Columbus Monthly – November 2025

Give your child the world.

EverydayKindness Heroes Celebrate our 2025

Kindness is intentional.

The December issue of Columbus Monthly will honor those who perform acts of kindness to strengthen, heal and unite our community.

Chosen by a panel of judges, finalists, semifinalists and “Dispatch Picks” will be honored at a December 3 event, where an overall Everyday Kindness Hero is announced.

Vitria On The Square December 3, 2025 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Learn about lobular breast cancer, including symptoms that many don’t recognize

While researchers work to improve lobular breast cancer screening, innovative treatments are improving outcomes for patients with the condition, which is diagnosed in more than 40,000 Americans each year.

Lobular breast cancer — or invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) — is a form of breast cancer that starts in patients’ lobules, or milk-producing glands. ILC may not be a common term among the larger public, but it makes up approximately 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancers diagnosed in the U.S.

“There are different types of breast cancer — invasive ductal carcinoma, the most common type, which begins in the ducts that carry milk to the nipple, and invasive lobular carcinoma, which starts in the lobules that produce milk,” says Arya Roy, MD, a medical oncologist at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC – James).

While ILC is usually cured when caught early, a lack of widely-known symptoms, along with screening challenges and higher rates of late recurrence, make it vital that researchers continue their efforts to improve diagnostic techniques and technologies.

“We can give hope to ILC patients by developing more tools to identify the cancer as much as possible so that we can make sure it’s completely cured,” Roy says.

Scan the QR code to learn more about breast cancer, including risks, symptoms and treatment at the OSUCCC – James.

Invasive lobular carcinoma diagnosis challenges

Unlike some other types of breast cancer that form in masses, ILC cells tend to grow in single-file lines.

“Usually when people think about breast cancer, they think about lumps, but in most lobular breast cancer cases, there won’t be one,” Roy says. “ILC does not have a protein (called E-cadherin) in the cells

which makes them stick together, so the cancer actually forms in lines or chains.”

While lumps usually aren’t present with ILC, there are some potential symptoms, including:

• Swelling of the breast

• Thickening of breast skin

• Changes in the nipple, including inversion

When ILC is diagnosed, doctors use MRI and other tests to determine size and stage so that unique treatment plans can be created for each patient.

“ILC is almost always estrogen receptor–positive, so we use an FES PET scan to identify the spread of the cancer,” Roy says. “This newer imaging technology helps detect cancers that have high levels of estrogen receptor expression.”

While doctors and researchers are working to improve ILC screening, identifying possible risk factors could raise the chances of early diagnosis, including:

• Family history of ILC or stomach cancer

• LCIS lesion in the breast

• CDH1 genetic mutation

• Dense breasts

Scan the QR code to learn more about cancer screening and diagnosis at the OSUCCC – James.

Lobular breast cancer treatment and research

ILC tumors tend to grow more slowly than other breast cancers, which can raise the chances of successful treatment.

Doctors sometimes administer chemotherapy before surgery to try to reduce the size of ILC tumors before removal, but the presence of estrogen can reduce its effectiveness.

“ILC usually does not respond to chemotherapy very well because the cancer is highly hormone positive,” Roy says.

However, patients with estrogen-positive ILC may benefit from endocrine therapy administered before surgery. Multiple clinical trials are currently underway at Ohio State involving this treatment, which directly targets estrogen to shrink tumors or stop their growth. While therapy and surgery often lead to successful initial treatment of lobular breast tumors, ILC patients can be at higher risk of recurrence than invasive ductal survivors.

“We don’t currently have a specific tool to identify lobular breast cancer recurrence risk,” Roy says. “We are using techniques for invasive ductal breast cancer, but that’s not always accurate.”

Roy and her colleagues are working to fill that gap through clinical research that uses artificial intelligence to improve ILC recurrence risk assessment.

“We’re developing an AI model that analyzes higher risk features obtained from digital pathology images of removed tumors, and combining those with the patients’ clinical features,” Roy says. “Then, an algorithm will help us predict the patients with a higher risk of ILC recurrence.”

Roy’s team is currently using patient information to train the AI model with the goal of developing a scoring system that identifies patients at high risk for recurrence. The training process is lengthy, but the benefits could be well worth the effort.

“We can keep the patients in long-term surveillance to diagnose recurrences early, when the cancers are at their most treatable stages,” she says.

Scan the QR code to learn more about lobular breast cancer care at the OSUCCC – James.

Stories That Matter

Columbus Monthly was honored by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists and the Press Club of Cleveland with 11 awards for excellence in 2024 coverage.

Best Feature Reporting

Editor Katy Smith, for her compelling story about the founding of the Arc of Appalachia land preservation trust.

Best Sports Reporting

Freelance writer Chris DeVille, for his powerful profiles of OSU women’s ice hockey coach Nadine Muzerall, Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy, and Dr. Anthony Williams, whose youth soccer efforts transformed urban Columbus.

Best Environmental Reporting

For our first-place October 2024 feature, “Pollinator Gardens vs. Perfect Lawns."

Best Architecture and Design Writing

Editor Katy Smith, first place, for her home feature on a Bexley resident's inventive use of vintage pieces.

Best Photographer in Ohio

Photo editor Tim Johnson, second place, for a portfolio of 2024 work.

Plus six more awards across categories including arts reporting, medical and health reporting and overall third place for Best Magazine in Ohio, highlighting the depth and range of our newsroom.

We’re grateful for the recognition and inspired to keep delivering stories that inform, challenge and connect our community.

FEATURES

24

THE ICY EFFECT OF IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWNS

Restaurants are reeling as ICE arrests intensify in Columbus and beyond. Immigrants are essential workers in the industry. What happens now?

32 MR. COLUMBUS

Derrick Clay is taking the Columbus Chamber into its next era supporting local businesses of all stripes.

ON THE COVER:

David Belknap, area executive chef at Shaner Management Corp., at Vaso in Dublin.

Matthew Heaggans, co-founder of Service! Relief for Hospitality workers and co-owner of Preston’s: A Burger Joint

Creativity and collaboration is flowing among Black-owned business owners at East Main Street and Rhoads Avenue.

14 AN AGENT’S MEMOIR

Former FBI agent Harry Trombitas tells the chilling stories of his most memorable cases in a new series of books.

16 HEALTH & WELLNESS

Meet Dr. Kimryn Rathmell, the new CEO of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center—The James.

Communities in Schools

Home

& Style

38 THE ‘CRAZY CLOCK HOUSE’

One couple saw nothing but potential in an outdated New Albany home that had clocks in every room.

42 WHAT’S HOT

Shawn “Toof” Gray is determined to give out 500 turkeys this Thanksgiving.

20 PEOPLE

Photos from Fashion Week Columbus, Short North Tour of Homes and Gardens, Eat Up Columbus and Taste the Future.

22 OPINION

Chronic school absenteeism needs to be addressed, writes

Crafters can reclaim yarn, fabric and many more materials at Craft Raccoon.

43 TOP 25

The 25 highest-priced home sales in the Columbus region in September 2025. Food & Drink

52 JOHNSON’S SWEET LEGACY

At 75 years old, Johnson’s Real Ice Cream is in its biggest year yet.

55 OPENINGS

One of Columbus’ top chefs will debut a Mediterraneaninspired restaurant on the Scioto Mile.

56 SHORT ORDER

The return of ChefO-Nette represents a classic diner revival under new owners.

57 LET’S EAT

Our guide to the best places to eat in Columbus.

45 SIGNATURES RESTAURANT PROFILES

Ampersand Asian Supper Club’s owners share their favorite dishes.

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Adero Robinson

The CEO of Communities in Schools of Ohio writes about the issue of chronic school absenteeism, Page 22.

CONTRIBUTORS

Tim Feran

The longtime Columbus business reporter brings us a profile of Derrick Clay, the new CEO of the Columbus Chamber, Page 32.

Bob Vitale

The Columbus Dispatch’s dining reporter dishes on the history of Bexley’s Johnson’s Real Ice Cream as it opens more stores, Page 52.

FROM THE EDITOR

Restaurants Struggling

Katy Smith katy@columbusmonthly.com

Arrests in a 26-county area including central and eastern Ohio by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents increased more than threefold in the first seven months of 2025 compared with the previous year, according to reporting from our partners at The Columbus Dispatch. The Trump administration’s nationwide campaign to remove immigrants has included people who work in factories, technology companies and many other settings, including restaurants. While there have not been widespread reports of ICE raids at restaurants in the Columbus region, the arrests that have been shared publicly have put the industry on edge.

In this month’s cover story, food and drink editor Linda Baird talked to chefs and advocates about the chilling effect the increased ICE activity is having on restaurants and their staffs. It wasn’t easy to find people willing to talk about the issue, to be sure. It’s a reminder that often, what we are able to uncover in our reporting is only a fraction of what is truly going on out there.

The story includes guidance from an attorney that can help immigrants and advocates know their rights and ideas for how best to react during an ICE confrontation.

Why We’re No Longer Sharing Homeowner Names

Readers may have noticed a change in our Top 25 list of most expensive home sales in Franklin and surrounding counties (page 43 this month). Starting with the October issue, we are no longer including the names of the buyers and sellers in these transactions. While that information is a matter of public record—it’s maintained by county auditor’s offices, and you can look it up yourself—we don’t want to be the source of information that leads to families being stalked or worse. I have been contacted by many buyers requesting that their names be removed from our website because of privacy concerns, many of them medical professionals. The USA Today network, of which Columbus Monthly is a part, does not remove information from its websites that was true at the time of publication.

My advice to buyers at all home price levels is this: Take a note from the rich and famous. If you are concerned about your privacy, don’t close your home transaction in your personal name, or in a trust that takes your name. File with the Ohio Secretary of State to create an LLC—it’s about $100—and close the sale in the name of the LLC instead. If you bought your home years ago, you can move the title into an LLC with the help of a real estate attorney. (I did this for $300.) That will go a long way in shielding your address.

Send letters to: Editor, Columbus Monthly, 605 S. Front St., Ste. 300, Columbus, OH 43215. Or email: letters@columbusmonthly.com. A letter must include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number. Letters will be edited for length and clarity. All letters sent to Columbus Monthly are considered for publication, either in print or online.

CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS

• Joseph Campbell wrote The Hero With a Thousand Faces.

An incorrect author’s name was used in the October issue.

• Reader and transit advocate Bob Weiler, a well-known real estate developer and community leader, wrote to us last summer questioning why the Central Ohio Transit Authority does not make all bus rides free. When we published his comments in this space in the Au-

gust issue, we included information reported by COTA that 17 percent of operating funds came from fares. That information has since been updated to 5 percent of all revenue coming from fares (and that does not take newly increased sales tax collections into account, meaning it is likely the percent from fares will fall further).

An email from COTA spokesman Jeff Pullin clarified

the proportion of revenue that came from fares through 2024. Pullin wrote:

“Revenue from fares averaged 17 percent for the five years leading up to 2023. This is because the majority of those years were before a number of COTA initiatives that have reduced fares for passengers. These include:

◆ Discounted fares and pass programs introduced in 2021 (seniors, children, people with disabilities, veterans)

◆ Digital payments were intro-

Web: ColumbusMonthly.com

Email: letters@ columbusmonthly.com

duced in 2021, which caps fares for more customers each year.

◆ An income assistance program introduced in 2022, which provides 50 percent discounts for targeted customers.

◆ Educational pass programs with local schools, colleges and universities, which allow administrations to purchase student passes in bulk at a deeply discounted rate.

As a result of these efforts, fares have averaged approximately 5 percent of revenue over the past two years.”

front & center

BY TIM JOHNSON

founded the

of Entrepreneurial Development to help Blackowned businesses grow and thrive. Learn more about the project, Page 12.

Front & Center | Business

The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem on East Main Street

Derrik Pannell’s Center of Entrepreneurial Development thrives as a network of small businesses, nonprofits and creatives forging a new path in Columbus.

By Kevin J. Elliott

The word “incubator” should not be part of the Columbus business lingo going forward. At least, when Derrik Pannell, the polyglot responsible for the Center of Entrepreneurial Development, speaks about the project. It’s clear he has grown his vision into something that serves the Black community and helps create a pathway to becoming an entrepreneur. In short, he provides resources that incubators often cannot.

The COED, a once decaying warehouse on East Main Street, is now a busy hive, even early on the August Sunday morning I visit. It has been completely gutted and refitted in Pannell’s vision: It’s an event hub where community panels and conversations take place, a co-working habitat with portals and shared desks, conference rooms that fill quickly, re-

cording studios buzzing with voices and beats, and even a fitness room. Soon, a wing of behavioral health offices will open to support the surrounding community. The space is regularly referred to by its team as an ecosystem, and as I ride up and down in the elevator with Pannell, each stop reveals another layer of that ecosystem.

Pannell is generational to Columbus. After graduating from East High School, he became a serial entrepreneur. His first company was a landscaping business that grew quickly and profitably. He later took time to teach youth in the community, where he met his wife, a veteran of Columbus City Schools.

But he eventually fell back into the rhythm of creating new endeavors and became an expert in real estate acquisi-

tions and development. As owner of the Blu Note Jazz Café near Bexley, he recently expanded that concept to a second location on East Town Street that will also feature a private club. A third Blu Note in Franklinton is in the works, as is a musical reimagining of the former Grill and Skillet diner on East Main Street. Pannell strives to take advantage of properties where others might see only a void.

“It was definitely, being an African American entrepreneur, [the case] that I understood the challenges that we face. I understood the education that was necessary to give,” says Pannell about his drive to start COED and empower those who need the extra help. “I can have the conversation with banks and explain to them why their lending policies are systemically racist. I can speak to some

TIM JOHNSON

BY

PHOTO

policies that need to change. We try to address the fragmentations of resources and the community. We want everything under one roof.”

His peers say the ecosystem COED provides is important, especially in a time when community resources will become increasingly scarce.

“I first met Derrik while I was working for Spectrum,” says painter Evan Williams. “I knocked at his door all the time, and he always turned me down and refused to take the Spectrum service, but he did take my business card for my art business instead. He called me up and asked for a jazz series of paintings that I had done. Fast forward about two years later, a little after the pandemic, and he called me out of the blue and asked me to come see something he wanted me to be a part of.”

Now, Williams’ art business EWill Studio is a permanent tenant at COED, and his pop culture portraits fill nearly every empty space. His paintings are no longer just canvases sitting in a home studio, but work that brightens the flow of the building.

In late 2022, as COED was still getting off the ground, Christopher Jones joined with Pannell shortly after the building was secured. At the time, it was still in what Jones called “raw form.” He offered his already successful teen program, the Content Creators Camp, to take residence at the center. At COED, kids from the community, ages 14 to 18, participate in a summer workshop that teaches everything the center embraces—being creative in business while learning the tools needed to succeed. From networking, to content creation, to creating a brand, the camp puts entrepreneurship into the hands of its young participants. The League of Creative Disruptors—an evolving continuation of the camp—subsequently bloomed at COED and now has a panoply of creatives, as Jones describes, “tapped into the space.”

“For business there are many things I could point to,” says Jones, who now is a permanent fixture at COED, under the umbrella of DSRPTV Labs. “Perseverance is required, strategy is needed, quality work is mandatory, communication is key, mentors and a village should not be optional, and EBITDA [earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization] should not be a foreign word. The branding, the marketing, the audits, helping companies and young entrepre-

neurs refresh their plan. Understanding your numbers is vital to keeping a business.”

Kim Knights, CEO of Columbus Empowerment Corp., also joined Pannell at COED early on. Her nonprofit has spent decades making small businesses a reality, but nothing felt as purposeful as this.

“We’re a lifetime entrepreneurial organization, so we don’t really focus on startups,” Knights says. “That said, every business that was on our recent restaurateur panel started as a business that we’ve touched in some form or fashion, which included Toro Meat Market, Creole Kitchen, Flavor 91 Bistro and JYN Bakery.”

Knights calls COED a safe space in a way that is not rhetorical.

“There’s never been a place like this

with the resources we have, the structure that’s been established,” she says. “I’d like to say that it was organic, but it wasn’t. It was purposed. It shows us that as people of color, we can work together. We’ve been saying this for decades. We’re really blessed to be able to say that we are showing what we set out to do.”

“One of the biggest problems our community faces is that we can’t get along, we don’t get along, we don’t work together,” says Pannell. “It was important to put people who have the same mindset together in close proximity. But we have to change the way we think because we’ve been taught to distrust one another. What you’ll find here is that we remove that hindrance.”

Ownership, he insists, is the foundation. “Get in that tax bracket. We can cry all day about the problems, but where is the solution,” says Pannell. “I preach and teach ownership. Everything here is designed to put people in a position to succeed, and that means equipping them with the knowledge, the facilities and the tools to create their own future.”

Front & Center | Nonfiction

A Former FBI Agent’s Grisly Chronicles

Harry Trombitas recounts the details of his most haunting cases in his self-published The Dark Places series.

By Kathy Lynn Gray

Some criminal cases are so mind-bending, they never leave the public’s mind.

So it is with the cases that former FBI agent of 29 years Harry Trombitas brings to life in his nonfiction The Dark Places series, self-published this year in four slim volumes.

Trombitas has been well known in Columbus for decades, serving at times as an FBI spokesperson in the region’s office for bank robberies and other violent crimes. He dreamed up the idea of giving bank robbers names like “droopy drawers bandit” to encourage the public to call in tips. Since his retirement in 2012, the media has relied on his years

of experience for general insights into criminal activity.

Trombitas wrote the books at the suggestion of his wife, Barb Trombitas, after he retired, working a few hours a few days a week for four years. The result was a manuscript of 269,000 words—way too long for one book, as his friends told him. He chopped it into four, got the FBI’s OK and decided to self-publish.

The first book, The Thomas Lee Dillon Case, explains in fine detail how Trombitas and a team of law enforcement from all levels of government finally nabbed the eponymous Dillon, a serial murderer who roamed eastern and southeastern

Ohio between 1989 and 1992 randomly killing hunters, fishermen and other citizens without a backward glance.

The I-270 shooter case is also revisited, as is the 2005 killing of Columbus police officer Bryan Hurst during a bank robbery and the infamous 2009 Brink’s case, when a Massachusetts mastermind and his burglar friends snatched bags of cash from a Columbus Brink’s warehouse.

“I knew there was a real interest in these stories,” says Trombitas. “I was never a super-agent; we always worked really hard together as part of a team, found out who was responsible and held them accountable. That’s what I’m really proud of.”

BY

Former Franklin County chief deputy sheriff Steve Martin and Trombitas became close friends when they worked on the highway shooter case together. Martin headed the task force that worked 114 days straight and finally caught the shooter—paranoid schizophrenic Charles McCoy Jr., who killed one woman and shot at numerous others in 2003 and 2004. McCoy was number 5,444 of the 5,712 leads the team pursued.

“Harry’s very good at what he does,” says Martin, who filled six stenographer’s books with notes during the highway shoot er investigation and passed them along to Trombitas. “Harry was remarkable, but it’s important for the public to realize that Harry didn’t do this by himself; it was a team effort.”

Trombitas makes that clear in his books.

“I was always part of a team, and we followed where the evidence led,” he says. “You can’t get focused on just your theory; you have to follow the evidence, keep an open mind and don’t get distracted.”

Notorious Cases Revisited

Trombitas lays out how he became an FBI agent and some of his first cases in his second book, Murders, Motors, The Mob, and The Money. He was a police officer in Nebraska with a wife and baby when he was accepted into the FBI Academy. After that training, he worked his first case—nailing a serial murderer in Omaha who preyed on young boys.

In his third book, Murder, Betrayal, and the Tragedy of Officer Bryan Hurst, he details the arrest of white supremacist leader and bank robber Peter Langan, better known as Commander Pedro; the murder of armored car guard Renold Williams; and other cases, including the Bryan Hurst case.

Retired Columbus police department homicide detective Jim McCoskey was the lead investigator for Columbus on the Bryan Hurst killing, as was Trombitas for the FBI.

Hurst was working special duty at an Fifth Third Bank on East Broad Street Jan. 6, 2005, when Daryl Lawrence entered with a drawn handgun and killed

the officer during an exchange of gunfire.

“Daryl got shot in the hand, so he was squirting blood all out in the bank lobby when he fled,” McCos key remembers.

The FBI identified Lawrence from the blood, and, after McCoskey befriended Lawrence’s Columbus girlfriend, police found the robber hiding in her apartment.

“Harry was the go-to guy for the Columbus police department, especially for the homicide squad,” McCoskey says. “The FBI had a lot of resources the city didn’t have.”

Horror Tree: The Matthew Hoffman Case. Hoffman stabbed and dismembered three people in Knox County in 2010, then stuffed their remains in a hollow tree. Hoffman pleaded guilty and told law enforcement where the bodies were after they found a fourth victim, alive but bound and gagged, in the basement of Hoffman’s home.

Trombitas says Thomas Dillon was probably the evilest person he dealt with during his career.

“When we interviewed him, he said he thought no more of shooting someone dead than shooting bottles at a dump,” Trombitas says. Dillon pleaded guilty to five murders and was sentenced to five life sentences in 1993. He died in prison in 2011.

Trombitas isn’t planning on writing any more books. He’s busy with grandkids, consulting work and traveling. His books are available for purchase online from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Walmart. ◆

In the fourth book in the series, Final Cases, Lasting Impact, Trombitas zeroes in on three cases: the I-270 shooter, the Brink’s robbery and what he calls The

Front & Center | Health

Mission-Driven

The former director of the National Cancer Institute brings a track record of innovation and a passion for accessible care to her role leading the OSUCCC–James.

By Samantha Hendrickson

Dr. Kimryn Rathmell knows that when it comes to eliminating the pain and suffering of cancer, no man, or world-renowned medical institution, is an island. In May, Rathmell started as the new CEO of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute after a nationwide search, succeeding longtime interim CEO Dr. David Cohn.

In a mid-July interview with The Columbus Dispatch, the former director of the National Cancer Institute gushed over the “synergy” of science and practical medicine that can better inform how we treat and cure diseases. When these worlds intersect, research thrives and patient care gets better.

“I was a biology and chemistry major, and I did that intentionally … back then, we didn’t have a biochemistry degree. But I felt like the chemistry could be really informative of the biology and

it absolutely was,” Rathmell explains. “I’m a physician and a scientist.”

Straddling those worlds helps her use basic sciences to help cancer patients, she says.

That kind of collaboration, that noman-is-an-island mentality, already exists at the OSUCCC–James, Rathmell notes. It’s just one of the many reasons she came to the institution, alongside its dedication to innovation, focus on cancer prevention (not just cancer treatment) and engagement and coordination with its community.

A Legacy of Cancer Care Innovation

Former director for the National Cancer Institute is only her most recent accolade. Rathmell was born in Nebraska, raised in rural Iowa, and earned degrees in biology and chemistry at the University of Northern Iowa.

She received her biophysics degree and went to medical school at Stanford

University, along with an internship at the University of Chicago and residency with the University of Pennsylvania. She liked tackling hard problems, she says, and working with patients through the entirety of their care—two motivations that married her physician-scientist identity early on.

Rathmell is considered one of the leading experts in cancer care and research, known for having spearheaded the fundamental science of investigating kidney cancers.

She has held professorships and leadership positions at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Vanderbilt University, where she led numerous clinical and transitional trial programs and mentored hundreds of junior researchers.

Those mentees, she says, who are “now tackling the toughest problems in medicine” are what she’ll be proudest of when looking back on her career.

Rathmell’s research has resulted in more than 300 published and peer-reviewed journal articles, and she’s been a go-to resource for the National Institutes of Health for over a decade. Earlier this year, she received the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor, the organization’s highest honor and just one of many awards medical organizations have given her.

In 2022, to gain more knowledge in the business side of health care, Rathmell got her master’s in health care management from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.

Getting Oncology Everywhere

Now at the OSUCCC–James, Rathmell hopes to keep building on the institution’s existing foundation.

Engaging with the community and its needs is a priority, not just locally, but throughout Ohio’s 88 counties, Rathmell says. Her hope is to take the discoveries and specialists at the OSUCCC–James to every part of the state, rather than asking those who need care to come to Columbus to access them.

Rathmell says she’s inspired to get

FedEx gets everywhere, so why can’t oncology get everywhere?”

DR. KIMRYN RATHMELL

creative in rural health care, having grown up in rural Iowa herself, and she was excited that the OSUCCC–James was already working on it. Clinical trials by mail and partnerships with local doctors and laboratories established in rural areas would eliminate existing barriers like long drives or a lack of transportation, she says. “FedEx gets everywhere, so why can’t oncology get everywhere?” Rathmell asks.

The Mission ‘Has to Continue’ Rathmell’s appointment came just ahead of major disturbances to health care under President Donald Trump’s administration. The new CEO says she is watching federal changes closely in this new era of Medicaid. “It does keep me up at night,” she laments, recalling

20 years ago when she saw more frequent late-stage cancer diagnoses and less health care coverage.

“We really don’t want to get to where that’s somehow the norm again. I do think it’s important that we double down on prevention and early detection,” she says.

When it comes to overall health funding, the OSUCCC–James’ financial portfolio is one Rathmell can perhaps sleep on a little easier.

“One of the things that I was impressed by even when I visited here is how well balanced the portfolio is already. I think that will position us well,” she says, noting the institution’s funding through grants, philanthropy and clinical margins to support research.

“It’s prudent, anyway, and smart business to be looking at ways that we can take our discoveries and get them into commercialization … thinking about opportunities to partner in different ways with industry,” Rathmell says. “We’re thinking about a lot of different ways that we continue that support, because the mission is critical. It absolutely has to continue.” ◆

Front & Center | Everyday Kindness Heroes

Giving Thanks by Giving Back

From his success as a creative leader and business owner, Shawn “Toof” Gray has a goal to give out 500 Thanksgiving turkeys in 2025.

By Sophia Veneziano

While balancing running a recording studio, operating a promotional company and using his personal platform to connect artists and businesses, Shawn “Toof” Gray says he has received constant support from the community in Columbus, where he was born and raised.

In 2021, he wanted to find a way to give back. He approached Justin Hornis, the co-owner of the record studio and smoke shop, JHornz Entertainment Studios, with his plan.

“I felt like I was always asking people to support this show, to come here, to buy this, to buy that, and I didn’t feel like I was doing my part in the community to give back,” Gray says. “So we started doing the turkey drive.”

That year, the creative duo gave away one meal for Thanksgiving.

This gesture turned into a movement, and by 2024 the drive was giving away 121 turkeys.

“It’s always been more about neighbors helping neighbors: Helping the community around us because they help build us every day too, because we’re a small business,” Hornis says.

This year, for the Columbus Turkey Drive’s fifth year, Gray hopes to provide over 500 turkeys to the community.

The group involved in the effort is made up of the studio’s organizers and extra volunteers, and estimates they have fed over 700 people in the Columbus region through this effort. In 2025, they will try to feed over 2,000.

Following the the success of the 2024 drive, the group this year is reaching out to area businesses for support this season, so Gray feels confident in their ability to reach the 500-turkey goal. For the first time, the turkey drive will include

vegan options in an effort to ensure everyone can participate.

He now feels he is “doing his part to give back.” Self-run and self-funded by Gray alongside volunteers and a few small businesses, the drive also collects donations that go directly to buying the Thanksgiving meals. Gray says he’s proud to provide transparency around the donations for community members so they can see where their money goes and who it benefits. This was bolstered in September, when he received nonprofit status for the initiative.

“It is community members that are 100 percent volunteering their time and their finances to say ‘thank you’ to the community that has supported us and our businesses and our creativity throughout the years,” Gray says.

Noting that the giveaway has no strings attached such as income verification or proof of need, Gray invited his neighbors

to be served a meal by his team of volunteers and business partners.

And he is accepting donations to support the initiative; $25 is enough to feed up to eight people. They can be made online at payhip.com/columbusturkeydrive

“This year, I am just excited to see the growth. After five years of doing this, the members of the community start to look forward to it. We started with one turkey. Now, 500 turkeys,” Gray says.

Turkeys will be distributed throughout Columbus Nov. 10 and 11. After Nov. 11, donations will begin to be earmarked for next year’s drive. ◆

This article was made possible by the Center for HumanKindness at The Columbus Foundation, which partners with Columbus Monthly to showcase kindness in the community. Suggest ideas to Sophia Veneziano at sveneziano@dispatch.com. Learn more at ColumbusMonthly.com/Kindness.

JOHNSON

PHOTO BY TIM

Fashion Week Columbus

Fashion Week Columbus 2025, held Sept. 14–20, welcomed more than 1,500 attendees and raised over $200,000 to help fund fashion student scholarships and to create platforms for local and emerging designers. Celebrity designer Samantha Black headlined the 16th Annual Finale Runway Show at the Hilton Downtown. Fashion Week Columbus is the flagship program of the Columbus Fashion Council.

1 Yiema John 2 Daniel Moroyoqui and Lisa Vargo 3 Samantha Black 4 JaMez Aloha 5 Columbus City Council members Nick Bankston and Lourdes Barroso de Padilla with Franklin County Commissioner Erica Crawley

Short North Tour of Homes and Gardens Preview Party

The Short North Tour of Homes and Gardens 50th annual preview party was held Sept. 20 at the Circus House in Victorian Village. Over 200 guests enjoyed a private tour and poolside party with catered food and cocktails by Cameron Mitchell and live entertainment. The Short North Tour of Homes and Gardens is an annual fundraiser produced by Short North Civic Association.

1 René Rice and Marla Belcher 2 Heiden Riegel, Paige and Jason Henry with dog George 3 Ashley Wood, Omer Sarig, Betsy Pandora and Ryan Pilewski 4 Jeannie Simmons, Jennifer and Jason Slagle, Jim Cushing and Steve Hurtt 5 Chris Zuelke and Ben Goodman

Taste the Future at Columbus State Community College

Taste the Future was held Aug. 12 at Columbus State Community College’s Downtown campus. Over 40 food and beverage partners served the event’s 1,000 guests. Taste the Future raised more than $210,000 for Columbus State’s student programs and services.

1 Keith Brandon Key, Keith Key and Darienne Key 2 Rick Hatcher, Desiree Polk-Bland, Rebecca Butler, Antoinette Perkins 3 Candace Allen, Melody Menefield-Levine, Carneshia Archie, Zea’Annah Slack 4 Tracy and David Harrison 5 Pam and Curt Bishop

Freedom a la Cart’s Eat Up Columbus

On July 26, Freedom a la Cart hosted Eat Up Columbus, its annual signature fundraiser, at St. Charles Preparatory School. Leading chefs from across Ohio prepared a meal inspired by the stories and resilience of human trafficking survivors. The event raised over $280,000 for the organization.

1 Kacie Davis, Abby Counts and Danielle Crane

2 Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Karen Kasich 3 K Terry Smith with Sarah and Patrick Ahern 4 Samantha George and Jenn Chao 5 Adam and Natalie Rocco

Front & Center | Opinion

Showing Up Counts

Reducing chronic school absenteeism across Ohio will require working together.

By Adero Robinson

Every day a student misses school, they lose more than classroom time—they lose momentum, confidence and connection.

Chronic absenteeism—defined as missing 10 percent or more of the school year for any reason—affects 25 percent of Ohio students. Throughout the Columbus region, thousands of young people are at risk of falling behind. By sixth grade, chronic absence is one of the strongest predictors of dropping out. Even a few missed days each month make it harder for students to read on grade level, stay engaged in class or graduate.

The stakes are high not only for individual children but also for our community’s future workforce, economy and well-being.

Students miss school for many reasons: Poverty, housing or food insecurity, transportation challenges, inadequate clothing, health issues, trauma or family challenges including the need to care for younger siblings or work to support the family.

Schools can’t solve these problems alone.

Prior to receiving services from Communities in Schools of Ohio, a seventh grader missed 32 days of school and had a GPA of just 0.88. After intervention and daily support from his CIS site coordinator, his absences dropped to eight the next year, and his GPA rose to 3.0. His story shows what can happen when students get the right support at the right time.

Across Ohio, communities are uniting to help students overcome obstacles and attend school ready to learn. Many districts are striving to maintain—or even expand—resources like counseling, social workers and graduation coaches despite shrinking budgets. Nonprofits are leaning in with mentorship, behavioral support, academic help, basic needs assistance and enrichment programs, even as they face their own funding challenges.

Beyond schools and nonprofits, policymakers, businesses and volunteers

must continue to show up and do what they can—advocate for supportive legislation, fund programs like after-school activities, resource closets and food access, or lend their time to coach teams or mentor youth. Together, we must rally behind the programs that help students thrive.

The state of Ohio has set a bold goal: To cut chronic absenteeism in half by 2029. Reaching it will require schools, families, policymakers and communities to pull together. Here’s how you can help: Volunteer as a mentor or tutor, donate money or supplies, support after-school programs, advocate for policies that address housing and mental health and show up for young people.

Every day matters. Together, we can break down barriers to attendance and open the doors to every student’s success. ◆

Adero Robinson is the CEO of Communities in Schools of Ohio, a nonprofit that served more than 24,000 students across 52 schools statewide in 2024.

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Columbus Monthly is your go-to for coverage of the creative forces driving our culture and economy. With in-depth reporting and unforgettable stories you won’t find anywhere else, we spotlight the artists, innovators and ideas shaping the city.

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Restaurants in Distress

Chefs and their staffs are struggling with the cost of ICE raids. Immigrants make significant contributions to our food industry. What happens now?

By Linda Lee Baird | Photos by Tim Johnson

The Columbus food community witnessed the impact of increased immigration enforcement firsthand when Hiro Ramen and Tea on Sawmill Road shared on its social media that it had been raided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 16. “They arrested three members of our staff without a warrant,” the post said, as quoted in The Columbus Dispatch.

Suddenly, an issue that many people had heard about in whispers or as something happening elsewhere in the country was, publicly, here in Columbus. Hiro’s post addressed the arrested individuals, calling them “hardworking people,” but it also addressed the larger result:

“We understand the hurt these raids cause, not just on the people arrested, but on the greater community as a whole, and we feel it too.” It also said that raids had occurred at four other Asian restaurants within the past month (Columbus Monthly was unable to substantiate this claim).

AWARENESS

Immigrants’ rights guide from the American Civil Liberties Union: aclu.org/know-your-rights/immigrants-rights

Employer resource from the National Immigration Law Center: nilc.org/resources/a-guide-for-employers-what-todo-if-immigration-comes-to-your-workplace

Find resources for immigrants: OhioIsHome.org

ADVICE FROM AN ATTORNEY ON ENCOUNTERS WITH ICE

Bilal Ahmed, staff attorney at Ohio’s Council on American-Islamic Relations and a former immigration attorney at the International Institute of Akron, recently developed a know your rights training pertaining to ICE encounters.

For U.S. citizens and employers, Ahmed says “their biggest job is to simply be aware.” Some scenarios employers might want to plan for include I-9 audits and what to do if ICE comes to the workplace, including who officers should speak to. “Employers should have plans in place and they should do them like fire drills,” he says.

Meanwhile, non-citizens with green cards and other documentation may want to have them on their person, with backup copies at home. They also might consider carrying a red card in the case of an ICE encounter, which can be handed to officers in lieu of speaking stating that they are exercising their rights. (These cards can be used by citizens as well.)

In the event of a raid, bystanders have the right to record what they see, but Ahmed cautions that they should not impede officers. “If you are recording the events … also record your own compliance,” he says, giving the example of turning the camera around and showing yourself stepping back if you are requested to do so by ICE before continuing to film.

Finally, if there are other witnesses, Ahmed recommends gathering their contact information. “These little pieces of information can do you wonders later in court,” he says.

The arrests at Hiro made ICE’s growing presence visible. Data confirms the increase in activity: The Dispatch reports ICE arrests in the area nearly tripled in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the previous year. The local hospitality industry is feeling the effect.

“The whole immigration crackdown is definitely putting pressure on everybody,” says David Belknap, area executive chef at Shaner Management Corp. Belknap works with the AC Hotel brand, including overseeing the kitchen at Vaso in Dublin and the Foundry in Dayton.

While Belknap says his large corporation does everything by the book in terms of hiring, that isn’t always the case for smaller establishments. “In the industry there are ways around it,” he says. “I think a large percentage of the industry is dependent upon that.”

Matthew Heaggans, co-founder of Service! Relief for Hospitality Workers and co-owner of Preston’s: A Burger Joint, says the hiring process generally has been trust-based, noting an employers burden of proof “is that someone has their paperwork that they’re supposed to bring you.” He adds that companies have the option to do additional compliance checks when hiring to verify documents.

“But most places you fill out an application, you give them the packet to fill out, they bring it back to you and that’s what you know,” he says. “We trust people are coming to work hard.”

Many refugees have their first jobs in the U.S. in the hospitality industry, says Angie Plummer, executive director of Community Refugee and Immigration Services.

From picking crops to loading trucks to working in kitchens, the industry relies on immigrant labor, Belknap says: “They are doing the jobs we don’t have the labor force for in America.” And he says that there seems to be fewer people looking for new jobs in the industry now, noting, “The amount of resumes coming in has definitely gone down.”

Heaggans says it’s not just arrests and deportations that are putting pressure on the system. “A lot if it is that people don’t feel secure to go to work,” he says, explaining that rumors of raids in other restaurants may cause employees to “think twice about coming to work today.”

Plummer says this fear extends beyond undocumented people. “People who have lawful permanent residence here are concerned about being picked up by ICE. It’s created a general sense of unease for sure,” she says.

With 2024 U.S. Census Bureau data indicating that an estimated 177,517 people—roughly 13% of Franklin County’s population—are foreign-born, there are many who may be afraid right now. Just over half of the foreign-born population in Franklin County has U.S. citizenship. These numbers also don’t reflect families of mixed status. Belknap and his wife—who is a permanent resident from Mexico—recently consulted with a lawyer before a trip to visit family abroad because he says she was afraid to travel internationally as a non-citizen. He notes that it’s gotten to a stage “when completely legal people have to seek legal counsel just to see if it’s OK to follow the law.”

Consumer Impacts

People outside the industry may feel the effect of more aggressive ICE policies on their wallets. Belknap and Heaggans both said there are many factors likely contributing to increased costs right now, but both believe increased pressure on the labor force is part of the problem.

“It’s really hard to tease out what’s tariff related and what’s harvest related,” Heaggans says during an early August interview.

“I do know that we’re up about 10 percent on our costs year over year on pretty much everything. I would say that beef is $10 more a case now than it was like three weeks ago, and there is no sign … that these prices are going to go down.”

(A recent Dispatch article predicts high beef prices will last through most of 2027, attributing the current record prices to low inventory and high demand, while noting labor costs associated with raising cattle also have increased.)

Belknap says his restaurants have had to raise prices, acknowledging that inflation is likely playing a role. But he also says he thinks there’s a “direct correlation … with the lack of labor force,” adding that “between food costs and labor costs, it’s getting very, very difficult to operate restaurants.”

How Is the Industry Responding?

In July, the Ohio Restaurant and Hospitality Alliance announced it was releasing an immigration guide for members to navigate issues related to compliance and enforcement, including helping members understand employee rights.

While the organization declined to share a copy of the resource or participate in an interview for this article, CEO John Barker issued a statement for this story on July 30:

“Our industry is monitoring reports of increased immigration enforcement in restaurants and hospitality businesses across the U.S. and Ohio, and we are concerned about the potential impact on our industry, which is already under pressure with a shortage of staffing and historic inflation over the past four years. In the past few weeks, the President has mentioned giving the agriculture and hotel industries some relief from increased immigration enforcement.”

The statement then refers to a July 1 letter the National Restaurant Association sent to the White House “highlighting the importance of the immigrants in our industry” and urging actions including a request to “partner with the industry to implement targeted workforce solutions that ensure we can hire and retain essential immigrant workers” while prioritizing “the removal of individuals who pose a threat to national security and public safety.”

While it’s true that President Donald Trump has shown some interest in changing the current approach—Plummer says he made a similar announce-

ment in mid-September—a clear policy directive has yet to emerge.

In the meantime, many in the industry are not talking about this issue publicly. Several food businesses, including a large restaurant brand, declined or did not reply to requests to comment for this article, perhaps underscoring the fear that others have noted.

“I think these things are happening to people more than we know, but I think people aren’t talking about it because they don’t want things to get worse for them specifically,” Heaggans says. He adds that he would like to see restaurants and others in the industry “resisting safely” by asserting their rights and documenting encounters without obstructing.

He also wants to be sure immigrants are recognized for their many contributions to our culture. “I never want to talk about immigrants as this monolith that we only leverage for cheap labor,” he says. “It’s worth talking about, it’s

worth delving into and explaining to people the real damage that is being done to our food system behind these … rambunctious immigration actions. But, on the other hand, it’s people, it’s really smart and industrious people that in a large part make this place that we live a better place.”

Belknap suggests the industry could better tell this complex story by focusing on “humanizing” its workforce. “A lot of it is behind the scenes, a lot of it is jobs people don’t want to do and therefore that they don’t see,” he says. But, he explains, the work is crucial to what customers have come to expect in restaurants.

“I think people understand these days that immigration, immigrants and people from different countries is flavor. That is where flavor comes from, that’s where inspiration comes from,” Belknap says. “If you don’t have people from different places where you’re at, you’re going to live a very, very vanilla life.” ◆

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“If you were going to go in a laboratory and build someone perfectly suited to be the CEO of the Columbus Chamber, you would get Derrick.”

—Steve Stivers, CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce

Heading to college at the University of Akron, he majored in business and organizational communication, “really studying how business and communication intersect.”

He also was very involved in student activities. “I was on the student government and ended up being president of Associated Student Government my senior year.”

But the year before Clay was to graduate, his father died.

“My mom was in Toledo by herself, and I was like, well, maybe I go home and help mom for a couple years and figure out what I’m doing. And that was going to be my plan.”

Clay decided he was “going to work at a radio station, and they had worked out a little deal for me that I could sell advertising during the day, and I could DJ at night, and so that’s what I was going to do, right?

“But God had a different plan for me.”

One of Clay’s fraternity brothers was working for Vernon Sykes, who at the time was the assistant majority floor leader in the Ohio House of Representatives. “My fraternity brother had just gotten a new job, and Representative Sykes asked him who would be a potential good replacement for him. He recommended me.”

Two weeks later, Clay had left all thoughts of working at a radio station far behind.“I was fortunate enough to get the job. So I worked in his office as his senior aide.”

Clay went on to work in other political positions, including as executive director of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, working with 18 African American legislators in the Ohio General Assembly.

“And then I got a big break: I was tapped to run Al Gore’s presidential campaign [in Ohio] in 2000. I worked on the Gore-Lieberman campaign, and my work took me to Florida for a month and a half with the Florida recount, and the hanging chads, all that stuff.”

A job as Midwest political director with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee came next, “and basically I helped run campaigns throughout the Midwest for various different candidates.”

At that point, Clay admits, “I got totally burnt out of politics, and went and sold copiers for a year.”

What could have been a year of drudgery turned out to be “a great experience,

because I learned a lot about people, and I learned how to be nimble on your feet and be told ‘No’ and go back until you get a ‘Yes,’ or at least, ‘I’ll think about it.’ And so that helped me in my career, being in government relations. Those were some valuable skills that I took with me from that time working in sales.”

Refreshed from the experience, Clay realized he wanted to get back into public policy.

“I was approached by a guy by the name of Ed Hogan, who founded the first African American lobbying firm in the state.”

Clay, who had never even heard the term lobbyist “until I got to [the University of Akron] campus,” found himself in exactly the right spot once again.

“Derrick was mentored by Ed Hogan, principal of New Visions Group, who I adored,” says state Sen. Hearcel Craig, a veteran African American legislator both in the Statehouse and on Columbus City Council, who has known Clay for years. Hogan, who died in 2016, became a friend and mentor to Clay, and it was during the New Visions days that Clay truly came into his own, Craig says.

“He is so smart, so strategic and he is certainly collaborative.”

Clay remembers his time with Hogan

fondly. “We worked with a number of different Fortune 500 companies,” Clay says. “I was brought on as a vice president and a partner to help him grow the business, and I ended up working there for 18 years.”

Clay bought the firm from Hogan in 2014 and grew the business some more.

But the journey was not without some bumps in the road.

“When I bought New Visions Group, there would be days where I would sit by the door, wait on the mailman to see if a check came in,” Clay says. “There were times when I paid my employees, and I did not pay myself.

“And that’s not just one time—that was several times.”

Clay’s determination and skills ultimately paid off, however, and Shumaker Loop and Kendrick law firm approached him to purchase New Visions. “They had a lobbying arm called Shumaker Advisors,” he says, and as senior vice president for that firm Clay not only helped business development but also worked with the firm’s team in Washington, D.C., on their lobbying needs.

While all of that kept him busy, Clay somehow found time to be “always active in boards throughout the community.”

That’s putting it mildly. Clay has been

a board member for the Athletic Club of Columbus, as well as the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, Action for Children and the Columbus Recreation and Parks Commission.

And he was also on one other, rather significant board: “I was on the chamber board for close to five years. Don DePerro had announced his retirement [as chamber president and CEO], and I was preparing to be the board chair, and I actually attended the very first search committee meeting,” to find DePerro’s replacement in 2024, Clay says.

“The search firm had a packet of information that had the job description, and they had this page with all these potential replacements for Don on the page. It was like 50 names on this page, and my name was on it, and I’m sitting here thinking, ‘Why is my name on this?’

“But I didn’t think anything of it. I just figured somebody put my name on there, and eventually it would come off. But somebody approached me about the position about a week later and said, ‘Have you ever thought about the chamber job? You would be good for that role.’

And I think I told the first person, ‘No, I’m concentrating on the board, and I have a good book of business at my firm.

So I’m going to concentrate on that.’

“Then I had two or three other people approach me about the role, and I said, ‘OK, God is speaking to me about this, so I need to listen.’ And so I prayed on it, meditated on it, and decided to go after it.”

But fate once again stepped in to test Clay. He had been on the job only three days when DePerro died unexpectedly.

“Don was one of the most genuine people,” Clay says. “He loved this community, he loved the business community, and he did so many good things for the Columbus Chamber. He was just a solid human being.

“I really had to lean on my faith. I had to lean on my training, coming out of campaigns, to be quite honest. I wanted to grieve, but I didn’t have time to grieve. Because even though we had this tragedy over here, we still have to support and serve our 2,500-plus members.

“I had to put the responsibility that was before me, I had to think about how to support this team that has a new leader that they don’t even really know.”

Clay called an emergency meeting for the entire staff, “and that meeting was to do nothing but to just let people feel what they were feeling. We have a lot of staff members who are younger, and this was the first death that they had ever experienced, because they still have grandparents.”

A grief counselor was brought in, “and that really helped,” he says.

Several team dinner meetings have followed, “and I think it was at one of our staff meetings that we said, ‘Look, what’s done is done, but the way that we honor Don’s memory is to continue the work that he started and that we do it well.’”

Even as Clay worked to help the Columbus Chamber recover from the death of his predecessor, he was developing three new initiatives for the organization.

One is called A Better Us. “This is really a mental health initiative,” he says. “When you think about the life of a business owner, business owners are good at what they do. But a lot of times, the mental health gets left on the shelf, and our team truly believes that you can’t be your best business self unless you’re your best physical, mental and spiritual self. So we want to incorporate some of that into all of our programming.”

The second big initiative is an executive relocation package, which the chamber plans to roll out in January 2026. “So if you are a new executive, if you’re a new

quickly. I’m so comfortable with Derrick as a leader and public official.”

business to our community, there should be a one-stop shop where you can just go and say, ‘Hey, I’m here. I don’t know anybody. What can you tell me about the community?’ We believe that the chamber should have a role in that. So if you need a barber, a veterinarian, a banking relationship, a Realtor, if you need a private jet, we want to help give you those resources.”

The third initiative is succession planning. “Business owners get caught up in day to day running the business and they’re not thinking about the end. But we should be servicing every single cycle of business, from the time you file your incorporation papers at the secretary of state’s office to the time you decide whether you want to retire or sell your business.”

The three initiatives are all “something that I’ve lived,” he says. “When you talk about the everyday challenges of a business owner and having more bank than money, I’ve lived that, so I understand the challenges of the small business owner.

“I’ve lived every single cycle that you can live as a business owner. I’ve had the lows of business. I’ve had the very highs of business. That’s the only reason why I say that I’m uniquely positioned for this role.”

Clay’s background is as a longtime Democratic official. But the CEO of the other chamber in Downtown, Stivers, who is a Republican, says he has no problem working hand-in-hand with Clay.

“He’s been a friend for a very, very long time—and a trusted partner,” Stivers says. “The great thing is, even if we disagreed on something, we can clear the air

Clay himself acknowledges that he is “very partisan, but I’m partisan for the business community. We have Democratic members that are members of our organization. We have Republicans, we have Libertarians, we have you name it. But the one thing that we all have in common is that we’re a business ecosystem.

“We are an organization that is the voice of the business community, so we have to advocate for them, and I have to put my partisan hat aside when we’re dealing with matters that are critical to the health of our businesses.”

Another one of Clay’s mentors isn’t surprised that the new chamber CEO is able to work with everyone in the business community.

“He’s always willing to listen and to learn,” says Michael B. Coleman, the former four-term Columbus mayor and, like Clay, the first African American to hold his position.

Coleman, a Toledo native like Clay, laughs when he says that he has known the younger man “since he was kneehigh to a grasshopper.”

Even in the days when Clay was new to Columbus, “he had a strong interest in community affairs and civic engagement,” Coleman says, “and he always wanted to participate in one thing or other.

“He’s a great strategist, he understands government, he’s a terrific facilitator, he believes in the city, he’s a man of his word, and in my experience that’s very important in Columbus. His level of trustworthiness and people’s faith in him is real and justified.

“I think he’s the right person, at the right time, in the right position in this city.”

home & style

Get Crafty Craft Raccoon in Merion Village offers makers of all skill levels a place to hunt for bargain supplies. Read more about the creative reuse shop, Page 42.

‘Crazy Clock House’ Transformation

Real estate developers Damien and Brandi Merk took an outdated home in New Albany and turned it into a luxurious family abode.

In 2022, Damien and Brandi Merk began looking for a home on a street that was less busy than the one they lived on in New Albany. A few years later, their real estate agent found one for sale—but not yet on the market—on a court near the New Albany Country Club. He thought it had great curb appeal—and would appeal to the parents of two young girls.

Jean-Luc Grande-Pierre of The Raines Group took the couple to tour the home in the winter of 2024. The second he opened the door and took a quick look inside, he told them, “This is not the house for you.”

The home’s interior decor was outdated, and the main living space was adorned with more than two dozen clocks. The collection included large grandfather clocks, others placed along the length of a fireplace mantle, more that sat on tables and others that were tucked into built-in shelves. When it became available for public showings, the home affectionately became known around town as “the crazy clock house.”

Six months after the Merks’ initial visit, the home was still on the market, but the asking price was too high given all the interior renovation work that would be needed. Another six months passed, and GrandePierre convinced them to look at it again since the clocks and interior furnishings had been removed.

“Damien and I stood in the kitchen and it

hit us both, ‘We can do this,’ ” Brandi says. “Where others saw a mess, we saw nothing but potential.”

They purchased the home in January 2025 and began pouring their hearts into a complete interior update that both honored the home’s original character and infused it with modern touches. Because they are real estate investors, they used their connections to hire crews for flooring, crown molding and trim, tile, demolition, electric and carpeting. Often, four separate crews worked on the home at the same time. Damien managed the crews and Brandi was the interior designer. The nearly 6,000-square-foot home has five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and one half bath.

The entryway was designed to resemble the modern aesthetic of 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami, Florida, with its black-and-white color palette, large chandelier and big checker tile flooring. The original stairwell spindles were retained.

In the living room, the Merks removed a wall of dark wood built-ins. Amish woodworkers refurbished the crown molding and built a storage bin for the room that also doubles as an accent table. A tiny, white, builder-grade fan was replaced with a dramatic cascading crystal chandelier from Restoration Hardware. It took eight hours for three men to install it by hanging one crystal at a time. Calacatta Viola marble from Turkey, purchased at Konkus Marble and Granite

in Columbus, was added to the fireplace. Marble from the same slab was used to make a sink in the main floor’s half bathroom.

Cabinets between the kitchen and dining area were removed to open up the space, and a kitchen island with the same marble was installed. Below where the cabinets used to hang is a countertop with seating for four. The main floor’s original tongue-and-groove white oak flooring from when the home was built in 2000 was retained and refinished.

A separate, more formal dining area features a soft, whimsical mural of the outdoors that offsets the bolder tone of the marble. “My grandmother had a mural in her dining room when I was growing up, and I always loved it,” Brandi says. “With the renovation, we definitely added modern flairs, but we also wanted to pay homage to the fact that this was a very traditional home.” A handmade chandelier from Arhaus Furniture with 10 separate arms proved to be an even more difficult installation than the living room chandelier, since each arm had to be wired separately.

Three closets in a pantry behind the kitchen were ripped out, and a tin ceiling and new lighting were installed. Cubbies for the kids to store their gear were built and include charging stations for their devices. Their children Lonna, 4, and London, 5, love their new home so much they often joke that if one gets in trouble, their punishment will be having to live in their old house.

The renovation took four months to complete. The overall color palette fea-

tures gold and chrome accents, two metals Brandi believes will hold up well to the test of time.

“We poured our hearts into renovating it—every room, every detail—and now, after all that hard work, we’ve been offered double what we paid for it,” Brandi says. “People keep reaching out asking to come see what we’ve done with it. What was once the house that nobody wanted is now a place we’re incredibly proud to call home.” ◆

(Re)-Using Your Imagination

Beginner artists and those looking for a sustainable, affordable approach to their craft can find supplies and a network of makers at Craft Raccoon.

By Lucy Clark

In February, the popular national art supply chain Joann Fabrics announced it would be shuttering all its stores—a loss that was felt throughout the fine arts and crafting communities. While similar stores still exist, Joann Fabrics functioned for many as a chief source of affordable, varied supplies, as well as a place to take classes and gather with fellow makers.

This June, Columbus’ first reuse craft store opened to help fill that void. Craft Raccoon, located in Merion Village, is the result of owner Rachel Wallis’ passion for craft and community. “All flourishing is mutual,” says Wallis, quoting author Robin Wall Kimmerer. “That’s what I’m trying to center in my life and work with the store—how can we flourish in a way that enriches the lives and practices of all the people around us?”

Take a visit to Craft Raccoon, and you may find yourself accidentally inside its neighboring store Dye Mad Yarns (a local yarn store and dyer). “When you love crafts, craft materials come to you,” says Wallis, who had been inheriting hand-me-down supplies for years and storing them in her garage. In December 2024, Wallis stocked a shelf in Dye Mad Yarn with a handful of supplies that were sold on a paywhat-you-want model. Proceeds were donated to the Returning Artists Guild, which supports currently and formerly incarcerated artists.

With a positive community reception, Wallis had her sights set on the vacant space next to Dye Mad Yarns. “It just sparked something in me. I thought, we’ll wait. If they find a new tenant before then, I’ll know it wasn’t meant to be,” she says. “Then the new year came, and the space was still empty.”

SHORTHAND

Craft Raccoon

1526 S. High St., Merion Village  craftraccooncbus.com

Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday

Business: Creative reuse store with supplies for a variety of fine arts and craft disciplines, public classes and members-only studio access.

The stock at Craft Raccoon is entirely donated. There’s something for every kind of maker, experience level and budget—bolts of fabric, skeins of yarn, sewing and embroidery thread, paintbrushes and palettes, and much more. You can even find equipment, including sewing

machines and rare finds—like the antique yarn spinning wheel that sat, rather temptingly, by the front door during my talk with Wallis. “This stuff is really valuable. It was valuable to the person who owned it in the first place, and it has a lot of value to the community as well,” she says.

Craft Raccoon hosts several classes led by local makers and artists. There’s also a membership program, which gives access to the store’s studio, a weekly members-only brunch and a discount on all classes and supplies. Yet even for non-members, Wallis says the stock is generally priced under 50 percent of its original retail value.

“People feel burnt out by buying things and disposing of them and buying more things,” Wallis says. “I like the idea of reuse, of making sure that we’re using products to the end of their lifespan.”

Top 25 Home Sales

Sept. 1-30, 2025 PRICE ADDRESS

$2,900,036 256 S. Columbia Ave., Bexley

$2,300,000 6 Ealy Crossing S., New Albany

$1,950,000 3130 S. Dorchester Rd., Upper Arlington

$1,700,000 459 Orchard Dr., Granville

$1,619,000 2841 Doncaster Rd., Upper Arlington

$1,410,000 3885 Woodbridge Rd., Upper Arlington

$1,405,000 2069 Upper Chelsea Rd., Upper Arlington

$1,355,000 4320 Vaux Link Rd., New Albany

$1,275,000 3839 Woodbridge Rd., Upper Arlington

$1,250,000 14 Lyonsgate Rd., Columbus

$1,235,000 7335 Southfield Rd., New Albany

$1,219,000 7699 Clear Creek Ct., Blacklick

$1,200,000 7307 Roycroft Ct., Dublin

$1,160,000 108 Hawks Cove Ct., Granville

$1,160,000 3917 Tarrington Ln., Upper Arlington

$1,150,000 7931 Concord Rd., Johnstown

$1,145,000 4033 Sedgwick Dr., New Albany

$1,126,000 7428 Wellington Reserve Ct., Dublin

$1,100,000 513 Cherokee Trail, Granville

$1,100,000 5877 Olentangy Blvd., Worthington

$1,100,000 99 S. Roosevelt Ave., Bexley

$1,075,000 4688 Vista Ridge Dr., Dublin

$1,070,000 2201 Bryden Rd., Bexley

$1,061,500 61 Wyddfa Ct., Granville

$1,031,000 2801 Canterbury Rd., Upper Arlington

TO OUR 2025 NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

COLUMBUS MARATHON & 1/2 MARATHON SPONSORS!

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

CHILDREN’S CHAMPION TENT SPONSOR

PATRON SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

SUPPORTER SPONSOR ON COURSE SPONSORS

PACE CAR SPONSOR

KIND DONORS

The

city’s finest dining pros dish on themselves and the items that set their menus apart.

JOSHUA COOK • MEGAN ADA

CHEF AND OWNER, AMPERSAND ASIAN SUPPER CLUB

WHAT IS YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE? Megan Ada: My style as an owner is to lead by example. I’m very hands on. You’ll see me serving, cooking, dishwashing and anything else that is needed. I’d prefer to do those things than sit on my laptop and pay the bills and answer emails.

HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN THE INDUSTRY? Megan Ada: My first job was at McDonald’s when I was 16 and I loved it. Joshua Cook: I started as a busboy at 14 at the Riviera Country Club because I could skateboard there.

WHO OR WHAT INSPIRES YOU? We are inspired by each other, our moms and our kids. They drive us to work hard and be strong and give us the reason why this is all worth it.

PORK CHASHU STEAMED BUNS Soft pillow-like buns filled with melt-in-your-mouth pork, spicy mayo and achara slaw. Pictured with crab rangoons filled with real crab, an egg roll and Messy

Holiday Gift Guide

Oakland Nursery

Enjoy our two unique shopping experiences this holiday season: Oakland HOME and Oakland INSIDE & OUT. For more information, visit oaklandnursery.com and click the “Specialty Shops” tab.

Oakland HOME

4271 W. Dublin-Granville Rd. Dublin, OH 43017

614-874-2400

Oakland INSIDE & OUT

5211-B Johnstown Rd. New Albany, OH 43054

614-573-8648

Economic & Community Development Institute

The Economic & Community Development Institute (ECDI) is one of the top U.S. SBA intermediary microlenders with a mission to invest in people to create measurable and enduring social and economic change. ECDI provides responsible, affordable lending and comprehensive small business development services to help meet the needs of small businesses.

1655 Old Leonard Ave. Columbus, OH 43219

614-559-0115

ECDI.org

NeuroAnimation Debuts First Therapy

Proven to Grow Brain, Delivering LifeChanging Results for Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Stroke, and Parkinson’s

Clients

“I thought I had lost my partner forever. This program reversed what I thought was irreversible—it’s nothing short of a miracle.”

— Spouse of NeuroAnimation client with Alzheimer’s Ahead of World Alzheimer’s Day, Columbus-based NeuroAnimation announced that every client using its brain health therapy has shown measurable improvements in memory, mobility, or cognition—some described as miraculous.

Based on over a decade of research, the program is the first to show real-world brain growth in regions affected by neurological decline.

Key outcomes:

100% of clients improved in memory, cognition, and/or mobility, with an average 38% cognitive function increase in just 3 weeks.

Hippocampal subregion growth: Subiculum (4–6%), CA3 (5–10%).

Major functional gains:

improved hand control, restored independence, and better executive function.

The therapy works by increasing blood flow to brain regions that typically shrink with age. A study by Dr. Michelle Carlson (Johns Hopkins) showed the therapy increased hippocampal volume in TBI patients.

NeuroAnimation merges neuroscience with Hollywood technology—clients perform guided physical movements while controlling a virtual animal in an immersive underwater world. This stimulates specific brain areas, resulting in consistent improvements in cognition and movement.

“This is a paradigm shift—like discovering penicillin,” said Dr. David Whitt. “Clients aren’t just stabilizing—they’re reversing disease.”

Dr. Omar Ahmad, CEO,

called “the only therapy to achieve such results,” backed by rigorous science and imaging. “This is about rebuilding the brain for the future.”

called it “the only known therapy to achieve such results,” backed by rigorous science and imaging. “This is about rebuilding the brain for the future.”

Co-founder Tom DeSanto (Transformers, X-Men) said, “It’s like Star Trek’s holodeck meets X-Men’s Cerebro. Clients become the heroes of their own story—and leave better than they came.”

Co-founder Tom DeSanto (Transformers, X-Men) said, “It’s like Star Trek’s holodeck meets X-Men’s Cerebro. Clients become the heroes of their own story—and leave better than they came.”

Programs offered:

Programs offered:

Neuro-Recovery: 3-week bootcamp (3 hrs/day, 5 days/ week) for stroke, TBI, or advanced conditions.

Neuro-Recovery: 3-week bootcamp (3 hrs/day, 5 days/ week) for stroke, TBI, or advanced conditions.

Neuro-Strength: 12-week program (1 hr, 2 days/week) for boosting cognition or early decline.

Neuro-Strength: 12-week program (1 hr, 2 days/week) for boosting cognition or early decline.

The Columbus center is the first of its kind, with plans to expand and present further scientific findings soon.

The Columbus center is the first of its kind, with plans to expand and present further scientific findings soon.

food & drink

A Neighborhood Favorite Returns

A sunburst clock highlights the retro vibes at the recently reopened Chef-O-

See what’s on the menu at the classic Upper Arlington diner, Page 56.

Still Growing at 75

Family-owned Johnson’s Real Ice Cream celebrates 75 years with an expanded footprint.

By Bob Vitale

Matt Wilcoxon doesn’t worry about the new Halloween flavor of ice cream two employees just brought him to taste on a Wednesday morning in early September. He doesn’t worry—not too much, anyway—about the six new Johnson’s Real Ice Cream shops that have opened since 2024 and tripled its footprint in central Ohio.

But something is keeping the fourth-generation leader of his family’s 75-year-old ice cream business up at night.

The original Johnson’s location in Bexley, the one his grandfather and great-grandfather started in 1950, is due for a refresh. What if, Wilcoxon worries, people don’t like the new floor?

“I worry to death,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many people come in and say, ‘Hey, don’t you mess with the floor.’ But a 45-year-old floor just has to be updated.”

He gets the sentiment, though.

Johnson’s has added more than 4,200 square feet to the Bexley location since its start as a 10-by-10-foot shack with two walk-up windows. But those windows and those origins are still front and center, just as Triple Bean Vanilla, Dutch chocolate, strawberry and orange sherbet still claim space on a 35-flavor menu that now includes Campfire S’mores, Salty Caramel Chocolate Pretzel and a tossthem-all-in-there Columbus Crunch.

“This is family. This is the original location. The history’s here,” Wilcoxon says. “We have to be true to the nostalgia and the history of Johnson’s.”

The Nostalgia and History of Johnson’s Wilcoxon knows that history well. As a 12-year-old, he wanted nothing more than to work for his grandfather, Jim Wilcoxon. His grandmother would see him off at a COTA stop near Main Street and Waggoner Road in Reynoldsburg, and his grandfather would wait for him at the Main Street stop near the shop in Bexley.

The future CEO would wipe tables, dust picture frames and do other chores, not to the standard of his boss in Bexley but to the standard of the woman who was back home in Reynoldsburg. “She was in here a couple months ago, and she did give me the OK,” Matt Wilcoxon says of his grandmother, Hope Wilcoxon, who is now 99 years old. His grandfather died in 2015.

“She did tell me a few things we needed to fix. I told her, ‘Well, Grandma, that’s for the refresh.’ She knows. But she knows I know, because she taught me.”

Wilcoxon’s family got into the ice



As it celebrates its 75th anniversary, Johnson’s Real Ice Cream also is celebrating the family-owned business’ greatest period of growth. Six new Johnson’s shops have opened across the Columbus region since 2024. The Bexley scoop shop is the original.

cream business by way of meat. Jim Wilcoxon and Hope’s father, Robert Johnson, owned a meat market next door on Main Street, but the post-World War II years turned lean as people began shopping in supermarkets and buying home freezers.

They already had an ice cream machine set up in the market’s freezer and would sell small batches they made. “As that business went away, they said, ‘Hey, this ice cream thing is working.

People want our ice cream,’ ” Matt Wilcoxon says. “They closed the meat

market down.”

Johnson’s Real Ice Cream started in September 1950. The Real is in there— its original sign said, “It’s Real Ice Cream” under the Johnson’s name—as a bit of shade toward a soft-serve competitor nearby.

A First Job for Many Young People

Brian Doyle grew up in Bexley and rode bikes with his friends to Johnson’s, which was sort of their hangout, he says. It ended up being his first job and one he kept for 10 years, as he moved through high school, college, and until he began training to become a physician’s assistant. At Johnson’s, his roles grew from scooper to shift lead to assistant manager to introducing the brand to retailers.

“It really taught me a lot about responsibility. It taught me about leadership,” he says.

Wilcoxon said ice-cream scooping has been a first-job experience for thousands of others besides him and Doyle. Introducing young people to the workplace, teaching them how to interact with customers and coworkers, and showing up on time and doing the job well are all part of the business he loves. He says Johnson’s has no trouble finding and keeping good employees.

He even has a recommendation for someone who won’t be ready to put on a Johnson’s apron for about 15 more years: Doyle’s 1-year-old son.

An Expansion 74 Years in the Making

For years, Johnson’s biggest chunk of business came as the wholesale source of ice cream for restaurants. It’s an area

Jim Wilcoxon Jr., Matt Wilcoxon’s father, built up before he retired in 2015 after 30 years as CEO.

Johnson’s supplies more than 400 restaurants today, Matt Wilcoxon says, including Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and others throughout the Midwest.

Johnson’s didn’t open any other retail shops, though, until 2018, when it expanded to Dublin and New Albany. And it didn’t start its biggest retail expansion until its 74th year in business. New shops opened in Grandview Heights, Canal Winchester and Columbus’ Italian Village in 2024. Two shops in Powell and one in Pickerington opened this year.

Why the sudden growth?

Wilcoxon says he wanted his family’s ice cream to get a little more recognition across central Ohio. It’s a strategy, he says, that has worked.

“As we opened one store, another opportunity came up. As we were doing that, a developer would contact us and say, ‘We have this great idea.’ We’ve evolved from being, ‘Johnson’s, we can probably fit you in somewhere,’ to, ‘We want you as an anchor.’ ”

Not too many 75-year-old companies worry about growing too quickly, but that’s

a concern on Wilcoxon’s radar now, too. Johnson’s might continue to grow in 2026, he says, but it mostly will be a time for the company to adjust to recent growth and “button things up” in terms of customer service and other priorities. He says he’s confident the quality of its ice cream is as high as ever.

“We don’t want to grow too quickly to the point where anything suffers,” he says. ◆

Mezze and Merriment on the Scioto Mile

Chef Josh Dalton announces a Mediterranean restaurant in the former Milestone 229 space.

By Bob Vitale

Josh Dalton, the chef who helped turn High and Gay streets into the new center of dining in Columbus, has been tapped to create a new restaurant in a high-profile, city-owned space on the Scioto riverfront.

The chef and owner of Veritas and Speck Italian Eatery said he plans a Mediterranean menu—it will include influences from southern Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East— when he opens his yet-unnamed restaurant in the spring of 2026 at 229 Civic Center Drive.

The address is the former home of Milestone 229, which closed Dec. 31, 2024.

Dalton says he was approached by officials from Downtown Columbus Inc., the private, nonprofit agency that oversees Downtown development and programming, to examine the rounded restaurant structure built in 2011 as part of a $44-million transformation of the riverfront from Whittier Peninsula to North Bank Park.

“It’s cool, but I didn’t know what needed to go there,” he said. When the

thought came days later of people sitting on the restaurant’s patio, enjoying a summer breeze, sipping gin and tonics, and nibbling on mezze appetizers, he called Downtown Columbus Inc. president Amy Taylor.

“I want that patio to rival anything in Columbus as far as a place to meet,” Dalton says.

Josh Dalton’s Scioto Mile Restaurant

The new restaurant has a targeted opening of spring 2026.

Mayor Andrew Ginther, who called Bicentennial Park, with its fountain, restaurant and performance stage, “one of my favorite places” in Columbus, says Dalton understands how the space fits into city life.

The chef and restaurateur says he’ll create the restaurant with an eye on accessibility and affordability for everyone who visits Bicentennial Park and the Scioto Mile. Dalton plans to embrace the nearby activity, including children playing in the adjoining fountain.

“We’re not going to put ourselves on

this pedestal,” he says. “If you don’t embrace it, it isn’t going to work.”

Taylor says the new Scioto Mile restaurant will take advantage of the city’s Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area rules, which allow people to buy alcoholic beverages to consume while walking or sitting elsewhere along the riverfront. She says plans for the space include an area of the patio bar specifically for DORA customers.

Other plans include indoor seating for nearly 100. Dalton says the patio will include not just tables and chairs but also “living room setups” for people to feel more relaxed. He says his early thoughts about the food include items such as roasted seafood, pasta, lamb, dips and spreads, and other fare.

Dalton, a native of New Orleans, opened his first Central Ohio restaurant, 1808 American Bistro in Delaware, in 2007, and announced its closure in October. He also plans to open a Mexican restaurant called Rosalita’s on Gay Street in Columbus in the summer of 2026. ◆

A Classic Returns

Upper Arlington’s beloved diner, Chef-O-Nette, reopens refreshed while retaining its vintage charm.

By Amy Bodiker Baskes

“This is the first restaurant I ever visited,” an elderly gentleman tells me as we wait at the host stand of Chef-O-Nette. “My mother would bring me here. It was always a treat.”

It’s a similar tale for many Upper Arlington residents who hold a special fondness for the neighborhood’s beloved diner. Opened in 1955, with one of the country’s first drive-through-windows, Chef-O-Nette has served burgers, shakes and breakfast classics to generations.

Indeed, timelessness is much of its appeal. New owners Mike Purdum and his daughter, Abigail Stellern—who also own the Old Bag of Nails and Hobnob Pizza restaurants—recognized the importance of its nostalgic draw when they purchased the restaurant in early 2024. As the third owners of the restaurant since its founding in 1955, their focus during renovation was to restore the classic restaurant without redoing too much.

“Chef-O,” as it’s affectionately called, reopened in June. The owners partnered with local business Fortin Ironworks to restore the brass details on the counter stools. A midcentury sunburst clock and decorative ducks were cleaned and returned to the walls. “The Formica counters and all the seating are original,” manager Barry Dunklin says. “It’s all still holding up. I guess they made things to last back then.”

The kitchen equipment and ventilation systems were modernized, but the menu retains its tried-and-true diner charm, offering breakfast and lunch classics from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day but Tuesday. The menu is child-friendly with its hot dog ($7.85), chicken tenders ($11.25) and grilled cheese ($7.95) options, but there are salads and sandwiches, too. Breakfast standards are always available as well, with housemade cinnamon rolls on Sundays.

Still, burgers comprise a third of ChefO-Nette’s sandwich menu (all $11.25). Carry-overs from earlier menus like the Chef-O-Stack, two patties enveloping griddled onions, and the Hangover, a burger with ham, are best-sellers. Sandwiches come with a choice of fries or onion rings, but you could also go old-school and get a side of original-recipe coleslaw, cottage cheese or applesauce instead.

As I wasn’t hungover or craving breakfast, I opted for a club sandwich ($12.95): turkey, bacon and ham dressed in plenty of mayonnaise. It was served on a rela-

SHORTHAND

Chef-O-Nette

2090 Tremont Center

Upper Arlington 614-488-8444

chefonette.com

Open for breakfast and lunch. Closed on Tuesdays.

If you go: Classic diner cuisine makes up the menu here. Saving room for ice cream or a shake is highly recommended.

tively modern seeded multigrain bread, but the triangle-cut toast and strategic use of frilly toothpicks were throwbacks to an earlier era. My onion rings were extra, but worth the $0.65 splurge. I loved their salty and crisp battered exterior giving way to thick slices of sweet, steamed onions inside.

“Milkshakes are still some of our top sellers,” Dunklin says. “We’ve always been an ice-cream parlor.” I savored my classic chocolate shake, topped with a generous dollop of whipped cream and a candied cherry, but slightly disappointed myself that I didn’t swing big to try a chocolate banana shake or a malt or root beer float. Thankfully, I can be certain Chef-O will be there serving up the classics when I return. ◆

let’s eat

WHERE TO DINE THIS MONTH

Editor’s Note: Please call restaurants to check hours and menu availability.

$$$$ Very expensive, $30 and higher

$$$ Spendy, $21–$29

$$ Moderate, $13–$20

$ Affordable, $12 and under

NEW Restaurant has opened within the last few months.

Outdoor Seating

B Breakfast BR Brunch L Lunch D Dinner

2025 Best New Restaurants

2025 Best Restaurant

Let’s Eat is Columbus Monthly’s guide to area restaurants. The list is updated monthly with picks from our editors. Send updates and suggestions to letters@columbusmonthly.com.

AFRICAN

Chez Rama Restaurant

You’ll find traditional Senegalese cooking at this friendly East Side spot. Menu items include dibi lamb, thieboudienne (a fish and rice dish), saka-saka, grilled tilapia and other West African dishes. 3669 E. Livingston Ave., East Side, 614-237-9315. LD $$

Drelyse African Restaurant

Lisa Bannerman’s Tamarack Circle restaurant offers dishes from around the African continent, with a focus on Ghanaian fare. Think: waakye, jollof rice, banku and fried fish, spinach stew and much more. 1911 Tamarack Cir. N. North Side, 614-4303350. LD $$$

Fetty’s Street Food

Chef Damian Ettish’s food truck menu draws inspiration from Thailand, India and his native South Africa. Expect dishes such as bunny chow, tom yum gai, boerewors, massaman curry, chilli paneer and more. Food truck, Citywide, 614-400-9607. LD $$

Fork in Nigeria

Hailing from Detroit, this food truck serves authentic Nigerian cuisine such as jollof rice, egusi soup with pounded yam, fufu and more. Food Truck, 6300 E. Livingston Ave., Reynoldsburg, 614-966-9969. LD $$

Visit columbus monthly.com to read about the latest restaurant openings.

Foodateria Kitchen

Stop in to this North Side eatery for signature Kenyan and Nigerian dishes such as grilled goat, jollof, samosas and more. Several stews warm the menu, including Yetty’s Egusi, a stew made with vegetables, meats and ground melon seeds. 2492 Home Acre Dr., Northland, 614-772-3461. LD $$

Hisham’s

This family-run food truck specializes in South African Cape Malay cuisine, including chicken curry over basmati rice. Also try the savory hand pies, and save room for doughnut-like koeksisters. Food Truck, Citywide, 614-5654198. LD $$

Intercontinental Nigerian Restaurant

This Northland establishment has been serving traditional Nigerian and West African cuisine since 2011. Go for authentic fare such as fufu, egusi stew, jollof rice, moi moi, fried plantains and more. 5777 Cleveland Ave., North Side, 614-259-3951. LD $$

Pat’s Delicious

Pat’s offers a different menu focused on Nigerian cuisine everyday. Here, you’ll find dishes like bitter leaf soup, moimoi and more. 4616 Cleveland Ave., Easton, 614269-7122. LD $$$

The Point Restaurant

Traditional West African cuisine is served at The Point, including Ghanaian favorites like waakye, banku and jollof rice. 885 S. Hamilton Rd., Whitehall, 614-826-2797. LD $

Riziki Swahili Grill

There’s a lot to love about Riziki Yussuf’s charming spot, serving authentic Tanzanian fare. Don’t miss the excellent chapati platter with chicken curry, the tender mishkaki (beef kebabs) or the turmeric-scented urojo soup (served only on Sundays). 212 Kelton Ave., Franklin Park; 1872 Tamarack Cir. S., North Side, 614-547-7440. LD $$

AMERICAN

Asterisk Supper Club

Owner Megan Ada offers teatime and suppertime in a bibliophile’s dream atmosphere. Craft cocktails are served at a handsome bar, while the eclectic menu ranges from fancy grilled cheese to lamb chops. 14 N. State St., Westerville, 614-776-4633. LD $$

Biscuit Boss

Looking for on-the-go comfort food? Biscuit Boss offers made-from-scratch biscuits with a wide variety of toppings and Ohio-grown meats. Go for French toast bites and the

Boss, a biscuit with cayenne fried chicken and jalapeño honey. Food Truck, Citywide, 937-631-7614. BL $

Bun’s Restaurant

Located in historic Delaware, Bun’s has been serving classic comfort food for more than 150 years. The menu ranges from pot roast and steaks to fried shrimp and gyro platters. 14 W. Winter St., Delaware, 740-363-2867. LD $$

Club 185

You’ll find cozy booths and stiff drinks at this dimly lit German Village hangout serving better-than-average bar fare like cheeseburgers, Anchor Bar wings and pizza. 185 E. Livingston Ave., German Village, 614228-3904. LD $

Eight and Sand Tavern & Refuge

Eight and Sand is a sophisticated yet casual neighborhood bar in Hungarian Village that slings solid American fare such as wings, sandwiches and hot dogs. 76 E. Innis Ave., South Side, 614-914-8601. D $

Gahanna Grill

The Gahanna landmark has a storied history

dating back to the 1930s, with the Beanie Burger, prime rib and chicken Marsala. 82 Granville St., Gahanna, 614-476-9017. LD $$$

Harvest Bar + Kitchen

From the owners of Harvest Pizzeria, these locations offer the same wood-kissed pies plus salads, sandwiches, burgers and more. 940 S. Front St., Brewery District, 614-9477950; 2885 N. High St., Clintonville, 614947-7133. LD $$

Hubbard Grille

Hubbard specializes in upscale takes on down-home and down-South dishes made with organic and local ingredients. 793 N. High St., Short North, 614-291-5000. D $$$

Kitchen Social

A stylish, independently owned restaurant serving classic American grill fare alongside plates inspired by global cuisines. Start with the fan-favorite cheddar and scallion biscuits to go with any of the signature cocktails or a glass from the extensive wine list. The menu includes entrée salads, pizzas, tacos, seafood, steaks and more. 6791 Longshore St., Ste. 110, Dublin, 614-763-1770; 8954 Lyra Dr., Polaris, 614-505-8492. BRLD $$

The Locust Table

The name of this neighborhood café stems from the owner’s generations-old family farm, The Twin Locust Farm, which is a main source for the eatery’s ingredients and produce. The menu at this downtown Powell spot includes scones, egg sandwiches, veggie burgers and more. 16 Crossing St., Powell, 614-553-7322. BBRL $$

Old Mohawk Restaurant

This German Village favorite housed in a historic building is rumored to have ties to Prohibition. On the menu is standard American bar fare, including the famed turtle soup. 819 Mohawk St., German Village, 614444-7204. LD $

Press Grill

What this longtime Short North favorite lacks in size it makes up for in character, with a diner feel and a bar the length of the interior. Press Grill serves solid American fare like club sandwiches, burgers and Coneys; daily specials range from taco night to Thanksgiving dinner. 741 N. High St., Short North, 614-298-1014. LD $$

Roosters

The homegrown sports-bar chain is famous for its wings. The extensive menu also offers salads, chicken fingers, pizza and subs. 5511 New Albany Rd W, New Albany, 614-7751144; 7110 Sawmill Rd., Dublin, 380-2046170; 897 City Park Ave., German Village, 614-444-8848; 1650 Stringtown Rd., 4850 Morse Rd., Gahanna, 614-245-8151; Grove City, 614-539-8711; 5225 Nike Station Way, Hilliard, 614-777-6125; 1832 Henderson Rd., Northwest Side, 614-326-0216; 1041 Gemini Pl., Polaris, 614-896-6460; 4650 W. Broad St., West Side, 614-853-0118; 376 S. Hamilton Rd., Whitehall, 614-759-7778. LD $

Scotty’s Café

This family favorite on the East Side serves a full breakfast menu with specialty omelets, plus deli classics like excellent corned beef sandwiches on rye. 2980 E. Broad St., East Side, 380-249-2871. BL $

SOW Plated

With a “food is medicine” mantra, this handsomely designed restaurant in The Shops on Lane Avenue features a health-conscious menu and cold-pressed cocktails. 1625 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington, 614-826-0028. BRLD $$$

The Two-One

Located inside the Renaissance hotel, this sophisticated but relaxed eatery focuses on serving locally-sourced foods paired with a full cocktail menu. 409 Altair Pkwy., Westerville, 614-882-6800. BBRLD $$$

The Whitney House

This Old Worthington mainstay recently got a refresh of its interiors and American grill menu, which features pierogies, burgers, pan-seared walleye and Sunday Supper

rigatoni. 666 High St., Worthington, 614396-7846. BRLD $$$

BAKERY

Al Aqsa Sweets

Excellent baklava, petit four cookies, knafeh and other desserts are the focus of this traditional Middle Eastern bakery owned by Fathieh Abdellatif. 1940 Schrock Rd., North Side, 614-806-0293. LD $

Auddino’s Italian Bakery

They don’t make bakeries like Auddino’s anymore. This old-school Italian retail bakeshop and wholesaler offers sandwich buns, pizza dough, pastries, cookies and more. 1490 Clara St., University District, 614294-2577. BL $

Belle’s Bread

Tucked away in the same complex as Akai Hana, this French-inspired Japanese bakery is known for its outstanding pastries, cakes and treats. 1168 Kenny Centre Mall, Upper Arlington, 614-451-7110. BLD $

Bite This

Annie Dickson’s bakery celebrates goth culture as much as it does her innovative baked creations. A 12-foot tall skeleton greets visitors who stop in to this take-out shop for cakes, brownies and Dickson’s famous savory Bagel Bombs. 3009 N. High St., Clintonville. BL $

Golden Delight Bakery

Best known for its delightfully light strawberry cake, this Asian bakery has been serving the city for 30 years. Other offerings include cream puffs, egg tarts, fruit tarts, cake rolls and a wide variety of specialty cakes. 246 Lincoln Circle, C, Gahanna, 614-924-0097; 1516 Bethel Road, Northwest Side, 614-4596888. BL $

Kolache Republic

Inside The Daily Growler, this Czech-inspired bakery offers sweet and savory kolache for breakfast as well as varieties like kielbasa and cheese that pair well with beer. 730 S. High St., German Village. BLD $

Pistacia Vera

The crème de la crème of Columbus pastry shops, with macarons, croissants, éclairs, tarts, quiches and a small selection of sandwiches. 541 S. Third St., German Village, 614-220-9070. BL $

Three Bites Bakery + Little Cat Boba

In this shared space, you’ll find sweet and savory baked items, strong coffee and colorful boba options. The Fillipino treats from Three Bites are exceptional, and the central location on Broad Street makes this a worthwhile stop Downtown. 12 E. Broad St., Downtown. BL $

CARIBBEAN

Caribbean Jerks Island Bar & Grill

This locally owned spot offers a Caribbeanstyle take on American pub grub, plus live music. The menu features such islandinspired offerings as the Beachside Nachos, The Shipwreck burger and jerk chicken wrap. 1262 E. Powell Rd., Lewis Center, 614-844-6501. LD $

Ena’s Caribbean Kitchen

Founded more than 20 years ago by matriarch Vinell “Ena” Hayles, a native of Jamaica, this Linden area restaurant offers authentic Caribbean fare like jerk chicken, callaloo and curry goat. 2444 Cleveland Ave., North Linden, 614-262-0988. BRLD $$

Island Vibes Restaurant

A small, counter-serve eatery offering a selection of traditional Jamaican dishes like

oxtail, jerk chicken, plantains and curry goat. 1558 Cleveland Ave, South Linden, 614-4054821. LD $$$

Mi Yaad Jamaican Restaurant

Located inside Saraga International Grocery, this carryout serves top-notch Jamaican patties, jerk chicken, escovitch fish, curry goat, Rasta pasta and more. 2750 S. Hamilton Road, East Side, 614-490-7197. LD $$

Val’s of the Caribbean

A family-owned eatery serving Caribbean specialties like saltfish fritters, jerk chicken, oxtail and goat curry. 6820 Refugee Rd., Canal Winchester, 614-834-4403. LD $

CONTEMPORARY

Agni

At his fine-dining restaurant, chef Avishar Barua (Top Chef Season 18) entertains guests with multicourse tasting menus that showcase Barua’s Bengali roots, penchant for creative hijinks and live-fire cooking chops. Reservations are a must, or try snagging a bar seat. 716 S. High St., Brewery District, 614-674-6600. D $$$$

Comune

Joe Galati’s restaurant and bar fills a void in Columbus with a plant-based approach to upscale dining. The seasonal menu includes shareable dishes like tahdig, house-made pita with dipping sauces, tempura cauliflower and semolina cavatelli. 677 Parsons Ave., Schumacher Place, 614-947-1012 D $$$

Gene’s

This newcomer to Old Dublin’s High Street is a cozy space in an old house and a sister restaurant to the Coast Wine House down the block. The menu changes regularly to incorporate seasonal ingredients, while

the accessible wine and creative cocktail lists invite guests to linger into the evening. 91 S. High St., Dublin, 614-553-7050. D $$$

NEW Isla

After hosting meals in their home through the Roy’s Avenue Supper Club, chef Andrew Smith and his wife Devoney Mills transferred the experience of communal fine dining to their new restaurant. Two groups of 14 guests are seated nightly at a shared table for a tasting menu, with a chef’s counter experience available on Thursdays for an additional cost. Advanced prepaid reservations are required. 116 E. Moler St., Merion Village. D $$$$

Service Bar

Local distiller Middle West showcases its fine spirits at this on-site restaurant and bar led by executive chef Chris Connolly. Expect New American fare ranging from a Wagyu beef burger to halibut with Kashmiri curry. 1230 Courtland Ave., Short North, 614-947-1231. D $$$

SoCal Kitchen + Bar

Vintage luggage and maritime accents fill this attractive, Southern California-inspired restaurant and bar from Cameron Mitchell. Seafood stars, with dishes ranging from tuna poke to lobster rolls to Fisherman’s Stew. Stir frys, burgers and steaks are also available. An elevator connects SoCal to the rooftop lounge, Lincoln Social. 705 N. High St., Short North, 614-300-9500. BRD $$$$

Wolf’s Ridge Brewing

French- and California-cuisine-inspired Wolf’s Ridge is a truly delightful reflection of how we enjoy fine dining today—a happy marriage of high-end small plates, pints of house-crafted beer and craft cocktails. Don’t miss the brunch. 215 N. Fourth St., Downtown, 614-429-3936. BRLD $$$

GREEK

Anna’s Greek Cuisine

After serving her mother’s food in Greece, Anna opened her own restaurant over 22 years ago. Specialties range from pita sandwiches and pastitsio to lamb shank and moussaka. 7370 Sawmill Rd., Northwest Side, 614-799-2207. LD $$

King Gyros Greek Restaurant

Greece-born Yianni Chalkias opened his fastcasual Greek restaurant more than 25 years ago, with gyros, lamb chops, Greek dips, dolmades and baklava. 400 S. Hamilton Rd., Whitehall, 614-866-9008. LD $$

Loops

From the original Loops Spicy Gyro Roll to a loaded Chicago hot dog, Loops gives you an authentic taste of the Windy City. 1629 Northwest Blvd., Fifth by Northwest, 614670-8808. LD $

No.1 Gyro Shoppe

Traditional Mediterranean eatery serving gyros, falafel and Greek salad. 3591 W. Broad St., West Side, 614-272-6244; 4567 Cemetery Rd., Hilliard, 614-219-7600. LD $

Yanni’s Greek Grill

A small, casual Greek eatery with an authentic menu, including lamb chops, stuffed grape leaves, gyros and hummus. 6196 Cleveland Ave., North Side, 614-890-4775. LD $$

ITALIAN

NEW Bar Italia

Rick Doody brings Lindey’s beloved bread to accompany classic Italian dishes at this Easton restaurant. Bar Italia’s approachableyet-refined menu offers wood-fired pizzas, red sauce pastas, meaty entrees and an extensive wine list. 4145 The Strand W., Easton, 614-702-2022. LD $$$

Basi Italia

Nestled in the heart of Victorian Village, Basi Italia serves clean, simple Italian fare with innovative twists in a setting so intimate, you’ll feel like the chef invited you over for dinner. Basi offers one of the city’s best patios. 811 Highland St., Victorian Village, 614-294-7383. D $$$$

Borgata Pizza Café

A family-run Italian eatery specializing in New York-style pizza, scratch-made pastas, calzones and panini. Try the ricotta cavatelli with marinara or spicy stuffed peppers— tender Cubanelle peppers with marinara and gooey mozzarella cheese. 1086 N. Fourth St., Italian Village; 2285 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., Northwest Side, 614-396-8758. D $$

Cento

For his 100th restaurant, Cameron Mitchell brings Italian cuisine to German Village, leaning into familiar, beloved pastas and

mains. Happy hour offers good deals on wine and appetizers, including the excellent artichoke heart served only at that time. 595 S Third St., German Village, 614.696.6565. D $$$$

Claudiana Italian Restaurant

Tucked away in a shopping center is this white-tablecloth destination for classic Italian-American fare, with pizzas, baked gnocchi, lasagna, spaghetti alla vongole, filet mignon and more. 8475 Sancus Blvd., Polaris, 614-846-2236. D $$$

Gallo’s on High

This upscale Clintonville eatery features house-made meatballs and marinara sauce served atop classic pastas and alongside Italian staples like chicken piccata. You’ll also find steaks, pizza, sandwiches and seafood dishes on the menu. 4215 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-674-6223. D $$$

NEW Metsi’s Wood-Fired Italian

Chef BJ Lieberman has repurposed the space that was previously home to Hiraeth into an Italian restaurant named for his favorite baseball team. The wood-fired hearth is well-utilized in main dishes like osso buco and herbed snapper. A negroni-centric happy hour is offered from 4-6 p.m. 36 E. Lincoln St., Italian Village, 614-824-4516 D $$$$

Milano’s Italian Restaurant

A family restaurant serving hearty Italian fare, with spaghetti and meatballs, prime rib, shrimp scampi, lasagna and Orecchiette al Amatriciana. 6916 E. Broad St., East Side, 614-861-1277. LD $$

Smith’s Restaurant and Deli

A neighborhood, family-owned restaurant that’s been serving classic Italian fare since 1961. Expect dishes like deli sandwiches, lasagna, pizza, Reubens and stromboli. 3737 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-267-7541. LD $

JAPANESE

The 1126 Restaurant

This cozy and chic sushi restaurant offers an assortment of appetizers, sushi, udon, hibachi and tempura entrées alongside plenty of Japanese whisky and sake options. 1126 N. High St., Short North, 614725-3435. LD $$$

Akai Hana

This entertaining Japanese bento shop boasts some of the city’s best sushi and a wide range of Japanese and Korean entrées. 1173 Old Henderson Rd., Northwest Side, 614-451-5411. LD $$$

Kirin Noodle Bar

What started as a ramen shop now offers a wider menu, including sushi and a variety of appetizers such as karaage, chashu pork buns and hand rolls, with a selection of Japanese whiskys. 4227 N. High St., Clintonville, 614867-5356. LD $$

Meshikou Ramen

Meshikou is an open-kitchen ramen shop focusing on authentic preparations of noodle bowls, as well as a few Japanese comfortfood starters. Co-owner Mike Shek learned the ramen craft under a NYC chef—recipes to which Shek has added his own touch for Central Ohio palates. 1506 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-457-1689. LD $$

Red Rabbit Ramen

Located outside Echo Spirits Distillery Co., this Japanese yatai cart serves yakitori and bowls of scratch-made Japanese ramen. 985 W. Sixth Ave., Fifth by Northwest, 614-2331822 D $$

Sushi Factory

At this shopping center spot, customers can expect an extensive menu of Japanese fare, from udon and hibachi entrées to creative sushi rolls and nigiri. A long sake and wine list completes the package. 8715 Sancus Blvd., Polaris, 614-505-6060. LD $$

Tensuke Express

A modern and authentic noodle shop located next to Tensuke Market and Sushi Ten in Kenny Centre’s Japan Marketplace, with udon, soba, ramen and curry rice. 1155 Old Henderson Rd., Northwest Side, 614-451-4010. LD $$

LATIN AMERICAN

Arepazo

Owners Carlos and Carolina Gutierrez serve excellent Venezuelan and Colombian fare and cocktails in a hip atmosphere. Don’t miss the arepas, patacón and lomo saltado. 515 S. High St., Brewery District, 614-914-8878. LD $$

Calero’s Bar & Grill

This Northland restaurant is serving affordable Salvadoran cuisine with a large menu that will leave you wanting to return for more. The pupusas are a must-try, but from breakfasts to steak dinners, anything you sample is bound to leave you satisfied. 1644 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., Northland; 614-3948030. BLD $$

Cilantro Latin Fusion

The owners of Cilantro food truck have a dinein restaurant serving a mix of Colombian, Venezuelan and Ecuadorian fare such as arepas, pabellon, patacones and more. 4852 Sawmill Rd., Northwest Side, 614-754-1080, 614-966-1222; 993 King Ave., Grandview food truck; 5584 Hall Rd. Galloway food truck, 614-373-4080. LD $$

Choripán Argentine Grill

A South American restaurant specializing in an all-gluten-free menu featuring empanadas, wings, steak platters and choripán, a popular Argentine chorizo sandwich. 5927 Karric Square Dr., Dublin, 614-467-9288. LD $$

El Pulgarcito Salvadoran Restaurant

El Pulgarcito offers several different Salvadoran and Latin American dishes, such as the restaurant’s famous pupusas. 5133 E. Main St., East Side, 614-626-0063. LD $$

Mordisco Food Truck

At this wheeled Venezuelan eatery, whose official home is Olentangy River Brewing Co., you’ll find standout breakfast burritos, arepas, pabellón bowls and more. 303 Green Meadows Dr. S., Lewis Center, 786-557-8828. BL $$

Sí Señor Peruvian Sandwiches & More

Owner Guillermo Perez crafts outstanding handhelds at this casual café. The roasted turkey club, meatloaf and fried pork shoulder sandwiches are hard to beat. Don’t skip the cilantro pasta. 155 W. Nationwide Blvd., Arena District, 614-670-4985; 1456 W. Fifth Ave., Fifth by Northwest. LD $

MIDDLE EASTERN

Ginevra Café

Ginevra, which began as a coffee shop and later expanded to serve lunch and dinner, offers a mix of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Somali dishes. Try the rice and lamb shank. 2285 Morse Rd., North Side, 614-4754880. LD $$

Habibi Grill

Chef Tarek Albast (former owner of Mr. Hummus) presents this hip Italian Village eatery specializing in Lebanese fare such as baba ghanoush, fattoush, kafta kebab and chicken shawarma. Tacos, burgers and pizza round out the extensive menu. 1131 N. Fourth St., Italian Village, 614-999-9909. LD $$$

Nazareth Restaurant & Deli

This family-owned eatery has been serving classic Middle Eastern fare for more than 20 years. Nestled in a Gahanna strip mall, you’ll find friendly service and freshly made favorites like chicken shawarma, falafel and hummus. 5239 N. Hamilton Rd., Gahanna, 614-899-1177. LD $$

Pita Hut N Grille

This teensy eatery next to Bob’s Bar serves up fresh, flavorful, fast food to a stream of regulars with a menu including falafel, kebabs, shawarma and pita sandwiches. 4965 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-433-0996. LD $$

Salam Market & Bakery

Freshly baked Middle Eastern breads are the highlight at this hidden gem. Try the khubz, an Arabic flatbread similar to pita, or the outstanding meat pies. 5676 Emporium Sq., North Side, 614-899-0952. BLD $

Silav Café & Grill

Specializing in Kurdish cuisine, Silav offers breakfast sandwiches and bowls in the morning and gyros, falafel, shawarma and kababs—including in sandwich and salad form—throughout the day. Round out your meal with a drink from the café and a signature dessert. 330 S. High St., Downtown, 614-456-7459. BLD $$

Yemeni Restaurant

Offering a cuisine rarely found in Columbus, this eatery serves authentic Yemeni specialties like fahsa and foul stews, lamb mandi and Adeni milk tea. 5426 Cleveland Ave., North Side, 614-426-4000. LD $$

PIZZA

Aracri Pizzeria

This family-friendly pizzeria is the creation of an Italian whose father owned a small café in Italy. Expect New York-style pies, garlic knots, pastas and more. 51 E. Gay St., Downtown, 614-224-3013. LD $$

Dante’s Pizza

A classic Clintonville pizzeria offering some of the finest pies in the city, plus pasta and subs. 3586 Indianola Ave., Clintonville, 614268-5090. D $

Eagles Pizza

A longtime New Albany favorite founded in 1971, with pizza, subs, pasta, salads and desserts. 2 N. High St., New Albany, 614855-7600. LD $

Gatto’s Pizza

This family-owned pizza joint in Clintonville is truly old-school, serving homemade Italian favorites like pizza, subs, salads and pasta. 3420 Indianola Ave., Clintonville, 614-263-3737. D $

GoreMade Pizza

It’s all about the pizza here at Nick Gore’s modest spot. Thin-crust pies are woodfired in an oven imported from Italy, and seasonal toppings are locally sourced. Enjoy solid cocktails and salads while you wait. 936 N. Fourth St., Italian Village, 614725-2115. D $$

Hounddog’s Pizza

An Ohio State staple, Hounddog’s serves its famous Smokin’ Joes and breakfast pizzas until 1 a.m. on weekends. Order Howlin’ Hot sauce if you dare. 2657 N. High St., Old North, 614-261-4686. LD $

Massey’s Pizza

This local pizza chain serves award-winning, Columbus-style pizza, plus wings, subs and salads. 261 Lincoln Cir., Gahanna, 614-

416-4444; 1229 N. Memorial Dr., Lancaster, 740-653-6633; 1951 E. Dublin-Granville Rd., North Side, 614-888-0022; 440 E. Broad St., Pataskala, 740-927-0786; 9838 Brewster Ln., Powell, 614-799-5777; 7070 E. Main St., Reynoldsburg, 614-868-0690; 399 S. State St., Westerville, 614-882-6466; 4464 E. Main St., Whitehall, 614-559-2222; 7838 Olentangy River Rd., Worthington, 614-8969800; 152 Graceland Blvd., Clintonville, 614505-6262. LD $

Mikey’s Late Night Slice

What started as a late-night pizza shack in the Short North has grown into a minichain offering thin crust whole and bythe-slice pizza, wacky seasonal toppings and famed hot sauce—a mix of barbecue, ranch and other hot sauces—to top it all off. 268 S. Fourth St., Downtown, 614737-3801; 457 N. High St., 614-8690249 Downtown; 200 Georgesville Rd. Hollywood Casino; 1030 N. High St., Short North, 614 737-3488; 6562 Riverside Dr., Dublin, 614-333-5398; 4117 Worth Ave., Easton, 614-927-1136; 1839 N. Pearl St., Campus, 614-923-3863; 457 N. High St., Short North, 614-869-0249. LD $

Paulie Gee’s Short North

A Brooklyn-based pizzeria with Neapolitanand Detroit-style pies and craft beer. Offers traditional and eclectic pizzas with names like the Hellboy, the Greenpointer and the Ricotta Be Kiddin’ Me. 1195 N. High St., Short North, 614-808-0112. D $$

Terita’s

This family-owned, carryout-only pizza shop has been serving up Columbus-style pies for over 60 years on Cleveland Avenue. The housemade sausage is excellent on a pie or on one of Terita’s subs. 3905 Cleveland Ave., North Linden, 614-4752100. LD $

Tommy’s Pizza

A Central Ohio tradition since 1952, serving pizza, subs, salads and pasta. 4279 W. Dublin-Granville Rd., Dublin, 614-764-3999; 1350 W. Lane Ave., Upper Arlington, 614486-2969. LD $

SANDWICHES

Bears Bagels

After gaining a following at local farmers markets, Bears Bagels opened a Hilliard shop in 2024. The family-owned business serves up handmade bagels, schmears and sandwiches and offers bagel-making classes that sell out quickly. 4142 Main St., Hilliard, 614-319-3561. BL $

Dave’s Cosmic Subs

At this Northeast Ohio-based submarine sandwich chain, rock ’n’ roll meets Italian, vegan, gluten-free and whole wheat sub rolls. Try out the Original Dave’s Cosmic Sub or Dave’s Best Meatball Ever Sub and wash them down with a flavored soda. 1766 N. High St., Campus, 614-824-5494. LD $

Goood Friends

Jackie O’s on Fourth is home to this takeout window featuring seriously goood Midwestern sandwiches. Highlights include the Ol Faithful (fried chicken with Le Delice de Bourgogne) and Warby’s Melt featuring Wario’s Wiz. 171 N. Fourth St., Downtown. D $$

Lexi’s on Third

A Downtown delicatessen specializing in classics like the patty melt and Reuben, plus gyros, homemade soups and generously portioned salads. 100 E. Broad St., Downtown, 614-229-5394. BL $$

The Lox Bagel Shop

Kevin Crowley’s cute Short North shop offers handmade bagels that are boiled and then baked over a live fire. The shop’s namesake sandwich and the egg with pastrami sandwich are standouts. 772 N. High St., Short North, 614-824-4005. BL $

Newfangled Kitchen

Located next to the Drexel Theatre, this chef-inspired sandwich shop reimagines the classic American meatloaf sandwich. Don’t miss The Fang, a meatloaf version of a cheeseburger. 2258 E. Main St., Bexley, 614817-1099. LD $

Wario’s Beef and Pork

This no-frills, East Coast-style sandwich carryout from chef Stephan Madias saves the fireworks for the food. Try the steak sub done Wario’s Way or the killer chicken cutlet sandwich. Don’t skip the spuds. 4219 N. High St., Clintonville, 614-674-6200; 111 W. Nationwide Blvd., Arena District, 614-9148338. LD $$

SEAFOOD

COLO Market & Oyster Bar

In addition to fresh seafood for cooking at home, this North Market fishmonger offers lobster rolls, chowder, shrimp po’ boys and oysters on the half shell. 6750 Longshore St., Dublin, 614-683-8782; 59 Spruce St., Short North, 614-929-5701. LD $$$

Columbus Fish Market

This high-end seafood restaurant offers daily fresh catch options and an eclectic, everchanging menu with favorites like Maine lobster, Shanghai Sea Bass, Mitchell’s Rib-Eye and Alaskan king crab legs. 1245 Olentangy River Rd., Grandview, 614-291-3474. LD $$$$

Cousins Maine Lobster

Lobsters shipped directly from Maine are carefully prepared in small batches to provide a traditional New England experience. Offers lobster rolls, lobster tots, shrimp tacos and whoopie pies. Food Truck, Citywide, 614448-1256. LD $$

Lee’s Seafood Boil

Shrimp, clams, blue crab, lobster, crawfish— they’re all here at this Bethel Center restaurant. Options range from fried seafood

baskets to po’boys to boiled seafood by the pound. 1446 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-592-1888. LD $$

Windward Passage

This hoot of a retro restaurant has porthole windows and nautical decor, as well as some of the best fried fish in town. 4739 Reed Rd., Upper Arlington, 614-451-2497. D $$$

THAI

Bamboo Thai Kitchen

This bright spot in a drab strip mall offers well-executed Thai staples like som tum (green papaya salad), flavorful green and red curries and pad thai, plus some Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese dishes. 774 Bethel Rd., Northwest Side, 614-326-1950. LD $$

Bangkok Grocery & Restaurant

A family-owned, carryout-only eatery specializing in authentic Thai fare for more than 30 years. Go for some of the city’s best pad thai, tom yum soup, nam tok and Thai curries. 3277 Refugee Rd., East Side, 614-2318787. LD $

Erawan Thai Restaurant

Classic Thai and Vietnamese dishes highlight a large menu with many Southeast Asian favorites at this modest, family-owned restaurant in a strip mall. 3589 Refugee Rd., East Side, 614-237-9310. LD $$

Siam Orchid Thai Restaurant

Authentic Thai dishes served in an ornate setting, with tom yum gai, Panang curry, pad thai and pad prig. 7654 Sawmill Rd., Dublin, 614-792-1112. LD $$

Thai Grille

This modest spot serves Thai classics like pad see ew, tom kha gai, massaman curry and pad thai. 15 E. College Ave., Westerville, 614-8654515. LD $$

Thai Orchid Restaurant

Authentic Thai dishes are served in an ornate setting along with Chinese staples in this longstanding restaurant that relocated from Powell. The menu includes pad thai, pad see ew, moo shu pork, Happy Family and steamed curry fish. 7654 Sawmill Rd., Dublin, 614-792-1112. LD $$

Caricatures of popular culture icons— from guitar heroes of the ‘60s to modern R&B stars—line the walls of Evan Williams’ studio space in the Center of Entrepreneurial Development (COED) on East Main Street. Williams, one of the facilities managers, helped create the business development center that includes offices, meeting rooms and conference spaces, as well as studios for artists.

The caricatures represent the artist’s move from working sales for years to finding his way back to his love of creating art. The CCAD graduate was encouraged by friends and family to follow his dreams, quit his sales job and return to art.

Along the way, he developed digital

brush strokes that respond to the weight of his hand, which give his computer designs painteresque textures. Williams fills his studio with music as he captures the musicians’ essense and to “get into the zone to show what I see to the world,” he says.

Playful figurines in the studio recall a simpler time, when Saturday morning cartoons were a joyful part of growing up. “Everything’s so dark, I just want to slow it down and focus on when things were a little calmer,” says Williams.

In addition to caricatures, Williams is currently creating, via 3D printing, a full-size Mandalorian suit he’s planning on wearing to HighBall Halloween this year. ◆