Hospitality in Hide-A-Way Hills

I was excited when an Evite turned up in my inbox to join new food director, Michael Hermick and Excutive Chef, Jay Estep at The Lodge at Hide-A-Way Hills Resort. As a food and travel writer and author of the Insiders’ Guide to Columbus, I am always on the prowl for new and interesting dining spots in central Ohio.  

I have heard whispers of this "Hide-A-Way" place. In fact, my husband once helped a friend there with his fixer upper. I, however, had no idea where on the map we were going until we plugged it into the GPS-which we have lovingly dubbed Minnie Driver. Minnie directed us down Route 33, but not as far as the Hocking Hills proper. Ahhhh... just beyond Lancaster, hang a left. Follow Horns Mill Road until it becomes Hide-A-Way Hills (HAH) Road then dead-ends into a private lakefront community. From Arlington, the drive took only 42 minutes, door to door. And it was a gorgeous day for a drive!

As you can see from this picture, October wrapped its warm, autumnal arms around us. The weather was absolutely brilliant, so we took advantage of being the first to arrive (which rarely happens, by the way!) by spending a few minutes on the patio, taking in the scenery and talking privately with Michael. We learned about his leap of faith into the restaurant world, with the guidance and support of our mutual friend and restaurateur, Elizabeth Lessner (and many others). We also noticed very quickly Michael's passion to keep his family recipes - in particular, Great-Grandma 's pasta sauce- alive and kicking. So, taking over the Lodge is as much an effort to share the fabulous scratch-cooked meals from his childhood, as it is a business venture. 

Speaking of business,his  foray into the food industry is two-fold. While most of us get at least one day of rest, Michael Hermick uses his one day off from the restaurant to produce Zapico sauces for retail sale at The Hills Market, Whole Foods and such. Most impressively, he hand-makes and jars his products at The Ohio State's Food Science department, using products sourced from Ohio and California. (You can read another write up by Shelly Mann over at Crave magazine) Michael was kind enough to share a jar of Josephine's Pasta Sauce with each of us as we left. But we'll save Zapico for another blog entry... (Let's just say, it's really good stuff)

We sensed this event was to be a small one, but as guests started to show up, I knew it would be a fun one! A few familiar faces turned up. A gang of Lessners; Shelly Mann from Crave Magazine; Jim Ellison (CMH Gourmand and Foodcast host), as well as a few other media foodies and a number of Bremen Chamber and Hide-A-Way Hills representatives. It felt like a big ol' Sunday dinner- just like grandma used to make. Well, sort of... only with way more food. And distinctly Italian.


The table was already laden with antipasto and bread by time the first course of spicy Italian Red Soup rolled out. While the name is simple sounding, the flavor was dynamite! I devoured it quickly, forgetting to snap a picture. (sorry) Then came the second course. The Pièce de résistance - a meaty, mouth-watering spare rib show-casing Zapico's delicious barbecue sauce. The meat fell off the bone and I fell in love. After a palate cleansing lemon sorbet, we moved on. 


The third course was a showstopping mountain of eggplant Parmesan. All I can say is wow. (Look at the picture and you will see why.) The eggplant was lightly breaded & nicely cooked, but the marinara sauce made the dish. I thought I wouldn’t be able to eat another bite...

And then there was dessert, of which I am usually not a fan- but the pumpkin bourbon cheesecake placed in front of us looked like autumn on a plate. Frankly, he 'had me at bourbon.'  After having been stuffed to the gilt with several prior courses, I managed to find space for the entire piece. Once again, forgetting to take a picture before digging in. Proof it was delectable. 


And if the sunshine wasn't enough, the dinner company added to the warmth of the day... everyone openly shared a few tidbits about his/herself and conversation flowed. As did the wine. And beer. In fact, the two house brews - a lager and pale ale- are made right on site in the mini-brewery. Lovers of Columbus beers might recognize the name Scott Francis, brewmaster behind the likes of Barleys, CBC and now the Lodge. Sneak a peek through the glass walls into the brewing area to see where the magic happens. As the courses of food poured from the kitchen, wine or beer was paired with each dish in order to showcase the different menu offerings. Let's just say, the Lodge is a hotbed of hospitality.


By the end of dinner, you had to roll most of us out of there. Heck, you had to roll me out after the second course, but I wasn't leaving until the last bit of bourbon sauce was licked from the plate. While driving home, Kevin and I reflected on the delicious comfort food, the superb sauce and friendly atmosphere of the Lodge; each agreeing one of the best parts of the meal was leaving with a sincere desire to return. We plan to dine at the Lodge again soon- hopefully, with family and friends in tow. It's just that kind of place.