This is a screaming deal, if we do say so ourselves, on an exciting event we’ve managed to pull together last-minute. Here’s the deal:

Fresh Street is putting on a ‘pop-up restaurant’ evening that’ll be hosted by Iron Chef competitor Jonathan Sawyer at his newest restaurant, Noodlecat in Cleveland. On Feb. 2nd, from 6:30pm on, they’ll be serving Japanese crepes, takoyaki, and yakitori in the restaurant. The ticket price includes full access to all of these offerings.

And, if you’ve ever experienced the creations of Fresh Street and their sister operation, Section 8 Yakitorium, you’ll know that this is a big good thing. Here’s an equally big good thing – our group will have the opportunity to sit down with Chef Sawyer beforehand over drinks at his flagship restaurant, The Greenhouse Tavern.

If you were to go yourself, tickets would be $42 just for the pop-up portion of the evening (excluding travel expenses). We’re offering the bundle, including the meet & greet with Chef Sawyer, plus transportation from Columbus, for $55.00.

So take off a half day and join us in supporting one of the great local culinary duos! On Thursday, February 2nd, we’ll depart from the  aquatic center in Victorian Village (free parking there for all participants) at 2:30pm, with the goal of arriving at Greenhouse Tavern at 5:30pm at latest. We’ll take the short walk from Greenhouse to Noodlecat around 6:30pm for the main event, and spend approximately 3 hours there. Departure will be at 9:30pm at latest, which should put us back in Columbus right around midnight if not earlier.

Purchase tickets and see full menu for this event here!

EDIT: The drawing for the two free tickets is now closed. The random number generator has chosen, out of the 35 comments received, this one:

That’d be Joyce! We’ll contact you shortly.

And for everyone else – purchase tickets and see the full menu for this event here!

After all, what makes for a great restaurant? Is it the meticulous service, impeccable culinary technique, tremendous wine list and exceptional ambience found at places like The Refectory? Or, is it the straightforward pleasure of biting into a big pile of what may well be the best al pastor east of the Mississippi while sitting on a bar stool outside at Los Guachos? How do you reconcile an exceptional $100/person restaurant experience with what could legitimately be seen to be an equally satisfying $8 taco binge? How much does it matter that one option isn’t technically a restaurant?

We don’t know the answers, and we’re not sure if anyone else has it figured out, either.

What we do have to offer, however, is our sense of which experiences have received the attention they deserved over the past year, and which have not. We’ll leave the ‘bests’ for others to figure out – here’s our take on the restaurants and food vendors that, to our minds, aren’t receiving the recognition they deserve:

10) Latitude 41 – We didn’t warm to these guys easily – our (largely well-deserved) prejudice held against hotel restaurants saw to that. But after trying Chef McClennan’s creations and observing his eager interest in the local food scene, we were thoroughly won over. With the recent addition of mixologist Nicolene Schwartz’s creativity behind the bar, Latitude 41 makes for a great, complete restaurant experience.

Recommended: Latitude 41 is, to our knowledge, the only restaurant in town where you can walk off of the street and order a 4 or 6 course tasting menu without pre-arrangement. This is a good thing to do, and the prices are surprisingly reasonable.

9) Skillet – What? Skillet doesn’t get enough attention?! Well, they do get their fair share of love, no doubt about it, and all of it is well deserved. But here’s the deal, as we see it – the humble origins of the diner-esque offerings at Skillet may tend to obscure the flat-out brilliance of flavor pairings and kitchen technique that goes into ever dish served there. Some small part of our skepticism about local top-10 lists stems from Skillet’s absence from them.

Recommended: Skillet is best known for brunch, but also does exceptional lunches and dinners. Try hitting them up in the evening. The menu changes frequently, but the quality of offering is consistently superb.

8 ) Ray Ray’s – For our money, Ray Ray’s is the best BBQ stop in town, period.

Recommended: The grass-fed brisket is a hit, and a half-rack of ribs with the habanero sauce (not as spicy as you might expect) hits the spot every time.

7) The Rossi – Now this is bar food. Or, uh, maybe it’s more accurate to say that it’s great food that happens to be served in a bar. At any rate, we suspect that the bar environs go a long way towards diminishing the recognition The Rossi‘s kitchen deserves for their innovative and exceptionally executed dishes.

Recommended: The pastrami-cured NY strip is amazing, and their ‘pork & beans’ thoroughly redefine the concept. The lamb lollipops with bacon jam are a great app.

6) Arirang – We’ve heard occasional grumblings about how expensive Korean restaurants can be. While they can certainly seem so, Arirang definitely isn’t. Arirang is also, in our opinion, putting out the best Korean food in town. Ambience may be on the, how should we put it,  functional side of things (it’s in the back of a Korean market), but it’s as clean as clean can be. Last time we ate at Arirang, we ran into a local restaurant reviewer and his wife enjoying a rare non-work-related meal out. *fist bump*

Recommended: Experimentation. We haven’t had a bad dish here yet, but almost nobody could go wrong with their stone pot bi bim bap.

5) Solay Bistro – We consistently contend that Somali is easily the most underrated of cuisines – with Middle Eastern, Indian, and Italian influences, it’s flat-out fascinating in a surprisingly accessible sense. And, we consistently contend that Solay Bistro is the best Somali restaurant in town. This is, in no small part, because chef/owner Nadira Abdiraminam is a great cook first and foremost whose focus is on Somali cuisine.

Recommended: Just about everything including some great vegetarian offerings, but we’ll give a special nod to the goat (hilib).

4) Harvest Pizzeria – Harvest is the only pizza place we can think of that would make for a good ‘date night’ restaurant. While their focus is on the exceptional Neapolitan-style pizzas, both the apps and desserts are, at minimum, very good and, at best, absolute scene stealers. Cocktails are solid as well.

Recommended: All of the pies are great, but we have a special place in our heart for their ‘Spicy Yuma’. Their budino is one of our favorite desserts in the central Ohio.

3) Creole Kitchen – There are no two ways about it - Creole Kitchen is located right in the middle of one of the roughest parts of the city. But, man, what an oasis. For our money (and often not a lot of it – think 5 beignets for $1, for example) they’re putting out the best creole around.

Recommended: A keen awareness of your tolerance for spicy heat. Their exceptional crawfish etouffee and jambalaya are prepared HOT, and can be adjusted downwards if you ask. You probably should. Their dirty rice is a preferred side.

2) L’Antibes – For whatever reason, we had been content to overlook L’Antibes for a long, long time. Then, this past summer, we were among a group of the curious who converged on their newly-opened patio.  Scads of apps were ordered and shared, and when all was said and done, everyone was blown away. Why does L’Antibes receive so little attention?

Recommended: Saving L’Antibes for a special occasion, and then calling them up and having them put together a special tasting menu for you.

1) Fortune Chinese Restaurant – I always feel like I’m shouting into the void when singing the praises of Fortune. When it comes to the gap between the sheer pleasure of eating someplace, and the widespread recognition of it’s potential for such pleasure (or even openness to considering it!) it’s never been larger, in our opinion, than in this instance.

And, here’s the funny thing – I’m generally not that big of a fan of Chinese cuisines. We’ve quizzed Chinese friends on the best places for great Chinese in town, and they’ve happily shown us. While they enthuse about how a dish tastes ‘just like grandma’s’ or drool over another dish’s wok hei, I’m often quietly thinking to myself, “It’s alright, I guess…”

But Fortune is emphatically different – in no small part because it specializes Szechuan Chinese. This means you’ll experience the tingly, slightly numbing qualities of the Szechuan peppercorn, not to mention an absolute boatload of other in-your-face flavors. While it’s taken poking, prodding, and coercion to get people to try it, we haven’t come across a single person yet who has left there feeling anything short of giddy about the experience.

Recommended: Gathering 6-8 people and sharing as many dishes off of their Szechuan menu as possible. Their Sichuan eggplant is worth throwing into the mix, as are the dan dan noodles and the lamb with chili pepper and cumin. Really, though, just about everything on the Szechuan menu is great – go wild!

Which restaurant and food experiences in Columbus do you think are underrated?

Sadly the famine continues to claim the lives of innocent children and we wanted to do more to support the victims of the famine. At this time of Thanksgiving when we give thanks for the food on our plates, please consider making a donation to the American Refugee Committee or attending one of our upcoming fundraiser dinners. The ARC are working very hard to improve conditions in the refugee camps and our assistance can help them to make a difference.

Here is a recent update on conditions from the ARC program director in Somalia:

“Fleeing for their life, many of the families have trekked for days before reaching Mogadishu. They left behind almost all of their household effects. They arrived in waves, populating spontaneously created internally displaced person (IDP) settlements within the city. They hardly come with containers to collect and store water, utensils to cook food, or spare clothes to replace the ones they’ve been wearing for days and weeks. Most of the temporary settlements still lack sanitary facilities. The IDPs who ended up in urban settings faced serious problems in finding proper open space to relieve themselves – in fact, women have to wait until sunset to venture out of the squalid settlements to answer nature’s call. Owing to shortage of water and the absence of latrines, many people are unable to bathe for extended periods of time.”

“After four months of sustained relief assistance by the international community, the drought and famine continues to ravage southern Somalia – and Mogadishu. Currently, there are more than 300 IDP settlements scattered all over Mogadishu. The conditions of many of these are quite squalid, crowded and with poor hygiene. The conditions are more stabilized in the major camps such as Badbaado, Rajo, and Taribunka (where ARC is working). In the latter two, many households are still without shelter, water, sanitation and food.  Many of the smaller settlements are without shelter and are not benefiting from regular food and water distributions. There is a huge gap between the resources available and the needs prevailing on the ground.”

The dinners will be held at Solay Bistro on December 7th and 14th at 7pm. Tickets are available online and are priced at $35 per person. There will be plenty of dishes for vegetarians.

The buffet style dinner will (almost certainly) include the following:

We look forward to seeing you there, and look forward to sharing some of the best of Somali food in Columbus with you while supporting a great and urgent cause.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE TICKETS

To learn more about Solay Bistro, see here (alt.eats), here (Columbus Alive review), or here (Urbanspoon reviews). Believe them, it’s that good!

And so, with that, we are proud to present our newest event – the Coffee Tour. The format is simple: we’ll visit a roaster to learn about what goes into turning raw coffee beans into something exquisite, a top espresso bar to discuss turning those beans into top quality espresso drinks, and a premier coffee shop to learn about how to get the best from your beans at home. At each stop there will be coffee and snacks, and – most importantly – plenty of information on how to get the best out of home coffee preparation!

Our first stop will be the roasting facility at Stauf’s.

Our second stop will to be Cafe Brioso downtown where we will discuss espresso drinks and learn more about the art of the barista from their talented team.

Our final stop will be at Luck Bros in Grandview to hear from Andy Luck about how to improve your coffee making at home.

Please join us on Saturday December 3rd starting at 9.30am for this tour, which will include transport, coffee samples, and food. There will also be opportunities to purchase coffee beans.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Ever since we started our German Village Walking tour in May, we’ve been walking past their location (at 729 South Fifth Street) every Saturday afternoon and stopping to talk to our tour guests about the history of this quirky little business that only opens for 2 months a year.

And now, cookie-lovers, they’re open! Here’s what to look for:

The business started in 1913, and was opened by Theresa Bierberg when her husband fell ill and she needed to support her family. The bakery’s original location was on S. 18th Street and they moved to their current location in 1971. Theresa had been a cook in her native Germany and was proud to say that she had baked a cake for the Kaiser. The bakery is now run by her granddaughter Helen Bierberg Walsh who continues the family tradition with help from her children, the fourth generation of Bierberg bakers.

Helen is also helped by friends and there are usually two or three people baking in their cosy little kitchen. They bake around 25 varieties of cookies and cakes, some of which come in various shapes and sizes, as well as bourbon-soaked fruit cakes and stollen. Helen’s friend and fellow-baker Kathy, who has been baking at Bierburg for the past 8 years, patiently explained all of the cookies to us as she opened the metal tins that the cookies are stored in.

The bakers are helped by various inventions and tools that Helen’s father, Gus, who ran the bakery for many years, invented, such as a home made warmer to keep the chocolate that they use for dipping cookies at just the right temperature and consistency.

The cookies are sold by weight, and all cost the same $16 per lb, which makes it easy to try one of everything or pick your favorites. My new favorite is their unassuming but oh-so-good fruit bars with the gingerbread-like lebkuchen and the chocolate dipped marzipan running close behind. The bakery is currently open 9am-5pm weekdays and 9-3pm on Saturdays. Closer to the holidays they will also be open on Sundays. They are always open for the German Village Lights on the first Sunday of December (December 4th 6-10pm). The bakery is cash or check only. You can call ahead to check if they are open at 614.443.9959

Dine Originals week starts today! This is a great opportunity to support locally owned and operated restaurants, celebrate the independent restaurant scene in Columbus or to try somewhere that’s been on your ‘keep meaning to try’ list. By participating you’ll also be supporting Local Matters and their education programs.

If you picked up a copy of this week’s Columbus Alive you may have already browsed through some of the menus and started making plans, but with over 50 restaurants it can be a little overwhelming. Here are some of my picks of menus that I think look interesting.

Black Creek Bistro -  has a fall inspired menu which is good value with four courses for $30. The pancetta pear crisps and the creole beef grillades with cheese grits caught my eye. There are also some good options for vegetarians.

Deepwood – have both $20 and $30 dinner menus. I like the sound of the pastrami cured salmon and the BLT ravioli. Their lobster sausage is also intriguing as is the apple pie baked in a brown paper bag.

G. Michael’s – As an offal lover, I’m very curious about the duck liver gratin with smoked gouda, redskin potatoes and sage cream sauce. This is a great low country inspired comfort food menu and G. Michael’s also has a good vegetarian menu available.

Local Roots – Another autumnal menu with different squash options for every course. They had me at walnut and maple stuffed quail.

Oak Room at Granville Inn – An enticing menu whose options include a charcuterie plate, catfish shrimp and grits and a carrot, apple and beet cake.

Rigsby’s – I’ve been lucky enough to taste the Artic char with sage and pine nut crust and Brussels sprout petals with bacon and hazelnuts on one of our Short North tours and it’s one of the best fish dishes around. That said, the chicken Cacciatore sounds really good too.

Skillet – Chef Kevin Caskey always pushes the boat out for Dine Originals week. I would be hard pressed to pick from this menu. Maybe the pear cider braised pork cheeks.

Alana’s – has an all vegan menu for Dine Originals week that includes 4 different varieties of squash and pumpkins. If that isn’t your thing – she is also offering a drink your dinner option with three specialty cocktails and hors d’oeuvres for $30.

Overall it’s good to see more and more vegetarian options available on the set menus and quite a few vegan ones too.

There are also some great lunch menus for Dine Originals week. Check out: Barcelona, Bodega, Katzinger’s, Tasi, Katalina’s and Deepwood. Could anyone make a sloppy Joe sound more appealing?

For something a little different – Pistacia Vera are offering a brunch special all week highlighting their fabulous quiches. Vienna Ice Cafe are offering 4 pints of their signature fall flavors for $20 including roasted chestnut with Grand Marnier and pumpkin spice gelato. You can also visit Mozart’s for afternoon tea for two for $20.

Debra who leads some of our walking tours has also written a Dine Originals week preview. I encourage you to browse the menus online or in Columbus Alive. I’m sure that whatever your taste you will find plenty that appeals. If you are worrying that you can’t fit all of these great menus in to one week, the Refectory has you covered. They are offering an encore week so you have until the 19th to enjoy their $30 Dine Originals menu.

Enjoy Dine Originals week and please let us know in the comments or on Twitter or Facebook which menus you enjoy.

To learn more about Dine Originals listen to this WCBE Foodcast interview with Dine Originals Columbus president Tim Lessner.

Kokoborrego it’s a joint venture between Ben and Lisa Sippel and Lisa’s brother Ben Baldwin. Ben and Lisa also run Sippel Family Farm, have a large CSA, and sell at several farmers markets as well as to restaurants such as Northstar Cafe. Ben Baldwin’s background is in the restaurant industry.

Lisa and her brother Ben went to Vermont to learn how to make cheese and practiced at home for 2 years before starting to produce cheese commercially.  Kokoborrego officially started business in February 2011 and since then they have already built up a good network of retail and restaurant customers. You can find their cheeses at: Weilands Market, The Hills Market, Curds and Whey (at the North Market), Clintonville Co-op and further afield at Jungle Jim’s, Heinens and Zingermans. Restaurants who have purchased their cheeses include: Alana’s, Black Creek Bistro, Heirloom Cafe (in the Wexner Center), The Granville Inn, The Worthington Inn, Deepwood, The Refectory and The Winds in Yellow Springs. Chef David Maclennan from Latitude 41 won the 2011 Local Foods Week grilled cheese throwdown with a sandwich using their Headwaters Tomme.

Their business has been successful enough that they are planning to double the size of their flock next year, which will allow them to increase their sheep’s milk cheese production and add a couple more varieties – perhaps a sheep’s milk feta and a manchego style cheese. Sheep’s milk supply is seasonal and at the peak of lactation sheep produce about a gallon of milk a day. Last year the Sippel’s milked 35 sheep but in 2012 that number should be up to 65.

Kokoborrego’s current range of cheeses includes:

• Owl Creek (Sheep’s milk) Owl Creek is an old name for the Kokosing River, and this cheese is aged 3-4 months. It has a slightly flaky texture and a nutty slightly sweet flavor.
  

• Headwaters Tomme (Cow’s milk) is a farmstead style cheese with a distinctive layer of ash running through the center, similar to Cypress Grove’s Humboldt Fog. The ash helps to regulate the acidity of the cheese. This cheese is also aged 3-4 months and is buttery with slight acidic notes. Headwaters Tomme has been their best seller to restaurants.

• Moraine (Cow’s milk) This is an alpine style cheese, also aged 3-4 months. It has a creamy smooth texture and is milder than a lot of Swiss cheeses.

• Whetstone (Cow’s milk) This is a Pyrenean style cheese that may be reminiscent of a cheddar in texture. It is a great choice for melting and has sweet and salty notes.

Ben and Lisa are always experimenting with new cheeses and have tried out brie, asiago (aged for 6 months) and parmesan (aged for a year). It’s worth checking out their farmer’s market stall to see if they have anything new.

During our visit we had the opportunity to tour the farm, production kitchen and cheese cave. Ben was making a batch of the Headwaters Tomme. Each 60 gallon batch of cow’s milk produces 42lbs cows cheese which is 5 wheels. The pictures above show some of the process from milking parlor to aged cheese. There’s certainly no instant gratification in making aged cheeses!

We’ve got a growing number of great artisan cheese producers in Ohio. Here are some of our other favorites to look out for at stores and markets: Lucky Penny Creamery (chevre and feta), Blue Jacket Dairy (love their lemon quark and Gretna Grillin’ cheese), Mackenzie Creamery (a wide variety of flavored chevres), Lake Erie Creamery (try the Blomma), Laurel Valley Creamery (a staple on the menu at Knead) and Canal Junction (try the Flat Rock or Lock 21).

Dinner is served at 7pm each evening and consists of a 6 course set menu (7 courses on Saturday). The entree protein varies daily so if your preference is duck, salmon, pheasant or beef you can time your visit accordingly.

If you arrive early for dinner, there is time for a drink either on the deck if weather permits or in the Loch Ness Pub. Glenlaurel does not currently have a liquor permit (it’s on the ballot though so fingers crossed) which means that all drinks are BYO. I wish I had thought to pack some after-dinner scotch. We did enjoy a glass of Kinkead Ridge on the deck while watching deer in the woods and nibbling on the provided cheese and crackers.

Bagpipe music is played to announce that it is time for dinner and continues softly throughout the meal. Having been seated at our table we were read a short Robert Burns poem and had a chance to peruse our personalized menu card.

On the day of our visit, dinner was:

• Duck and Wild mushrooms in a crispy phyllo with smoked gouda fondue.
• Butternut squash soup with apple relish
• Bibb lettuce, strawberry, sugared pecan and goat cheese salad with poppy seed dressing
• Blackberry port wine sorbet
• Scottish salmon with chive peppercorn beurre blanc, risotto and grilled asparagus
• Maple pumpkin crème brûlée with cinnamon whipped cream

The first two courses were our favorites, but we found the entire meal to be enjoyable. I apologize for the lack of food photos, but lighting was too dim. As the menu changes daily you are unlikely to have the same dishes when you visit.

The Inn sits on a 140 acre estate with hiking trails and a private gorge. We didn’t have time to explore before it got dark, but from what we could see the grounds were very pretty. The current owners have owned the Inn for 6 years and the chef has been in residence for the last 4 years.

And here’s the competition! We have a dinner for two at Glenlaurel to give away – perfect if you have a special anniversary or birthday coming up or just want an excuse to head down to Hocking Hills. The gift certificate is valid until 12/31/11 and can only be used Monday-Thursday. Please note that Glenlaurel has a dress code.

To enter please answer the following questions by October 7th at 5pm and email your answers to: bethiawoolf @ columbusfoodadventures.com. All of the answers can be found on the Inn’s website.

What does glen mean?

What night would pheasant be on the menu at Glenlaurel?

Who are the cottages named after?

Please email your answers – do not post them in the comments. A winner will be picked at random from the correct entries and will be notified by email on October 7th.

In short, I’ve been inching my way down the path towards coffee geekdom. Fortunately, Columbus is a pretty good place to be for anyone with such inclinations. For that, and before we get to the meat of this post, we should give due respect to Stauf’s.

Started in 1988, Stauf’s blazed the path for the quality single-origin bean in town. Nobody’s done more to promote education in and availability of quality coffee than Stauf’s owner, Mark Swanson, and many of the more recent roasters to set up shop in town are graduates of  their operation.

And set up they have, including Cafe Brioso, Yeah Me Too, Back Room Coffee Roasters, Crimson Cup, Impero, and, undoubtedly more. The latest, somewhat out-of-left-field participant in the roasting game is Thunderkiss.

If you’re a fan of the hyper-resourceful underdog, this is your guy. Jason Valentine, Thunderkiss’s proprietor, literally operates out of his garage. And, thanks to his inventiveness and a keen eye for eBay finds, Jason seems to have set up a dollar’s worth of operation for a dime.

The roaster, which he snagged from a coffee house Houston, is seamlessly installed, beautifully maintained, and resides in what might be the one of the tidiest versions ever of a structure built to house cars. In 5lb batches, Jason roasts his meticulously sourced raw beans, while making careful notes on time, terminal roasting temperature, and a variety of other variables.

Jason speaks easily and at length about ’3rd wave’ coffee roasters, so to the best of my abilities I’ll try to explain what this is and how we got there: the 1st wave was the consumption of coffee in any form, 2nd was increased concern about the bean itself (when people first were concerned with the distinction between robusta and arabica) and rudimentary progress in the understanding of roasting, and the 3rd wave’s focus is on detailed concerns about single-origin sourcing and a deep emphasis on roasting to allow the myriad natural flavors of the beans to come through in the final product. In no small part, this relies on eschewing the perceived over-roasting favored by 2nd wave purveyors (think Starbucks), which often masks subtle flavors with a somewhat burnt, smoky taste.

As you listen to these 3rd wave preoccupations – origin (terroir), subtleties in roasting, bean resting times – and the descriptions of the flavors that result, one might be tempted to make comparisons to wine culture. In fact, at least one 3rd wave roaster I’ve spoken with has suggested that from a biochemical standpoint there are far more distinct flavor possibilities to be found in coffee than in wine.

Jason is impressively conversant in this lingo, and has obviously put tremendous effort into achieving a high level of mastery of the roasting process.

It shows in the end product. He’s currently offering 4 different beans – Guatemalan Zemoch, Peruvian Cajamarca, Rwandan Western Province, and an Ethiopian Sidama. For the coffee-geek-curious, I’d encourage you to get one bag each of the Guatemala and Rwanda, and taste them side by side. Compare the punchy, earthy flavors of the Zemoch to the subtle, smooth, and almost sweet qualities of the Western Province.

Thunderkiss Coffee is currently carried at Fresh Street, and is sold in 6oz bags. Jason’s plans include the possible opening of a coffee shop and a bike coffee-vending operation.

Follow Jason on twitter @tkisscoffee or on his blog

Fortunately, fantastic house-made condiments abound in Columbus. Here are a few of our favorites:

Taco Trucks

We love the fresh homemade salsas that the taco trucks offer. Most trucks offer two salsas – a red (chile de arbol-based) and a green (usually tomatillo/jalapeno). Some, like Mr Grill and La Popular offer more, and we’d encourage you to try their spicy avocado salsas. The avocado and cilantro salsa at Los Guachos is really mild but equally seductive and if you want heat, try their onions with habañero. For more heat, head over to Los Potosinos for some of their sought-after habanero salsa.

Other Street Food

Probably the most well known street food condiment is Mikey’s infamous ‘slut sauce’, which is so popular that people regularly try to steal bottles of it. The Pickled Swine uses a spicy bacon aioli on some of their sandwiches including their signature sandwich ‘The Pickled Swine’. Offering the largest range of condiments is Tatoheads truck with seven dipping sauces at last count, including horseradish ranch, red pepper cilantro ketchup, shallot truffle aioli and spicy buffalo honey.

Ethnic restaurants

Some of our favorite condiments include the bright yellow aji chili sauce at Fito’s, the addictive and spicy cilantro sauce at El Arepazo, the heat-sneaks-up-on-you coconut chutney at Udipi Cafe and the tangy cilantro and lime sauce at Solay Bistro. We are also big fans of the Korean ‘mom sauce’ at Fresh Street.

Restaurants

With increasing frequency, french fries these days are accompanied by something other than a bottle Heinz. Often, you’re more likely to be offered an aioli (garlic mayonnaise), spicy ketchup or house made ranch dressing. Check out some of the great condiments at Tip Top Kitchen (spicy mayo with sweet potato fries), MoJoe Lounge downtown, Gallo’s Kitchen or on L’Antibes patio menu (a trio of dipping sauces come with their frites). The prize for range and creativity goes to Sage for their unexpectedly exceptional blackberry ketchup (one of 3 ketchups on the menu) and their chili-lime and black peppercorn mayos. I am also enthused about Knead‘s fennel ketchup but I know it’s not for everyone. Knead also make  fruit based jams for some of their sandwiches and have some fantastic hot sauces.

One of the best condiments around is Latitude 41‘s homemade white cheddar cheese ‘whiz’ served with Brëzel pretzels. Skillet also makes some great condiments – their homemade hot sauce packs both a flavor and spicy heat punch, and you should order anything that comes with the tomato jam.

Breakfast

Condiments aren’t just for fries and sandwiches. Homemade jams have also become popular. It’s hard to resist a freshly baked croissant with home made preserves. You can find this treat at Pistacia Vera or Tasi Cafe. Flavors vary with the season but at the moment at Tasi you can find peach vanilla and blueberry lemon and at Pistacia Vera they currently have a wealth of flavors including pear vanilla, blueberry vanilla, berries Chambord and orange cardamon.