O is for obit file, olive oil, oysters

O

obit file, olive oil, oysters

Spagio in Grandview Heights closed this year. Maddie Schroeder | Columbus Dispatch

Obit File

This year has been brutal on restaurants around the nation. Some of the biggest losses here in Central Ohio include Grandview’s Spagio, founded in 1981 by chef Hubert Seifert; Ba Sho, a Japanese izakaya on the Northwest Side; The Sycamore in German Village and its sister restaurant Cosecha Cocina; Cara Mangini’s Little Eater, which will not reopen in the North Market; Plantain Café, a go-to Cuban spot for Downtown diners; Baba’s, the chef-driven café in the University District; the excellent Mexican food truck Los Potosinos; and the Short North’s stellar, much-missed bakery, Laughlin’s Bakery.

Oils from Green Olive Co. Will Shilling |

Olive Oil

Founded in 2012, owner Lisa McCormack’s Green Olive Co. joined the North Market five years later, offering customers a chance to test-drive extra virgin olive oils and vinegars before purchasing. Green Olive also has a Grandview location and offers a recurring subscription service. In the surrounding suburbs, two shops specialize in the liquid gold that is EVOO. In the heart of Uptown Westerville, A Twist on Olives is a family-run shop offering more than 20 extra virgin olive oils as well as a variety of flavored balsamic vinegars. Meanwhile, Olivina Taproom in historic downtown Delaware is a destination for premium olive oils and gifts for food lovers. It recently added a small café, serving a simple menu of salads and sandwiches. 

Oysters at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse Tim Johnson | Columbus Alive

Oysters

Looking to celebrate a special occasion? Treat yourself to Champagne and oysters on the half shell at Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse in Downtown Columbus or Mitchell’s Ocean Club, Cameron Mitchell’s flagship location of Ocean Prime. To satisfy your oyster craving without too much damage to your wallet, look to the tapas spot Lupo in Upper Arlington or German Village’s South Village Grille, which has $1 oyster nights every Monday. But the best news for seafood lovers is this: Ian Holmes’ Coastal Local Seafood will soon debut a New England-themed raw bar in the new North Market Bridge Park. Fresh oysters and lobster rolls? You bet.