June 21, 2021

[‘plas] Food & Drink celebrated its grand opening just about a month ago, bringing a modern, all inclusive approach to fine dining in the District. With the highly anticipated roll-out of their summer menu planned for June 27, we chatted with general managers Jackie Williams and Eric Bearfield about what guests can expect to enjoy on the seasonal menu, the overall inspiration behind the concept of [‘plas], and more.

How would you describe the overall concept of [‘plas], and what inspired that concept?
The name [‘plas] comes from the french culinary term mise en place, which means “everything in its place.” When a chef preps their ingredients and has them all set up for a dish they are preparing, that’s called their mise en place. It is our intention to carry this idea through everything we do inside and outside of the kitchen by carefully considering every piece and its impact on the whole.

We offer an approachable, fine dining experience that combines Chef Jamie George’s talent in the kitchen with great wines, craft cocktails,and local artwork on display.

Is everything in the right place to provide an amazing experience for our guests? That’s what we strive for.

What style of cuisine do you specialize in at [‘plas]?

Our cuisine is centered around classic, old world dishes that are being presented with innovative techniques and ingredients. We’ve followed that template with our wine list, by offering old world and new world representations of many grape varietals and some fun styles of wine that you don’t see everywhere.

We want to provide an approachable, inclusive experience for all of our guests. Whether you’re an omnivore or you have dietary restrictions, we’ve provided great options to choose from. Our vegan charcuterie board, with portobello bacon, carrot jerky, and beet prosciutto, is an awesome example of how Chef Jamie can create something spectacular that’s sure to please.

How did the decision to open [‘plas] in the Short North Arts District come about?

We felt that the Short North was the right area for the concept that we wanted to provide to our guests and we fell in love with the building that we landed in. The old architecture and exposed brick, combined with reclaimed barn wood and a modern aesthetic, really created the character that we were looking for in the space.

There is a lot of amazing energy and vibrancy in Columbus, and the Short North Arts District is at the heart of that. We are so excited to be a part of this community and share what we love doing with the city.

What sort of items can guests expect to enjoy on the Summer menu?

We will be changing our menus seasonally, and summer is such a fun time for food. As Chef Jamie put it, the ingredients that are available in the summer are already of such a high quality, he just has to kiss them and send them out of the kitchen. We work with local, sustainable and conscientious options whenever possible.

For our Summer menu, we will be offering a sweet corn panna cotta with calabrian chiles, blistered farm corn, dried tomatoes and a lime basil salt. Another dish is our grilled lamb loin  with smoked tomato pecorino risotto, espresso BBQ and a red cabbage tomato slaw. As always, chef’s house made cured meats and cheeses will be showcased on our charcuterie boards.

What has your experience in the District been like so far?

Our experience has been invigorating and really positive in the Short North so far. We’ve made great connections with our neighboring businesses and the local residents, and we look forward to building on that.

What do you want guests to gain from their experience at [‘plas]?

We want every guest to have the full fine dining experience at [‘plas] in an approachable and comfortable atmosphere. The opportunity to share amazing tastes from our kitchen and bar is why we do this everyday and it keeps us motivated to provide an amazing night out.

What are you most looking forward to for the future of [‘plas]?

We look forward to sharing our passion with the city and continuing to showcase our forward-thinking culinary and beverage programs. We are grateful for the opportunity to create a genuine experience for our guests and neighbors.

[‘plas] is located at 21 E. Fifth Ave and is now open for dine-in and takeout.