An anchor of Columbus’ Downtown, Arena District and Short North areas is in line for a big leap forward.
The $210 million, 1,000-room convention hotel will be an expansion of the 10-year-old Hilton Columbus Downtown. The hotel is expected to be completed by late 2022.
A key portion of that expansion is the as-yet-unnamed wood-burning, open fire restaurant. The concept is open floor so guests can see the kitchen in action, with custom grills with rotisserie options, open flames and a wood-burning pizza oven.
“Just like the kitchen is the heart of any home, the central wood-fire oven and grill is the soul of our restaurant,” says hotel Executive Manager Chris Coffin. “It’s an artistic statement that will be the focal part, but it will also radiate comfort and ambiance.”
The open fire concept was a combined effort among Coffin, former Executive Chef Bill Glover and the culinary team.
The group traveled to New York, Chicago and Washington, DC to explore what was new and exciting in the dining scenes there. Coffin knew the restaurant had to be unique, considering Columbus’ reputation for excellent eateries.
“This town has some strong competition,” he says. “It’s a very competitive food market. We kept thinking, ‘What hasn’t been done here?’”
The hotel’s prominence on High Street constitutes a balancing act for the open fire restaurant.
“It’s a good thing, because the hotel will be part of a lively neighborhood, which is an attraction to bring people into the hotel,” Coffin says. “On the other hand, yes, that means people want to get out of the hotel and into Columbus. But it’s symbiotic relationship. We need the neighborhood to sell the hotel, and in turn, we’re bringing tons of people into the neighborhood.”
The food ought to be enough to please both guests and the public alike, Coffin says.
“At the end of the day, fire is the rudimental feature of food,” Coffin says. “In one sense, we’re going back to the basics with our food. But we’re also highlighting the great agriculture connections we have here in the community.”
He says that while the menu is still in production, there are endless ways to create new, inventive plates with open fire.
“To a certain degree, Columbus is big on meat and potatoes. But also, in this town, you have to have a great burger and pizza,” Coffin says. “The element of our fire can take it to the next level.”
Mallory Arnold is an editor. Feedback welcome at marnold@cityscenemediagroup.com.