Spaghetti Warehouse return, Si Senor! expansion, O'Charley's exodus highlight November
November was spinoff season for the Columbus dining scene.
Bodega gave birth to Apt. B, a speakeasy in an apartment behind its kitchen. Blackbird Kitchen gave birth to Blackbird Burrito Co., another place housed in Woodlands Tavern and its backyard.
The owners of Pelino's Pasta gave us Piazza Pelino, and Yellow Springs Brewery came to Columbus to open a taproom and kitchen in Clintonville.
Si Senor!, Everbowl and Cafe Zupas were among restaurants that expanded with second local locations.
Here are central Ohio's openings and closings for November.
Apt. B
Apt. B is literally an apartment tucked behind the kitchen wall of Bodega. It has been transformed into a plush, softly lit speakeasy that’s a sister space of the restaurant and bar at 1044 N. High St., in the Short North.
“Step inside, and you're instantly transported to a time when things were a little more mysterious and a lot more stylish,” Apt. B promises. Its curated cocktail menu includes classics and modern creations.
Asuka Ramen
How do you differentiate yourself these days in an increasingly crowded landscape of local ramen restaurants?
Asuka Ramen, which opened Nov. 3 at 7541 Sawmill Road in Dublin, offers not just 10 ramen bowls with clear, creamy, spicy creamy or miso broth, but also six different types of mazemen, which is ramen without broth. The original includes noodles, fish powder, spicy minced pork, green onions, seaweed and a poached egg.
Birdie’s Grill
The owner of McGinnis’ Grill food truck has opened Birdie’s Grill inside the Fairway, an indoor-golf simulator at 1965 W. Henderson Road in Upper Arlington.
John McGinnis’ menu at Birdie’s includes sandwiches, flatbreads, fish and chips, salads and clubhouse fare. Diners are welcomed even if they’re not there to golf.
Blackbird Burrito Co.
From the owner of Blackbird Kitchen, the food provider at Woodlands Tavern, comes Blackbird Burrito Co., which opened Nov. 1 inside Woodland’s Backyard.
The menu at Blackbird Burrito Co., 66 Grandview Ave. in Fifth by Northwest, includes burritos, bowls, tacos and crunchwraps.
Cafe Zupas
Cafe Zupas, the soup, sandwich and salad chain in cities from Columbus to Las Vegas, opened its second local restaurant Nov. 16 at 5980 N. Hamilton Road, in the Hamilton Quarter development on the Northeast Side near New Albany.
Cafe Zupas, which also has a restaurant at Easton Town Center, serves soup, sandwiches, salads and desserts.
Everbowl
Everbowl, the Southern California chain that serves up superfood-and-fruit bowls, opened its second central Ohio location on Nov. 13 at 1303 W. Lane Ave., near Upper Arlington.
The first Everbowl opened in September at 15 N. State St., in Westerville.
Grand Tavern
Brats, charcuterie and craft cocktails were on the menu, and more than a dozen beers were on tap for the Nov. 18 opening of Grand Tavern, 1111 W. First Ave., in Grandview Heights.
The new tavern also has brought in food trucks to serve customers.
Manila Hibachi
Filipino food is increasingly popular across the country. Manila Hibachi, at 3747 E. Broad St. in Whitehall, opened Nov. 11 as the third full-service, brick-and-mortar Filipino restaurant in central Ohio.
The specialty at Manila Hibachi is Filipino barbecue. That’s grilled beef, pork, chicken or ribs — sometimes marinated, but not sauced — served with garlic rice and a sweet but vinegary cucumber salad. The silog, or breakfast version, comes with a fried egg. The restaurant’s owner is justifiably proud of her crab Rangoon.
Michael’s Goody Boy Diner
Michael’s Goody Boy Diner, the restaurant underneath the landmark sign at 1144 N. High St., in the Short North, reopened on Nov. 24.
New owner Jacob Gaus will offer breakfast (all day), lunch and dinner with hours from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. The menu includes bacon and eggs, biscuits and gravy, burgers and hot dogs, and more.
Piazza Pelino
The second restaurant from Vinny and Christina Pelino made its debut Wednesday in the Short North. Piazza Pelino, the couple’s follow-up to Pelino’s Pasta in the Dennison Place neighborhood south of OSU, serves focaccia sandwiches and gelato.
It’s located at 772 N. High St.
Riziki Swahili Grill
The food of Zanzibar is now available on the Near East Side. Riziki Swahili Grill, which specializes in skewers, curries and other dishes, opened on Nov. 10 in the pop-up space at East Market, 212 Kelton Ave.
Riziki has one other location, at 1872 Tamarack Circle S., in Northland.
Seafood Shake
The seafood boil trend continues with the opening of Seafood Shake, a northeastern Ohio restaurant that opened its first Columbus location on Nov. 8 at 3860 Morse Road near Easton Town Center.
Seafood Shake, which also has restaurants in Cleveland Heights and Strongsville, serves soup, salads, chicken and fried fish. The star attraction, though, is seafood-by-the-pound with seven seasonings that come at four different levels of heat.
Si Señor!
Si Senor!, the popular Peruvian sandwich shop that moved from Downtown to Grandview Heights in 2017, has opened a second location.
The new restaurant made its debut Nov. 17 at 155 W. Nationwide Blvd., across the street from Nationwide Arena.
Spaghetti Warehouse
Spaghettti Warehouse, closed since a March 2022 roof collapse at its 123-year-old building in Franklinton, reopened on Nov. 30 at its new location Downtown.
During a pre-opening preview for The Dispatch, restaurant President Ron Reynolds said the space at 150 S. High St., marks a new direction for the 50-year-old chain with smaller footprints and the addition of lighter, trendier menu items.
Don’t worry, though. Fifteen-layer lasagna, chicken Parmesan, sourdough bread and other customer favorites remain.
Tipper’s Local Watering Hole
Their pizza is Detroit-style. Their NFL football preference, apparently, is Chicago (they call themselves “the spot where the Bears' faithful unite”). But Tipper’s, which opened Nov. 19 at 3534 W. Granville Road near Dublin on the Northwest Side, also declares “we’re all friends and fans” and offers plenty of TV screens for everyone.
The menu from noon to 4 p.m. is bar snacks such as wings and onion rings, but from 4 to 10 p.m., pizza is served as well. Local beers are on tap, and live entertainment is scheduled.
Torchy’s Tacos
Torchy’s Tacos, a nationwide chain that started as a food truck in Austin, Texas, opened its second central Ohio location on Nov. 15 at 3726 W. Dublin-Granville Road on the Northwest Side.
Torchy’s serves tacos for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Its menu also includes margaritas, sangria, beer and weekend brunch cocktails.
Yellow Springs Brewery
Ten-year-old Yellow Springs Brewery will give Columbus “a taste of the village,” according to one news report from the eclectic community east of Dayton. The taproom and kitchen opened Nov. 15 at 2855 Indianola Ave. in Clintonville, in the space previously occupied by The Crest.
Along with more than a dozen of its own beers on tap, Yellow Springs offers a food menu that includes burgers, falafel and grilled cheese, fries, loaded fries and poutine.
Closings: Omega, O’Charleys and more
Omega Artisan Baking, whose focaccia, challah, ciabatta and other baked goods added to the smells of North Market more than 20 years, closed on Nov. 22 with one last batch of butter rolls. The announcement was made “with a great deal of gratitude (and some misgivings),” according to its Facebook post.
Casual dining chain O’Charley’s continued its retreat from central Ohio with the November closing of restaurants at 6285 Cleveland Ave. south of Westerville and 1657 Stringtown Road in Grove City. O’Charley’s shut down a restaurant on Morse Road near Gahanna earlier this year. Its last two locations are in Reynoldsburg and Canal Winchester.
Mama Nancy’s Pizza, 3495 E. Broad Street on the East Side, announced a temporary closing on Nov. 19. A Facebook post said “we are working through a few things.”
Mr. Hummus Grill & Pizza has closed its booth at Bubbly Hall in New Albany. Owner Tarek Albast opened Habibi Grill in August at 1131 N. 4th St. in Italian Village.
Krema Nut Co., 1000 Goodale Blvd. in Grandview Heights, has closed its sandwich and milkshake counter until Jan. 5 to focus on holiday orders.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: November restaurant openings and closings in Columbus
