Restaurant openings, closings, and other food and beverage news in Central Ohio
| Columbus alive
Cleveland scene reported this week that of Columbus Northstar Cafe will open a location in the Van Aken District in Downtown Shaker Heights. Northstar confirmed the news on Instagram. Kevin and Katy Malhame opened Northstar’s first location in Short North in 2004, and the organic-specialty restaurant has since grown to five locations. The Cleveland area restaurant, due to open next spring in the same area as its sister, Brassica, will be Northstar’s second location outside of Central Ohio.
James “Jimmy” Corrova, the owner of TAT family restaurant, died on Monday at the age of 86. TAT, located at 1210 S. James Road, is known as Columbus’s oldest Italian restaurant and served some of the city’s first pizzas. TAT was founded in 1929 by Corrova’s parents Pete and Philomena. Read his obituary here.
The Columbus summer beer festival is back after last year’s event was canceled. The beer festival, with more than 100 craft breweries, takes place on Saturday, July 24th, in two sessions at Express Live, 405 Neil Ave., in the Arena District. The afternoon session lasts from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and the evening session from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. For more information, see columbusbeerfest.com.
Six restaurants in Central Ohio have recently become highly sought-after spots List of Wine Spectator’s annual restaurant awardshonoring top wine programs around the world. This year’s list included more than 2,900 restaurants in all 50 states and 72 countries and territories. Barcelona Restaurant & Bar, Hen Quarter, Smith & Wolensky and Veritas won the Award of Excellence, while The Refectory and Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse received the Best of Award of Excellence. See the list here.
Budd Dairy Food Hall (1086 N. Fourth St.) has expanded its opening hours to include lunch four days a week, Thursday through Sunday. The new opening times of the Food Hall are Tuesdays and Wednesdays 4-11 p.m., Thursdays 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m.-1 a.m. and Sundays 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
The locally owned fast-casual chain Bibibop Asian grill opened its 14th Central Ohio location today at Hilliard-Rome Road 1775.
