Inside 43215: Downtown Dish
Ordinarily grits aren’t something you want to kiss, but a new Arena District restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch has changed that.
Rise & Dine opened in June at 277 W. Nationwide Blvd. with a killer array of offerings that include traditional Southern grits made the traditional Southern way.
“Our grits are the good, creamy grits,” said General Manager David Bartlow, “not the kind most folks in the North are used to.” The Rise & Dine company, which moved its headquarters to Worthington in February, started in Florida as Peach’s Rise & Dine. Despite being a chain, its trademark is wholesome food in a friendly neighborhood atmosphere. “On Sundays we get the folks going to church downtown,” Bartlow said.
The restaurant’s fare includes nine kinds of omelets, four types of benedicts, six varieties of pancakes, and old-fashioned oatmeal. Signature dishes include scone-like pastries called Fruit Blossoms and French Toast Crunch, which is coated with granola, coconut and brown sugar and then baked. Among the more lunchy options are salads, sandwiches and wraps, and a quiche of the day. In addition to feeding current hungry residents and workers downtown, Bartlow said his location is situated perfectly to catch any overflow from the North Market and the Short North, and he looks forward to a stream of people continuing to move into his neighborhood. “As places like Buggyworks and older factories in the Arena District get refurbished and more offices go up, we’ll be in the middle of one of the best places to be,” he said.
Rise & Dine, which offers catering and call-ahead takeout, is open daily 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m. 222-3008.
