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New Columns appear each Tuesday. 17JAN06 Doral Chenoweth writes about the business of restaurants and the food industry in the Columbus, Ohio, Metro area. Reader comments are welcome by telephone. 614-538-1822. Email the Grump: thegrumpygourmet@wowway.com Send food stuff here: iPLATE@grumpygourmetusa.com Send weird stuff here: alferd_e_packer@wowway.com E-mail messages must include name and telephone for a reply. |
 Michele Mooney, Marketing Director  Steve Hamm, Wine Manager |
17JAN06 Whole Foods Café Unique: No Tipping, No Wine Corkage Fees What a concept for Ohio after being gouged for all these decades when having wine in a restaurant. Dining at Trattoria, centered in the middle of the new Whole Foods Market, may cause sticker shock. Think about having a casual lunch or dinner with a wine of choice from any of 1,400 labels. Think about walking the bottle to the dining venue and passing it to the chef preparing your scampi or ravioli or chicken tortellini. Sticker shock, the good sort, surfaces when you get the check and notice there is no corkage charge. Further, the bottle is priced at state minimum as required by Ohio's ancient wine controls left over from Prohibition laws. There are establishments in Ohio that are doing 400 percent markups above required state minimums. Here's how it works at Whole Foods. I paid $10.99 for a half bottle (375 millilitres) of Qupe 2003 syrah, California's Central Coast. Have that poured by the person in whites, usually chef-of-the-hour who also plates your dinner. In my case, dinner was scampi with asparagus, $10.99. My check: $21.98. No tip required or expected. Steve Hamm, a prominent name in Columbus wine circles, is the ruddy face between the stacks. His vino domain offers more than 1,400 labels - that includes another unique factor: 32 half bottles for couples who want to split when it comes to whites or reds and do not want to opt for a full 750 millilitres. Hamm's bailiwick displays 10,000 bottles, possibly the largest bin depth of any Columbus market. Cousin, we've come a long way, right? |
 Mark Russell, Chef |
Trattoria: Best for Sincere Foodies Whole Foods open kitchen Trattoria seats just 14. Seats? Well, seating is on high-backed stools. Comfortable. The counter is your dining table. This is best for people who like to see their orders being assembled and cooked. The menu is small offering antipasti, $5.99; four salads and not one tasteless leaf of iceberg in the lot, tabs $2.49 for mixed greens to a popular mix of fresh berries with goat cheese, $7.99; and six pasta combos. Reviewer FAVE: Fresh, crunchy shrimp (detailed upon request) sautéed in olive oil, served in a white wine, lemon zest and garlic sauce over red pepper linguine - fresh linguine. The dish will include an ample mix of baby asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes. Tab: $10.99. Libation advisory: Avoid San Pellegrino waters, $1.29 small; opt for the house brand spring water, 99 cents. Rating the food: + + + + (out of five pluses) |
 Whole Foods |
 Housekeeping, locator for Trattoria Trattoria, the café in center of Whole Foods, 3670 W. Dublin-Grandville Rd., menu service begins 11 a.m. daily; no reservations; information 614-760-5556. by Doral Chenoweth 614-538-1822 |
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