Catching Up on the Downtown Columbus Dining Revival
Plus, there's an exciting new option for Salvadoran food in Northland.
In this post:
A look at new dining developments in Downtown Columbus
Early impressions of a new-to-us Salvadoran restaurant: Calero's Bar & Grill
News from around the Columbus food scene
Is Downtown So Back?
By Erin Edwards
In my former job as dining editor for Columbus Monthly, I assigned a story back in 2019 looking at Downtown’s rather sad dining scene. We illustrated the story with a photo of a weathered “restaurant space for lease” sign on the Highpoint building. It pictured model-attractive customers engaged in laughter over their cocktails and iced lattes. They were loving the Downtown life.
But if you actually looked around, real diners were few and far between.
That year, about 9,000 people were living Downtown. There were more than 86,000 office workers, who largely departed the area after they clocked out. Only one new retailer opened (and survived) that year, according to Downtown Columbus’ annual report.
Five years ago , most of the dining options had been winnowed down to quick lunch spots and a very short list of upscale options like Veritas, Mitchell’s Steakhouse and The Keep Liquor Bar. Restaurateurs were instead looking to Dublin’s shiny new Bridge Park or areas with more affordable rents like South High Street, where Ambrose & Eve found a home for a time (RIP).
And that was even before COVID and the summertime protests of 2020 left Downtown empty and in a serious funk.
Five years and one pandemic later, and the Downtown core’s dining scene is having quite the resurgence, largely thanks to the developer Jeff Edwards of Edwards Cos.—no relation to this writer. He’s proving to be a staunch advocate for Downtown, one who is determined to make the corner of Gay and High Streets a lively, walkable district.
Edwards started by wooing Delaware-based chef Josh Dalton and his award-winning restaurant Veritas to Gay Street in 2017, promising to build Dalton his “dream kitchen.” (As kitchens go, it is pretty sweet.) The restaurant’s sister cocktail bar, The Citizens Trust, soon followed in the same Edwards-owned building.
Since then, Edwards has been instrumental in a flurry of Downtown restaurant development. He helped bring another of Dalton’s Delaware creations to High Street: the approachable, buzzing Italian eatery, Speck. More recently, Edwards has partnered with Columbus-based investment firm Rockbridge to open Hank’s Low Country Seafood & Raw Bar (the only location outside of Charleston, SC) and the “cool” French bistro Chouette, both at the corner of High and Gay streets.
Then, needing a big name restaurant to occupy the ground floor of the newly renovated Preston Centre, the former PNC Tower on Broad street, Edwards turned to the city’s most prominent restaurateur, Cameron Mitchell. His steakhouse, Butcher & Rose, opened this summer not far from the eponymous steakhouse he sold years ago. (Butcher & Rose just launched lunch service this week, by the way.)
Edwards told Columbus Business First, who recently named him Developer of the Year, that he hopes “to see a ripple effect of positive change, with more investment and development flowing into the neighborhood.”
Since 2019, the Downtown population has grown to 12,000, according to Downtown Columbus, Inc. Last year, 14 new businesses opened (and survived), the highest number in a decade. These days, a conversation-stoking, colorful piece of public art, “Current” by artist Janet Echelman, floats above High and Gay—a symbol of the neighborhood’s newfound ambition and swagger.
Gregory Stokes, co-owner of the Downtown wine shop Accent Wine, says there has been a clear uptick in patrons visiting his shop either before or after dinner. He soon plans to extend Accent’s hours until 9 p.m. thanks to the pedestrian traffic that restaurants like Hank’s and Speck are drumming up in the evenings.
You have to love the optimism and energy. So, how is this new-look dining scene shaping up?
In terms of the area’s three highest-profile openings of late, the emphasis is on traditional concepts that work among an affluent set.
For classic Low Country, visit Hank’s; for classic French bistro, visit Chouette; for classic steakhouse fare, visit Butcher & Rose. All three are pricey, too. Think: seafood towers, oysters, filet mignon and $54 bouillabaisse.
Here’s the thing: I’m not unhappy that the menus at these new Downtown restaurants feel a bit, well, safe. I recognize that we need developers to create some dining density first—to get folks used to the idea that Downtown is a welcoming place to be, that it’s cool again.
I love a Parisian-inspired patio and the idea that I can get garlicky escargot, country pâté, a frisée salad loaded with ample lardons at Chouette in Downtown Columbus. (Please add beef bourguignon, this winter? Thanks.)
Across the street, I think Hank’s is going to be catnip for theater goers and visitors to Columbus. The restaurant’s two-sided bar and dining room are lovely, and I’ll always get behind good shrimp and grits.
And for a date night or a business lunch, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more inviting space than Butcher & Rose’s window-filled, jewel box dining room on Broad Street. Plus, I’m all for more steak tartare in the world, and those Parker House rolls, swoon. (The recent glut of steakhouse openings? That’s a story for another day.)
All three of these openings are splashy and crowd-pleasing, and I’m OK with that because … Downtown needs a crowd.
My (possibly naive) hope is that if these spendy joints can thrive Downtown, we eventually might see investment in concepts that drive creativity, celebrate diversity and are simply more affordable. It’s that “ripple effect” Jeff Edwards was talking about.
The good news is: We’re already seeing some ripples.
If you venture down High Street near the Franklin County Courthouse, Silav Cafe & Grill is now serving some of the city’s only Kurdish fare. Early impressions of the newcomer are very promising. (Just look at that breakfast.)
Across from the Statehouse, Three Bites Bakery and Little Cat Boba introduced their collaborative cafe at the corner of Broad and High this summer. (See last week’s post about a must-try breakfast sandwich from Three Bites.) Next door, Douglas Buckley’s independent coffee shop, Black Kahawa Coffee, is under construction and expected to open this fall. (In the interim, you can order Black Kahawa’s killer nitro cold brew at its mobile coffee truck parked on the patio at Broad and High.) All three businesses are part of the Downtown Ground Floor Growth Initiative, which is designed to help small minority- and/or woman-owned businesses get a foothold in Downtown Columbus. The program includes three years of rental support, funding for improvements and ongoing business counseling.
Meanwhile, Soul 2 Go, an independent Black-owned restaurant serving Southern comfort food, is about to make its debut, looking to revive the old Si Senor location in Lynn Alley. Nearby on Gay Street, the former owners of Bistrolino and Ferdinand in German Village are working to open a sports lounge called Capri. Even Tip Top, the beloved-but-gritty Gay Street landmark, is getting a makeover soon.
Edwards Cos., meanwhile, isn’t done spinning up new concepts with chef Josh Dalton. The chef is working on yet another new Downtown joint, Rosalita’s, which he describes loosely as a Mexican cocktail bar. It’s currently under construction in Pearl Alley. Though Dalton identifies the new spot as a bar first, we can expect some exciting Mexican food–including housemade tortillas.
Indeed, Downtown Columbus is amidst a thrilling time of change, and I haven’t even mentioned the new City Center DORA.
One big development to watch is the forthcoming Capital Line, a 2-mile urban pathway aimed at making Downtown more pedestrian- and business- friendly. Construction is expected to start early next year on Gay Street. I do wonder what that construction will mean for all of these businesses at High and Gay streets. I hope it doesn’t dissuade diners from venturing there.
My other burning question is whether Downtown has a big enough lunch crowd to support Speck, Hank’s, Chouette and Butcher & Rose–all of whom are offering lunch or threatening to soon)?
What would you like to see happen as part of this Downtown dining revival? What do we need Downtown? The Foodletter would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or you can email them to erin@columbusfoodadventures.com.
Global Cuisine
Calero’s Bar & Grill Might be One of Our Favorite Openings of the Year
By Andy Dehus
Calero’s Bar & Grill was not what I expected.
I didn’t expect a Salvadoran joint with “bar & grill” in the name to be a fully formed restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. I didn’t expect their menu to list such a wide variety of Central American dishes I hadn’t encountered before. I didn’t expect to find genuine enjoyment in each and every one of the new-to-me items I ordered. I didn’t expect them to have carne asada, a dish I hadn’t previously associated with El Salvador. I didn’t expect it to immediately become my favorite carne asada preparation in the city (and I’ve eaten more of them than I’d like to admit).
In short, on my first visit to Calero’s, I was happily surprised to find myself in the hands of a kitchen with such a clear dedication to the craft of cooking.
This ethos came through clearly in discussions with Tania Aguilar, the cheerful co-owner of Calero’s. They’re largely a family-run operation, and Tania would casually mention how one relative or another laboriously prepared various items in the traditional manner, including a proprietary paste that they use on flank steak prior to grilling it to an expertly charred but still medium-rare perfection.
This flavorful cut is featured in the asado tipico platter, which is beautifully plated with plantains, sausage, grilled green onions, avocado, cheese, thick Salvadoran tortillas and refried black beans, Not only was everything prepared with obvious care and intention, but all for a mere $18.99.
Calero’s nuegados con chilate was the only menu item without an English description. Sometimes translation is left out under the assumption that English speakers wouldn’t like the dish; sometimes it’s because the translation is too cumbersome.
In the case of nuegados con chilate I’m pretty sure it's the latter, but picture a gourd bowl filled with a hot masa-based beverage, served next to two cassava fritters and a side of golden cane sugar syrup. Diners can sweeten the drink with syrup to taste, dip the fritters in the drink and/or the syrup (or both) and enjoy. I was told this would commonly be viewed as a traditional after school-snack in El Salvador. Not only would I have looked forward to it as a child, but I look forward to having it again as an adult.
Similar enjoyment was found in the pastelitos–perfectly formed, crunchy handmade shells stuffed with an alluring chicken and vegetable filling. The restaurant’s pupusas, a handmade Salvadoran corn cake and a staple of the cuisine, rivaled most I’ve eaten with a uniquely crispy exterior that nicely complemented the signature softness of the masa and the revueltos (beans, pork and cheese) filling.
Take all of the above, add in Calero’s unfailingly pleasant staff and impressive speed of service, and you’ve got something truly special. If subsequent visits yield similar results, this Northland spot will be on my personal top 10 list of best new openings for the year. I encourage you to give them a visit, and am eager to hear your thoughts!
Where to Find It:
1644 E. Dublin-Granville Rd.
614-394-8030
Notes
Around the Columbus Food Scene
In case you missed it, big congrats are in order for chef Avishar Barua and his team at Agni, which was named one of this year’s 20 Best New Restaurants by Bon Appétit magazine. Though we’re not surprised, it is exciting to see a Columbus restaurant garner national recognition like this. Well done, Agni!
The Mexican food truck Casa Karmelitas is teaming up with Tazita Coffee for “Tamales & Cafecito” this Sunday, Sept. 29. You can find them at Lookout Supply on West Broad Street this Sunday between noon and 4 pm. Casa Karmelitas will be serving pozole and eight kinds of tamales to go along with Tazita’s cafecito (aka coffee).
Taj on Fifth, a new Indian restaurant promising a modern twist, opened last week at 1021 W. Fifth Ave. in the Grandview area. Menu items include starters like Aloo Tikki Chaat and Crispy Kale Chaat as well as a variety of curries, tandoori dishes, biryanis, grilled lamb chops and more. The new spot offers a bar program with weekly happy hours from 4:00 to 6:00 pm Tuesdays through Fridays.
Erin- Your description here is making me hungry. Especially when you got to the shells. Yes please! 🙌🏼