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Kolache Republic

17 Nov

kolache cart

Kolaches
Website
Facebook
Twitter
614.302.5330

You may  have already seen the Kolache Republic at farmers markets, street food events or festivals but now they have their own cart and are hitting the streets of Columbus. If you haven’t, you might be wondering what a kolache is – or how to pronounce it (koh-lah-chee). A kolache is a Czech pastry made of slightly sweet dough baked with a wide variety of fruit, nut, sweet cheese and meat fillings. They are popular in areas with large Czech populations such as Texas.

Kolache Republic is a joint venture between three guys, Rick, Doug and Dusty, who were craving kolaches and couldn’t find them in Columbus. Unfulfilled food cravings seems a common food business initiator. Kolache Republic now make over 30 varieties of sweet and savory kolache to order and as well as serving them on the cart you can find them at the Celebrate Local pop up store at Easton.

Here was today’s menu:

kolaches in columbus, street food in Columbus

My favorite are the sausage, pepper jack and jalapeno kolaches, so of course that’s what I had today. A doughy cheesy bundle with mild juicy sausage and some warmth from the jalapeno. It’s a great cold weather snack.

sausage jalapeno cheese kolache

Kolache Republic will be on Broad Street (just east of Third) again tomorrow  from 11am-2pm, so if you are walking around downtown stop by, say hi and try a kolache.

The Local Munch Box

29 Jul

columbus food trucks

Munch Box
Website
Facebook
@LocalMunchBox
614.361.4129

Munch Box got off to a hesitant start this spring, but you can now see them on a regular basis at Columbus Commons as participants in Lunch on the Lawn (Wednesdays 10am-2pm). From what we’ve heard, we’re sure you’ll be seeing a lot more of them elsewhere as well in the future.

columbus street food

Munch Box offers a choice of wraps or flatbreads with a variety of toppings/fillings. As well as the menu items pictured above, we’ve also seen them offer scallop flatbreads, hummus wraps, stew and sandwiches in the past.

We tried the steak braised beef with poblano cilantro, pesto, and brussels sprout slaw on flatbread. The meat was both tender and flavorful, and the slaw accompanied it well (although it might be a bit on the vinegary side for some). The flatbread base was somewhat unusual – it seemed like more of a flattened wrap than what we’d typically think of as a flatbread, and it got soggy when the toppings were added.

columbus street food

Munch balls are cake balls that come in a variety of flavors and are something fun to share if you are eating with a group of friends. We’re looking forward to trying more of their offerings on future visits.

Short North Bagel Deli

21 Jul

food carts columbus

Short North Bagel Deli
Cuisine: Sandwiches
www.shortnorthbageldeli.com
@shortnorthbagel
Facebook

Owned and operated by Jeremy Fox, Short North Bagel Deli is the latest cart to hit the streets of Columbus. Short North Bagel Deli specializes in steamed bagel sandwiches which Jeremy first tried and fell in love with when he visited his sister at Miami University. Bagel and Deli has a cult following in Oxford and has spawned steamed bagel delis in several other cities. A steamed bagel sandwich is different from having a toasted bagel sandwich because the whole sandwich is steamed warming the bagel and fillings and melting the cheese.

mobile food columbus

The cart uses Blocks Bagels (plain, wholewheat, sesame and everything) and offers a surprisingly wide variety of sandwich options. The most popular so far is the Good Ole Goodale with thin-sliced turkey, Colby, cream cheese,  avocado, tomato, lettuce, sprouts and honey mustard. We tried the special the Camelot, with turkey, bacon, avocado, brie and mayo on an everything bagel. You can also make up your own sandwich.

street food columbus

When you get your bagel it will be almost to hot to hold, but eat it quickly as it will start to get tough as it cools down. Make sure you grab some napkins too – the sandwiches can get pretty messy with all those steamed melt-y fillings.

bagel deli columbus

Although the cart is called ‘Short North Bagel Deli, you will find Jeremy in locations all over town. He is currently downtown during lunchtimes, at Camelot Cellars (Short North) some evenings and at Groovy Spoon (Clintonville) or Farmer’s Markets on other evenings. Keep up with his locations on his website or on facebook or twitter.

Johnny Oak’s Cajun BBQ

27 May

bbq trucks columbus ohio

Cuisine: Cajun BBQ
Gay and High st.
614.620.6165
Monday-Friday 11am-3pm (or until sold out)

Last summer the corner of Gay and High was home to the cupcake truck 3 Babes and a Baker. This summer it has a new resident – Johnny Oak’s Cajun BBQ. If the name Johnny Oak’s sounds familiar it’s because Johnny already has a restaurant in Columbus – Johnny Oak’s Po Boy and Shrimp Shack located on North Campus. You won’t find any Po Boys here though, as the truck and restaurant offer different menus (the only overlap is the side dishes all of which Johnny himself cooks from scratch). Both menus have the same inspiration, the period of time that Johnny lived in New Orleans.

mobile food vendors columbus ohio

Johnny opened the Po Boy Shack 5 years ago when he wanted to get out of the construction business and do something that he loved. Johnny (pictured above) is a character and an extremely warm host who offered us samples to help us decide what to order. He jokes with customers ‘this ain’t Burger King’ and takes justified pride in his food. He closed up shop early the day we were there because he was almost sold out and didn’t want the remaining small amount of meat to dry out on the grill.

Here’s the menu, which as you can see will have some variability based on the whims of the owner.

menu, mobile food columbus, food trucks columbus

We split two sandwiches and were divided over whether we preferred the pulled pork or the brisket. The pulled pork was a delicious mess of a sandwich oozing with BBQ sauce and coleslaw (note to self – don’t wear a white shirt). The pork was tender and the creamy coleslaw balanced the heat of the BBQ sauce. I also liked the crunch that the coleslaw added.

johnny oak's columbus

The blackened brisket was nicely (but not overly) fatty, juicy and with less sauce than the pork. The beans were what really won my heart, less sweet than the usual bbq baked beans, with a decent kick of heat and a rich flavorful broth. The greens with bacon were also very good, less bitter than others I have had.

johnny oak cajun bbq, street eats columbus

As well as running the truck and restaurant Johnny caters parties and will pretty much grill any meat for you from goat to turkeys. He also builds and remodels trailers and trucks. There’s more information about the restaurant, catering and trucks here.

Yankee Cajun

8 Sep

streeteatscolumbus, street food columbus ohio

Follow them on twitter @YankeeCajunOhio

11am-3pm Mon-Fri, Between Gay and Long on High Street Downtown Columbus

Yankee Cajun is the latest addition to the downtown lunchtime food truck scene. You can find them parked just up the street from 3 Babes and a Baker. As their twitter bio says “Yankee Cajun is about bringing the flavors of the French Quarter and Cajun country to foodies in Columbus Ohio”. (more…)

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