Club Meeting Recap

 

The 55 Rotarians, 3 Rotaract members and 3 guests heard Steve Stover discuss restaurants and food in Central Ohio.Stover began by lamenting the loss in the past few years of several fine dinning restaurants including Hanke’s Cuisine, Rosendale’s and Grisby’s. This is partially due to the reduction in what Stover called “fine dinning” facilities as well as a trend toward smaller Chef owned places. “Fine Dinning” facilities simply can’t make it on their own.

 

Other trends he mentioned included young entrepreneurs opening eateries and what have been food truck moving to brick and mortar establishments.

Stover said there are still “fine dinning” establishments available – places like the Refrectory – but it seems people just do not want to get dressed up and get serious about dining out.  In country clubs and the downtown clubs the dress codes have changed as a further sign of this trend. Further evidence that this trend is not confined to Ohio, what Stover described a one of the “finest restaurants” in the world, located in New York City, has opened a casual section where the entrees are $10 to $15 dollars.

His list of new restaurants opening included the Guild House (Cameron Mitchell), Los Alamos, Angry Bear (which, he said, not everyone likes due to it’s edginess),  and Wolf Creek.

 

Speaking of trends Stover said “fried chicken is back” , plus egg and noodle places as well as ethnic and international cuisines. Stover had praise for local entrepreneurs who are expanding their brands such as City Barbeque, operating now with some 24 locations in four states and Cameron Mitchell who is now  operating in Beverly Hills, Boston and Manhattan.

 

In response to a question about family dining he listed the Refrectory, Worthington Inn, Guild House, Ms, Lindys and G Michaels. Stover mentioned several other eating establishments and said for a review of many of those places go to WOSU.org.  At the end of the meeting Stover passed out a 5 page list of eateries in various parts of the area.