This week in Gila's head

Well, not totally. You really don't want to be in my head right now. But here's some of the shit swimming around there lately.



Last Saturday we had garden cleanup day. For those who don't know, there are some empty lots next to our house and for the past 5-ish years we've had a community garden. I wish I had a "before" picture because it was pretty bad, but here's the "after:"

And then yesterday the recycle dudes showed up to pick up all the yard waste:

Last Friday we went out to dinner with friends to The Table (they don't seem to have a website yet). They do everything in-house, including baking bread and desserts, and smoking meats for their charcuterie selection. (Random thought: spell check suggests "charioteer" instead of "charcuterie." Who the hell uses the word "charioteer?") We enjoyed every last bit of our meals, including dessert. Seriously, save some room.

Those who know our cat Clover know that she has short little legs, so she doesn't jump up on higher surfaces. Well, yesterday I was stunned when I heard one of the cats jump on the built-in entertainment center and assumed it was Bella but instead saw this:

I have no idea how she did this!

In cancer news, I have a surgery date, although I'm not quite ready to share that with the world, but if you ask me privately I'll tell you. Let's just say it's sooner than I thought it would be. I'll let y'all know closer to the date. I have decided to definitely do the bilateral mastectomy, so we've cancelled the MRI because there's no reason for it. Meanwhile I'm now consumed with reading breast cancer blogs and websites. I'm a new member of a club I would never have chosen. A close friend recently lost his sister to this bullshit. And today I have two friends undergoing procedures related to breast cancer. It fucking sucks. (Oh, by the way, here's my blanket apology for the increase in cursing that is bound to occur. Cancer does that. I usually try to rein in my real-life potty mouth when writing on the blog, but that will likely change. Sorry Mom, Mom-in-law, and anyone else who might cringe at the word "fuck.")

I haven't been very good about responding to comments on the blog, and I'm sorry about that, but please know that I read them all and appreciate every one.

Have a great weekend!

Stop #16 - The Pint House

If you're new around these parts, this post is part of a series called Restaurant Odyssey, in which Aaron and I visit every restaurant in the Short North area of Columbus. Today we're talking about the Pint House, which opened last April. Our visit took place in early June with several of our neighbors.

I'll just get this out of the way. Aaron and I both wanted to hate the Pint House. It was opened by a group which, at the time, also owned several bars in the Arena District that... let's just say they're not bars we frequent on even a semi-regular basis. But we were pleasantly surprised by our experience.

The Pint House is located in a space that most recently was a clothing store and before that it was a futon store(!). The inside is pretty huge and while it doesn't have a patio, it does have a roof that opens up when the weather allows, and the large windows street-side open up, so if you're lucky enough to get a table by the window you'll be treated to some fun people watching. That's all in the front section; the back section is darker with large picnic table-like seating.

Our gang: Aaron, Michelle, Amy, Colin, Angie and Eric (I was the photographer, so to speak.)

We arrived late afternoon on a Saturday and all the prime seating was taken so we sat in the back area and ordered beers from their large selection. They also offer wine and liquor, of course. It didn't take too long for a table to open up under the open roof so we ended up moving. (I have to mention that I was outvoted on this; I always feel bad for the server if we're moving to a different section.) BUT I must admit that if you can get a seat in the front on a beautiful day it's worth it.

The menu then was more limited than it is now but we ordered a couple pizzas, the pretzel appetizer and fish & chips. One of Aaron's favorite expressions is the food is "better than it should be." It's bar food, sure, but it's good bar food. And it's served on wooden planks which is just kinda cool.

Our takeaway from the Pint House is that we'll go back for sure but only on a weekend afternoon/early evening. Later at night it can be very difficult to get in, plus there's a much younger crowd and that's just not our scene anymore. But that's just us.


Next up: Union Cafe!

Stop #15 - L'Antibes

Aaron's taking over today for this long-overdue review. Y'all be nice to him, okay?

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Many of you dedicated readers may be asking yourselves "Hey, what's with the restaurant odyssey?  Did they quit? Give up? Forget? Losers."  Well we haven't forgotten, and we most definitely haven't given up.  As I sit here on Tuesday January 14th I'll give you the Cliffs Notes first.  We're still on the RO, and we just ate at Barrel 44 a couple of weeks ago, so be as prepared to read some reviews as we are to write them.  We've got lots of catching up to do.

Three seasons ago in late April Gwen and I were joined by dear friends and neighbors Dru and Jeannie for a fabulous evening at L'Antibes.  The restaurant holds special memories for Dru and Jeannie, so when this somewhat arduous tour was first conceived and shared with our peoples in the 'hood, they excitedly committed to join us on our first trip to this well-reviewed restaurant. Now, L'Antibes isn't actually on High Street, although technically its address is. But one of the rules Gwen and I created, that we shall dine in every Short North visible from High Street, is affectionately called "The L'Antibes Rule" because a) we've never been there and b) it has a reputation for being one of the finest restaurants in the area, if not the entire city. So far the only other qualifier for this rule is the delicious Tasi but given our progress I suppose there is still time for others to join the list.

Jeannie and Dru (this was not taken the night of our dinner)

While you might have to wait another year or so for the final verdict, I can't imagine any contenders in the current line-up of Short North eateries that would challenge L'Antibes for a complete dining experience.  The French-inspired food was both wonderful to eat and beautiful to see, and was clearly prepared and served with the (European) respect that food, and the opportunity to eat, is a privilege never to be taken lightly.  I trust take-out is not an option here.

L'Antibes is quite small and intimate. When the weather turns warmer, they have outdoor seating allowing for more guests, but it wasn't quite patio season so we dined indoors.

We started with cocktails that we can't remember, not because they were strong but because it's been about 9 months and we didn't write them down, and an amuse-bouche of mushrooms on a little crostini.  This photo alone tells you the evening will be one of fine dining, doesn't it?

  


Gwen and Jeannie both had the smoked salmon appetizers (1), I had the crab cake (2) and Dru had the foie gras (3).

Salads were had by all - Gwen a spring salad (4), Dru and Jeannie both ordered avocado salads (5), and I had a green salad with beets.  Delish.

In a shocking move, Gwen did not order scallops, but went with one of the specials that evening, which was a fish with risotto (7). Jeannie had the fish as well, while Dru had the duck (8) and I ordered short ribs. I'm not going to bore you with how awesome these dishes were because it belittles the quality. Suffice to say it was most excellent.

We did, however, have one hiccup in the evening that speaks further to the quality of this place.  When I ordered the "short ribs" the server mistakenly heard me say "sweet breads."  I'm sure they were excellent but I wouldn't know because one bite told me I had the wrong part of the pig on my plate.  The error was immediately corrected without question, and it wasn't until we returned home that we realized that our server comped our second bottle of wine for what was an honest mistake.  Here's where L'Antibes stands apart from the crowd: am I surprised that he unnecessarily comped a bottle of wine? No. But he never mentioned it, which to me is a super-classy thing to do.  

Well done, L'Antibes.  Looking forward to seeing you again as soon as this tour is over. (Editor's note: if you're keeping track at home, this is the third time Aaron has expressed his desire to go back to one of our stops.)

Stop #14 - Piece of Cake

We've been so lax about keeping up with the Restaurant Odyssey, but rest assured, it's still going on.

Short North Piece of Cake creates beautiful and delicious sweet treats and cakes, but it also serves lunch and has a few tables for seating, thus fulfilling the requirements for a visit from Spidey and the Gila. To be honest, we didn't expect much, but we were both pleasantly surprised.

I had the turkey panini, which included Granny Smith apple slices, brie and honey mustard - such a yummy combination of flavors! Aaron had the muffaletta, which is actually served hot, and he loved it. I'll have to take his word for it because I'm not a fan of the olive spread.

While we ate, we watched some of the decorators. I know that creative cakes seem to be a dime a dozen these days, but I'm always so impressed by anyone who can make these works of art.

We missed out on getting a picture of this, but a guy came in to pick up a cake for his daughter's birthday. It was a pink princess castle (and I'm guessing it was her first birthday because it looked like there was a separate smash cake). We watched an employee help take the cake out to the guy's truck and I kept thinking that I hoped he didn't have to go far. That's some serious pressure.

Of course I couldn't leave without having some dessert. I got a mini German chocolate cheesecake. Yummmmm. Aaron pulled the ole "I'll just have a bite of yours." Jerk. Kidding, kinda.

Local friends, we definitely recommend Piece of Cake, not only for a special event dessert, but also for lunch if you find yourself hungry in the Short North.

Next up: L'Antibes!

Weekend Wrapper Upper

I was a bad blogger this weekend and didn't take a lot of pictures, although honestly it was a low-key weekend for me. And that's just fine.

Friday we walked to the North Market for the Columbus Microbrew Festival. I looked at it as a job requirement. (Hahaha) We didn't even taste other breweries' offerings; we just stayed at the Columbus Brewing Company's tent, and Aaron ended up pouring beer for a couple hours. He loved it!

1, 2 and 3 - Scenes from inside the North Market.
4 - That's my brewery!
5 - View of downtown from the festival


Saturday was a mostly leisurely day for me. Did some laundry, watched some football and did a little research of the upcoming fall TV season. Later this week I'll have an intensive look at the new and returning shows. Most of the programs start the season next week, but tonight is the series premiere of Sleepy Hollow, which I'll check out (it's on FOX at 9 ET). Also tonight are the season premieres of Dancing With The Stars and Bones if you're a fan of either of those. Personally, I'm excited for the season finale of Under The Dome.

My favorite issue!

Sunday we sang at church and then volunteered for the Short North Home and Garden Tour. Our friends/neighbors Dru and Jeannie were on the tour this year so we hung out there and drank wine provided valuable information about the house and the neighborhood.

Tonight we're headed to Cincinnati for the Bengals/Steelers game! I'm very excited to see some friends and go to Paul Brown Stadium for the first time, although I'll be wearing enemy colors. Go Steelers!

Stop #13 - Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

It's been far too long since I posted a Restaurant Odyssey visit. If you're unfamiliar with this journey, check out this post. Previous tour stops can be found under the link at the top of the page.


If you don't think ice cream constitutes a meal, well ... you're wrong. Even though I don't have a huge sweet tooth, there are times when I just can't resist ice cream. In Columbus, we're lucky to have Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, the labor of love from Jeni Britton Bauer, who abruptly quit studying art at Ohio State to make ice cream. She started with a small location in the North Market and now has about 10 shops, a presence in grocery stores across the country, and a book of recipes (Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home) now in its 8th printing. I've never tried making any of the ice cream because ... why would I? I can just walk down the street and buy some (warning: it ain't cheap, but that's probably a good thing because then I don't eat it every. single. day).

Aaron and I went to Jeni's one Sunday in March when the weather gods had smiled on us with sunshine and warm temperatures. We each got a Trio, you know, for the sake of research. I had Salty Caramel (Jeni's signature flavor), Pistachio & Honey and Double Toasted Coconut. Aaron had Dark Chocolate, Black Coffee and Whiskey & Pecans.

Mine is on the left, Aaron's on the right.

Jeni's also makes sundaes and ice cream sandwiches, and they use local ingredients as much as possible. Some of the ice cream flavors are pretty daring: Queen City Cayenne (yes, it's spicy and yummy), Goat Cheese with Red Cherries, and Juniper & Lemon Curd are just a few. My summertime go-to combination is Cherry Lambic Sorbet and Lemon & Blueberries Frozen Yogurt. So refreshing! I'm also a fan of the Mango Lassi Frozen Yogurt and the Brown Butter Almond Brittle. Dammit, now I want some ice cream! Jeni's also recently started selling this:

Yes, please.

The Short North location always has a line out the door on sunny days (and sometimes even on un-sunny days) but if you're an ice cream fan, it's worth the wait!

Next up: Piece of Cake!

Spidey and the Gila

Stop #12 - Level Dining Lounge

The Restaurant Odyssey continues with a trip to Level Dining Lounge. 

On this outing we were joined by our neighbors Michelle and Jeff. 

Michelle and Jeff, meet everyone. Everyone, meet Michelle and Jeff.

Level opened about three years ago in a prime corner location. They did major renovations and it's now a stylish yet comfortable place to have a drink or a meal. We were tucked into a cozy booth and set about ordering cocktails. Aaron and Jeff both ordered the Lavender Martini, which includes locally made gin from Watershed, I had a Raspberry Bellini and Michelle took our server's suggestion of some kind of blueberry drink. Later when he asked her how she liked it she said "it's OK; I forgot that I don't like blueberries." Silly girl.

First round of drinks, then the boys switched to some kind of dark beer, I got my standard Sauvignon Blanc, and Michelle probably ordered something else she didn't like. (Love you, mean it!)

Appetizers: potato skins (quite loaded, pretty greasy but of course we still ate them!); calamari (kind of chewy, although the Thai chili sauce had a nice flavor).

Aaron, Jeff and I ordered from the Seasonal Menu: Aaron had the Level Lasagna made with sausage (I had the leftovers and it was yummy), Jeff had the Duck Flatbread (duck confit, carmelized onions, goat & gouda cheeses and a berry reduction - yes, please) and I had the Smokey Black Bean Burger with fries (don't get me wrong - I'm a red meat kinda girl, but I love a black bean burger and this one didn't disappoint - spicy and not dry). Michelle had the Chicken Artichoke Panini and insisted that I have a bite. I'm not a big artichoke fan but this was a nicely done panini and the Parmesan Potato Chips were crispy and delicious.

Clockwise from top left: black bean burger, lasagna, chicken artichoke panini, duck flatbread

Overall a solid meal. We had a little struggle over who was buying, which Jeff and Michelle "won," so we walked up the street to the Local Bar where Aaron and I treated for after dinner drinks.

Coming up next: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams!

Stay Tuned,

Stop #11 - Rigsby's Kitchen

Note: I've updated the "Restaurant Odyssey" page so if you've missed any previous posts or just want to relive some of our adventures, click above.

Rigsby's is something of an institution in the Short North. It's been around for over 20 years and is often considered a "go-to" restaurant for a special occasion. A couple years ago, Aaron and I chose to dine there for our joint birthday dinner. Kent Rigsby and his wife Tasi own this restaurant as well as Tasi Cafe, which was stop #9 on our tour.

On a Saturday night we went to Rigsby's with our friends Pete and Val. We've been friends with them since shortly after we were married (that's a long damn time, if you're keeping track) and we don't see them as often as we'd like, but we always have a good time.

Our expectations were somewhat high, and that's not usually a good thing. Sure enough, we had a less than awesome experience, mainly service-related. While our server was nice, our first impression wasn't great when she confused two of the before-dinner drinks (and she was writing them down).

We started with the Salumi Tasting, which was okay but basically a plate of sliced meat and nothing special.

Aaron was the only one who ordered a salad and he got the Roasted Root Vegetable Salad. He said it was pretty good, but he didn't get to finish it because our entrees arrived before he was done. Not impressive.

For our entrees (clockwise from top left): I had the Gorgonzola Pizza with fingerling potatoes; Val had the Prosciutto Pizza with (a lot of) arugula; Aaron had the Orrechiette with housemade sausage; and Pete had the Penne Carbonara. The food was all good, but not great. I don't think any of us finished our meals. I can only speak for my pizza, which I felt had uneven flavor and could have benefited from a bit more gorgonzola.

We had ordered a bottle of wine with dinner and as soon as the server brought it we told her we wanted another bottle. We also asked for more bread, which never came. And we waited and waited for the second bottle of wine but finally just cancelled it, paid the bill, and went up the street to the Local Bar for after dinner drinks.

It was a disappointing outing, especially because we had brought friends. Granted, it was a busy Saturday night, but we had arrived at 6:30, well before the crowd, and our server seemed overwhelmed. Rigsby's has a nice bar area for happy hour or late night drinks, but of the two Rigsby-owned restaurants on our tour, we preferred Tasi.

Stay Tuned,

Spidey and the Gila

Hint of Spring Weekend Shenanigans

There is nothing quite like the first sign of spring in Columbus (and I'm sure in any northern locale). Last weekend we had that, and it was glorious. But first...

Friday we went out to dinner with friends to Till, which opened in 2012 to great reviews. Every bit of food we had was stellar; even my spinach salad was probably one of the best salads I've ever eaten. But the deliciousness was overshadowed by the wait we had. While I'm fine with a long meal that's well-paced, this was excessive. We watched other tables come and go and our server assured us that our meals were coming, until we finally learned that our order had been lost. They offered us a bottle of sparkling wine, which we refused because by this time we'd had quite enough to drink, then they brought us dessert, which we also didn't really want but I will say that the housemade gelato was spectacular (particularly the Mexican chocolate). Still, there are far too many quality restaurants in the city and we likely won't go back.

UPDATE: One of the owners who was not at the restaurant that night called to apologize and sent a gift certificate (enough for a nice dinner for two) so we will give them another chance at some point.

Saturday I had a leisurely morning, then I walked to the salon for a cut and color, and walked through Goodale Park to go to CVS. People were out with their kids and their dogs, throwing frisbees and even playing tennis.

I stopped at United Dairy Farmers on my way home to pick up some half & half. Our UDF blares classical music outside to deter loiterers.

We sat on the porch and some neighbors joined us.

Aaron whipped up dinner and we headed to the Local Bar to celebrate neighbors John and Theresa's March birthdays and to celebrate the life of Theresa's dad who died last week. I took some pictures at the bar but they're all terrible. Let's just say I was overserved, which led to...

Sunday, in which we had to get to church but not before we went to McDonald's for some greasy food and that nectar of the gods which cures the hangover: the fountain Coke. We went to Katzinger's for lunch. Sunday turned into a gorgeous day, but we were stuck inside at a three hour symphony chorus rehearsal. But that's OK, because even when we were sprung from that, there was plenty of daylight and sunshine so we walked to Jeni's Ice Cream for "dinner," and then hit the porch again with Colin & Amy until dark.

What kind of shenanigans were on your plate last weekend?

Stay Tuned,

Stop #10 - Betty's Fine Food & Spirits

Betty's Fine Food & Spirits was the first restaurant in the Columbus Food League empire (formerly Betty's Family of Restaurants). Founded by Elizabeth Lessner in 2001, Betty's is a popular spot in the Short North. It's a long, skinny space whose walls are covered with 1940's pinup art. Cocktails have fun names like the Betty Ford Clinic Special (vodka & pink lemonade) and She's My Cherry Pie (whipped cream vodka, cherry pie cordial & 7-up), there's an extensive beer selection, and the cuisine is comfort food with a twist.


We stopped by Betty's on a Sunday evening after going to the movies (we saw Zero Dark Thirty). Aaron ordered one of his usuals, a PBR, and I had a Beach Betty Bingo (Absolut mango vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry and OJ) in an effort to forget that it was winter in Columbus.

For dinner, I had the Veggie Burrito which is stuffed with the delicious black bean hummus and Aaron had the Beer Brats, with garlic redskin mashed potatoes and sauerkraut. These are two tried and true favorites of ours, and they didn't disappoint.

Lessner is passionate about the community and the environment. She set a goal for her restaurants to be zero-waste. She teamed up with a company called Eartha Limited, which helps the food service industry with recycling not just bottles and can, but even used oil which is processed into biodiesel fuel

The Columbus Food League currently consists of five restaurants, and I'm happy to say that later in our odyssey we'll hit another one, The Surly Girl. You won't want to miss it.

Stay Tuned,

Spidey and The Gila

Stop #9 - Tasi Cafe

One of our restaurant odyssey "rules" is that the restaurant be on High Street, or visible from High Street. This is what I call the L'Antibes rule, which you'll understand later in our tour. Tasi is one of those that's visible from High Street (barely). It's tucked away on Pearl Alley in a space that was once Pistachio Bakery, though Tasi has been there a little over five years now.

"Tasi" is Tasi Rigsby, wife of Kent Rigsby, and together they own this cafe, Rigsby's Kitchen (soon to make an appearance in this blog) and Eleni-Christina Bakery. Tasi Cafe serves breakfast all day and they have a lunch menu as well. We went on a Saturday morning for breakfast.

It's not a huge space, but there are several tables in a variety of sizes. When we first arrived we were able to order at the counter right away and there was a 4-top table available. While we were there it got pretty crowded; we were able to move to a 2-top to allow a family of three to have our table.

I ordered the poached eggs with black bean cake and jalapeño butter sauce (left) and Aaron ordered the Greek scrambled eggs. Both came with a side of sourdough which was rustic and delicious, crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside.

When I cut into my eggs I discovered this:

The yolks were cooked hard. Now by this point the place was hopping busy and nothing tasted bad so I intended to eat it, but I was somewhat disappointed. But then the server came over and said that the chef was unhappy with the poaching of the eggs so he re-did them without my ever mentioning anything. Two thumbs up for this kind of service!

New eggs, more jalapeño butter sauce, much better!

The black bean cake was spicy and provided a good balance with the eggs. Aaron also thoroughly enjoyed his Greek scrambled eggs. I'm not sure what the seasoning was on those, but it made the dish. Aaron declared "this is the first time I wish we didn't have to wait to come back." But as we know, it's not the first time he said that, and I'm sure it won't be the last.

By the time we left, this is what it looked like from the door:

Note to the two guys who were at their table before we sat down, and still there when we left, long after they had eaten their food: not cool, dudes.

Coming next week: Betty's Fine Food and Spirits.

Stay Tuned,

Spidey and The Gila