After graduating from The Ohio State University, Megan Ada, owner of Asterisk Supper Club in Uptown Westerville, set off for medical school at Ross University in Miramar, Florida. Just three months later, she decided to drop everything and pursue her lifelong dream of opening her own restaurant.
“I’ve always loved science, but I always found myself going back to restaurants,” Ada says. “I enjoyed medicine, but it just wasn’t my calling. I knew I should do what my gut told me.”
Ada’s first step toward her dream was pursuing a culinary education at Johnson and Wales Culinary School in Fort Lauderdale, where she honed her cooking abilities and learned about the real-world aspects of the industry, from food costs to health codes.
“I love everything about food,” Ada says. “Learning about it, discovering flavors, preparing it, serving it and, of course, eating it. Because of my love for food, the restaurant industry comes very natural to me.”
After finishing her schooling, Ada moved back to Ohio and purchased Westerville’s Sunny Street Café in 2010 and learned firsthand what it takes to own a business.
“My intention was to eventually own my own concept,” Ada says. “I like to be prepared and feel confident in my skills, so I felt owning a franchise would give me that business owner experience with guidance.”
Five years later, Ada decided that she was ready to make the leap.
“I really had no idea what I wanted to do,” she says. “I just knew that I wanted to create everything myself.”
Ultimately, it was Westerville itself that served as the ultimate inspiration for Asterisk Supper Club, which opened in April 2016.
“I knew I wanted to stay in Westerville because I had gotten to know the community really well,” Ada says.
"I grew up enjoying Japanese food and always wanted to be a part of making this delicious and intriguing cuisine.” - Megan Ada
She then discovered a vacancy in Uptown built in the early 1900s and fell in love with its old-time feel.
“I loved the character of it,” Ada says. “It was a perfect size for me. Basically, the building itself is where I started my ideas.”
Ada and her mother, whom Ada credits for the beauty of the restaurant, then went to work on designing the space that would become Asterisk.
“Warmth and coziness was really important with creating the atmosphere,” Ada says of their design vision. “I wanted it to be a place that people felt like they could stay for a long time. Westerville is such a beautiful community, so my mom and I wanted to embrace that.”
Ada then chose the unique cuisine that Asterisk offers, which centers around comfort food and exciting flair like an extensive afternoon tea, brunch, cocktail and dessert menu. They now even offer event tea parties for special occasions like Valentine’s Day, Christmas, and bridal or baby showers.
Asterisk Supper Club
Photos courtesy of Jenny Beck Photography
Photos courtesy of Jenny Beck Photography
Photos courtesy of Jenny Beck Photography
Photos courtesy of Jenny Beck Photography
“With the location and exposure of High Street, and being able to compete with people I’ve always looked up to – it was a true honor,” Ada says.
This new restaurant, called Ampersand, will build again on Ada’s creativity and desire to explore new ideas. She says she is currently in the process of finalizing costs and permits and will hopefully begin construction on the restaurant soon.
Ampersand will feature a Japanese cuisine of ramen, sushi and a sake bar. Ada says the inspiration for this menu comes directly from her childhood experience living in Guam.
“My dad is from Guam, and the Japanese love touring Guam, so there is a large Japanese influence in the island,” Ada says. “I grew up enjoying Japanese food and always wanted to be a part of making this delicious and intriguing cuisine.”
Ada says the most rewarding part of her career thus far is when she’s alone in the restaurant at the end of the night and can really reflect on the journey to this point, along with the family, friends and team who have supported her along the way.
“Those are the moments that it’s important to live in,” Ada says. “(To) realize that this is a work of art that I’ve worked really, really hard to get to.”
Kendall Lindstrom is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
Asterisk Strawberry Jam: Makes 10 8-oz. jars.
Ingredients:
- 4 lb. strawberries
- 2 lb. 10 oz. white cane sugar
- 6 oz. lemon juice
Recipe:
- Cut stems off strawberries. If large, cut into quarters – small bite-sized pieces are desirable.
- In a 12-qt. copper preserving pan or wide pan, combine strawberries and sugar.
- Heat on medium heat to dissolve the sugar. Continue to stir but do not let it boil.
- As soon as the sugar is dissolved, transfer to a plastic or ceramic bowl with lid.
- Refrigerate overnight.
- Place your mixture back into the pan.
- Place a few spoons into the freezer on a plate (these will be used to test your jam to see if it’s finished).
- Heat on medium-high
- Add 3 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Heat and continually stir the mixture until it boils and reaches 220 degrees Fahrenheit.
- It will take approximately 30-40 minutes. The bubbles will get smaller as it gets closer to being finished.
- Stir very often at this point to prevent burning.
- When it gets to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, add the remaining 3 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Foam will start to accumulate at the top of your mixture. Carefully skim off the top with a large spoon. Try not to leave any foam.
- Take your spoons from the freezer and spoon a small amount of jam onto the spoon and place back into the freezer. Once the spoon is neither warm nor cold, take your finger down the spoon. If the mixture on the sides stays and doesn’t bleed into where your finger was, it is ready. If not, keep your mixture on the heat and try again in 10 min.
- Start a second large pot of boiling water. This will be used to seal your cans. Be sure it is large enough to fit desired number of mason jars.
- Remove jam from heat.
- Immediately sanitize mason jars, lids and rings. This is very important to prevent bacteria. Be sure not to touch any part of the jar, ring or lid after sanitation.
- Use a canning kit funnel, ladle into the mason jars. Fill to just below the lip. Be sure not to get foam into the jars.
- Use the magnet stick from the canning kit to place the lid onto the jar. This will allow you to place it on the jar without touching it.
- Tighten with the ring.
- Carefully put your jars into the pot of boiling water. Be sure they are completely submerged.
- Boil for 30 min.
- The lids should not move when you push down on them. This is how you know they have sealed.
- Store at room temperature in a cool, dry area. Jam will be good for one year.
