Lots of hard work goes into ‘simple’ food at Hubbard Grille
Hubbard Grille has been a Short North staple since 2010, taking up residence in the Winder’s Motor Co. building in the midst of the burgeoning Arts District.
Part of the locally based Taste Hospitality Group Ltd., Hubbard Grille is known for its from-scratch kitchen, local ingredients and chef-driven fare.
“The menu is described as New American, which I like to say gives us the leeway to make anything,” sous chef Kurt Woodland said.
“We’d like to think we can appeal to anyone,” Woodland said. “If people come in they can find something they like on our menu.”
The kitchen likes to take a few chances; for example, the lamp chops ($37.99) get a Korean-style treatment, marinated for up to four hours in a soy sauce dominant with soy, brown sugar, garlic, shallots and sesame oil.
The chops are grilled and served with cumin basmati rice and sauteed green
beans, and garnished with a sesame chili sauce.
Woodland breaks down entire Alaskan halibut in the kitchen. The service portion ($36.99) is rubbed with an assertive but not spicy seasoning, panroasted and grilled, served with chilled asparagus, fregola salad (a sort of grain similar to couscous) and a garnish of crunchy pan-roasted prosciutto.
The pork chop ($32.99) is an enduring favorite among guests. Locally sourced every other day, the full rack is broken down in the kitchen.
The pork is brined for two days, panroasted and served with black pepper spaetzle, black Tuscan kale and topped with a thick glaze made of bacon, bourbon apples and butter.
“People say it’s the best pork they’ve ever had,” Woodland said.
The fried chicken ($19.99), as usual, is anything but simple at Hubbard Grille. Ohio Amish chickens are broken down on premises, and brined for a day.
The dredging process and cooking takes a little time, so customers are asked to prepare for the wait, Woodland said.
The chicken is served with white cheddar grits, fried Brussels sprouts and black pepper gravy, the base of which uses discarded chicken carcasses that are made into a flavorful stock that spends hours on the stove.
Hubbard burger ($14.99), another classic at the restaurant, uses fresh, never frozen meat, hand-patted inhouse. It is layered with smoked gouda, avocado puree and traditional garnishes on a toasted brioche bun with fries on the side.
The bonus, Woodland said, is the bacon jam, in which bacon and white onion are cooked down with agave, coffee and apple cider vinegar until it has a jam-like quality.
“It just smells amazing,” he said. Considered a shareable item, the braised short ribs ($13.99), are served with sauteed shrimp in garlic, microgreens and white cheddar on a creamy tomato jus made with meat stock.
“It’s simple,” Woodland said, “but it’s a well-put-together dish.”