March 20, 2025 • 33 mins
Chef Andrew Smith has long been involved in shaping Columbus as a culinary city. From his time at beloved local restaurants to launching the exclusive Roys Avenue Supper Club and his highly anticipated new restaurant, Isla, Andrew’s passion for food and community shines through in every dish. He joins Boxer and Sarah to share his journey, insights into Columbus’ evolving dining scene, and what guests can expect from Isla.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yes Columbus, an Experienced Columbus podcast, keeps you in the
know of what's happening in the art city Columbus. The
number one soccer team, the number three beer city, a
top ten culinary destination with the largest concentration of fashion
professionals in the US. Join us each week with special
guests for an inside look at a destination that invites
(00:23):
visitors and locals alike to explore. By the end of
each episode, you'll be asking yourself, can all of this
really exist in one city? Yes Columbus. Wello, and welcome
back to another episode of Yes Columbus. This is an
Experienced Columbus podcast. I am one of the co hosts Boxer,
along with my co host Sarah, who is the chief
(00:47):
marketing officer here at Experienced Columbus. Among other things that
you do, you do many things, many hats.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I do wear many hats. But it's so great to
see you. And we're on our second half launch of
the Yes Columbus podcast and we're excited to be sitting
down with the entrepreneurs, artist, chefs, and community leaders redefining
what it means to live and work here. So stay
tuned for exciting new episodes that highlight the movers and
(01:13):
shakers of Columbus. Before we hop into this week's interview,
it's time for our headliner segment, where we highlight a
recent story or accolade about Columbus.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I can't wait hear this one, huh so Boxer.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
We have some historic news to share the positions Cosai
alongside recent national championships and achievements that make Columbus a
city of number ones. In twenty twenty five, Kosai has
achieved an unprecedented milestone of being named the number one
science museum in the nation by USA Today's ten Best
(01:46):
Readers' Choice Awards for the fifth time. I know it's amazing.
This is a feat that's potentially unmatched in the award
program's history. Additionally, Kosai's planetarium has been ranked number three
in the NATY, further cementing their cultural institution's excellence.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
That surprised, not surprised at all, Sarah.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well and I want our listeners to know that Columbus
is still in the race for eight USA today ten
Best Readers Choice Awards, and we need your votes to
bring home the top spots. Our city rate number three
for Best Beer City last year. With your support, we
can claim number one in twenty twenty five if you
get out there and vote. From craft beer and arts
(02:27):
festivals to world class science, visit experience Columbus dot com,
slash media slash Columbus in the news to see which
Columbus favorites made the list, and vote daily to help
us win.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Big Sarah, These are really exciting times to be in Columbus.
I mean really exciting times to be a part of
all of this excitement in these accolades that places like
Kosai and the Zoo and so many others.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Are getting well, and really when people are considering where
to go on their next trip, these accolades are really
helpful because people may not know that we have an
amazing food scene, a phenomenal retail scene with the top
concentration of fashion design professionals in the United States. We
don't often get credit for things like that. And then
(03:15):
you look at all of our award winning attractions, the
Sciota Mile from an outcome perspective, so many amazing things
to bring you to Columbus and hopefully get you to stay.
But it's Boxer. It's now time for our behind the
Buzz segment and today We're thrilled to welcome a chef
who has been instrumental in shaping Columbus's reputation is one
(03:35):
of the best food cities in the country speaking, we're
here today with chef Andrew Smith. From his start at
the Rossi and Rock Mill tavern to his intimate supper
club and his nightly anticipated new restaurant, Ailah, Andrew has
helped define what makes Columbus's dining scenes so special. His
passion for food, community and creating meaningful experiences through dining.
(04:00):
That's him apart. Welcome Andrew, Thanks for being with us today.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Thank you so very much. I'm happy to be here, Andrew.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I cannot wait to hear more about your journey now,
truth be told, I can barely make cereal, so to
hear about what you can do as a chef and
how you became a chef. I guess my first thing
that pops into my head, Andrew, is was there a
specific person or experience that inspired you to, I guess
(04:27):
pursue this path and could you share that you know,
how the idea of becoming to chef first took shape
for you.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
I don't think that there was necessarily a very specific moment.
It was the the some of a whole kind of thing.
Lots of different moments and just different trajectories in my
life that kind of pushed me into this. I could
(04:55):
give a lot of credit to chefs that I've worked with,
to my family. It's just there's so many reasons why
I ended up becoming a chef.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
How about this. Do you remember the first time you
were in the kitchen and you made something and maybe
that that spark went off that you you fell in
love with it? Baby?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I think back to not necessarily making things in the kitchen,
but eating certain things. Growing up, Taco Sundays with my
family was a big deal for me, you know, being
in my grandma's garden. Both of my parents are from
North Carolina, so a lot of grits and you know,
(05:40):
Colli greens and things like that. Growing up, skillet cornbread.
My dad was a had no idea what to do
with food. But he mixed eggnog and sprite and lime
sherbet together. And I know that it sounds crazy, but
if you think about it, it's just an it's just
an nat drink and he had no idea. There's all
(06:00):
these weird things that I experienced growing up. We would
make snow cream when there was fresh snow. My mom
would get sweet and condensed milks and strawberries from the
freezer and mix it with the snow and we would
eat it.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
We did that growing up too, Andrew, I know you
touched about you know, your family playing a big role
did this? What about the Was it the Pacific Northwest though?
Where all this started for you? Where did you grow up? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:26):
I did grow up okay, Pacific Northwest. I was born
in the Columbia Gorge in Hood River, Oregon. I spent
most of my adult life in Portland. That's where I
went to culinary school as well.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, so your time at the Western Culinary Institute was
undoubtedly a formative chapter in your culinary journey. Can you
share what that experience was like, What were some of
the most valuable lessons you learned and how did it
shape the chef you are today?
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
That's a great question. I feel like for me, there
were a few classes. The baking one on one was
a big one for me because I didn't know a
lot about baking, so I learned a lot there. But
if I'm being completely honest, the rest of my time there.
What I got out of it the most was the
relationships that I made with some of the students, and
(07:16):
I learned a lot of what not to do. Honestly,
I know that sounds bad. They're not around anymore, so
I'm not worried about saying it. But one of the
things that was required was to work in a restaurant.
So that requirement was very helpful because I ended up
working in a little restaurant in Portland called Ricardo's and
(07:38):
that's where like food started to make sense for me
and the camaraderie that can happen in a kitchen. My
sooux chef Charlie's orch was huge part of my culinary
career to this day, I guess still I call him
on the phone if I need advice or anything. So
(08:01):
even though I didn't necessarily enjoy the culinary school aspect
of everything, what it provided for me was very, very beneficial.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And after attending
the Western Culinary Institute, you made your way to Columbus
and quickly became a rising force in the city's restaurant scene.
What was it that brought you to Columbus.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Family reasons, I wanted our kids to be closer to family.
That was no other reason really, So.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
It wasn't throwing a dart at a map. No, not
at all, not at all. Well, you know, fast forward
a little bit. You know, Andrew, you made your mark
at some of the city's most well loved restaurants, Rossi
and Phil Coo. Can you talk a little bit about,
you know, your time at those restaurants and how they
shaped you as a chef at a leader.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, the Rossie was the first opportunity that I was
ever given to be a shit.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
So that'll probably always be special to you very much.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I learned a lot there, you know, how to work
in a fast paced environment. I think I learned a
lot of work ethic between that and culinary school that
helped really push me towards being better. The Rossi allowed
me to make a lot of mistakes, but to learn
from them and to improve. I'm very grateful for that
(09:26):
opportunity because not a lot of young chefs are given.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
It taught me how to lead, and it taught me
to you know, discipline in private, praise in public, and
not ask anybody to do anything that you're not willing
to do, and I know those are very basic things
when it comes to being a chef, but that's where
I learned them, and that's grateful for it.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Chef Andrew Smith is with us. He is this week's
guest on Yes Columbus. You know on the heels what
we just talked about with those restaurants. Are there some
lessons that stand out for the rest of them, some
big lessons I guess that you learned in those early
years that still are with you to this day.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
You touched on a couple, but yeah, I would say
being able to push through the insecurities that a young
chef can have. Confidence isn't always something that you start
out with. So having a support system to be able
to push through those times where I didn't feel confident
(10:31):
or I didn't feel like I knew what I was doing.
I was given a lot of those opportunities and a
lot of support because of those places.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Andrew, can I ask you quick with the confidence part?
Is it the fear of is this going to be good?
Are they going to think it's good? I think it's good,
but are they? What is it that's the lack of confidence?
Speaker 3 (10:51):
It's all oh okay, it's you know, first time being
a chef. Do I really know what I'm doing? I
think I know what good food tastes like. I hope
that I learned how to put an assault on things
like Okay, it's a lot of little things. There's so
much that goes into being a chef that isn't just food. Yeah,
(11:13):
you know, being able to push yourself to get up
and work those long days and find finding something at
the end of the day that makes it worth it. Yeah,
that was It's not an easy thing to achieve, but
I feel like I was given those opportunities and the support,
and so I'm super grateful.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
It's such a team oriented profession too. I mean, the
way that a kitchen runs and that whole operation I
think is absolutely amazing. And I'm sure that there were
a lot of lessons there too.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
I learned the most of what you just mentioned at
rock Mill. Those guys in that kitchen, I look forward
to going in there every day and being with them.
They were awesome.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Well, and it's always great when you love what you do.
You mentioned that family brought you to Columbus, and you know,
but now it's become such an important part of your journey.
What made you decide to stay here and continue to
build your career here.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Family is still a part of that. I have two kids,
I remarried, and my wife Devanie, who's also my business
partner with in Islah. She's everything to me and she
from here. She originally Okay, Reynoldsburg area.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Oh okay, there you go.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Well that's great.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
How old your kids, by the way.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Andrew twenty one and nineteen, Oh wow, you know all
old enough to have kids.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
You were a baby when you had babies.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
But I feel old enough. I think that makes up
for it.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
So, Andrew, the Columbus food scene has grown tremendously over
the years. How have you seen it evall and what
excites you most about where it's heading?
Speaker 3 (12:53):
An evolution, I guess is a good word for it.
It's been in my just in my ten year to
fifteen years of being here, it's been like a rise
and fall of these small, chef owned restaurants, private l
owned places, which I think makes Columbus what it is
when it comes to food. We had a lot of
(13:17):
a lot of people kind of pave the way for
people like me. You know.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
The Table.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Was a great restaurant that I looked up to Riggsby's back.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
In the day.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Oh yeah, Bossy, Like there are all these places, some
of them had stood the tests of time and some
haven't because of certain reasons. But I feel like we're
in a resurgence of that at the moment. And we have,
you know, people like Avashar and bj Lieberman and Josh
Dalton and all these people that I look up to
(13:51):
and that have been a huge support to me. Matt
Hagen's with Preston's and saying from the table like community
is abundant here in the small restaurant scene and we
just want to keep that going.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah. Absolutely, And so many amazing accolades about our food
scene over the last couple of years, and it just continues.
Do you find that that collaborative nature and the community
that you've built here is different in Columbus than other cities?
Speaker 3 (14:24):
For me, it is just because I don't have a
lot of other experience in other cities, and I was
so young when I was in the Northwest that I
only got that out a couple of restaurants. But I
feel like we have everybody knows everybody here in this
restaurant scene that we're trying to improve, you know, and
(14:45):
I think that one of the things I love about
it the most is the community and the support that
we all give each other. We're not trying to be
better than the next guy or you know, we're all
just here for each other and if anybody needs a
cup of sugar, that's yeah, that's the metaphor, you know.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
But you know, Andrew and you touched on it with community,
and I have no doubt that's got to be a
big component to it. But you know, some cities are
food deserts where there's not a restaurant for as far
as you can see. And here Columbus, you've got one
every like five feet. What what makes Columbus, I guess
so unique in that department that we can do that.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Yeah, I think geographically our city is massive and that
helps a lot, so you know, things are spread out,
you have different communities of styles of food, and like
I mentioned before and the questions earlier, the ethnic scene
food our city is phenomenal. There's so much undiscovered, amazing
(15:47):
food and you know, I think that a lot of
those restaurants have played a big part in my flavor profile.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
When it comes to cooking, I have to ask about this,
because the people I've read about, I've never heard of
them doing something like this where you took this unique
turn into your career by launching it.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
What is it an invite only dining experience in your home? Yeah,
tell us about that. What is it Roy's Avenue super Club?
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Okay, you know, I reached a point in my in
my cooking career where I kind of was a little
burned out, to be honest, and I needed to step away.
So I started doing some consulting and some stuff on
the side, but there was that, you know, that little
bit of an itch to kind of be creative with
food again. And my wife and I wanted to do
(16:36):
something creative together. And we had some friends that kind
of pushed us into, you know, this idea. They had
been to other cities and experienced it. Our friend Dan Murphy,
who unfortunately is no longer with us, he was a
driving force in us doing this. The very first dinner
(16:59):
we ever did at our house for the supper club.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
He was there.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Bear bram Aller was there, who was the president of
the Slow Food Group who's no longer with us. Mike
Kimura from Kihachi was there, Bethia and Andy from Clumbus
Food Adventures, and I wanted them there so that I
could get some honest feedback. And you know, those people
have been super important to me in my life. And
(17:25):
it kind of just snowballed after that to this beautiful
mess of a thing and it, you know, the human
connection that came from it. Being able to have those
personal experiences with the guests. You know, I don't get
a lot of that, and guests don't get a lot
(17:45):
of that in restaurants, and so it started to become
kind of a unique thing.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Yeah, and I want to and in case I didn't
say this, I want to reiterate in your home, but
this is in your home.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, should box and use We have not been offended.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Well, now that we've met, we may be able to Hey,
there we go and we aren't a little bit of
a hiatus because of the restaurant. Of course, Well we'll
come back at some point.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Well, so Ila is your forthcoming restaurant expected to open
this year. Can you tell us about it? And how
did this come about?
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Yeah, so Ila is an extension of our supper club
that we have run out of our home. The reason
why we decided to is because we reached a point,
My wife and I reached a point where we just
could not do restaurants anymore. And then, like I said,
(18:45):
we needed to scratch that itch. But we ISLA is
an opportunity for us to strip away all the things
that made us leave in the first place, and to
kind of reintroduce the things that we wished we would
have experienced when we were in restaurants before. Very intimate
dining experience, but it's also very laid back. We have
(19:09):
found that the human connection part of this is more
important to us than the food, and it actually ends
up making the food better. So when people come in,
they will sit down and will be fourteen of them
at a time and they'll all eat together.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Oh I love that. So like family style.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Commune well, tasty menu, but all communal dining wonderful. We
don't put our phones down enough and look at each
other across from the table, greed and you know, there's
It might be uncomfortable for some people, but if you
can remember that you're all there for the same reason,
you have something to build on. We have people that
(19:49):
are lifelong friends now because of the Supper Club. They've
gone on vacations together.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Just the opportunity to bring people together is why we're
doing this, and the food is secondary. We just want
to cook what we like and we hope other people
like it, but we want to provide an atmosphere where
people can have an experience and a memory. You know,
the food will go away, but that memory can last
(20:16):
a lifetime.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
It sounds like there's a whole other podcast series that
could be launched based on all the connections that are created,
not only with Supper Club, but hopefully with Isla as well.
That's pretty cool. So talk to us a little bit
about the influence of the food. Obviously you mentioned tasting menu,
anything that we can learn about as it relates to
(20:37):
the type of food we can experience there.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Yeah, obviously, you know, like any chef does, we cook
with the seasons. There are seasons within seasons. We try
to stick to that, but we also try to just
utilize waste. That's a big part of you know, our
menu prob us, and then trying to provide an experience
(21:06):
that isn't rushed but is easy to come back to
a second time, because like you were still able to
go and do something later that night, you know, I
feel like a lot of tasty menus to taste take
a really long time, and we have it set up
to where it doesn't do that. And a lot of
(21:26):
that is because of the food and the way it's
produced and you get to try a bunch of different things,
talk about it. Everybody talks about what their favorite thing was.
At the end of the night, they're all passing bottles
of wine around and.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
We love it. That does sound fun. It's a little
too much fun.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Yeah, maybe maybe, But the food obviously is what got
us here. But the community and that connection is what's
keeping us going.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
You know, andrew Ila, as you've touched on, is about
creativity and can. You talked about people putting their phones down.
But I'm thinking more about how you're fostering this sense
of togetherness in a more traditional restaurant. How do you
do that while still keeping it like personal meanings.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
That's a great question. I think the communal aspect of it,
the communal tables help a lot. The supper club started
in our home, so that's part of the design of
the restaurant is to kind of make you feel a
little bit at home. And then also the interactions with
(22:35):
the chef and with the front of house. A lot
of times do you go into a restaurant, you sit
at the table and you never get to meet the
people behind what you're eating or the concept. But we
want to give you that. Every course, there's an explanation
of each course so you have a better idea of
(22:57):
what you're eating, and then it's just banter and like
meeting people and just communicating in a way that we
kind of used to communicate.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
I had an experienced very similar to that in Italy,
but never in the US and certainly not in Columbus.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
How do you.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Hope that ISLA contributes to the local food culture.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Yeah, we want ISLA to be a safe space for
creativity and collaborations. Our regular dinner service will just be
three nights a week, two seatings of fourteen. No one
will ever feel rushed to leave because there are enough
tables for everyone, so hang out and enjoy yourselves afterwards.
(23:41):
But we want to leave the other days of the
week open for collaborating with other chefs, bringing bartenders in
that are trying to make a name for themselves, and
we can cook bar food to go with their men
or yeah, to go with their menu. We're going to
do brunch on the weekends. We're going to teach some
cook classes based on the previous month's menus. There are
(24:04):
all kinds of different opportunities for us to grow and
to add more than just a tasting menu to the
food scene in Columbus.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So excited for this opening. So where exactly will Isla be.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Located in Marion Village. It's on the corner of Fourth
and Molar. It used to be the Bake Me Happy
production facility. Yes, now our restaurant.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Oh wow, I can't wait for this. I'm really excited
for you.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
So, Andrew, you've spoken about prioritizing mental health and mental
well being in your work environment. How do you approach
leadership and team dynamics in the kitchen with that?
Speaker 3 (24:46):
That's also a very good question. I think it kind
of goes back to some of the things I learned
when I first started out as a chef, you know,
the praising and public disciplining in private, being able to
provide a safe space where criticism is taken in a
(25:07):
healthy way. Also, we're a very small team and how large,
Including Debnie and I.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
There will be six of us.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
And so I think keeping it small like that works
really well for us because it almost becomes like a
family and we can bounce ideas off of each other.
You know, it's easier for me to get my point
across and my standards across, and to be able to
you know, pull people aside and have chats with them
and just make sure that we're all on the same page.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Like.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
It's a smaller, less stressful environment, so it creates opportunities
for growth for everybody that's working there.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
So, Andrew, if someone is visiting Columbus for the first time,
where else would you recommend they died to get a
true taste of the city, putting you on the spot there.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Yeah, no, that's fine.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
I mentioned some amazing chefs before.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
So I mentioned Jutai earlier. The hand Puld noodles are amazing.
And then I do love the chef owned restaurants that
we have here in Columbus. Let's see, Ogny is great,
Chapman's is great. We love Labbard a lot. Luke and
(26:26):
Annie have been a huge support for us. We've done
several pop ups in there. The Locks Bagel shop is
amazing and they've also been huge supporters for us, we
should a pop up there, And then I would say
all these other tiny little places that we you know,
(26:47):
just don't go too often enough, like Preston's and Oreos
and well, I don't think they have a problem getting people.
I think about those sandwiches like on a daily basis
and so filling, and the people there, the owners are
just some of the best people I know.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
So when you're doing some of these pop ups, how
can we hear about you know where you're going to
be And as we especially are anticipating the opening of Ailah,
do you have more information that we can share with
our listeners.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
Uh? Yeah, we are currently working on a website right now,
it's not done yet. And then social media Ila underscore
our asc for Instagram and that's pretty much the only
thing we have right now.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Instagram loves restaurants, don't they just pit the pictures of
the food and videos. Yeah, the perfect y exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
So we're nearing the end of our podcast, Andrew, what's
one piece of advice you'd give to aspiring chefs or
anyone passionate about pursuing a career in the culinary world.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Push through your insecurities, find a way to gain some confidence.
I think I'm starting to hit my stride a bit.
For me lately, it's been all about trying to find
a purpose that I can rest in and being able
(28:12):
to provide opportunities for other people, other chefs. Just different
work environments that I've been in have led me to here,
And I would say, just don't limit yourself. Try a
bunch of different things. Try different kinds of food, different
kinds of restaurants. You can learn more in a restaurant
than you can in culinary school in my opinion. But
(28:35):
you know, just build a work ethic because that will
sustain you. The food and everything else will come. That'll
you know, if you have the ethics of you know,
a proper work environment, yeah, the rest of it will
just fall into place for you.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Good advice, all right, Chef Andrew, brace yourself. I have
one of those, yes Columbus rapid fire questions for you.
We'll do three, Okay, are you ready? Here's the first one.
If you could cook for anyone living or historical, who
would it be?
Speaker 3 (29:08):
My first two chef that I ever worked for Charlie's Orich.
I cooked for him in restaurants and worked for him
but I've never had that opportunity to actually cook my
food for him, and so that's something that I never
looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
This one I've wanted to know, and I couldn't wait
to ask you. What is one dish that always brings
you comfort?
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Yeah, there's a dish that I had in Portland, Oregon,
which was a potato and yoki with Fontina cream sauce
and fresh grating nutmeg, and that was like, that was
a big aha moment for me. They shaved a bunch
of truffles over it, but I don't need that. So
(29:50):
we will have a dish that is inspired by that
in the restaurant.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Good.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Okay, Finally, if you weren't a chef, what do you
think you'd be doing right now?
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Teaching totally? I don't know what, but i'd be teaching
someone something.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Well, who knows what the future holds?
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Yeah, you never know.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Yeah, So we're going to switch gears now for our
last two segments. Our next one is called Columbus Classics.
The podcast is all about uncovering what's new, but we
also love the tried and true places and experiences. You've
highlighted a few of them already, but can you tell
us about a classic Columbus experience you love. It could
be a neighborhood, a restaurant, or anything.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
This might be very much under the radar, but one
of my wife and i his favorite places to go
is Frank Fetch Park in German Village. Oh. It's a
park about the size of this been there, been there,
the size of this room.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Intimate. It's just yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
We've We've gotten some of our favorite food and gone
there and just sat in the park. I also really
love a lot of the metro parks.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
We have an.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Amazing museum that's getting better and better every year that
we are huge.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Supporters of, the Columbus Museum of Art.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Yeah, and then the Conservatory is amazing. The Sciota Mile
is awesome.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
It's beautiful.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
There are so many unique things about the city that
you probably wouldn't know about, but we just need to,
you know, talk about them more.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
That's right, That's what we're trying to do.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Agreed, Agreed, Andrew. Before we close today's episode out one
more segment, What are you saying yes to in Columbus
this season? This year?
Speaker 3 (31:37):
What is it not to? You know, reiterate everything I've said,
but you know all the art that we have here.
I don't say yes to it enough, the opera, the symphony.
We have some very talented people that live in the
city and we don't take advantage of what they have
(31:59):
to offer.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
So yeah, we absolutely do. And one of my favorite
festivals and events of the year, the Columbus Arts Festival
coming up.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
To Love It.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Love It also on our USA Today's ten Best Awards
that could be voted on right now, so very exciting.
We're keeping our fingers crossed they get number one.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Location last year was amazing. Yes, it was so walkable
and pedestrian pedestrian friendly. It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Yes it is.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
It is amazing. So Andrew, thank you so much for
joining us on today's episode. This has been such a
great conversation. Your passion for food and community is truly inspiring,
and I know our listeners are going to be excited
to follow along with ilis journey and you mentioned that
to stay updated on the restaurant's progress and your latest projects,
we're going to follow you on Instagram. Yeah, yes, which
(32:49):
is awesome, and you can obviously also check out Experience
Columbus dot com.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Yes, Sarah, of course, thank you Andrew for joining us
and Yes Columbus and if you that are listening, I
have enjoyed this episode. Make sure to subscribe, rate and
leave a review too. And if you're looking for more
to see and do well in Columbus, follow Experience Columbus
on our socials and get more at Experiencecolumbus dot com.
Thanks so much, Andrew. That's a wrap on this week's
(33:16):
episode of Yes Columbus and Experience Columbus podcast. Tune in
next week as we take you on a tour of
what's new, what's hot, and what makes Columbus a city
on the rise.
Yes Columbus, an Experienced Columbus podcast, keeps you in the
know of what's happening in the art city Columbus. The
number one soccer team, the number three beer city, a
top ten culinary destination with the largest concentration of fashion
professionals in the US. Join us each week with special
guests for an inside look at a destination that invites
(00:23):
visitors and locals alike to explore. By the end of
each episode, you'll be asking yourself, can all of this
really exist in one city? Yes Columbus. Wello, and welcome
back to another episode of Yes Columbus. This is an
Experienced Columbus podcast. I am one of the co hosts Boxer,
along with my co host Sarah, who is the chief
(00:47):
marketing officer here at Experienced Columbus. Among other things that
you do, you do many things, many hats.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I do wear many hats. But it's so great to
see you. And we're on our second half launch of
the Yes Columbus podcast and we're excited to be sitting
down with the entrepreneurs, artist, chefs, and community leaders redefining
what it means to live and work here. So stay
tuned for exciting new episodes that highlight the movers and
(01:13):
shakers of Columbus. Before we hop into this week's interview,
it's time for our headliner segment, where we highlight a
recent story or accolade about Columbus.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
I can't wait hear this one, huh so Boxer.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
We have some historic news to share the positions Cosai
alongside recent national championships and achievements that make Columbus a
city of number ones. In twenty twenty five, Kosai has
achieved an unprecedented milestone of being named the number one
science museum in the nation by USA Today's ten Best
(01:46):
Readers' Choice Awards for the fifth time. I know it's amazing.
This is a feat that's potentially unmatched in the award
program's history. Additionally, Kosai's planetarium has been ranked number three
in the NATY, further cementing their cultural institution's excellence.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
That surprised, not surprised at all, Sarah.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Well and I want our listeners to know that Columbus
is still in the race for eight USA today ten
Best Readers Choice Awards, and we need your votes to
bring home the top spots. Our city rate number three
for Best Beer City last year. With your support, we
can claim number one in twenty twenty five if you
get out there and vote. From craft beer and arts
(02:27):
festivals to world class science, visit experience Columbus dot com,
slash media slash Columbus in the news to see which
Columbus favorites made the list, and vote daily to help
us win.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Big Sarah, These are really exciting times to be in Columbus.
I mean really exciting times to be a part of
all of this excitement in these accolades that places like
Kosai and the Zoo and so many others.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Are getting well, and really when people are considering where
to go on their next trip, these accolades are really
helpful because people may not know that we have an
amazing food scene, a phenomenal retail scene with the top
concentration of fashion design professionals in the United States. We
don't often get credit for things like that. And then
(03:15):
you look at all of our award winning attractions, the
Sciota Mile from an outcome perspective, so many amazing things
to bring you to Columbus and hopefully get you to stay.
But it's Boxer. It's now time for our behind the
Buzz segment and today We're thrilled to welcome a chef
who has been instrumental in shaping Columbus's reputation is one
(03:35):
of the best food cities in the country speaking, we're
here today with chef Andrew Smith. From his start at
the Rossi and Rock Mill tavern to his intimate supper
club and his nightly anticipated new restaurant, Ailah, Andrew has
helped define what makes Columbus's dining scenes so special. His
passion for food, community and creating meaningful experiences through dining.
(04:00):
That's him apart. Welcome Andrew, Thanks for being with us today.
Speaker 3 (04:03):
Thank you so very much. I'm happy to be here, Andrew.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
I cannot wait to hear more about your journey now,
truth be told, I can barely make cereal, so to
hear about what you can do as a chef and
how you became a chef. I guess my first thing
that pops into my head, Andrew, is was there a
specific person or experience that inspired you to, I guess
(04:27):
pursue this path and could you share that you know,
how the idea of becoming to chef first took shape
for you.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
I don't think that there was necessarily a very specific moment.
It was the the some of a whole kind of thing.
Lots of different moments and just different trajectories in my
life that kind of pushed me into this. I could
(04:55):
give a lot of credit to chefs that I've worked with,
to my family. It's just there's so many reasons why
I ended up becoming a chef.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
How about this. Do you remember the first time you
were in the kitchen and you made something and maybe
that that spark went off that you you fell in
love with it? Baby?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
I think back to not necessarily making things in the kitchen,
but eating certain things. Growing up, Taco Sundays with my
family was a big deal for me, you know, being
in my grandma's garden. Both of my parents are from
North Carolina, so a lot of grits and you know,
(05:40):
Colli greens and things like that. Growing up, skillet cornbread.
My dad was a had no idea what to do
with food. But he mixed eggnog and sprite and lime
sherbet together. And I know that it sounds crazy, but
if you think about it, it's just an it's just
an nat drink and he had no idea. There's all
(06:00):
these weird things that I experienced growing up. We would
make snow cream when there was fresh snow. My mom
would get sweet and condensed milks and strawberries from the
freezer and mix it with the snow and we would
eat it.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
We did that growing up too, Andrew, I know you
touched about you know, your family playing a big role
did this? What about the Was it the Pacific Northwest though?
Where all this started for you? Where did you grow up? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:26):
I did grow up okay, Pacific Northwest. I was born
in the Columbia Gorge in Hood River, Oregon. I spent
most of my adult life in Portland. That's where I
went to culinary school as well.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, so your time at the Western Culinary Institute was
undoubtedly a formative chapter in your culinary journey. Can you
share what that experience was like, What were some of
the most valuable lessons you learned and how did it
shape the chef you are today?
Speaker 1 (06:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (06:53):
That's a great question. I feel like for me, there
were a few classes. The baking one on one was
a big one for me because I didn't know a
lot about baking, so I learned a lot there. But
if I'm being completely honest, the rest of my time there.
What I got out of it the most was the
relationships that I made with some of the students, and
(07:16):
I learned a lot of what not to do. Honestly,
I know that sounds bad. They're not around anymore, so
I'm not worried about saying it. But one of the
things that was required was to work in a restaurant.
So that requirement was very helpful because I ended up
working in a little restaurant in Portland called Ricardo's and
(07:38):
that's where like food started to make sense for me
and the camaraderie that can happen in a kitchen. My
sooux chef Charlie's orch was huge part of my culinary
career to this day, I guess still I call him
on the phone if I need advice or anything. So
(08:01):
even though I didn't necessarily enjoy the culinary school aspect
of everything, what it provided for me was very, very beneficial.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. And after attending
the Western Culinary Institute, you made your way to Columbus
and quickly became a rising force in the city's restaurant scene.
What was it that brought you to Columbus.
Speaker 3 (08:23):
Family reasons, I wanted our kids to be closer to family.
That was no other reason really, So.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
It wasn't throwing a dart at a map. No, not
at all, not at all. Well, you know, fast forward
a little bit. You know, Andrew, you made your mark
at some of the city's most well loved restaurants, Rossi
and Phil Coo. Can you talk a little bit about,
you know, your time at those restaurants and how they
shaped you as a chef at a leader.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Yeah, the Rossie was the first opportunity that I was
ever given to be a shit.
Speaker 1 (09:01):
So that'll probably always be special to you very much.
Speaker 3 (09:04):
I learned a lot there, you know, how to work
in a fast paced environment. I think I learned a
lot of work ethic between that and culinary school that
helped really push me towards being better. The Rossi allowed
me to make a lot of mistakes, but to learn
from them and to improve. I'm very grateful for that
(09:26):
opportunity because not a lot of young chefs are given.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
It taught me how to lead, and it taught me
to you know, discipline in private, praise in public, and
not ask anybody to do anything that you're not willing
to do, and I know those are very basic things
when it comes to being a chef, but that's where
I learned them, and that's grateful for it.
Speaker 1 (09:52):
Chef Andrew Smith is with us. He is this week's
guest on Yes Columbus. You know on the heels what
we just talked about with those restaurants. Are there some
lessons that stand out for the rest of them, some
big lessons I guess that you learned in those early
years that still are with you to this day.
Speaker 3 (10:09):
You touched on a couple, but yeah, I would say
being able to push through the insecurities that a young
chef can have. Confidence isn't always something that you start
out with. So having a support system to be able
to push through those times where I didn't feel confident
(10:31):
or I didn't feel like I knew what I was doing.
I was given a lot of those opportunities and a
lot of support because of those places.
Speaker 1 (10:40):
Andrew, can I ask you quick with the confidence part?
Is it the fear of is this going to be good?
Are they going to think it's good? I think it's good,
but are they? What is it that's the lack of confidence?
Speaker 3 (10:51):
It's all oh okay, it's you know, first time being
a chef. Do I really know what I'm doing? I
think I know what good food tastes like. I hope
that I learned how to put an assault on things
like Okay, it's a lot of little things. There's so
much that goes into being a chef that isn't just food. Yeah,
(11:13):
you know, being able to push yourself to get up
and work those long days and find finding something at
the end of the day that makes it worth it. Yeah,
that was It's not an easy thing to achieve, but
I feel like I was given those opportunities and the support,
and so I'm super grateful.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
It's such a team oriented profession too. I mean, the
way that a kitchen runs and that whole operation I
think is absolutely amazing. And I'm sure that there were
a lot of lessons there too.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
I learned the most of what you just mentioned at
rock Mill. Those guys in that kitchen, I look forward
to going in there every day and being with them.
They were awesome.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
Well, and it's always great when you love what you do.
You mentioned that family brought you to Columbus, and you know,
but now it's become such an important part of your journey.
What made you decide to stay here and continue to
build your career here.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
Family is still a part of that. I have two kids,
I remarried, and my wife Devanie, who's also my business
partner with in Islah. She's everything to me and she
from here. She originally Okay, Reynoldsburg area.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
Oh okay, there you go.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Well that's great.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
How old your kids, by the way.
Speaker 3 (12:33):
Andrew twenty one and nineteen, Oh wow, you know all
old enough to have kids.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
You were a baby when you had babies.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
But I feel old enough. I think that makes up
for it.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
So, Andrew, the Columbus food scene has grown tremendously over
the years. How have you seen it evall and what
excites you most about where it's heading?
Speaker 3 (12:53):
An evolution, I guess is a good word for it.
It's been in my just in my ten year to
fifteen years of being here, it's been like a rise
and fall of these small, chef owned restaurants, private l
owned places, which I think makes Columbus what it is
when it comes to food. We had a lot of
(13:17):
a lot of people kind of pave the way for
people like me. You know.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
The Table.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Was a great restaurant that I looked up to Riggsby's back.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
In the day.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
Oh yeah, Bossy, Like there are all these places, some
of them had stood the tests of time and some
haven't because of certain reasons. But I feel like we're
in a resurgence of that at the moment. And we have,
you know, people like Avashar and bj Lieberman and Josh
Dalton and all these people that I look up to
(13:51):
and that have been a huge support to me. Matt
Hagen's with Preston's and saying from the table like community
is abundant here in the small restaurant scene and we
just want to keep that going.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Yeah. Absolutely, And so many amazing accolades about our food
scene over the last couple of years, and it just continues.
Do you find that that collaborative nature and the community
that you've built here is different in Columbus than other cities?
Speaker 3 (14:24):
For me, it is just because I don't have a
lot of other experience in other cities, and I was
so young when I was in the Northwest that I
only got that out a couple of restaurants. But I
feel like we have everybody knows everybody here in this
restaurant scene that we're trying to improve, you know, and
(14:45):
I think that one of the things I love about
it the most is the community and the support that
we all give each other. We're not trying to be
better than the next guy or you know, we're all
just here for each other and if anybody needs a
cup of sugar, that's yeah, that's the metaphor, you know.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
But you know, Andrew and you touched on it with community,
and I have no doubt that's got to be a
big component to it. But you know, some cities are
food deserts where there's not a restaurant for as far
as you can see. And here Columbus, you've got one
every like five feet. What what makes Columbus, I guess
so unique in that department that we can do that.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Yeah, I think geographically our city is massive and that
helps a lot, so you know, things are spread out,
you have different communities of styles of food, and like
I mentioned before and the questions earlier, the ethnic scene
food our city is phenomenal. There's so much undiscovered, amazing
(15:47):
food and you know, I think that a lot of
those restaurants have played a big part in my flavor profile.
Speaker 4 (15:55):
When it comes to cooking, I have to ask about this,
because the people I've read about, I've never heard of
them doing something like this where you took this unique
turn into your career by launching it.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
What is it an invite only dining experience in your home? Yeah,
tell us about that. What is it Roy's Avenue super Club?
Speaker 3 (16:15):
Okay, you know, I reached a point in my in
my cooking career where I kind of was a little
burned out, to be honest, and I needed to step away.
So I started doing some consulting and some stuff on
the side, but there was that, you know, that little
bit of an itch to kind of be creative with
food again. And my wife and I wanted to do
(16:36):
something creative together. And we had some friends that kind
of pushed us into, you know, this idea. They had
been to other cities and experienced it. Our friend Dan Murphy,
who unfortunately is no longer with us, he was a
driving force in us doing this. The very first dinner
(16:59):
we ever did at our house for the supper club.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
He was there.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
Bear bram Aller was there, who was the president of
the Slow Food Group who's no longer with us. Mike
Kimura from Kihachi was there, Bethia and Andy from Clumbus
Food Adventures, and I wanted them there so that I
could get some honest feedback. And you know, those people
have been super important to me in my life. And
(17:25):
it kind of just snowballed after that to this beautiful
mess of a thing and it, you know, the human
connection that came from it. Being able to have those
personal experiences with the guests. You know, I don't get
a lot of that, and guests don't get a lot
(17:45):
of that in restaurants, and so it started to become
kind of a unique thing.
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Yeah, and I want to and in case I didn't
say this, I want to reiterate in your home, but
this is in your home.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Yeah, should box and use We have not been offended.
Speaker 3 (18:01):
Well, now that we've met, we may be able to Hey,
there we go and we aren't a little bit of
a hiatus because of the restaurant. Of course, Well we'll
come back at some point.
Speaker 2 (18:13):
Well, so Ila is your forthcoming restaurant expected to open
this year. Can you tell us about it? And how
did this come about?
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Yeah, so Ila is an extension of our supper club
that we have run out of our home. The reason
why we decided to is because we reached a point,
My wife and I reached a point where we just
could not do restaurants anymore. And then, like I said,
(18:45):
we needed to scratch that itch. But we ISLA is
an opportunity for us to strip away all the things
that made us leave in the first place, and to
kind of reintroduce the things that we wished we would
have experienced when we were in restaurants before. Very intimate
dining experience, but it's also very laid back. We have
(19:09):
found that the human connection part of this is more
important to us than the food, and it actually ends
up making the food better. So when people come in,
they will sit down and will be fourteen of them
at a time and they'll all eat together.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Oh I love that. So like family style.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
Commune well, tasty menu, but all communal dining wonderful. We
don't put our phones down enough and look at each
other across from the table, greed and you know, there's
It might be uncomfortable for some people, but if you
can remember that you're all there for the same reason,
you have something to build on. We have people that
(19:49):
are lifelong friends now because of the Supper Club. They've
gone on vacations together.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Just the opportunity to bring people together is why we're
doing this, and the food is secondary. We just want
to cook what we like and we hope other people
like it, but we want to provide an atmosphere where
people can have an experience and a memory. You know,
the food will go away, but that memory can last
(20:16):
a lifetime.
Speaker 2 (20:17):
It sounds like there's a whole other podcast series that
could be launched based on all the connections that are created,
not only with Supper Club, but hopefully with Isla as well.
That's pretty cool. So talk to us a little bit
about the influence of the food. Obviously you mentioned tasting menu,
anything that we can learn about as it relates to
(20:37):
the type of food we can experience there.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Yeah, obviously, you know, like any chef does, we cook
with the seasons. There are seasons within seasons. We try
to stick to that, but we also try to just
utilize waste. That's a big part of you know, our
menu prob us, and then trying to provide an experience
(21:06):
that isn't rushed but is easy to come back to
a second time, because like you were still able to
go and do something later that night, you know, I
feel like a lot of tasty menus to taste take
a really long time, and we have it set up
to where it doesn't do that. And a lot of
(21:26):
that is because of the food and the way it's
produced and you get to try a bunch of different things,
talk about it. Everybody talks about what their favorite thing was.
At the end of the night, they're all passing bottles
of wine around and.
Speaker 1 (21:40):
We love it. That does sound fun. It's a little
too much fun.
Speaker 3 (21:44):
Yeah, maybe maybe, But the food obviously is what got
us here. But the community and that connection is what's
keeping us going.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
You know, andrew Ila, as you've touched on, is about
creativity and can. You talked about people putting their phones down.
But I'm thinking more about how you're fostering this sense
of togetherness in a more traditional restaurant. How do you
do that while still keeping it like personal meanings.
Speaker 3 (22:14):
That's a great question. I think the communal aspect of it,
the communal tables help a lot. The supper club started
in our home, so that's part of the design of
the restaurant is to kind of make you feel a
little bit at home. And then also the interactions with
(22:35):
the chef and with the front of house. A lot
of times do you go into a restaurant, you sit
at the table and you never get to meet the
people behind what you're eating or the concept. But we
want to give you that. Every course, there's an explanation
of each course so you have a better idea of
(22:57):
what you're eating, and then it's just banter and like
meeting people and just communicating in a way that we
kind of used to communicate.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
I had an experienced very similar to that in Italy,
but never in the US and certainly not in Columbus.
Speaker 1 (23:16):
How do you.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
Hope that ISLA contributes to the local food culture.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
Yeah, we want ISLA to be a safe space for
creativity and collaborations. Our regular dinner service will just be
three nights a week, two seatings of fourteen. No one
will ever feel rushed to leave because there are enough
tables for everyone, so hang out and enjoy yourselves afterwards.
(23:41):
But we want to leave the other days of the
week open for collaborating with other chefs, bringing bartenders in
that are trying to make a name for themselves, and
we can cook bar food to go with their men
or yeah, to go with their menu. We're going to
do brunch on the weekends. We're going to teach some
cook classes based on the previous month's menus. There are
(24:04):
all kinds of different opportunities for us to grow and
to add more than just a tasting menu to the
food scene in Columbus.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
So excited for this opening. So where exactly will Isla be.
Speaker 3 (24:16):
Located in Marion Village. It's on the corner of Fourth
and Molar. It used to be the Bake Me Happy
production facility. Yes, now our restaurant.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Oh wow, I can't wait for this. I'm really excited
for you.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:34):
So, Andrew, you've spoken about prioritizing mental health and mental
well being in your work environment. How do you approach
leadership and team dynamics in the kitchen with that?
Speaker 3 (24:46):
That's also a very good question. I think it kind
of goes back to some of the things I learned
when I first started out as a chef, you know,
the praising and public disciplining in private, being able to
provide a safe space where criticism is taken in a
(25:07):
healthy way. Also, we're a very small team and how large,
Including Debnie and I.
Speaker 1 (25:16):
There will be six of us.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
And so I think keeping it small like that works
really well for us because it almost becomes like a
family and we can bounce ideas off of each other.
You know, it's easier for me to get my point
across and my standards across, and to be able to
you know, pull people aside and have chats with them
and just make sure that we're all on the same page.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Like.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
It's a smaller, less stressful environment, so it creates opportunities
for growth for everybody that's working there.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
So, Andrew, if someone is visiting Columbus for the first time,
where else would you recommend they died to get a
true taste of the city, putting you on the spot there.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
Yeah, no, that's fine.
Speaker 2 (26:01):
I mentioned some amazing chefs before.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
So I mentioned Jutai earlier. The hand Puld noodles are amazing.
And then I do love the chef owned restaurants that
we have here in Columbus. Let's see, Ogny is great,
Chapman's is great. We love Labbard a lot. Luke and
(26:26):
Annie have been a huge support for us. We've done
several pop ups in there. The Locks Bagel shop is
amazing and they've also been huge supporters for us, we
should a pop up there, And then I would say
all these other tiny little places that we you know,
(26:47):
just don't go too often enough, like Preston's and Oreos
and well, I don't think they have a problem getting people.
I think about those sandwiches like on a daily basis
and so filling, and the people there, the owners are
just some of the best people I know.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
So when you're doing some of these pop ups, how
can we hear about you know where you're going to
be And as we especially are anticipating the opening of Ailah,
do you have more information that we can share with
our listeners.
Speaker 3 (27:17):
Uh? Yeah, we are currently working on a website right now,
it's not done yet. And then social media Ila underscore
our asc for Instagram and that's pretty much the only
thing we have right now.
Speaker 1 (27:32):
Instagram loves restaurants, don't they just pit the pictures of
the food and videos. Yeah, the perfect y exactly.
Speaker 2 (27:40):
So we're nearing the end of our podcast, Andrew, what's
one piece of advice you'd give to aspiring chefs or
anyone passionate about pursuing a career in the culinary world.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Push through your insecurities, find a way to gain some confidence.
I think I'm starting to hit my stride a bit.
For me lately, it's been all about trying to find
a purpose that I can rest in and being able
(28:12):
to provide opportunities for other people, other chefs. Just different
work environments that I've been in have led me to here,
And I would say, just don't limit yourself. Try a
bunch of different things. Try different kinds of food, different
kinds of restaurants. You can learn more in a restaurant
than you can in culinary school in my opinion. But
(28:35):
you know, just build a work ethic because that will
sustain you. The food and everything else will come. That'll
you know, if you have the ethics of you know,
a proper work environment, yeah, the rest of it will
just fall into place for you.
Speaker 1 (28:50):
Good advice, all right, Chef Andrew, brace yourself. I have
one of those, yes Columbus rapid fire questions for you.
We'll do three, Okay, are you ready? Here's the first one.
If you could cook for anyone living or historical, who
would it be?
Speaker 3 (29:08):
My first two chef that I ever worked for Charlie's Orich.
I cooked for him in restaurants and worked for him
but I've never had that opportunity to actually cook my
food for him, and so that's something that I never
looking forward to.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
This one I've wanted to know, and I couldn't wait
to ask you. What is one dish that always brings
you comfort?
Speaker 3 (29:30):
Yeah, there's a dish that I had in Portland, Oregon,
which was a potato and yoki with Fontina cream sauce
and fresh grating nutmeg, and that was like, that was
a big aha moment for me. They shaved a bunch
of truffles over it, but I don't need that. So
(29:50):
we will have a dish that is inspired by that
in the restaurant.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
Good.
Speaker 1 (29:55):
Okay, Finally, if you weren't a chef, what do you
think you'd be doing right now?
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Teaching totally? I don't know what, but i'd be teaching
someone something.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
Well, who knows what the future holds?
Speaker 1 (30:09):
Yeah, you never know.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
Yeah, So we're going to switch gears now for our
last two segments. Our next one is called Columbus Classics.
The podcast is all about uncovering what's new, but we
also love the tried and true places and experiences. You've
highlighted a few of them already, but can you tell
us about a classic Columbus experience you love. It could
be a neighborhood, a restaurant, or anything.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
This might be very much under the radar, but one
of my wife and i his favorite places to go
is Frank Fetch Park in German Village. Oh. It's a
park about the size of this been there, been there,
the size of this room.
Speaker 1 (30:45):
Intimate. It's just yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
We've We've gotten some of our favorite food and gone
there and just sat in the park. I also really
love a lot of the metro parks.
Speaker 1 (30:57):
We have an.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
Amazing museum that's getting better and better every year that
we are huge.
Speaker 2 (31:04):
Supporters of, the Columbus Museum of Art.
Speaker 3 (31:06):
Yeah, and then the Conservatory is amazing. The Sciota Mile
is awesome.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
It's beautiful.
Speaker 3 (31:15):
There are so many unique things about the city that
you probably wouldn't know about, but we just need to,
you know, talk about them more.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
That's right, That's what we're trying to do.
Speaker 1 (31:26):
Agreed, Agreed, Andrew. Before we close today's episode out one
more segment, What are you saying yes to in Columbus
this season? This year?
Speaker 3 (31:37):
What is it not to? You know, reiterate everything I've said,
but you know all the art that we have here.
I don't say yes to it enough, the opera, the symphony.
We have some very talented people that live in the
city and we don't take advantage of what they have
(31:59):
to offer.
Speaker 2 (32:00):
So yeah, we absolutely do. And one of my favorite
festivals and events of the year, the Columbus Arts Festival
coming up.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
To Love It.
Speaker 2 (32:09):
Love It also on our USA Today's ten Best Awards
that could be voted on right now, so very exciting.
We're keeping our fingers crossed they get number one.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:20):
Location last year was amazing. Yes, it was so walkable
and pedestrian pedestrian friendly. It was amazing.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
Yes it is.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
It is amazing. So Andrew, thank you so much for
joining us on today's episode. This has been such a
great conversation. Your passion for food and community is truly inspiring,
and I know our listeners are going to be excited
to follow along with ilis journey and you mentioned that
to stay updated on the restaurant's progress and your latest projects,
we're going to follow you on Instagram. Yeah, yes, which
(32:49):
is awesome, and you can obviously also check out Experience
Columbus dot com.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
Yes, Sarah, of course, thank you Andrew for joining us
and Yes Columbus and if you that are listening, I
have enjoyed this episode. Make sure to subscribe, rate and
leave a review too. And if you're looking for more
to see and do well in Columbus, follow Experience Columbus
on our socials and get more at Experiencecolumbus dot com.
Thanks so much, Andrew. That's a wrap on this week's
(33:16):
episode of Yes Columbus and Experience Columbus podcast. Tune in
next week as we take you on a tour of
what's new, what's hot, and what makes Columbus a city
on the rise.
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