Photo courtesy of North Market Downtown / Macelleria East Side Butchery

There’s always a lot going on in the Columbus restaurant world! Here’s the latest:

• This week, North Market Downtown got a new butcher shop! Macelleria East Side Butchery from Bexley has opened a stall at the market. They partnered with Ian Holmes, owner of COLO Seafood & Oyster Bar and COLO Burger Bar in the market. The butcher shop’s initial hours will be Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m
• The owners of Hoyo’s Kitchen have announced a new smashburger concept opening next week at Bubbly Food Hall in New Albany. Rhino Smashburger Co. will feature smashburgers, loaded fries and shakes. They are due to open next week, Friday, October. 18.
• Johnson’s Real Ice Cream is expanding again! They announced a new Powell’s store coming to 4290 Home Rd. in early 2025 and teased more locations to come in the future. Johnson’s added three new stores last year, in Grandview, Italian Village and Canal Winchester.
• The South End Cafe on Parsons Avenue reopened after a brief hiatus this week. They are running a number of specials until October. 13.
• Tune in to the Food Network tonight as the next Columbus restaurant, High Bank Distillery, will be featured on Dining, driving and diving!
• There are still a few tickets available for the inaugural Market to Table Dinner in Worthington next Wednesday, October. 16. The dinner is a fundraiser for the Worthington Farmers Market and features a number of market vendors, plus dishes from Columbus chefs Laura Lee and Jack Moore.
• Next week, The Coffee Mess in Hilliard celebrates 10 years in the roasting business. They are hosting a celebration at their bakery in Hilliard next Thursday, October. 5 p.m. starting at 6 p.m
• A new mobile coffee trailer called Kile Road Coffee is about to debut soon!
• The owner of 1126 Restaurant in the Short North and Song Lan Restaurant have announced a new sushi concept called 698 Restaurant, coming soon to the old El Segundo space at — wait for it — 698 N. High St. in the Short North.
• From Oct. 1-8 p.m., Hank’s Low Country Seafood offers a special cocktail called the Little Black Dress. A portion of the proceeds from each sale will support the Columbus Fashion Council.
• 614’s Burger and Beer Week is back in October. 2-7 p.m., with $6 and $8 burger specials at various participating restaurants.
• The Columbus Italian Festival is this weekend, October. 11-13, in Italian Village.

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