this weekend.
• If exercise or weight loss is part of your 2009 plan (*sigh* I fail already), or if you would just like to ogle some muscles, this weekend is the Arnold Sports Festival, which is great for some very interesting people watching, if nothing else.  Every meat head I know loves to go to the Arnold to score the tons of free samples they offer.  
• Of course, it's gallery hope this Saturday. If you're going to be spending any money this weekend, how about supporting some locally-owned businesses during this rough economy.  With the way rents are in the Short North, some people are struggling more than ever. 
• This weekend is the Columbus Jewish Film Festival.  The festival will take place at venues from CCAD to the Museum.  The festival will showcase 10 films (click for list). 
• Don't forget that next week is Restaurant Week here in Columbus!  
• Shadow Cabaret begins "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" this weekend. 
• ProMusica will be performing at the lovely Josephinum this weekend. Organs will be featured. Fun Fact: the Josehpinum is actually part of the Vatican, and is the only pontifical college outside of the Italy (source). 
• CAPA presents Irish Fiddler Ireen Ivers on Sunday, and later in the month, the Japanese Kodo drummers!

Today is the Last Day to Sign Up for My Cooking Class at the Hills Market!

I think there might be a few spots still open for my cooking class this Thursday, March 5th! It's only $35 which includes an amuse + 4 courses and wine (more info)!

on the Menu:

Risotto Fritters

White Bean & Andouille  Soup

Arugula, celery root, and proscuitto salad

Simple Risotto

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Call the Hills Market at 614.846.3220 to sign up!

Columbus Restaurant Week - Get Ready!!

Finally, finally, Columbus has its own Restaurant Week!! From March 9th through the 15th, all 42 restaurants who are members of Dine Originals Columbus will feature a prix fix dinner for either $15 or $30.  

*Here's a little lecture: I just want to make a little note about eating at locally-owned, independent restaurants.  It's a really hard business, and they typically have little to fall back on when times our lean.  As we enter this time of "economic uncertainty" (aren't you tired of that phrase? I know I am), we have the opportunity to support the little guys.  Just something to think about before you stand in line 2 hours to eat at the blech-cake factory.*

This is your chance to dine in one of your favorite restaurant without taking the risk of breaking the bank. The menus are starting to pop up on the Dine Originals website, and they are varied.  Many of the menus give you the option of a fish or meat choice, along with a salad or appetizer and dessert.  Some restaurants with lighter menus include beer or wine with a salad and entree.  I plan to take full advantage of restaurant week because, well, restaurants are typically slow this time of year and in this economy, some of them are even slower, and even foodblogging waitresses need a cheap meal every once in awhile.  It's really hard to look through the menus and try to decide which restaurant we should try - a new spot or an old favorite? Some place we haven't been in awhile? Oh, the agony of decisions.  Would that I had the stamina to try 2 restaurants in one night!!  Hmmmm.

From the menus currently posted, here are some highlights (to me, anyway: (the links go to the restaurant's Restaurant Week menu, a pdf)

Alana's offers a choice of Lamb Bolo or Risotto - they're risotto is always amazing, and the Mexican Chocolate Pecan tarte they're offering for dessert, well, I've had one in the past 24 hours and it was nothing short of amazing.

The Burgundy Room in the Short North offers a $15/person menu which includes a spinach salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette and for an entree, one of my all-time faves - cornmeal crusted walleye!

Barcelona offers a tapas tasting menu with 7 courses for $30/person. The selections will change daily and include a glass of sangria!

Basi Italia offers their famous Monday night special for a special price - spaghetti & meatballs for $15/person. I can attest to the deliciousness of this meal, trust me.

Betty's will offer a two-course menu along with a beer or glass of wine! Betty's might actually be one of those places which I could hit if I were going to do 2 places in a day, being that they serve food until 2am. This makes them a favorite for those in the restaurant business.

G. Michael's, one of my absolute favorite spots in the city (yes, I used to work there) has a seared scallop for an option as an appetizer (everyone knows they have the best scallops in the city), and highlights from the entree menu include the throw-concerns-about-cholesterol-to-the-wind Chorizo Stuffed, Bacon Wrapped Short Ribs (yes, you read that right) and a stuffed pork chop with bourbon caramel sauce. When I worked at G. Michael's, on of my favorite post-shift treats was a bowl of Chef Chef's amazing grits smothered in bourbon caramel sauce. And I weighed less then than I do now, so they can't be that bad for you!

The Inn at Cedar Falls has one of my favorites - flatiron steak - on the menu, and it's a little off the beaten path for us Central Ohians.

Katzinger's has a great option for a steal of a price - a flight of corned beef sandwiches (3 for each person), along with their great potato salad, a fudgie brownie, and of course, a trip to the pickle barrel.

The Rectory offers their yummy goat cheese salad and shoulder filet with their amazing cardamom sauce (we had that dish on our wedding day - everyone say "awwwwww).

Shaw's Restaurant and Inn offers a lunch menu featuring mini burgers, and a dinner menu with macadamia crusted Mahi Mahi!

The Tip Top offers their traditional comfort favorites with a choice of beef or veggie pot roast, and a dessert option of their great fruit pies. Is it just me or does the very thought of a fruit pie make you happy?

Tutto Vino offers a flight of cheeses!

The Wildflower Cafe will be serving up steak or bourbon glazed salmon (bourbon is a magic word on a menu for yours truly) for $15.

The Worthington Inn has a lunch burger, a dinner "discovery" menu, and, get this - a $15 elegant brunch!

I will add more highlights as menus become available. You can see the list of menus here.

Things to do in Columbus::February 25th Edition

Spring is in the air. For today, at least.  Maybe that means I'll magically become motivated to do all the writing I'm behind on!  The Home & Garden show is always a sure sign that Spring - and home improvement time - is right around the corner.  

• First up, I will be teaching a cooking class at the Hills Market a week from today. Husband will be my sous chef, and with Constance the wine buyer at the Hills, will be pairing my simple dinner with some excellent wines.  I'll make a delicious 3 ingredient soup, an very simple salad, yummy risotto, and flourless chocolate cake! I suppose this would make it a perfect cooking class for anyone who is on a Gluten Free diet, although it only just now occurred to me! Hm. Should have sold it that way. Ah well. Next time.
• I've been buying a bit of coffee from Kickstart lately, and it's tasty. In addition to coffee, Kickstart sells scooters, scooter gear, and heirloom candy, such as candy cigarettes! At any rate, every Saturday night, Kickstart has open mic night for local musicians. I never have a Satruday night off, but you should go and support local artists. Seems like a great time. They also sell treats from Pattycake Vegan Bakery! 
• As we've already discussed, this weekend, and continuing on through next weekend, is the Central Ohio Home & Garden Show.  It's a great place to see all the great things you could do for your home if you could afford it (or maybe that's just me). In addition to the tons of vendors at the show, there are always lots of great gardening and food demonstrations going on.  
• This Friday is the gala fundraiser for the Columbus Children's Theatre, "A Return to Neverland."  
• This Sunday the Too Many Cooks event at Wild Goose Creative will feature the folks from Northstar! Rumor has it these same folks will soon be opening a finer dining restaurant in Grandview with a display of tractor seats. I wouldn't know for sure, because I only have word of mouth. 
• This weekend is Polar Adventure Weekend at COSI! In addition to lots of fun events, on Sunday there will be a sled dog demonstration, along with actual sled dogs! 
• This Friday the Columbus Symphony presents Mozart til Midnight at the Palace Theatre. Snacks from Mozart's Cafe and Bakery will, appropriately enough, be available for purchase. 

Things to do in Columbus::February 18th Edition

Raise your hand if you're tired of winter. Bleh. It's funny because it seems as though every year during February, all I want to do is sleep and stay in the house and read, and it always catches me by surprise. Somehow I think Spring should be close! I suppose I should be grateful that I live here in Ohio; a friend was just telling me it's still only 12 degrees where her parents live in Michigan!

Okay, enough whining about the weather.  Let's talk about all the fun things there are to do this week in Columbus.

• First up, this weekend is the Fiery Foods Festival at the North Market! There will be a chili cookoff for both chefs and amateurs (I'm making chili! You can come judge me!) as well as a salsa competition, music, and all sorts of other fun stuff.
• Tonight is Pecha Kucha, which is a really cool event.  If you are looking to network or just see some really cool people, I highly recommend it. 
•  This weekend is the OEFFA (Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association) Conference in Granville, OH.  I will be doing a demo Sunday about the wonders of dairy! I will show everyone how to make butter, cultured butter, and creme fraiche!
• Dudes!! Cheech and Chong are coming this weekend! 
• This Sunday is the Columbus Bridal Expo. Yikes! Let the cake eating begin!! 
• I have a cooking class coming up at the Hills Market on March 5th! Please sign up because if no one comes I will cry! I'll be making pantry basics, including risotto and yummy, yummy soups! Beware, if you click on the link there's a scary picture of me which looks nothing like me!! 
• This is an abbreviated list because I am working hard on a new project which I think will be awesome. More information coming very soon! 

Things to do in Columubs::January 28th Snow Day Edition

Let's hear it for snow days! Unless you are at/or had to work, in which case I am very sorry. I love snow days because I feel I have permission to spend the day all snuggly with various cats surrounding me, trying to motivate myself to get some writing done while surfing the intertubes and tweeting about the weather all day.

Although at some point throughout the evening, I do plan to put some dinner on the (coffee) table.  Maybe it will even *gasp* be worth writing about, who knows?!  Raise your hand if you're ready for spring.

I think everything should be all cleared up by the weekend, so we might as well talk about what there is to do.   A few things for this week have been canceled (namely Wild Raspberries at the Wexner Center), so if you are headed to an event tonight, you might want to call before you go.

As always, please feel free to add/amend/clarify events in the comments!

• Our first event this week is for those of you with kiddos in the house.  Super cool mom Amy (of Little Alouette) will be giving a talk on Saturday at Whole Foods about creative parenting.  I remember once reading on Amy's blog about how she had her son lay on his back and draw pictures using the bottom a chair to teach him about Michaelangelo painting frescoes.  How cool is that?  At any rate, she's the real thing. You should go see her.
• There are lots of cool things happening at the Whole Foods Dublin store, including lots of Valentine's Day-related events, even dinner of Valentine's from Chef Marc Dullin.  Click here for more from their calender.
• The Hills Market will present a four-part series introducing participants to the pleasures of wine.  This Wine 101 series will take place on Wednesdays during February. 
• I still have room for a few more people to join me on a tour of the North Market next Friday, February 6th at 5pm. (click the link above for more information and to reserve your spot.)  
• This Friday you can meet farmers and learn all about CSAs at Tehku Tea Room in old Dublin!  
• This Saturday, Chamber Music Columbus presents the Fine Arts Quartet at the Southern Theatre!
• In more music events, the Columbus Symphony presents conductor Edwin Outwater playing "Orchestral Jewels" this weekend.  The symphony will play Beethoven's Symphony no. 8 and Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25, K. 503. 
• The Wexner Center's Andy Warhol exhibit Other Voices, Other rooms, closes on February 15th, so get there people!! (That includes me!) 
• There is no Clintonville Winter Market this weekend, but there is one in Worthington.