This week Columbus gets a new downtown restaurant that’s both a public eatery and a social enterprise offering training and employment opportunities for folks in the restaurant industry! The Line is an enterprise of Service Relief, a non-profit (of which I’m on the board) that works towards a more equitable hospitality industry through training, resources, community, and more. Service already operates Cafe Overlook in the Franklin County Courthouse, and The Line is the next step in providing employment opportunities.
The Line makes its home on North Grant Avenue in the Discovery District. Some folks, especially CCAD alums, will recognize it as the old Circle Hall.
The space has been given a gorgeous refresh, adding in a brand new kitchen, front cafe/bar, dining room with chef’s counter. There’s a library and event space in the back, with a patio, incubator spaces, and more coming eventually.
The Line is opening first with dinner and brunch before eventually adding lunch (and maybe breakfast?). But remember that The Line is not just a restaurant; it will offer training and upskilling for restaurant folks who are looking for new opportunities, and will start welcoming new chefs and industry workers in the coming months.
What does that mean for you? A chance to support one of the hardest-working industries while eating great food.
The kitchen is headed up by Matt Heaggans, known to many as the creator of my favorite burger spot, Preston’s Burgers.
The bar program is led by PJ Ford, whose work is well known throughout Columbus from a variety of pop-ups to bygone spots like the beloved Light of Seven Matchsticks.
So needless to say, the beverage program at The Line is strong.
On our first visit during the opening previews, we tasted a good cross section of the menu, starting with potato rolls with whipped doenjang butter.
The kohlrabi salad offers a fascinating mix of textures. The kohlrabi is shaved thin with celery, sherry vinegar, castelvitrano olives, and buttered crumbs.
The cabbage all’ assassina picks up on the famed Italian dish in which spaghetti is cooked in a pan in a tomato sauce, as opposed to being boiled first. This version features charred cabbage with pickled turnips, ricotta, pine nuts, and salsa verde.
The potato gnudi are soft and rich in brown butter.
The mussels escabeche are served in a vichyssoise (a creamy potato/leek soup) with chorizo and crispy potatoes. A pretty fascinating mix of textures, and unlike any mussels you’ve had.
Perhaps my favorite dish of the night was the jerked chicken served over rice, all tender and peppery.
For dessert we had a taste of a delightful millionaires chocolate torte.
As if I wasn’t excited already for the project, our preview taste gave me even more reason to sing its praises. Fun and delicious food for a great purpose.
Congrats to Matt, Sang, Letha and the whole culinary team on putting this together. I’m proud to play even a small part in this endeavor.
The Line
145 N. Grant Ave.
Columbus, OH 43215
Web: thelinecolumbus.org
IG: @theline_cbus