Summer Series #4 - Grapes of Mirth

In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage. ~The Grapes of Wrath

 
Location:

Grapes of Mirth

59 West Spruce Street

Columbus, Ohio 43015

614-221-9463

Located on the east wall of the North Market, Grapes of Mirth is your one-stop-shop for all exotic beer and wine needs.  They feature over 600 wines and 200 beers, all crammed into a teeny tiny area comprised mostly of eight to ten foot high shelves and small wooden skids with the occasional haphazard stack of cardboard crates.

David Bihn has owned Grapes of Mirth since 2003 and, according to the website, has been with the company for over fourteen years.  He’s a friendly fellow,  always ready to lead you to your favorite bottle or suggest something new if they don’t have what you’re looking for; however, if they don’t have what you want, he will gladly order it on the spot.
 

Grapes of Mirth features artisan wines as well as “commercial” wines, and they carry a plethora of Ohio wines as well.  From what I could tell, many of the Ohio wines available are not readily available in your everyday local wine shop or grocery store.  Yay, Locavores!  They have the largest selection of Belgian beers in the central Ohio area, possibly in all of Ohio, and the best part of the beer selection (and the wine selection) is that if you ask David a question, odds are he knows the answer.  Not only does Grapes of Mirth have the physical inventory, they also have the mental inventory.

When I stopped by Grapes of Mirth, I was on a mission: find Vinho Verde, my number one most favorite wine of all time.  It’s a sweeter wine, which I normally don’t care for, but the fermentation and bottling processes cause the wine to have a slightly carbonated feel about it – not as fizzy as beer or pop but definitely more tickly to your tongue than a normal white wine.  I was in luck – big time – because David had just gotten in a large shipment of Vinho Verde!  There were four inexpensive choices ranging from $5.99 to $7.99.  At the time I thought I was just getting lucky on the price, for in the past I had paid up to $15.99 per bottle at another wine shop near Dublin.  Apparently Grapes of Mirth always sells their Vinho Verde for these low-low prices!  Having worked in yet another wine shop since that day, I can tell you 100% that you will NOT find a lower price on this delicious wine.

Official tasting parties or events are not regularly scheduled, but you can arrange a “private” tasting with the owner.  Obviously Ohio laws call for a charge, but this is typical of all alcohol tasting venues and events.  Also for sale at Grapes of Mirth are different accessories, such as gift bags, wine keys, corkscrews and so forth.

For more information, visit their website here.

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)                    

Cleanliness: 3 (everything has that dusty wine-cellar feel to it)

Value: 5

Accessibility: 3 (the North Market is easy to get to, the shop is easy to get to, the bottle are definitely not easy to get to!)

Friendliness: 5

Menu: n/a but the selection is mind-boggling!

 

Summer Series #3 - CaJohn's Flavor & Fire

Location:

CaJohn’s Flavor & Fire

59 West Spruce Street

Columbus, Ohio 43015

888-703-FIRE

When you walk into the North Market from the east side of the building, turn to your left at the first intersection and you will see CaJohn’s on the right.  They are a “salsa” company, a “hot sauce” company, or maybe a “dare-you-to-try-this” company.  CaJohn’s always has samples set out, usually 5-7 of their featured salsas, complete with a pretzel stick or tortilla chip to test them out.  The samples are set up in order from mild to wild, and I’m the one who always starts at the end, trying the hottest, craziest flavor first.  I love a rush!

CaJohn's Fiery Foods was started in 1996 by John Hard, a Fire Protection Engineer by day and Gulf Coast cuisine enthusiast by night.  John’s wife, Sue, just happened to have been raised on the coast of Mississippi. It was a match made in heaven, one which lead to the beautiful marriage of Southwestern and Gulf Coast flavors and birthed the joyous bundle we call “CaJohn’s”.  The flavor profile has expanded to include Asian and Caribbean as well as Southwestern and Cajun spices.  There are 150 children in the CaJohn’s family; Salsas, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, rubs, mixes, spice blends, and mustards make up the fabric of this spicy quilt.  Names, flavors and combinations have been inspired and created by John & Sue’s real-life children, and the entire family is involved in the company to this day.

CaJohn’s assigns levels to the heat of its products, ranging from Mild (1) to Stoopinfyin’ (XXX).  They have won numerous honors, including two 2010 Golden Chile awards.  Their factory is located in Westerville, and there is a store at this location as well.  For more information, visit their website here.

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)                    

Cleanliness: 5

Value: 5

Accessibility: 5

Friendliness: 5

Menu: n/a but the selection is unbelievable!

Summer Series #2 - The Greener Grocer

Location:

The Greener Grocer

North Market

59 Spruce Street

Columbus, OH 43215-1622

(614) 223-1512

Started in January 2008, The Greener Grocer highlights local and artisan foodstuffs from small farms and manufacturers, including fruits and vegetables, maple syrup, flour, honey, grains, milk and more. Their main goal is to emphasize farm to table produce and to educate the “city folk” on regional products and to make these products readily available.

The Greener Grocer is located directly inside the double doors to the North Market on the east side of the building.  Upon entering, a wide array of beautiful fruits and vegetables immediately draws you to their spot in the market.  Peppers, grains, tomatoes and more line the produce displays, and on the shelves you will find homemade preservative-free peanut butters, honeys and maple syrups.  There is ground cereal available as well as natural puffed wheat and bulgur to name just some of their grain selection.  There are several types of mushrooms and squash, fresh eggs, and Snowville Creamery milk.  All their 

products are of such high quality that most of them don’t even look real.  Walking up to The Greener Grocer is like walking up to Mr. MacGregor’s Garden – I was just waiting for Peter Rabbit to hop out from behind the bushel baskets!

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)

Cleanliness: 5

Value: 4

Accessibility: 5

Friendliness: n/a, there were no employees around when I went

Menu: n/a, but the selection of goods is awesome

Check out The Greener Grocer here.

Update

Went to the North Market today to get pics and info for my summer series.  I took 130+ pictures so it's going to take a minute to get everything arranged and get the articles written.

Til then, buen apetito!

Summer Series #1 - North Market

Location:
North Market
59 Spruce Street
Columbus, OH 43215-1622
(614) 463-9664

This Summer will be one of adventure and investigation.  Instead of spending mass amounts of time warming up the couch cushions, I’m going to head out and stoke my brain fires with a culinary prod.  First in the series is the North Market, located on the edge of the Short North and Area Districts in Downtown Columbus.  This first article will be an overview of the entire place and each week or so I will choose individual vendors to focus on.

From the North Market Website, a short description and history:

“Launched in 1876 and located at 29 Spruce Street at the city’s public cemetery, “The North Graveyard,” the North End Market (as it was then known) was the second of four public markets in Columbus.  From a fire that completely destroyed it in 1948 to being housed in a Quonset hut purchased with funds pooled by the merchants to temporary closings and threat of demolition, the North Market endured its share of hardships.  Then, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Market emerged as one of the finest public markets in the country — thanks to the creation of the North Market Development Authority (NMDA). This not-for-profit group comprised of shoppers and merchants was established to "preserve and promote the traditional and cultural aspects of the historic North Market."  The NMDA led the Market's recovery, including negotiating the 1992 purchase by the city of the former Advanced Thresher warehouse at 59 Spruce Street. The turn-of-the-century farm implements warehouse was ideal for redeveloping the Market; and the NMDA spearheaded a capital campaign to finance building renovations.  All the hard work paid off with the re-opening of the North Market at its current location in November 1995.” About Us. (n.d.). Retrieved March 24, 2010, from http://www.northmarket.com/about-us.

When you arrive in the parking lot of the North Market, it feels a little intimidating, but without true reason.  The 44,000 square foot, two-story building is surrounded by a few trees and lots of buildings, with a smattering of lunch-goers dotting the steps leading up to innocent double doors.  Perhaps it’s the history you can feel radiating from the area, or maybe it’s the thought that beyond those innocent doors lie a surplus of goodness and plenty of places to blow your paycheck.  Upon entry, there’s usually a sign for you to read, listing that month or season’s events – there are cooking classes, wine tastings, live music, and so forth – and beyond the sign, a virtual wall of people meandering through the isles.

The North Market is not for the faint-of-heart.  It is an intense place, reminiscent of old-timey outdoor markets missing only the yell of vendors and fish in newspaper flying through the air.  The ceiling is open to reveal steel beams and a sort-of catwalk that goes around the perimeter of the building.  This “catwalk” is actually the second floor dining and offices area, a quiet place to sit and talk while you slurp your Vietnamese Soup.  The first floor is where all the vendors are located, and if you’re not careful you can lose yourself in the first few steps.

From CaJohn’s Flavor & Fire, a hot-sauce vendor who makes everything from scratch right here in Ohio, to Pam’s Market Popcorn, turning left upon arriving will awaken the senses immediately.  Most vendors have samples readily available or are willing to have you try whatever it is you’re interested in.  Around the bend on the south wall is Omega Artisan Baking, and you can find fresh crusty bread samples ready with olive oil on any given day.  Keep going and there’s more to be seen and smelled – Best of the Wurst, Nidia’s Sushi, and Flavors of India.  The best plan of action when visiting the North Market is to walk around the perimeter once, hit up the middle isles next, then go back to the beginning and do it all over again.  I’ve found that if you try to tackle this place without exploring it first you will be lost and overwhelmed.  There are 35 different vendors in the North Market and each one deserves a few moments of your time to really shine.

Overall Scores: (1-5, 1 being lowest, 5 highest)
Cleanliness: 4
Value: *varies*
Accessibility: 3
Friendliness: *varies*
Menu: *varies*