Foodletter Eats: Dominican Fare on Parsons & an Omakase Pop Up at Isla
We visit Nook at The Creative Space for sancocho and other Dominican dishes; plus, Shin Omakase debuts at Isla.
Head to Nook at The Creative Space for Dominican Fare & Dominoes
By Erin Edwards
Does it make sense to recommend a hearty soup during this sultry (and smoky) July? It does if that soup—sancocho—hails from a tropical place. Plus, the sancocho served at Nook at The Creative Space is too good to wait until the thermostat drops.
Open almost exactly a year, Nook is a bright and welcoming Dominican-American community space on Parsons Avenue on the Near South Side. The business isn’t only a cafe but also a coworking space and event venue where you’ll find people holding meetings, catching a World Cup game, playing games of dominoes and, yes, tucking into bowls of sancocho, La Bandera Dominicana and other authentic Dominican dishes.
We decided to visit for a July lunch and were first greeted by our lovely server, Joel. The space itself—boasting hardwood floors, tall ceilings, a bar, nice cafe tables and greenery—was a welcome respite from busy Parsons Avenue outside.
Lunch started with a pair of nice empanadas, the pastry pleasingly crisp and soft at the same time. Options include cheese, ground beef, ham and cheese, and buffalo chicken. Other snacks include tostones and salami as well as chicken wings.
Since breakfast is served all day, we ordered the iconic Dominican breakfast known as Los Tres Golpes, which translates to “The Three Hits.” What arrived was a large rectangular plate with a base of mangú (mashed green plantains) topped with the three hits: fried eggs, a protein (either Dominican-style salami, longaniza or chicken wings) and queso frito (fried cheese). We went with longaniza—a definite hit along with the rest of the dish.
Other all-day breakfast options include avocado toast, breakfast burritos, ham-and-cheese paninis, fruit smoothies and more.
If you’re looking for something hearty and generous, I do recommend chef Lidia Baez’s excellent sancocho, a beloved stew in several Caribbean and Latin American cuisines. The thick, yellowish-green broth ties together a medley of ingredients including chicken, beef, corn, carrots, yuca, yautía (a starchy tuber) and auyama (a type of pumpkin). It’s accompanied by a large plate of white rice and sliced avocado. It’s even better the next day.
Nook serves two other traditional Dominican entrees that I hope to try in the future. The first is asopao rice soup, the Dominican version of comforting chicken-and-rice soup. The second is La Bandera Dominicana, the national dish of the Dominican Republic, traditionally served with habichuelas rojas (stewed red beans), stewed meat (usually chicken or beef) and white rice. Nook allows customers to build their own bandera by giving you an option of proteins, including beef stew, salami, longaniza, fried chicken wings and others. You can also add sides like salad, cassava fries or green plantains.
You can pair your meal with coffee, tea, fresh juices or a bottle of Country Club, a popular brand of fruity Dominican sodas that reminds me of Fanta. The restaurant also carries malta, a non-alcoholic malt beverage that’s popular in the Caribbean.
During our lunch, a lively game of dominoes started up at a table nearby—a fact made obvious by laughter and the loud slamming of tiles. In fact, Nook will soon begin hosting Saturday domino nights in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Dominicans in Columbus Ohio (DICO). The events are open to the public, and the first domino night of the season takes place this Saturday, July 18, at 5 p.m.
Find It:
1014 Parsons Ave., Near South Side
Hours: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues.-Thurs.; 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Fri; 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sat.
Shin Omakase Takes Over Isla on Tuesdays & Wednesdays
By Andy Dehus
Omakase is a high-end Japanese dining trend that is taking off both nationally and in Columbus (we wrote about it here), and the latest local entrant is Shin.
Helmed by seasoned sushi chef Kevin Wang, Shin operates as a pop up inside of Isla, chef Andrew Smith’s restaurant in Merion Village. Shin will be serving guests on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the foreseeable future.
Chef Wang invited us to a kitchen counter preview during which he treated us to his premium six-course menu, including a trio of pre-sushi delights, a granita palate cleanser, nine unique nigiri sushi preparations and a clever dessert.
Both wet- and dry-aged selections from among the best fish available in Columbus were put to effective use, no doubt aided by chef Wang’s virtuosic knife skills. Amberjack, sea bream, yellowtail kingfish and striped jack mackerel all make an appearance, as does a fun tour of the lean, medium and fatty parts of the tuna.
Elements of Wang’s Taiwanese heritage make subtle but impactful appearances, with the most striking coming in the form of the meal’s finale: a taro ice cream sandwich rolled through crushed peanuts and dried cilantro. It’s a popular flavor combo in Taiwan and a satisfying finish to a skillfully executed meal.
Seating at Shin is limited, with seven kitchen-facing counter seats turned over twice per evening; seatings are at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. To reserve seats or learn more, check out @shinomakase on Instagram.
News
Around the Columbus Food & Drink Scene
Yats Cajun Creole announced this week that it will be shutting down its Grandview location—its last in Ohio—after 12 years in business. According to the announcement on Instagram, the storefront’s last day will be Thursday, Aug. 20. Yats’ food truck will remain in operation.
Bagels & Jam Co., a new business specializing in hand-rolled bagels, is now open in 4465 Cemetery Road in Hilliard. The shop also plans to offer cinnamon rolls, rugelach, sandwiches and more.
Columbus Independents’ quarterly gift certificate sale is back. It’s a perfect opportunity to support our independent restaurant scene by buying gift cards good at any participating restaurant. Purchase gift cards here.
Last week, Bob Vitale with The Columbus Dispatch reported that Rosalita, the forthcoming Mexican restaurant from chef Josh Dalton, will not open until January 2027. Skipping ahead of Rosalita was Amara, Dalton’s new Mediterranean restaurant that opened last week in the former Milestone 229 space.