Columbus, Ohio USA
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Dis 'n' Data
By Margaret Marten, Editor
email margaret@shortnorth.com
March/April 2016
Chunky
Paulie Gee’s Pizzeria
Years ago, the Gazette had a pizza directory until it dawned on us that almost every restaurant and bar in the Short North sells pizza (even Blazer’s), which meant the pizza list was replicating the dining list and wasn’t much use, so we gave it up. If you take pizza-eating seriously, however, pizzerias are probably the best place to start in your search for excellence. Paulie Gee’s opened in January at 1195 N. High St., a couple doors north of the Short North Stage. I wrote about the business in this column last September when construction began, but it took a while for owner Terry Gibbs to get the Brooklyn-based franchise up and running. It is a full-service restaurant serving soup, salad and pasta as well as pizza. They do not offer carryout, so don’t call hoping to order pizza for pickup or delivery. Hours are Tues. through Sun. beginning 5 p.m. Visit www.pauliegee.com to view their menu or Paulie Gee’s Short North on Facebook to see enticing photos or call 614-808-0112 for more information.Hoof Hearted Brew Pub
Hoof Hearted Brewery & Kitchen is now doing business in Italian Village’s Jeffrey Park. The eatery combines Hoof Hearted’s beer with the culinary imagination of A&R Creative Group offering non-traditional fare in a modern industrial decor. Hoof Hearted Brewing Co., owned by brothers Jarrod and Ryan Bichon along with Trevor Williams, was launched in 2012 in Marengo, Ohio. Their partner in this venture, A&R Creative Group, began business nearly a decade ago with a campus convenience store and is operated by brothers Ali, Abed and Ismail Alshahal who have opened an impressive array of restaurants within the past few years including The Crest Gastropub, The Market Italian Village, and Alchemy Juice Bar & Cafe. Hoof Hearted Brewery & Kitchen is located at 850 N. 4th St. They are listed as Hoof Hearted Brew Pub & Kitchen on Facebook. Their website is at www.hoofhearted.bar. Open 4 days a week: Thursday - Saturday 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight, they can be reached at 614-401-4033.Da Levee Doubles Seating
We’ve heard nothing but positive comments about the Cajun and Creole food at Da Levee since it opened six years ago at 765 N. High St. In order to accommodate the ever-growing population of Da Levee devotees, owner Justin Boehme, recently rearranged the existing space and cranked up the seating to 52, twice as many as before. Not only will you be more likely to find a seat, but you can remain seated comfortably knowing you are not holding up a line of awaiting diners.Botanica 215 on King Avenue
A floral shop run by two creative young women offering non-traditional, unique floral design work opened in December at 215 King Ave. between Neil and High in the Dennison Place neighborhood. Botanica 215 is a dream realized for Bekah Berry and Tiffany Schneid (both 27) who met during college while working in a floral shop and became enamored with the art of floral arranging. What they both recognized while working there was that their idea of a beautiful arrangement was quite different than the shop’s. “We were doing that just for the minimum paycheck job,” said Berry. “We both had that creative eye, and it just kind of threw us in.” She describes their style as one-of-a-kind and eclectic – the same sentiments shared by a customer in the store during my visit:
Olivera Savic, a recent transplant from Serbia, said she’s happy that they have a different selection of flowers and arrange it differently. “They are more creative than the others,” she said. Botanica 215 offers floral arrangements for weddings and other special events. Their artistry, however, is not limited to flowers. They also love to create eclectic gifts inspired by vintage items they find at flea markets and antique malls – like old luggage, world globes, pop bottles, copper, glass, and ceramic containers for terrarium plants, and mounted maps made by a local artist. They came up with “Cards that Don’t Suck,” composed on pages torn from books. “In our downtime, we got creative,” explained Berry. “We both absolutely love Harry Potter. We worked some wreaths out of Harry Potter book pages. We swear we’re going to find a lot of other people who love Harry Potter as much as we do.” Even if you don’t love Harry Potter, you’ll love the flowers, the quaint surroundings, the repurposed relics, and the joyful vibes of new owners on a new journey. Visit www.botanica215.com or call 614-372-5537 for details. Hours are Thursday through Sunday beginning at noon until 7 p.m., Sunday until 5 p.m.Departures
The Columbus Center for Human Services Little Fish Printing and Gallery, a venue for artwork by the developmentally disabled, operated in the Short North at 1254 N. High St. for less than a year before closing in January 2016. The facility was reportedly too costly, so they returned to their original location on the westside at 540 Industrial Mile Road. Art shows in satellite locations, including one at First Commonwealth Bank on High Street in March, will be held throughout the year. Their December exhibit, “Selfie,” cleverly embodied their mission to channel creativity through uninhibited self-expression. We wish them all the best in continuing to serve as a custom screen printing service and gallery at their current location.
Bink Davies closed at 668 N. High in January. The “contemporary general store” located a couple doors south of the Short North Tavern, opened in April 2010. Owner Bink Johnson was not given the option to renew his lease. The other Bink Davies store at 98 Easton Town Center remains open selling fun and practical gifts (including handsoap for writers block), and customers can shop online. Johnson said he would love to relocate the former Short North shop if the right opportunity lends itself. Johnson lives in German Village with his partner Michael Bustle, a stylist working in the Short North at The Hub.
We were expecting La Fogata Grill to close at 790 N. High this spring after a reported rent hike, but they made an early exit. Owner George Tanchevski told us he has no plans to relocate the Short North restaurant. Originally called Rojo Tequileria, the business opened in 2007. Tanchevski, who owns the Aladdin’s Eatery restaurants around town, later partnered with the owners of La Fogata Grill in Pickerington (in 2008) to revamp the menu, hence the name change. The people who run the Bakersfield restaurant at Buttles and High where the Coffee Table used to be have leased the space and will open The Eagle Food and Beer Hall, serving southern-style food (specializing in fried chicken). The Thunderdome Restaurant Group includes partners Alex Blust, Joe Lanni and John Lanni.
Cartoonist Paul Palnik shut down his studio at 14 E. Lincoln St. in December after 12 years in the Short North but will continue selling online at paulpalnik.com. “Most of my business is national,” he said, “so having an open studio in Columbus is not so urgent financially as the bulk of my business is and has been online.” Two major reasons he cited for the close are his health and the CoGo bike rack installed a few years ago in front of the building. “It’s just a real crime,” said Palnik about the rack. “It’s one of the big reasons I left. Mayor Coleman allowed that. Nobody asked the merchants there. No one ever came in and discussed it with any of us. They just did it.” Palnik said the bike station took away parking and business, then trees were planted that blocked the view of the shops. “I’ll miss all the wonderful people,” he said. “It was just a joy. So many wonderful people.” We’ll miss him, too. Don’t be surprised if some of his cartoons pop up in future Gazettes.
The small space next to the First Commonwealth Bank at 647 N. High St. was home to the vintage shop A Gal Named Cinda Lou for almost three years and business was good, according to owner Debbie Bennati and daughter Juli who managed the store, but the building was sold and they lost their lease, so they closed in December. Cinda Lou originated in historic Uptown Westerville ten years ago where it still operates. The return of Juli and their Boston terrier Henry has brought a “renewed design” to the Westerville location, said Debbie. “Another plus is mother and daughter get to work together again.” That’s all and well for the Bennatis, but the Short North is less than happy to see them go. Visit the shop in Westerville at 20 N. State Street or on Facebook at CindaLouShop, or check out their website www.cindalou.org.
Other developments, possibly described in greater detail in the next issue, include a new men’s apparel store, Tackma, at 844 N. High; peace + love + bling selling ethically handcrafted jewelry at 14 E. Lincoln; and Jacob Neal Home Collection which opened at 650 N. High, and more.SEE ALSO: NEIGHBORHOOD EVENTS/NEWS (SELECT WRITEUP)
Email margaret@shortnorth.com or call 614-251-0656 with neighborhood news items for the Short North Gazette.Email the Editor margaret@shortnorth.com
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