I remember the first time I ever made a latte—not to be confused with latte art, which is something most definitely outside the realm of my artistic capabilities.

And I mean a real live latte, steaming milk and pulling espresso and all that jazz. Is latte art school a thing? Not sure if I’d pass.

I acquired said latte skills at The Market Italian Village, a sister restaurant to Alchemy that opened just a few months before we did in summer of 2014. It was like the big sister! The plan was for Alchemy to have a basic coffee menu, so of course I had to learn my way around the espresso machine. We no longer offer espresso due to a lack of space, but hopefully we will again in the future. The Market taught me lots of tips and tricks of the trade and will always hold a special place in my heart.

You can tell from my Instagram posts that I still spend a lot of time at The Market. Sometimes we’ll hold meetings there and sometimes I’ll just post up by the window with my laptop while I enjoy a homemade peanut butter muffin and coffee. Sometimes I’ll act like I’m doing things but really I’m just wondering why I can’t make muffins that good at home.

I’m really excited about today’s post because in my humble opinion, finding really good food in Columbus is no easy task. The Market recently welcomed to their team Tyler Minnis, former chef and owner of Angry Bear Kitchen. I met Tyler and his brother Collin last year when we were named 2016 Columbus Tastemakers. Collin now manages the front of house operations and also curates the cocktail menu.

You also may know Stephan, the super friendly and knowledgable one with his hands in both the front and back of house. I never imagined that we’d all end up working in the same company, but I’m so glad to see them both thriving in this new environment today.

Now let’s rewind and talk more about what makes The Market so darn special. It’s essentially a bistro cafe, coffee shop, deli counter, and old world market all rolled into one. A real gem! It has the look and feel of a market you’d visit in Europe, with open air windows, a rounded ceiling, and of course a wood-fired oven in the back.

Chef Tyler’s menu features unique, chef-driven dishes made with local, seasonal ingredients. “The menu draws inspiration from the changing seasons, with selections from the restaurant’s kitchen, deli case, and wood burning oven. I start with the vegetables. The meat comes later,” explains Chef Tyler.

“My take on food is to make it fun and exciting. We want to put things on the plate that other people in town aren’t yet doing. That excitement in the kitchen extends to our servers and staff making for a unique and enjoyable experience for our customer.” 

Chef’s favorite tapa-style small plate offerings this season include the the house-made Gnocchi with creamed brussels sprouts, smoked Ohio maple syrup (the best!), and crispy sage and the Braised Chickpeas with roasted brussels sprouts, pomegranate mint pesto, and pickled date. The latter also happens to be one of my very favorites!

While The Market is by no means plant-based fare, they have plenty of options for us herbivores. To start out, the marinated almonds with citrus, garlic and rosemary are not to be missed. I also always order the Burnt Carrot Salad with wood-fired carrots with za’atar spice and persimmon salsa verde. It’s a really unique dish with flavors and textures that hit every note.

When it comes to large plates, the Wood-Fired Cauliflower with fennel puree, spelt, sherry, golden raisins and hazelnut picada is my go-to. Whenever the vegetable is the star of the dish, I’m always super impressed. I’ve also tried the free form lasagna and holy moly, I could’ve finished off the entire pan myself!

The Market also has a super innovate drink list and killer brunch menu. Shakshouka, anyone?

My friends at The Market were kind enough to give away a $50 gift certificate to one lucky Hummusapien reader! This giveaway is open to local residents only. The giveaway will end Sunday, February 12th at 12:00pm EST. The winner will be notified via email.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

1.  Follow me and The Market on Instagram
2.  Leave a comment on this post telling me what menu item your most excited to try!

I hope you enjoy this little neighborhood gem as much as I do!