Café Corner in Harrison West (Third and Pennsylvania): New Owners, Same Great Place

clipped from www.columbusunderground.com After four years under the helm of the Brothers Nowak, the always-popular Café Corner has changed hands once again. New owner Kathleen Day has already quietly finished the transfer of the business, and is planning on rolling out her own signature twist to the establishment without tampering with customer favorites. “I’m certainly not going to change the core concept,” said Kathleen. “Pete and Jon knew what they were doing. Our customers are passionate about certain menu items, so instead we’re going to add on to what they’ve already done.” Over the course of the next year, Café Corner will undergo some deliberately slow and gradual changes. “We want to make it a little more full service,” added Kathleen. “We’re eventually going to redo the entire interior, add another bathroom, get a beer & wine license, and add some new permanent menu items for the evenings.”

Such a major project might sound overwhelming to most first-time restaurant owners, but Kathleen’s up to the task with a diverse background that encompasses marketing, decorating and design in addition to cooking.

“I’m sometimes skeptical when I read articles about someone who’s been in marketing for 15 years thinking they can run a restaurant,” joked Kathleen. “But it’s important for people to know that I have been catering for 20-plus years. I learned to cook in France, and that’s where my love of food really came about.”

The menu at Café Corner currently remains mostly unchanged outside of a few daily specials, and the upcoming menu additions are still being worked out. “Nothing on the menu is set in stone, but I like the idea of adding little Latin twists to everything,” said Kathleen. “My idea of good food comes from using really fresh, local and seasonal ingredients. We want to create food that feels special, but also feels comforting. The type of food that you’d find in the Spanish country-side… nothing pretentious, just really tasty and made with high-quality ingredients.”

The patio at Café Corner is well known as a neighborhood summertime staple, and there are updates also planned for it. “I don’t have a green thumb at all,” said Kathleen, “so I’m going to get a landscaper friend to make the patio more green and inviting. We’d eventually like to make it a three-season patio and use some of the newer tent-like structures and heat lamps that look a bit more elegant.”

Additionally, Kathleen’s husband Neil is lending a hand in the transformation process. “He has years and years of front-of-the-house experience,” said Kathleen. “He and I have probably washed more dishes than we ever wanted to… but we don’t mind getting our hands dirty. I think that at the end of the day we’ll be making sure that people are aware that Café Corner is still the same great place.”

More information can be found online at www.CafeCornerColumbus.com.

National Jean Company to Open in Short North in Dr. Mojo Space

clipped from www.columbusunderground.com It’s official: the space formerly home to Dr. Mojoe has a new retail tenant. National Jean Company is scheduled to open at 761 N. High St. in early April. The store −a partnership between local investors and National Jean Company President and Founder Jimmy Gurrieri− will be the chain’s 12th location and its first in the Midwest. “Columbus, specifically the downtown area, has always been an interest to the company because of the demographic mix, the surrounding towns the area pulls from. It’s a great customer blend,” says Helen Kim, director of operations for National Jean Company. In addition to “a well-edited selection of premium denim” for women, the 2,000-square foot Columbus store will carry tees, tank tops, leggings, dresses, shoes, and accessories, she says.

“We set our stores up to be a well-edited closet of sorts; it’s everything you’ll need for each season, for a night out, comfy clothes to lounge in, something fantastic that you’re dying for when you’re in need of a little retail therapy, plus fun, easy accessories,” she explains. “It’s everything from wardrobe staples to fashion-forward pieces.”

At any given time, the store will carry 10 to 15 denim labels, including J Brand, Joe’s Jeans, AG Jeans, 7 For All Mankind, and Paige Premium Denim.

“Our denim [prices] will range anywhere from $110 to $250 in general. Our basic tees, tanks and leggings, for the most part, are $20 and up. And our clothing components are anywhere from $48 to $250,” Kim says.

Denim sizes will range from 24 to 32; the rest of the store’s clothing will be available in extra small, small, medium, and large sizes. Shoes will be available in sizes five through 10.

What separates National Jean Company from other clothing stores is its business approach, Kim says.

“It’s all the details of how we run our business and everything we’ve learned for the past 18 years,” she adds. “We are careful and smart about the way we buy. We spend a lot of time analyzing our past and current business, and focus a lot on forecasting important upcoming trends.

“Also, just as important as the effort we put into selecting our product is the effort we put into customer service. Shopping should be fun and easy. Our staff is there to build relationships with their customers, to help dress them, fit them.

“The relationship doesn’t stop when the customer leaves the store; the relationship is a continuing process, as any friendship is. It’s about being knowledgeable, nice, welcoming, and having a comfortable atmosphere. We only invite people to join our staff that will genuinely care about our customers and our stores.”

As far as National Jean Company’s neighborhood competitor − Voodoo Denim Lounge, which is expected to open in mid-March at 780 N. High St. − is concerned, Kim had this to say:

“It’s difficult to comment on a business that doesn’t exist yet. People know what we’re about. We’ve been around for 18 years, going on our 19th. We focus on our business and what we can do better. We pay attention to our customers and what we can do to make their shopping experience better. I wish the owner, or owners, of Voodoo Denim Lounge the best of luck. I hope everything works out for them.”

Perhaps more importantly, National Jean Company is excited to be setting up shop in the Short North.

“We really love the vibe of the location and the mix of stores, and I can’t wait to experience my first Gallery Hop!” Kim says.

To shop National Jean Company’s online store, visit NationalJeanCompany.com.

Melanie McIntyre is a featured writer for Columbus Underground. She can be reached at threadstyle.blogspot.com.

Short North: WOSU Premiere TONIGHT at 8pm of "Columbus Neighborhoods"

clipped from www.columbusneighborhoods.org Join us tonight at 8pm on WOSU TV.

The story of one of the city's most vibrant and exciting neighborhoods includes the tale of the arches, the rise—and abrupt fall—of Union Station, an incredible reunion of Civil War soldiers, the transformation of a tough, gritty neighborhood to an arts district, and the emergence of local festivals and traditions that have become part of the Short North's character.

StoryCorps Sunday.....For Our Community....11 weeks...11 stories

Bobbi and Sandi Côté-Whitacre

I love the StoryCorps Project. I have searched their site for interviews about our culture and community. So far, I have found 11. Click on the link above or the link below. Enjoy. (Sorry that I can not post the recording here)

clipped from www.storycorps.org StoryCorps » Listen » Stories » Bobbi and Sandi Côté-Whitacre “Do you remember when we were 19, totally in love, and couldn't tell anyone?” Bobbi Côté-Whitacre and her wife, Sandi, talk about their relationship. Recorded in Burlington, VT. Categories: Featured, Romance, Struggle

OSU Football Coach Jim Tressel Talks Acceptance with GLBT Publication, Outlook Columbus

clipped from espn.go.com Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel doesn't grant many exclusive interviews. He isn't the type to constantly seek out video cameras and tape recorders, even in a media environment where the loudest college football coaches (cough, Lane Kiffin, cough) often get the most attention, regardless of their win-loss total. That's why I was surprised to see the interview Tressel recently gave to Outlook Columbus, which bills itself as "a lifestyle and advocacy publication" that serves Ohio's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community (GLBT). Outlook Columbus's March 2010 issue is entitled "Queers & Sports," and features interviews with both Tressel and Ohio State athletics director Gene Smith, among others. Here's the issue: Tressel's interview can be found on Page 32, while Smith's appears on Page 22.

According to OutSports.com, a national publication that serves the gay sports community, Tressel is believed to be the first major FBS head coach to conduct an exclusive interview with a GLBT publication about gay issues.Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh spoke to the gay-activist organization GLAAD in December after being accused of yelling an anti-gay slur during a game.

Among the questions Tressel addresses in the Outlook Columbus interview: If an Ohio State football player came out as gay, what advice would Tressel provide and would the team, fans and university be supportive?

“We strive to teach and model appreciation for everyone. One, we are a family. If you haven’t learned from your family at home that people have differences and those strengthen the whole, then you are hopefully going to learn it as part of the Ohio State football family.

"Two, every part of our team is important and every role has value -- no job is too small and no person is irrelevant -- that’s a great lesson that transcends into society. When I think of the diversity we’ve had on our team the past few years, it goes way beyond just a racial, sexual or ethnic mix. We've had players who had different religions, players who came from different economic backgrounds, players who are parents, who are spouses, who are caring for ailing parents, who are wheelchair bound, who are battling cancer, and on and on. Whatever a young man feels called to express, I hope we will help him do it in a supportive environment. Everybody is important, and maturity is learning to find and appreciate those differences in others."

Tressel also addressed why so few gay college athletes declare their sexual orientation openly.

"What we have, quite often, with our athletes, and with a number of young people in any sport, is that from the time they were 6 or 7 years old, their identity has been through sports. You’re the tallest, you’re the fastest, you’re the best player. All their feedback has come in terms of their role as a player, and they are often hesitant to go beyond that narrow role. ... The greatest achievement we can have as coaches is that a young man leaves us with a concept of who he is, what he wants from life, and what he can share with others -- someone who is 'comfortable in his own skin,' and that identity can go in a number of directions."

Michael Daniels, the co-owner and co-publisher of Outlook Columbus, conducted the interview with Tressel through e-mail while the coach was recruiting. Outlook Columbus has a strong relationship with Ohio State and its GLBT alumni group, Scarlet and Gay, and it recently had Smith speak at a networking function.

As part of the sports issue, Daniels reached out to several figures in the Columbus sports community and was put in touch with Tressel through Smith's office.

"I'm really proud of him of being the first Division I coach to do a one-on-one with the gay press and actually address those questions without really flinching too much," Daniels told me. "People look at him and they say, 'He is a little buttoned-up.' If you read his book, 'The Winners Manual,' he's obviously a very spiritual man. People think he's somewhat conservative. But I think that him doing this interview and the answers to these questions showed how much of a class act the guy really is."

Kudos to Tressel for doing this and addressing a subject that is still very taboo in college football. Most fans want their coaches to focus strictly on X's and O's, but Tressel's influence in Ohio stretches far beyond the gridiron. His voice matters, and his message of acceptance comes through here.

Dine Originals Week Starts Monday, March 8th And Offers Special Prices

Consider trying a new place. Make reservations now for some of the restaurants at www.opentable.com

clipped from www.dispatch.com If you're looking for an excuse to eat out, this might be it. Dine Originals Columbus, a group of 40 locally owned independent restaurants, is hosting its third Dine Originals Week starting Monday and running through March14. During this event, the restaurants will roll out two- to four-course meals - $10.10, $20.10 or $30.10 - to showcase the city's diverse culinary scene. Such "restaurant weeks" have been a staple in major cities nationwide for several years, said Kamal Boulos, owner of The Refectory and a charter member of Dine Originals Columbus. "It really gives people an incentive to go out and try a new place. It's a good value." "It's an opportunity for businesses to really showcase themselves, and it really raises awareness of how important it is to support independent businesses, especially in this economy," he said. The Refectory, owned by Kamal Boulos, is one of 40 locally owned independent restaurants discounting two- to four-course meals.

Restaurants that participated in the first Dine Originals Week, held last March, reported an average 30 percent increase in sales. Some had packed houses every night and others said patrons came from as far away as Akron and Zanesville to eat in Columbus.

Another Dine Originals Week will be held in November. Detailed menus and reservation information is posted on the Dine Originals Web site.

A sampling of the participants and the stars of their menus:
$10.10 menus

• Black Creek Bistro , 51 Parsons Ave.: a lunch menu of huevos rancheros or meatloaf remoulade.

• Tip Top Kitchen & Cocktails , 73 E. Gay St.: a two-course dinner of vegetarian or lamb shepherd's pie with a fudge brownie for dessert.

• Katzinger's Delicatessen , 475 S. 3rd St.: a two-course menu featuring a choice of sandwiches - Cajun meatloaf, open-faced turkey sandwich or the mushroom mayhem - with a fudge brownie as dessert.

• La Scala Italian Bistro , 4199 W. Dublin-Granville Rd. in Dublin: a two-course menu of house salad and a choice of pasta vesuvio, lasagna napoletana, tortellini alfredo, cajun chicken pasta, margherita pizza or white pizza.

• Press Grill , 741 N. High St.: a three-course menu featuring a double-press burger, pesto chicken sandwich or open-face vegetable sandwich, a salad and a side dish.
$20.10 menus

• Basi Italia , 811 Highland Ave.: hearts of palm and artichoke salad, wild boar ragout with potato gnocchi and berry cobbler

• The Burgundy Room , 641 N. High St.: hubbard squash lasagna, seafood stew or bacon-wrapped sirloin with a soup or salad starter and chocolate-hazelnut torte.

• Mezzo Italian Kitchen and Wine , 130 Creekside Plaza in Gahanna: sauteed salmon, chicken marsala or lasagna and cheesecake or chocolate cake for dessert.

• Tutto Vino , 7178 Muirfield Dr. in Dublin: pork tenderloin, eggplant rollatini or blackened scallops with mango salsa, with a cheese plate and a choice of salads.

• Vino Vino Restaurant and Wine Bar , 1371 Grandview Ave.: sea scallops on linguine, grilled beef tenderloin or wild mushroom risotto, served with a salad and key lime brulee tart or jamocha almond fudge cheesecake for dessert.
$30.10 Menus

• Alana's Food & Wine , 2333 N. High St.: the three-course meal offers a choice of braised lamb shank, Amish chicken coq au vin and a vegan risotto with a choice of starter and dessert.

• Barcelona , 263 E. Whittier St.: seafood paella, a vegetarian mushroom and goat-cheese paella, or pan-roasted halibut with spinach risotto plus a starter and dessert.

• The Refectory , 1092 Bethel Rd., has three separate three-course menus: Monday and Tuesday's menus offer a pairing of scallops and a petite filet mignon with foie gras. On Wednesday and Thursday, entree choices are veal tenderloin or roasted salmon. On Friday and Saturday, lamb and beef are paired. Meals include a starter and dessert.

• The Top Steakhouse , 2891 E. Main, has a four-course menu: main-dish choices are lobster tails, pecan-crusted salmon or a 10 oz. cut of prime rib. They're served with a soup, salad and dessert.

• The Worthington Inn , 649 High St. in Worthington: the three-course menu features entree choices of grilled petit filet of beef with cognac-peppercorn reduction or tamari-glazed Canadian salmon with tomatillo-avocado salsa. Starter and dessert are included.
Off the Menu

• Kent Rigsby, chef and owner of Rigsby's Kitchen at 698 N. High St., is a semifinalist for best chef, Great Lakes Region, in the 2010 James Beard Foundation Awards. The James Beard Foundation is a nonprofit group based in New York City that offers food-related conferences and classes, and it provides scholarships to culinary students.

• Alfonso Contrisciana is the new executive chef at the New Albany Country Club. He is a certified master chef and was named Restaurateur of the Year in 2003 by the International Food and Beverage Forum. He has been a chef for seven presidential dinners for four U.S. presidents.

• Sunny Street Cafe has opened at 7042 Hospital Dr. in Dublin, the latest entry in the former Rise & Dine chain. All 14 existing Rise & Dine restaurants, including the Arena District location at 277 W. Nationwide Blvd., will convert to the new Sunny Street Cafe name and get a new menu before May.

• Spiro's Plaza Cafe, 2958 McKinley Ave., will have longer hours and a full liquor license beginning Friday. The restaurant will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

• Carsonie's Stromboli & Pizza Kitchen, which has stores in Upper Arlington and Westerville, won third place in the traditional-pizza competition at the National Pizza and Ice Cream show on Feb. 23. It was the only Columbus-area pizzeria to take a prize.

OH-15 Candidate Steve Stivers' (R) position on "Don't Ask Don't Tell"

"Don't Ask Don't Tell" question begins around 4:18, runs for about 2 minutes.

Rough transcript:
Moderator: If there was legislation in front of you to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” what would you do?

Stivers: I might take a little bit longer than a single word answer. We’re a country at war and I think that “Don’t ask, Don’t tell” would have a significant impact on our recruiting and retention of soldiers and for that reason I would have to feel really uncomfortable doing it while we’re at war and certainly I would want to see a real impact study done to make sure that it’s not going to impact negatively our recruiting and our retention to make sure that we have an effective military ‘cause the job of the military is to protect our country not support someone being special.

Audience Member: Is that a yes or a no?

Stivers: That is uh, at this time, no.

Audience Member: Is that a tentative no?

Stivers: It’s a no.