Friday Food Bites: Smith & Wollensky coming downtown, Zaki Grill opens in Budd Dairy

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

• After closing at Easton last year, Smith & Wollensky steakhouse announced that it will return to Columbus in early 2025. The Boston-based steakhouse closed its Easton location after 20 years in early 2023, but will open a new restaurant in the Hyatt Regency in downtown Columbus. They’re taking over the ground floor to renovate into a 300-seat dining room and patio, with an aim to open in early 2025.
• Zaki Mediterranean Grill has opened their new stall at Budd Dairy Food Hall. The Mediterranean eatery operates three food trucks, and previously popped up in Budd Dairy’s Hatch incubator space. They took over the stall that was quietly vacated by Cousins Maine Lobster in recent months.
• Winn Winn Cafe in Fifth By Northwest opened up their dining room for dine-in service recently. They’ve only been operating as a carryout spot until now, serving breakfast, sandwiches, coffee, and baked goods.
• Smoked on High BBQ in the Brewery District just announced a new side business, Smoked on Chai, a catering and event service company that serves up certified kosher barbecue.
• A quartet of Columbus chefs – Sangeeta Lakhani, Avishar Barua, Matt Heaggans, and Andrew Smith – will be cooking for a special dinner on August 10. The Harvest of Hope dinner will raise funds for the Hardy Center in Linden.
• Finally, the Gay Fad Studios & Glass Museum in Lancaster hosts a midcentury barware show this weekend (June 21-23) called Bottoms Up. It features cocktail classes, exhibitions, a tiki takeover, and much more. We first visited the shop last year during the Lancaster Festival, and it’s a fascinating place.

Also, I’m presenting at the Dublin Library next Wednesday, June 26 from 6-7 p.m.! I’m talking about some favorite places to explore this summer. It’s free but you can register here!

This week I’m also writing:

Want to keep up with more? Follow me on Instagram at @breakfastwithnick, check out the news archives, search for travel inspiration, explore the breakfast map, or…