Harvey & Ed's is an ode to the classic New York deli, reworked for modern tastes.
Cameron Mitchell Restaurants' latest destination, devoted to home-cooked meals with a chef's touch, has opened in the former Rigsby's Kitchen, 698 N. High St. in Columbus.
Latkes, or potato pancakes, are touched up with creme fraiche, house-cured salmon caviar, fennel and green apple for a posh nosh.
Another Old World classic, chopped liver, is made with chicken livers rendered down in schmaltz and onion and chopped with hard-boiled eggs and crispy chicken skin, with pickled red onions and bagel chips on the side.
Every bubbe's soul-warming favorite, matzo-ball soup, features a baseball-sized, hand-rolled matzo ball poached in the stock, also containing pulled chicken, carrots and celery.
"We wanted that flavor to really be pronounced," executive chef Jonathan Basch said.
The restaurant has emerged from a six-month renovation project that has opened the interior space, which seats 150. The open layout features sturdy butcher-block tables, a pristine white marble bar and exposed brick.
David Miller, president of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, dedicated the restaurant to his father, Ed, and Ed's brother-in-law, Harvey.
"Columbus offers one of the best dining scenes in the nation, and we are eager to introduce a concept that is unlike anything currently available in central Ohio," Miller said.
House-smoked and -cured fish are a big deal at the restaurant, coming in platters with an assortment of condiments. Kippered salmon, as well as roasted halibut and seared sea bass, are available as dinner entrees.
Harvey & Ed's is not kosher but no pork products are served at the deli.
As one might expect, corned beef and pastrami play a starring role on the menu.
The restaurant sources those products from Sy Ginsberg Corned Beef, now owned by United Meat and Deli, in Detroit. Separate cuts of raw brisket are prepared in-house. Brined for 24 hours, they're cooked confit-style in beef fat and clarified butter for three hours for fork-tender consistency, Basch said.
Some local shops are contributing to the deli: Block's Bagels provides all bagel products, as well as pumpernickel and rye breads, while potato buns, challah and pita are procured from Matt's Bakery.
Prepared foods and lunch meats, located in a cold case near the front door, are available for carryout.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 am. to 11 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays. Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information, call 614-641-4040.
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Kurdish-style naan has returned to Bethel Road.
Bazyan Market & Bakery has replaced Hayat Market & Bakery, which recently closed at 5220 Bethel Center Mall in Columbus.
Owner Omar Ahmed, originally from Kurdistan, said the market will offer naan, as well as other fresh-cooked items, such as kebabs, shawarma, falafel and baklava.
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The short-lived Iron Age Korean BBQ has been replaced by 868 Asian Cuisine & Shabu Shabu. The latter term in the restaurant's name is more commonly known as hot pot.
The restaurant at 4710 Reed Road in northwest Columbus offers an array of Chinese dishes -- some fairly exotic for central Ohio -- and hot pot, in which patrons cook their own ingredients in hot broth served tableside.
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